At first it was no leisurely practice for Hillary Kennedy, who employed it to recover from a serious back injury, but pilates has now become her passion and she is introducing the practice to youth all over the shoreline area. Hillary, a Madison resident, spent much of her youth in Rye, New York, and was a dancer of modern and jazz throughout high school and college who also played tennis most of her life. It was nine years ago that the devastating back injury required her to have surgery and undergo the insertion of a titanium disc.

Hillary, a Madison resident, spent much of her youth in Rye, New York, and was a dancer of modern and jazz throughout high school and college who also played tennis most of her life. It was nine years ago that the devastating back injury required her to have surgery and undergo the insertion of a titanium disc."I was a strong tennis player, dancer, and loved to play sports so I really floundered with this injury for quite some time," says Hillary. "My physical therapist and rehab center got me into pilates to try to strengthen everything up and it kind of became an addiction after that. I enjoyed the classes, saw the body benefits, and saw the rehabilitative benefits. I know pilates is the reason I'm doing what I'm doing today-moving around, driving my kids around, and just enjoying life."

"I was a strong tennis player, dancer, and loved to play sports so I really floundered with this injury for quite some time," says Hillary. "My physical therapist and rehab center got me into pilates to try to strengthen everything up and it kind of became an addiction after that. I enjoyed the classes, saw the body benefits, and saw the rehabilitative benefits. I know pilates is the reason I'm doing what I'm doing today-moving around, driving my kids around, and just enjoying life."Pilates is a program that focuses on the core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced, which are essential to providing support for the spine, so it was no wonder why it was a lifesaver for Hillary. Once Hillary moved from New York to Connecticut, she got even more involved with pilates as a good friend owned her own studio on the shoreline and she followed her lead, eventually getting her certification to teach mat pilates and started to teach adults from New Haven to Old Saybrook.

Pilates is a program that focuses on the core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced, which are essential to providing support for the spine, so it was no wonder why it was a lifesaver for Hillary. Once Hillary moved from New York to Connecticut, she got even more involved with pilates as a good friend owned her own studio on the shoreline and she followed her lead, eventually getting her certification to teach mat pilates and started to teach adults from New Haven to Old Saybrook. With her daughters enrolled at New Haven Ballet, Hillary got very involved there and found it was a great segue for her to start teaching. She would go into classes during the last 45 minutes and train students in ab exercises and core strength, among other practices. She currently teaches adult classes at New Haven Ballet on the weekends.

With her daughters enrolled at New Haven Ballet, Hillary got very involved there and found it was a great segue for her to start teaching. She would go into classes during the last 45 minutes and train students in ab exercises and core strength, among other practices. She currently teaches adult classes at New Haven Ballet on the weekends."It was once I was teaching at New Haven Ballet that one of the teenage dancers approached me-she was on the dance team at Hand-and thought I should try to incorporate what I do at New Haven Ballet at Hand somehow," says Hillary. "I approached Craig Semple about it and he thought it was a great idea. I started this fall season working with freshman football, varsity basketball, and I also have conditioned the field hockey team and junior varsity girls' soccer team. What I do is offered to kids during their regular practices and I've already seen such a difference, with some of the guys especially."

"It was once I was teaching at New Haven Ballet that one of the teenage dancers approached me-she was on the dance team at Hand-and thought I should try to incorporate what I do at New Haven Ballet at Hand somehow," says Hillary. "I approached Craig Semple about it and he thought it was a great idea. I started this fall season working with freshman football, varsity basketball, and I also have conditioned the field hockey team and junior varsity girls' soccer team. What I do is offered to kids during their regular practices and I've already seen such a difference, with some of the guys especially."When Hillary isn't applying her love and belief in pilates to her students, she is taking pilates and yoga classes herself, as well as playing regular tennis year-round and paddle

When Hillary isn't applying her love and belief in pilates to her students, she is taking pilates and yoga classes herself, as well as playing regular tennis year-round and paddle "I really feel strongly about what pilates does for the body, which is why I think it's so important to try to incorporate it into high school sports practices," says Hillary. "I want to thank Joy Scott, Janet Connolly, Michelle McCarthy, Diana Dart Harris, and Noble Barker-these women have helped me tremendously in my career. And I, of course, want to thank Craig Semple, the athletic director at Daniel Hand, for giving me the opportunity with the athletes there."

tennis in the winter. She also sails

competitively during the summer months.

"I really feel strongly about what pilates does for the body, which is why I think it's so important to try to incorporate it into high school sports practices," says Hillary. "I want to thank Joy Scott, Janet Connolly, Michelle McCarthy, Diana Dart Harris, and Noble Barker-these women have helped me tremendously in my career. And I, of course, want to thank Craig Semple, the athletic director at Daniel Hand, for giving me the opportunity with the athletes there."

For information, call Hillary at 203-215-7737 or www.newhavenballet.org.