This Mat & Chat was hosted on on Instagram Live on Saturday, April 3, 2021. The chat followed a 25 minute mat workout.
Victoria: Yesterday when we spoke on the phone, you reminded me that you’re Brazilian.
Daniela: Yes, I am!
Victoria: I was telling Daniela- there’s something in the water because the last few Mat & Chats I’ve done- not everyone has necessarily been Brazilian, but there’s been a connection to Brazil. I had Mariano Dolagaray- he’s Argentinian, but he learned Pilates in Brazil. And then I just uploaded my interview with Christina Gadar, and she’s Brazilian- so this is so awesome, because I also am Brazilian, so we just have this whole awesome Brazilian Pilates crew. It’s great.
Daniela: Exactly- it’s awesome! Do you speak Portuguese, or just zero?
Victoria: I tried. I took classes for a bit, and then when I try to speak Portuguese, people just stare at me- so I don’t think I’m doing it right.
Daniela: *laughs*
Victoria: Um, I know Spanish pretty well but I find that Portuguese is so different than Spanish actually that it kind of confused me! Like: “Oi, tudo bem! Eu sou Brasiliera. Eu nasci em Brasil.”
Daniela: There you go!
Victoria: Eu novi en Nova York? No…I live?
Daniela: Ah, eu moro. *laughing*
Victoria: Eu moro em Nova York. Si. I know little things. It’s been a while, and unfortunately, just with any language, you have to keep practicing it to learn it. I thought that was so poignant actually. Mariano was saying that he moved to New York for Pilates but to learn English. When he had an opportunity to move to the Bahamas to teach, he was so nervous to say yes because he was nervous that they wouldn’t speak English in the Bahamas because he didn’t know much about the island. He was like: “ I don’t want to lose the English that I just started learning.” But obviously he was fine, because they speak English there. I wish I spoke Portuguese more and it’s on my to-do list. Hopefully I’ll get better this next year- we’ll see.
But anyways, Daniela- you are from Brazil and that is where you learned Pilates originally, correct? That’s where you were introduced to Pilates.
Daniela: Yeah. So I didn’t take classes, but I was introduced to Pilates there. I used to be a dancer, right? So one of my friends who danced with me- she was certified by Romana at the time when Romana used to go there with Inelia. So she was certified by Romana and before our rehearsals, she would give us a mat class and I was like: “Oh my gosh- I don’t like this. Why are we doing this!”
Victoria: *laughs* Did you not like it because it was hard? Or because it was a waste of time in your-
Daniela: It was hard, and I just wanted to go dance! You know? I didn’t want to do anything else. But then, when I was in college- in college, my major was Physical Education in Brazil. And then my research, my last research was about posture and Pilates instructors. I had to actually –
Victoria: Did you come up with that? Did you decide to do that?
Daniela: Yeah, because I wanted to do something with posture. I knew at the time that Pilates and posture were so connected, so then I was like: “Oh, so how about I do research with Pilates instructors and posture?” So what I did was analyze was how they perceived their posture, and then I did the postural assessment for them, and they had to do questionnaire where they said: “I have this, this, and that posture” and then an assessment with them. They had a good, nice perception of their posture. Good awareness.
Victoria So then you were like: “Hmm, maybe there is something to this Pilates.”
Daniela: At that time, I started going in to studios, right? So then, I was like: “Oh, it’s not only that floor work- that looks cool!”
Victoria: Right, right, right- because you had only been introduced to the apparatus.
Daniela: Never, exactly. So I was like: “Wow, that looks really cool! I like those springs. That must feel good.” And then when I came to the U.S., it was to go through a certification program here. The funny thing is because I learned Pilates in English, it’s very hard for me to teach Pilates in Portuguese.
Victoria: Oh really? That’s so interesting!
Daniela: Yeah, because there is a whole vocabulary you use in English.
Victoria: And it probably doesn’t translate the same way in Portuguese- like “Jackknife”?
