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BOB LIEKENS
Conference
Athens 2026
Bob Liekens — a legacy we share, a joy we spread.
Founded in 2019 to honor Bob Liekens, our conference welcomes every Pilates tradition to share knowledge, preserve the legacy, and keep the method alive.
BL Conference 2026 – Athens, Greece
May 9–10, 2026
Join us for the Bob Liekens Conference 2026, set in sunny Athens, Greece, on May 9–10, 2026.
Experience two days of learning, inspiration, and connection in one of Europe’s most historic and vibrant cities.
The conference will be held at a beautiful hotel located in the heart of Athens’ old town, just a 15-minute walk from the Acropolis.
Immerse yourself in world-class presentations and Pilates heritage, surrounded by ancient culture and modern energy.
➡️ More details about accommodation and travel can be found under “Hotel & travel info”
Tecnopilates – Technical Sponsor of the Event
We are proud to announce that Tecnopilates will be present as a technical sponsor during the event.
Under the direction of Paolo Piccolo, Tecnopilates will provide and showcase a full range of professional Pilates apparatus for participants to experience throughout the conference.
All equipment presented during the event will be available for purchase at an exclusive 20% discount.
If you are interested in Tecnopilates equipment or would like more information,
👉 visit Tecnopilates or meet Paolo and the team during the event. 
Price for both days 595€ – 10% Early bird before 31 Dec.
Total 12,5 TPS CEC
Possibility to book single workshops, choose at checkout. For a fullday package price click 2WS per day including morning classes.
All workshops marked with ONLINE in the schedule below is available online through Zoom. After sign up you will receive all information to connect to Zoom in the order email sent directly from the system.
Package price 399€ for all Online workshops – 10% Early bird before 31 Dec.
Total 9,5 TPS CEC
Single workshops needs to be booked separately for every workshop – Register in the schedule below.
You will have access to the online videos 10 days after the event.
Schedule for the conference 2026
Sat 9 May
09:00-09:45
Room: Athena
Masterclass: Matwork
Presenter: Evgenia Papadopoulou
Live+Online
Sat 9 May
09:45-10:00
Room: Athena
Welcome
Presenter: Petra Karlsson
Sat 9 May
10:00-12:30
Room: Athena
Workshop: Mat Transitions
Presenter: Alexandra Edwards
Live+Online
Room: Karyatides
Workshop: Arm Chair
Presenter: Nora Machione-Weiss
Live
Sat 9 May
12:30-14:00
Lunch
Sat 9 May
14:00-17:00
Room: Athena
Workshop: Cadillac progression
Presenter: Bonnie Grove
Live+Online
Room: Karyatides
Workshop: Special cases – Upper Body
Presenter: Malene Pedersen
Live
Sat 9 May
17:00-18:00
Toast & social hour
Sun 10 May
09:00-09:45
Room: Athena
Masterclass: Matwork
Presenter: Evgenia Papadopoulou
Live+Online
Sun 10 May
10:00-12:00
Room: Athena
Workshop: Smart modifications
Presenter: Sandra Käfer
Live+Online
Room: Karyatides
Workshop: Inside out – The person behind the movement
Presenter: Bernd Wohlfarth
Live
Sun 10 May
12:00-13:00
Lunch
Sun 10 May
13:00-16:00
Room: Athena
Workshop: Archival Reformer
Presenter: Bonnie Grove
Live
Room: Karyatides
Workshop: Reformer on the Spine corrector
Presenter: Gina Papalia
Live
Workshop descriptions
Matwork1 - Evgenia Papadopoulou
A great, energizing start to your day!
Awaken your body and mind and prepare yourself for everything the day will bring. ✨💪.
Mat Transitions - Alexandra Edwards
Transitions are more than just moments between exercises — Joe believed they are part of the workout itself.
In this workshop, we focus on the matwork and its transitions, learning how to move with purpose and control.
