ACADEMY
Comprehensive Classical Pilates Teacher Training
in Switzerland
Directed by Margarita Efthymiou • Hosted by Shay Harel / Pilates Together Kilchberg
Rediscover the Essence of Classical Pilates
Step into the work as Joseph Pilates conceived it: precise, systematic, and alive.
This 600-hour Comprehensive Teacher Training Program, directed by Second Generation Teacher Margarita Efthymiou and hosted by Shay Harel at Pilates Together Kilchberg, offers an integrated and structured path into the Classical Pilates system.
It invites both teachers and dedicated practitioners, with at least two years of experience, to study the full method with focus, depth, and personal mentorship, preserving its lineage while meeting today's understanding of movement and teaching.
The Program
A complete study of the Classical repertoire: Mat • Reformer • Cadillac • Chairs • Barrels • Ped-o-Pull.
Each module builds on the original principles of Contrology, combining movement practice, teaching methodology, and anatomical understanding.
Through theory, observation, assisted teaching, and guided discussion, participants learn to recognize relationships between exercises, translate principles across apparatus, and teach with precision and purpose.
The training emphasizes integration: the meeting point of method and mover, where knowledge deepens into understanding and understanding guides the teaching.
Meet the Mentors
Margarita Efthymiou
Second Generation Advanced Pilates Teacher
Margarita is a Second Generation Advanced Pilates Teacher, certified through Lolita San Miguel's Mentor Program and a graduate of Kathi Ross Nash's Red Thread Advanced Teacher Training Program.
She began her Pilates journey in 2002 with Bob Liekens of Power Pilates N.Y. and in 2007 founded Kinaesthesis Mind Body Practices in Athens. With more than two decades of experience, she has studied with leading Classical teachers and developed her own 600-hour Comprehensive Teacher Training Program in Athens.
She is also a GYROTONIC® Level 1 Teacher and a Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, supporting teachers and movers through all stages of practice.
Now based between Athens and Zurich, Margarita leads the Comprehensive Classical Teacher Training Program in collaboration with Pilates Together Kilchberg, offering structured mentorship within the authentic lineage of Classical Pilates.
Shay Harel
Third Generation Classical Pilates Master Trainer
Shay is a Third Generation Classical Pilates Master Trainer and founder of Pilates Together GmbH in Kilchberg, Zurich.
With a background in movement education and rehabilitation, he has spent over two decades teaching and refining the body through perceptive, purposeful movement.
Having studied with internationally recognized Classical teachers and directly under Jonathan Hoffman, creator of CoreAlign, Shay bridges Classical precision with a grounded understanding of functional movement and neuromuscular control.
He co-founded the Pilates concept at Holmes Place Zurich in 2008 before establishing Pilates Together, a studio devoted to authentic practice and teacher education.
In collaboration with and under the direction of Margarita Efthymiou, Shay hosts the Comprehensive Classical Teacher Training Program in Switzerland, continuing the living tradition of Contrology through thoughtful practice and committed teaching.
A Living Tradition
This training is more than a certification. It is an apprenticeship in movement, teaching, and observation.
Through guided mentorship and a close community of peers, participants learn to teach from real understanding rather than memorization, keeping the work alive as it evolves while honouring its creator’s intentions.
