Pilates Methodology

Loved the Vbarre class! Our instructor was a doll! So positive and sweet. It was a small Saturday am class and everyone was at varying levels of experience. I felt it was a solid workout for anyone! I walked in thinking I wouldn’t sweat and left needing a shower ASAP! The environment was very adorable as well. Overall, I highly recommend this studio!

I’m a huge fan of Pilates methodology! This review is specifically for their Vbarre classes (trying my first Pilates class tonight).
From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with a smile and both the owner and instructor Emily. Emily was so sweet and such a good instructor. She even remembered my name and injuries when I came back the next week! The ab series in this class uses a ball and has been great for my series of lower back injuries. The first class is free and the first month of unlimited classes is only $ 69, so I’ve been coming back! It’s a really cute space and definitely worth a try. I will say, the Vbarre classes aren’t intense enough to be the only workout you do, but I always leave sweating and satisfied.

I was introduced to Pilates Methodology through a social networking event where our group got to take a mat class together. Even though I live literally two streets down, had I not gone to that event I never would have known the studio was there. Pilates Methodology is nestled away and literally next door to Fat Rabbit and Renfield’s in the 2-​story Victorian style house. The inside of the studio is very clean and smells fresh. The studio actually has a boutique type feel.
The mat class with Rachael (owner) was really good for my body. I was sore for the next week basically and everyone else I talked to from the class during that week said they felt sore too.
After, I took a private lesson with Raechel (different instructor) and she was great. FYI, the first private equipment lesson is only $ 35 and is a prerequisite before you start taking certain equipment classes they offer. Raechel was very friendly and outgoing. Before we got started she asked me what were my goals and what I wanted to achieve through Pilates. She tailored the lesson to my specific needs. As the lesson progressed, it was clear that she was knowledgable about Pilates, as she helped me achieve the correct techniques and body alignment. She showed me how important it was to be in the correct position. The session pushed me and my body (which is what I need), but didn’t push me so hard that I might hurt myself. I was very happy at the end of the session because I knew I got a good workout and that I worked out every part of my body. In fact, I was already sore in the hours after my session. I cannot wait to do more classes with Pilates Methodology!
Mat and Barre classes are $ 18 each.
Equipment classes are $ 35 each.
Private sessions are $ 85.
Update ⁶⁄₂₅: I’ve taken the Universal Reformer equipment class with Meagan Malloy and it was great. It was very intense and she did actually had slightly different techniques from Raechel. I will probably continue to do both the equipment classes and private sessions because I am really enjoying Pilates.
I also wanted to add that the customer service is excellent and that the owner is very interactive with clients and enjoys hearing feedback from them. She is also quick to respond to emails.

I live in Atlanta, but travel often to Dallas. My instructor in Atlanta told me about Rachael, and she is EVERYTHING he said she is! AMAZING. The space is gorgeous, airy, and fresh. Pilates Methodology IS hardcore, and the staff is awesome!
I agree with Suzanne D., the comments from Anne S., are unwarranted.
Anne S., you sound jealous and full of vitriol. Perhaps a boxing gym with a mat suits you; however, I think I speak for many. I can get real pilates instruction in a clean and beautiful environment! Please stay at your «regular» studio. It sounds like you were trying to «scout» the premises yourself.
Anyway, if you travel and stay at any of the hotels like the Mansion, Crescent, ZaZa, Hotel St. Germaine, or those lovely B & B’s in the Maple-​Routh corridor, you can walk there.
You won’t be disappointed!

I’ve experienced reformer, mat and private sessions all with different instructors, all fantastic. The studio is bright, airy and feels like you’re a guest in someones home. I love the fact that it’s in a wonderful historic home… the kind of gem you rarely find around here… unless you’re in East Dallas. The smell of leather from the equipment makes me happy.

This studio is fabulous! I really enjoyed every minute of my experience here. It was my first class here, It will definitely not be my last. The studio itself is setup gorgeous, the décor gives a warm welcome feel, yet very eloquent. Rachel was such a great, attentive and motivating instructor. I highly recommend no matter what type of workout you are used to!