Daniela: Yeah, it does- but I think the names they keep the same, but it’s like “reach.” There is no “reach” in Portuguese. There is no real translation. So it’s really hard for me- I need to practice that a lot.
Victoria: Noor just agreed with you. She said “Hahaha- same here. Don’t teach in Arabic!” But at least now you’re teaching here, in the states. So you’re teaching English speakers. I wonder for Noor, in Kuwait, if she does have people who come in who don’t actually know those English words sometimes- that would be interesting. But I know- Pilates doesn’t always translate from language to language.
Daniela: Yeah, it’s just a vocabulary thing. It’s hard sometimes.
Victoria: So you came to the states when you were in college for the first time, and that wasn’t to do Pilates. You studied abroad basically, right?
Daniela: Yeah, so at first I came to study dance, and then after one and a half years, almost two years, I went back to Brazil to finish my Physical Education. So I was- my life is very- my first major in college was Economics.
Victoria: Oooh. Fancy.
Daniela: I know.
Victoria: Maybe you’re using that to run your business!
Daniela: There you go! Sometimes things come in very handy! You wonder: “Why did I spend all of that money and time” and then it’s like: “Oooh! That’s why!” Life is funny, right? So then- I was in my late 20s already, because I had already gone through almost the whole thing for Economics and then I decided to change majors, and then I came here and did dance, went back and did Physical Education, and came back here for Pilates. So yeah, late 20s, 30s almost.
Victoria: Okay, and you came to LA?
Daniela: Yes, I came to LA. My first certification was with Power Pilates, so I studied with Shari Berkowitz, who was in Beverly Hills at the time. I went to the Vertical Workshop, did my whole certification with her, and then I worked with her for two or three years in her studio.
Victoria: What did your family think about you leaving Brazil for the states?
Daniela: Well my brother is here, so I have part of my family here, and part of my family there. So we are kind of- you know. Which is hard sometimes, but I have my brother here, so we have our little families.
Victoria: So your parents were like: “Bye! Have fun!” Very supportive.
Daniela: Yeah, my mom is here, but she was not very happy. But now I think she got used to it.
Victoria: It is what it is, right? It allowed you to follow your passion and start a business, so it all worked out in the end. Okay, so you came to California and did your first certification through Power Pilates, and from there- did you start teaching right away in Los Angeles?
Daniela: Yeah, so I started- I was with Shari for about 2 or 3 years- I don’t remember exactly. At the same time- she was in Beverly Hills, and where I am now is very close, about ten minutes. So I taught at a studio here on Westwood Boulevard, where I am, and one of my friends was the owner so I was renting space there. So I was with Shari and I was also renting space. And then I left Shari’s’ studio and just kept my business going at the other studio, right? So my friend at the other studio at some point said- in 2013- she was pregnant, and she said: “They want the building, and I’m going to close the studio.” And that was Memorial Day, and she was going to close the studio at the end of July. And we were like: “Oh my God, what are we going to do- we have three months to stay here.” And then I had a friend who actually went through the Pilates certification with Shari too, and we got together and said: “Okay, let’s open a studio.” The studio that I’m in right now was also closing, so there were two studios on Westwood Boulevard. So I came, talked to the landlord, and then boom: in three months I opened the studio.
Victoria: That’s so fast.
Daniela: Yeah, it was crazy.
Victoria: Prior to that, were you like: “One day I’m going to have my own studio?”
Daniela: Not really, I never thought about it. You know, it was something that crossed my mind, but I wasn’t like “Oh my God!” Some people are like: “I want to have my own studio blah blah blah,” but I was so happy with just having my clients, paying rent, and that’s it. So it was kind of like: “Go!” Usually my life is kind of like that: “Ok- Go!”
Victoria: You know, sometimes I think that that’s the little push that you need though. If you’re content with your situation- that’s fine, it’s totally fine. But if you can potentially take on more, if you’re capable of more- sometimes you need that little push. You know, you need that little moment where you’re forced to change, and you kind of sink or swim. Obviously you’re swimming, because how long has Westwood Pilates been open now?
