Interview: Stephanie Bittner, Pilates for Spinal Healing
Stephanie Bittner is the Education Director at Kinected in Manhattan, where both Lesley and Sarah did their training. She is also the founder of Bittner Movement. We are extremely grateful for her mentorship and still drop in on her inspiring virtual mat class Friday mornings at 9AM. For more information on her offerings, check out her website www.bittnermovement.com or email bittnermovement@gmail.com.
SARAH: Tell me about your dance career.
STEPHANIE: I started tap and jazz at the age of three. When I was six, I saw an ad with a ballet dancer and I said, ‘I want to do that.’ So my mom took me to the Pennsylvania Ballet audition and I got in! Dancing was all I wanted to do. I received my B.A. in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, and immediately signed on with the National Touring Company of Cats for two plus years. I danced in Monte Carlo for a short period after which I performed in Cats on Broadway. I later performed with the Radio City Rockettes for ten Christmas seasons.
SARAH: What’s it like to dance the Rockettes’ famous Parade of the Wooden Soldiers?
STEPHANIE: That was the most fun. It dates back to 1932. They put the shortest women on each end of the line and the tallest in the middle, to create this illusion of being the same height. I was toward the center, so when we did the soldier fall, I was catching about 17 women. You have to stay very stiff and stable. It’s like doing a Pilates shoulder bridge from your ankle joints. So much trust is needed hoping the people behind you will carry your weight.
SARAH: How did you discover Pilates?
STEPHANIE: I danced with two women on the Rockette line who opened a studio on 42nd and Fifth, and I tried it and was like, “Oh my, this is amazing.” At that time, the Rockettes gave us a stipend fee each year for career transitioning. That afforded me to get my Stott certification and I became a Stott teacher trainer. But I really felt, “There has to be something more to this,” and that was when I met Kelly Kane. I did the bridge program at Kinected in NYC, and it was so exciting and inspiring. I learned so much about how the anatomy connected into it all.
SARAH: How does Pilates help people like you and me who have scoliosis?
STEPHANIE: The scoli body is like a puzzle. Someone with scoliosis has this dominant, lateral spinal curve, and the body goes, “Whoa, if I keep going, I'm gonna fall over!” So the brain and vestibular system try to help the body right itself against gravity and therefore the spine can develop compensatory curves. People with scoliosis benefit from deep meditation, Pilates, and directional breath work. When you add decompression and de-rotation techniques, the changes are dramatic. You’re standing taller, more organized and your brain is buzzing!
SARAH: I know you’ve also had spinal fusions. Can you tell me about that?
STEPHANIE: In 2013, my family was in a car accident where we were hit head-on. My husband was driving, and my son was in his car seat in the back. Luckily he was clamped in correctly and it saved his life. My second lumbar vertebra burst, and I broke seven ribs. Immediately after, I couldn’t breathe or feel my legs. I needed eight hours of surgery to fuse my spine from T-11 to L-4 and a full year of therapy for my injuries and PTSD. Matt McCulloch, owner of Kinected, and Elliot Fishbein, owner of Kinected Functional Manual Therapy said, “Just come and heal. That’s all you need to do.” They were so gracious and supportive.
SARAH: How did your car accident change you?
STEPHANIE: It changed everything. My body will never be the same and healing will always be a work in progress. Since I have always been a mover, on an intuitive level I knew how much I needed movement to heal. And that is literally my whole belief system now: Movement is Healing. I want to provide a wellness service for people who are dealing with discomfort, injury and trauma and to share all the knowledge I have gained from my own experience.
SARAH: Do you teach differently when someone is a trauma survivor?
STEPHANIE: Yes. I always try to begin a session with compassion and empathy. Sometimes a person may be very upset or anxious so I usually will slow everything down and start with a meditation focusing on the five senses to help the person get more grounded. This helps them become more present both in their mind and body, which can be helpful for someone to feel more safe to move in the space.