Discover how to level up your teaching through each stage and challenge your clients to their fullest potential. 💪✨
Arm chair Workshop - Nora Machione-Weiss
Also known as the Baby Chair, this brilliant piece of Joe’s equipment isn’t just for the weak or injured — it’s a powerful tool to build strength, flexibility, and posture. Discover how to use this unique apparatus effectively with almost all your clients! ✨💪
Cadillac progression - Bonnie Grove
Explore the exercise progressions on the Cadillac from fundamentals to advanced and beyond. Understand how the basic exercises are built upon, why, and who they are best suited for. Great for challenging your strong ideal-level clients
Upper Body Focus - Malene Pedersen
Join this 3-hour practical workshop to explore how Pilates can help clients with neck, shoulder, elbow, and hand issues.
Learn smart modifications and variations using different Pilates apparatus and small props — all focused on functional movement, posture, and safe progression. Help your clients build strength, mobility, and body awareness both in and out of the studio. ✨
Matwork2 - Evgenia Papadopoulou
A great, energizing start to your day!
Awaken your body and mind and prepare yourself for everything the day will bring. ✨💪
Smart modifications - Sandra Käfer
On this workshop, we’ll look at the ideal exercise and consider together how we can modify it. Many conditions require different levers or adjustments on the Mat or on the Reformer. What’s possible?
Inside Out - The Person behind the movement - Bernd Wohlfarth
A unique workshop for Pilates instructors who want to explore the powerful link between personality, presence, and movement. Explore how personality shapes movement and how you can adapt your teaching so every client feels seen and supported.
Based on the Big Five personality model, this workshop gives you practical tools to teach with more empathy, clarity, and connection. 🌿
Archival Reformer - Bonnie Grove
In the layers of the reformer work are the lesser-known exercises we refer to as “archival”. Not always included in our basic education courses, this is a great way to experience some work not always covered, understand the precautions and safety points, and expand your knowledge.
Reformer on the Spine corrector - Gina Papalia
Once you know the Reformer exercises, you can take them to new heights — and new equipment!
In this workshop, we’ll explore Reformer movements on the Spine Corrector to discover new dimensions of strength, balance, and mind-body connection. Ignite joy, refine your practice, and elevate your teaching. ✨💪
Presenters 2026
Alexandra Edwards
California, USA
Certified in 1996 under Romana Kryzanowska, she has taught in New York, Los Angeles, and now Carmel, California, where she runs her own studio, Monterey Bay Contrology.
Bernd Wohlfarth
Hamburg, Germany
He discovered the Pilates method during an extended stay in Australia and has been active as a presenter and educator since 2001 — first for The Pilates Coach, then Power Pilates, and now The Pilates Standard.
Bonnie Grove
Virginia, USA
Bonnie Grove is an NCPT® Certified Pilates Teacher and a Teacher Trainer for The Pilates Standard (TPS).Formerly a Senior Teacher certified by Power Pilates, Bonnie has over a decade of experience teaching and mentoring instructors across the East Coast and internationally, including in Seoul, South Korea.
Evgenia Papadopoulou
Athen, Greece
With a background in classical ballet and modern dance, she discovered Pilates in 1990 and later trained under Romana Kryzanowska and Bob Liekens at the original Pilates Studio in New York, completing her certification in 1993.
Gina Papalia
New York, USA
Gina Papalia is a Second Generation Pilates Teacher, owner of Grasshopper Pilates in New York City (est. 2000), and a Teacher Trainer for The Pilates Standard (TPS). After earning a BFA in Fine Arts & Dance, she began her Pilates training in 1995 at SUNY Purchase, studying with Romana Kryzanowska and Bob Liekens.
Malene Pedersen
Helsingör, Denmark
Malene became a Classical Comprehensive Pilates Teacher in 2009 and a Physical Therapist in 2014. She combines her two professions to teach Pilates to a wide range of clients — from rehabilitation patients to professional athletes.
