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Second Generation of Joseph Pilates
Inside the Powerhouse
A Kathy Grant Lineage Immersion with Sarita Allen
10-13.09.26 • Poznań • Poland
JoinWorkshop in an intimate group – only 19 places available
Sarita Allen
Sarita Allen
Sarita Allen has a career that most artists can only dream of, and she approaches teaching with the same depth and passion. A classically trained dancer from Seattle, she auditioned for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now known as The Ailey School) out of curiosity and received a scholarship. Sarita had previously had the opportunity to meet and work with legendary Pilates icon Kathy Grant, but she never imagined that her dual career was just beginning.
When she entered Kathy Grant’s class as a teenager, no one could have predicted how significant that meeting would prove to be. Kathy Grant was the first administrative director of Dance Theatre of Harlem and a Pilates instructor, while Sarita was a young scholarship student. At that time, Kathy taught a class called Special Exercise—a program created specifically for Dance Theatre of Harlem. Her strong personality made a tremendous impression on Sarita, and her uncompromising approach inspired the young artist to achieve increasingly better results.
As a young dancer, Sarita immediately felt the transformative impact of Kathy’s work on her body and on her ability to dance en pointe.
Sarita was personally selected by Alvin Ailey and became one of the first members of the repertory company (now Ailey II), and a year later joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Alvin Ailey called his friend Kathy and asked her to help the young dancer recover. Fate brought them together again—Kathy not only rehabilitated her knee but also set her on the Pilates path that continues to this day.
Kathy was also passionate about dance. She was a dancer herself and described herself as a “knee specialist,” so the two quickly found common ground. When Sarita was not at Ailey or on tour around the world, she spent time at Kathy’s studio when she ran the Pilates Studio at Henri Bendel—first as a client, later as a student, and eventually as an instructor running the studio during Kathy’s absence.
Allen was determined to learn everything possible from Kathy, and for over three and a half decades Kathy generously shared her knowledge—from the days of working at Dance Theater of Harlem and the Henri Bendel studio through the period of teaching at the Tisch School of the Arts.
Always interested in physical fitness and the human body, Allen began sharing her knowledge with her colleagues. In her very first season, Alvin Ailey created leading roles for her in two premieres set to Ellington’s music – The Mooche (alongside company veteran Judith Jamison) and Night Creature. These ballets set the tone for her career at Ailey – with numerous principal roles and outstanding performances, including galas at the Paris Opera, the Acropolis, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the White House for two presidents.
Sarita attributes her success largely to Pilates and to her mentor and teacher Kathleen Stanford Grant, thanks to whom she was able to create an impressive artistic body of work capable of meeting the demands of any tour.
She was also one of the first members of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, where she currently serves as artistic advisor. Her career extends beyond stage dance—she has also appeared in the films The Last Dragon, Angel Heart, and The Cotton Club, choreographed the musical Aida for Big League Production Tours, and recently delivered a TED talk.
She has been a faculty member of Ailey Extension since its inception and co-creator of its class program development. In 2010, she began teaching the Revelations Masterclass, also created her signature Ailey Barre program and new Restorative Stretches classes.
As a teacher, dance legend, choreographer, and Ailey ambassador, Sarita passionately shares the Ailey experience and legacy. She is also a regular contributor to popular Pilates platforms Pilates Anytime, Pilatesology, and Pilates Method Alliance, where she frequently shares the knowledge and guidance of her mentor Kathy Grant.
In 2020, as a consultant and wellness team member at HBO, she designed and implemented a Pilates program for HBO and WarnerMedia, including CNN, Warner Bros., Turner Broadcasting System, and Cinemax.
Her work in health and fitness has been featured in popular magazines such as Self, Fit Life, and Verywell Fit, one of the most popular online fitness resources.
A very promising future full of new opportunities still lies ahead for Sarita Allen. She is regularly invited to lead Pilates workshops around the world: in Brazil, Hawaii, Japan, France, Italy, and many other countries. Here you will find more information about classes with Sarita.