Daniela: Almost 8 years!
Victoria: That’s amazing! Wow, cool! So, you’ve been teaching- but between- wait. Did you have Westwood Pilates when you did “The Work” with Jay [Grimes]?
Daniela: Yes, yes. I opened the studio in 2013, and I did “The Work” with Jay in 2015.
Victoria: So you were doing both- you were running your studio and you were going back for a Bridge. What was “The Work” like?
Daniela: It was just amazing. It was the best thing. I think finding Jay, for me, and Vintage Pilates, was what really….have you seen The Lego Movie? I have a child, so-
Victoria: No *laughs* I just have the dog.
Daniela: So in The Lego Movie, they have the master builders, and they have the people who follow the instructions, right?
Victoria: I like this analogy.
Daniela: Yeah, so there are two people- the ones who follow the instructions, and the master builders. So the master builders are the ones who see the pieces and then put this amazing thing together. I think going through “The Work” with Jay- I became a master builder.
Victoria: Nice! I love that!
Daniela: You know what I mean? Because I could see Pilates as a system. I could see the relationships between each apparatus and the exercises. It was almost like this whole world opened up to me. So, I’m watching the body and I’m thinking: “Ok- what do I need to do to address the body I’m watching right now, that I’m observing and seeing in that body.” This happened when I did “The Work.”
Victoria: I think sometimes we need that- whether it’s a second certification or a change-up in how you’re teaching to really appreciate the system for what it is. I’ve been saying in some of my Mat & Chats in the fall that coming back to Real Pilates- we were closed from March through September- and when we reopened I started coming back and seeing clients. After mostly just teaching to the mat for those amount of months- I came back to the studio with totally open eyes. I was so excited to be able to utilize the high chair, the spine corrector, the ladder barrel- things I didn’t have access to for so long. It’s changed my approach to teaching.
In our program, we are taught to teach in parts, A, B, & C- reformer, mat, and then “c” is “what the body needs.” I didn’t always do that, but if I see a client twice a week, one session might be mostly reformer, one mostly mat/tower- but that’s totally not how I teach anymore. Every time someone comes in, I think: “How can we do everything that’s in here? How can we get a piece of everything?” It is a system, and it’s so important that we translate swan from here to there, and that we challenge bodies in a different way. I love that- Pilates is a system. It’s drilled into our heads in teacher training as well, and it’s so, so true. To be able to make that connection is so important.
Daniela: That’s right. And sometimes I think: “Why can’t my client do stomach massage?” right? What can I actually give this person for them to be able to sit on the reformer and eventually do stomach massage? Oh, I can do pumping on the high chair! You know? That’s what actually makes it exciting. That’s what keeps people coming back. You’re actually helping them- and when you know how to help them, they keep doing Pilates for their whole life! It’s forever.
Victoria: I have a client who recently started coming in three times a week. She used to do twice a week, and now she’s three times! It’s great, but when I first saw that she was on my schedule three times a week, I panicked. I was like: “Oh my God! What am I going to do? Three privates a week!! How do I make this different?” It was hilarious where I even had this moment where I questioned my ability to be able to challenge her while also giving her what she needs three days in a row. When you walk around in the studio, you think: “Oh my God- it’s limitless!” The first time I was so nervous, and now it’s like: “I got this.”
We can always be doing something- it’s just so interesting to see what that sort of challenge does for the instructor. To have a client that you’ve been seeing for almost two years- every instructor can kind of admit that they have a client who they’re so comfortable with, that you’re like: “Yeah, they got a workout, but we talked a lot…” So I think it’s so important when you have that challenge, like: “Okay, but how do I really give this client what they deserve and what they’re paying for- what they need- even though you feel like you may not know where to go with them. But it’s made me such a better instructor even already, and I told her that! I was like: “Keep doing this! Because it’s making me think so critically about what I’m doing.” I’m reviewing in advance and planning- and its just great. It really is.
