- Vanessa Ahern/Hudson Valley Good Stuff
- Clyde Forth adjusts a student in Pilates Community Class
Recently I went to a great spirited Pilates class at Clyde Forth Dance & Pilates studio in Mt. Tremper. I used to go to a Pilates class once a week at my gym, but it's been at least two years since I stepped into a Pilates class. Clyde Forth, dancer, choreographer, visual artist, and Pilates instructor, invited Hudson Valley Good Stuff to try out her Community Mat Class on Monday at noon. The hour-long class is only $5. The studio is around the corner from Four Corners Inn (formerly La Duchess Anne) on Route 212. There were about seven of us in the class, which made it an intimate group. Ms. Forth's dog (her sweet pit bull mix Jade) sat in her pen for the entire class, and greeted each visitor with a loud bark. When I first walked in, the bark rattled me, but once the class got started she mellowed out, and I appreciated this quirky Pilates sidekick. (I found out afterwards that a few of her regular students look forward to seeing Jade, and request a little play time with her post-Pilates class).
The class itself was great! Clyde Forth is very attentive to all her students, quick to help you adjust your position if you're not properly aligned, and very encouraging to newbies. Her studio where we practiced has huge windows overlooking the woods, which makes it a very calming space. The first few exercises seemed easy, but once we got to working with Pilates balls and bands, I got a little shaky. Even though I was not sweating that much at the end, the next day I definitely felt it in my legs. I felt like my legs were a bit more toned. Now I just need to do Pilates at least once a week like I used to!
Clyde Forth also teaches a modern dance class for kids at Mountain View Studios in Woodstock. Clyde Forth has another Pilates studio with equipment, which I didn't see, where she gives clients one-on-one private instruction. Check out all the other dance and Pilates classes Cylde Forth Dance and Pilates has, and great deals on her intro series for four private Pilates sessions at ChronogramDeals.
Follow Vanessa Ahern's Hudson Valley Good Stuff blog for more ideas on where to eat, play, and recharge your spirit in the Hudson Valley.
