10/19/2026
Hispanic Heritage Month might have come to an end, but we wanted to squeeze in one more extraordinary Latina powerhouse (pardon the pun): Elena Bartley 🇲🇽
Earlier this month, we looked back at the remarkable contributions of Lo**ta San Miguel, a Puerto Rican Pilates pioneer who helped shape the method’s history. Today, we’re giving flowers to Elena, whose ongoing work is helping shape its future, bringing Pilates education to new people & places.
Born in Mexico, Elena came to NYC as a dancer and studied with Romana and some of the most influential teachers in Pilates history. She went on to become an educator and mentor herself, with a special commitment to making Pilates more accessible to Spanish-speaking teachers and students.
She also created TuPilates.Video, a Spanish-language video library connecting Pilates lovers across Latin America and beyond. Because great Pilates education shouldn’t come with a language barrier.
From pioneers like Lo**ta to educators like Elena who continue to move the work forward, Pilates is constantly growing and evolving. And that work continues through the amazing Latine teachers at The Pearl and all over the world. Here in the Bronx, where so many cultures and languages come together, that feels especially meaningful. 💙