Daniela: You know, sometimes, that’s when the whole thing about people changing the work comes. Sometimes we don’t realize that we do this for 5-6 hours a day. Clients come here once, twice, or three times in their week. They are not bored! Maybe we are, but that’s when we have to realize, “Oh, right! Maybe I’m bored, but they don’t get bored!” Why do we think that they’re bored.
Victoria: Yes, and especially with teaching mat classes virtually for so long now. Sometimes I panic the night before, like: “Oh! What am I going to teach tomorrow! How do I make sure this is different than what I taught on Tuesday!” Nobody knows what you taught on Tuesday! Even the people in the class don’t know what you taught on Tuesday! Nobody memorized it. If you have to repeat very similar things in a very similar order- that’s Pilates! That’s what they’re here for. You have to think of it from that perspective. We’re always looking to level-up and challenge ourselves and our teaching skills, but sometimes you don’t need to put that pressure on yourself. The clients don’t know as much as you know.
Daniela: And listen, consistency and repetition- why to people become great dancers or great musicians? Because they repeat, and repeat, and repeat, and practice, and practice, and practice. The only way you get better at this is through practice, and consistency, and repetition. Repetition is the key to everything.
Victoria: I know, right. You would say the same thing of any sport- soccer, football- there are only so many things that can happen in a game and they’ve seen every scenario a hundred times. But people keep coming back to watch and it’s still exciting to them. So exactly, as far as Pilates and sticking to the classical system and what we were given- you should never exhaust your options, you know?
Daniela: So think about you. Are you exhausted? Are you bored with Pilates?
Victoria: No, never.
Daniela: No! Exactly!
Victoria: We have a comment: “Why not make a library and teach progressive sessions?” I mean, yeah! Hopefully every client that comes in is on some sort of journey with you as their instructor, where they should be progressing every single time they come in. We have client cards and we track progress with clients, and I think that’s important, especially if clients work with other instructors- so you can keep everyone in formed. The fact of the matter is, that every day a client walks in to the studio, they’re not the same person they were two days before! Their body can be in a whole different place. So not every time that they come in, am I trying to challenge them more, more, more. Sometimes you have to pull it back- maybe you slept weird, maybe it’s 7am, maybe I see you at 4!
Daniela: Yeah! Maybe your neck is out of whack, maybe your back.
Victoria That happened to me a couple of weeks ago! I told Juan: “I’m sorry, I’m not coming to your class, I’m a little bit off.” When I came back to the class a week later, I did everything that I could, but my legs were open wider. We’re always experiencing different things in the body and I think that’s so important to keep in mind.
Okay, so I know you have a class at 10, so before we go, I want to do my speed round, but I also want to put you on the spot and hear your favorite moment with Jay.
Daniela: Oh, so I have many. My favorite moment- when I was going through the work. At the time, we had to do various assessments to be able to go into the weekends with him. My nemesis at the time was snake and twist. We were there doing snake and twist with him and I’m like: “Oh my God.” And then he goes: “Daniela, do it again.” I’m like: “Oh my God, he’s going to say I suck at this!” But then he goes: “What I love about this is that there is no tension in the shoulders.” And I’m like: “What?! Really!?” It was just great. It was a great affirmation for me, and my hard work. You know, when you think you suck at some exercise and then someone is like: “Can you show that to us?” And you’re like; “What?! Because I’m bad? OR because I’m good!?”
Victoria: And you were great! That’s always so nice to hear, especially from someone like that. That’s a great memory, I love that.
Daniela: I’ll never forget that.
Daniela’s Speed Round
City or beach?
Sweet or savory? Or both?
Cats or dogs?
Adventure or comfort?
Books or movies?
Nights in or nights out?
Summer or winter?
Tea or coffee?
Early bird or night owl? For work only
Pizza or pasta?
Europe or Asia?
Spring or fall?
Breakfast or dinner?