Nora Machione-Weiss
Rifton, USA
Nora Machione Weiss is the owner of Pilates of Kingston in New York and a dedicated advocate of the classical Pilates method. A former corporate segment producer in New York City, Nora discovered Pilates in 1990 as part of her knee injury rehabilitation.
Sandra Käfer
Mattersburg, Austria
With a background in ballet and fitness, she has been teaching classical Pilates since 2000 and educating instructors across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Sandra continues to inspire the Pilates community while running her studio in Mattersburg and balancing her passion for teaching with family life.
Pictures from last conference in Helsingborg Sweden
instalove
Everything begins on the mat. No springs. No shortcuts. Just strength, control, and progression. The Complete Mat Program builds teachers from the foundation up. #Completemat #MatPilates #Pilatestraining #Pilatesteacher #contrology #PilatesEducation
Back to the roots. The archival workshop in Germany dives into original exercises, transitions, and teaching intention. For teachers who want more than choreography — who want understanding.
https://thepilatesstandard.com/events/275-archival-workshop-day
#PilatesGermany #ArchivalPilates #ClassicalPilates #PilatesWeiterbildung #PilatesLehrer #PilatesTraining
Vilnius, we’re coming. A full day dedicated to depth, clarity, and the Pilates method as a system. Workshops designed to challenge your eye, your hands, and your thinking. Join the community and elevate your practice.
https://thepilatesstandard.com/events/309-pilates-event-vilnius
#PilatesVilnius #PilatesEvent #PilatesEurope #PilatesWorkshop #PilatesTeachers #ContinuingEducation
Become a teacher of the whole system. Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair & Barrels - connected, structured, intentional. The Comprehensive Program is rigorous, immersive, and transformative. Ready to raise your teaching standard? #pilateseducation #teachPilates #classicalPilates #thepilatesstandard
The Reformer as it was originally intended. Step into archival teaching, original progressions, and uncompromising precision. This is not trend-based Pilates — this is lineage, clarity, and depth. Join us in New York and experience the work at its source. #ArchivalPilates #ReformerTraining #PilatesEducation #PilatesTeachers #ClassicalPilates #PilatesNYC
✨ Smart Modifications | Sandra Käfer
There is no such thing as one perfect exercise — only the right choice for the body in front of you.
As part of the The Pilates Standard – Bob Liekens Conference in Athens this May, join Sandra Käfer for a workshop that challenges the idea of “ideal” movement and replaces it with intelligent, adaptable teaching.
Together, we’ll take classic exercises and explore:
• How to adjust levers and load
• How to modify on the Mat and Reformer
• How to work smartly with different conditions and abilities
Because great teaching isn’t about sticking to the script — it’s about knowing what’s possible.
If you teach Pilates, this is where clarity meets confidence.
#ThePilatesStandard
#BobLiekensConference
#SandraKäfer
#SmartModifications
#PilatesEducation
#PilatesTeachers
#ReformerPilates
#MatPilates
#MovementIntelligence
✨ Reformer on the Spine Corrector | Gina Papalia
As part of the The Pilates Standard – Bob Liekens Conference in Athens this May, join Gina Papalia for an inspiring workshop that takes familiar Reformer work into an entirely new dimension.
Once you know the Reformer exercises, it’s time to expand them. This workshop explores how classic Reformer movements can be adapted to the Spine Corrector, opening up new possibilities for strength, balance, and refined mind–body connection.
Expect creative progressions, thoughtful challenges, and fresh perspectives that ignite joy, deepen your personal practice, and elevate your teaching across equipment.
Designed for Pilates professionals ready to explore, refine, and inspire.
#ThePilatesStandard
#BobLiekensConference
#GinaPapalia
#PilatesEducation
#ReformerPilates
#SpineCorrector
#PilatesTeachers
#MovementExploration
Our workshops build the perfect basis for continued learning. Offer the best training to your clients and make the best out of the legacy of Joseph Pilates #pilates #pilatesteachers #thepilatesstandard #josephpilates #josephpilatesmethod
