For Or Kahlon, what happens between two movements deserves as much attention as the movements themselves. A transition is not simply a way to reach the next exercise. It belongs to the work. That sensibility comes from ballet, a discipline he has carried into Pilates rather than left behind.

“I never really left ballet behind. I just found a new way to express everything it taught me”, he reflects. Throughout his professional dance career, the reformer was a familiar tool for conditioning and rehabilitation. Ballet gave him precision, musicality and a way to communicate without words. Exploring Pilates beyond his own training made him want more room for that expression.

“I didn’t want to simply repeat exercises or follow someone else’s choreography”, he recalls. The search was not for a harder workout, but for a language that could hold athleticism and artistry together. “I wanted to create my own language, combining the intelligence of Pilates with the strength, athleticism, musicality, and artistic expression of dance”, he explains. The Or Kahlon Method began there.

More than the next exercise

His ambition was never simply to add another Pilates style. He wanted people to discover movements they had not imagined themselves capable of, and to feel strong, confident and beautiful performing them. “For me, Pilates isn’t just about what your body can do. It’s about how you make it move”, he observes.

That distinction also shapes what he expects from teachers. Musicality, coordination, precision and flow need understanding, not just repetition. “My method is not just a collection of exercises. It’s a way of thinking about movement”, he emphasizes. “I want my instructors to understand why we move a certain way, not just memorize choreography”, he adds. Learning the sequence is only the beginning.

Dance offers a useful distinction between fidelity and imitation: two performers can follow the same choreography and make an audience feel something different. Or wants that individuality in his instructors, too. Technique, safety, movement quality and the student experience remain non-negotiable; personality is not something to erase.

“I don’t want to create hundreds of copies of myself”, he insists. His measure of success leaves room for someone else’s interpretation. “I want them to understand my language so deeply that they can eventually speak it in their own voice”, he explains.

Learning to leave the room

Building a business brought a different kind of discipline. As a dancer, Or could focus on his own preparation and what he brought to the stage. A company could not rest on that alone. “The hardest lesson was understanding that passion and talent aren’t enough”, he acknowledges. People, structure and consistency had to become part of the creative ambition.

Pilates & Or initially revolved around his classes, movement and ideas. Today, its development spans studios, teacher training, digital experiences, equipment and international partnerships. The task is no longer only to create the work, but to help others sustain it.

“I still love teaching. I still love being in the studio and creating new movement. That will never change”, he affirms. Training the next generation of educators does not mean stepping away from that pleasure. It means allowing the method a life beyond his own timetable. “I want to build something that can inspire people around the world, long after I’ve left the room”, he reflects.

What a beautiful video cannot teach

As Pilates attracts attention, Or welcomes the curiosity while questioning what gets mistaken for expertise. “But popularity and credibility are two very different things”, he cautions. An impressive studio, expensive equipment and thousands of followers cannot answer the questions he considers essential. “The real question is: Do you understand what you’re teaching? Can you actually help someone improve?” he asks.

The answer requires anatomy, technique, progression and an ability to work with different bodies. It also requires judgment: when to challenge, when to slow down, and how to notice progress. Students need more than a well-designed sequence. They need a teacher they trust.

Social media has helped his work reach people around the world, but he is clear about its role. “But social media should amplify your work, not replace the substance behind it”, he points out. His own years of training have not made learning any less necessary. “I spent years training as a professional dancer, and I’m still learning every day”, he notes. The dancer’s discipline remains, now serving a practice he wants others to make their own.

Further into the movement: Pilates & Or | @pilatesandor