After nearly a year of being on break from pilates, I’m so glad Pilates Methodology is there to welcome me back with big, open arms. As long as Rachael and her team of vibrant, experienced instructors are in Dallas, I won’t go anywhere else. (Kate, you rock!)
I learned under Rachael for a long time at another studio, and when she left, I was DEVASTATED. So, it should come as no surprise that I couldn’t WAIT to get back in class when PM opened.
The studio is beautiful and very well equipped (sorry, Anne S — I disagree that they’re all about appearances). It’s airy, bright and big without being overwhelming or impersonal. Plus, I love that it feels and smells clean, because dirty is the last thing you want to think when your body is touching a mat or piece of equipment.
I love that PM’s instructors focus on Joseph Pilates’ original technique, are attentive to your individual needs and abilities, and push you to just the right degree of burn.
I look forward to becoming a regular here. If you’re looking for a studio to call home, I urge you to attend a class and see things for yourself.

I love this place. I mean it — it’s a great place to go, work out and feel good.
Let me start by saying that I rarely have a bad experience these days because I read Unilocal reviews before I even think about patronizing a new business. I don’t like to be disappointed. Methodology did NOT disappoint!
I stopped in to see the studio before jumping into a class or session and I’m so glad I did! I got to meet Rachael and Laci, and had a tour of the beautiful studio. There is a great vibe going on in this old Victorian house. It just feels like something special when you walk in. There is a positive energy that just flows and you know you’re going to like being there, like the people who work there, and really enjoy coming there to work hard.
For me Pilates is for my health. Period. I like the strong feeling I get when I do Pilates, but I NEED it for my digestive issues and core strengthening. I also need the accountability of paying someone to train with, and driving to further that «check» of getting to my work out. Lastly, I need to really like and enjoy the environment and the people I exercise with… or I won’t do it.
I loved Rachael’s energy and passion, so I knew instantly when I met her that I would like training there. Rachael set me up with Kate Ryan for a private session (they offer your first private session for $ 35) the next day, and discussed with me the packages that would work for my needs. I’ve done Pilates before, but it’s been a while and I wanted to start slowly and build up.
My favorite thing about this studio is the straightforward, no nonsense approach to how they interact with clients. Their passion is genuine, and the confidence that they do a GREAT job is so engaging! You know from talking to anyone you get on the phone, or see in person, that you will not be «sold» anything. They will shoot you straight, and encourage you to enjoy being healthy and fit the way that works best for you. As I noted above, I have stomach issues so I’m not there to lose weight. I asked what was good for me, and everyone I have talked to gave me a straight answer that was right for me and my needs.
I really liked my private session with Kate! In a nutshell: she was knowledgeable, cute, bubbly, encouraging, motivating, compassionate and she knows her stuff. It was like having a cheerleader/​drill sargent conduct my workout with a big smile and lots of positive energy. My session left me feeling like I did some serious work (I’m sore 2 days later… hooray!) and I want to do more. I decided on a monthly pass (not sure what it’s called) with 2 private sessions, 2 reformer classes, and unlimited Vbarre/​mat classes for $ 199.
If I could summarize my overall thoughts on Methodology: I enjoyed being there, it made me want to be there more, I liked the décor, the atmosphere, the people, the passion and they made me look forward to exercising and getting healthy!

I have had two private lessons with Rachael so far. Both have been great. I highly recommend this studio. People are friendly. It’s super clean. just a great experience all the way around.

Pilates was scary to me in my hometown of Chicago, but there was something about our recent move to Dallas that made me drop my inhibitions and really commit to all of the benefits and wonder of Joseph Hubertus Pilates’ method of physical fitness. I decided on Pilates Methodology after reading an article about their opening that highlighted the intentional collection of instructors and cautious selection of location.
The first class I took was a mat class on the second floor in a sun-​lit open room. The class was really fun and had an openness that I hadn’t experienced at other Pilates studios.
Pilates Methodology is in a renovated old house in the Uptown neighborhood that feels like exercising in a Pinterest photo. It is clean and well-​curated for a work-​out location. In the morning, it is particularly quiet and lovely. Throughout the day, the classes seem to get louder (mostly because of the airy layout of the whole location), but it is still peaceful somehow.
I have taken multiple classes– both mat and equipment classes (on intimidating-​looking, but beautiful and effective new equipment)– and each one offers something different. The online descriptions of the classes are colorful and helpful in choosing your particular class need.
I have had mat and equipment classes with instructor Ashley Hoover, as well as a private session, and can comfortably say that she is extraordinarily considerate, has a wonderful memory/​recall for what her students share and seems to instinctively know when you aren’t in e-​x-​a-​c-​t-​l-​y the right position (so will correct you in a kind way).
I feel like I am walking more confidently, standing taller and making more connections in Dallas while getting a serious work out. This is a studio you should definitely try.

This is a great new studio. A light-​filled space to enjoy part of your day with instructors who know you and your body (or will get to know them!).
Anne S, it sounds like you had a bad experience, which is never fun. Why don’t you contact the studio and give it another try? It sounds like your preference for your «regular studio» is driving the critique of Pilates Methodology. It’s great that you’re happy with your current instruction; at the end of the day, that’s what makes an individual stick with a studio. But if your «regular studio» is just up the road, then your post is very transparent to the people in the Pilates community and lacks neutrality and tact. If, on the other hand, your «regular studio» is Beyond Pilates (or similar), then you’re trying to compare apples to oranges. Both are great (but different) fruits.

When I walked into the studio for the first time during their grand opening week, I was greeted by a girl sitting at the front desk who asked for my name. She did not give her own name, nor did she introduce herself as the person who would be teaching my class. I wasn’t asked for any information about preexisting injuries, either. (So much for «accomplishing our mission by identifying individual needs,» as the website states.) These are standard courtesies and questions that I’ve been asked at BOTH of the other studios I’ve been to in Dallas. At no point during the time I was there did the instructor EVER provide her name. I also never was asked to fill out any waivers or other forms.
The studio itself — I mean the physical space and décor — also sends an odd message. This studio is alllll about appearances… ornate chandeliers on the ceilings, lavender-​scented cleaning solution to spray on your natural wood reformers and towers, fresh flowers in lovely vases. (Don’t come here if you’re allergic to scented products.) So, what makes this odd is that the message on the studio’s website — and in fact the name of the studio itself — is all about «pure, authentic» pilates. But the message the studio’s décor screams is «appearances are everything.» Also, I found it hard to get my brain in gear for a pilates class when everything around me was screaming «relax, unwind, smell the lavender, have a glass of wine.» This place would make a GREAT spa, actually. It made a lovely florist’s shop previously.
The website smugly states that this studio is «dedicated to teaching the Dallas community that real Pilates is hard core!» Wow, seriously? You need to take a class at my regular studio (which I’m not going to name because my goal here is not to recruit tons of people to my regular studio) and get a reality check. My pilates classes at my regular studio are WAY more hardcore than the classes I have taken at «Pilates Methodology.»
For all of those reasons, I rate this studio as a solid two stars (per Unilocal: «Meh. I’ve experienced better.»).
This did not significantly affect my rating of the studio, but I think it’s worth noting that both of the two reviews that have been posted so far sing the praises of Rachael, the owner. So, during their grand opening week, I figured she would be teaching many of the classes. I figured she would at least be AROUND. I went to two classes during their opening week, and she was not even on the premises either time. The next day, I went back to my regular studio, and I saw her (or at least someone who looked exactly like her photo on the website) slowly walk past during our class as though she was scouting.
At any rate, don’t expect to come here and be wowed by the pilates prowess of this Rachael person. I didn’t really see her influence on the actual classes themselves. There was no instruction in «methodology» and very little correction of technique. Maybe that means the instructors were slacking off or aren’t as well trained in pilates as Rachael. Or, hm, maybe that just means I’ve learned excellent «methodology» and technique at other studios… where the classes had the added bonus of being much more «hardcore.»

Owner Rachael Bryce has struck the perfect balance of a bright and inviting boutique with her passion for Pilates and her clients’ satisfaction evident in every fiber — from her inspirational, certified instructors to the branding, equipment and layout.
There is something for everyone, and clients can be assured that class sizes are managed to assure greatest benefit for those attending.
If you’re looking for a warm, inviting environment and certified instruction as Joe Pilates himself had in mind, give Rachael and her team an opportunity to meet and exceed your expectations.
Whatever you see and experience, know that it is Rachael’s spirit and commitment to the discipline that will keep you coming back.

This is a stunningly beautiful and unique studio (transformed out of a classic home). Rachael, the owner, is truly passionate about Pilates and fitness and it comes through in this fitness boutique. She makes an effort to get to know every client and has carefully selected all of her instructors to make sure that they challenge clients but also have the skill to help people while keeping them safe. They’re really friendly too! Pilates is a great workout for men and women that helps with alignment, flexibility, and of course your core! The addition of Vbarre classes allows you to get cardio and keep your body guessing! I can’t recommend this place enough. Come get fit at Methodology while getting great stress relief in a beautiful space!
Update: 6÷27÷14
The student becomes a teacher
After years of being a dedicated Pilates and then Vbarre student, I have decided to become Vbarre certified and now will be working at this studio.
I would like to make it clear that the above review was submitted at a time when I was strictly a client. It should therefore remain valid.