Tess Whelan

About Tess

A Second-Generation Classical Pilates Teacher with over 35 years of experience, Tess Whelan’s legacy is rooted directly in the foundational history of the method. Tess began practicing in 1986 in Miami. In 2000, she was formally certified by Joseph Pilates’ direct protégé, Romana Kryzanowska. Her foundational training took place under Romana, Sari Mejia Santo, and Edwina Fontaine at NYC’s historic Drago’s Gym, and with Bob Liekens at The Pilates Studio on Broadway.

Tess earned a second comprehensive certification with Power Pilates in 2005. That same year, she founded Pilates Premier Studios Inc. in Florida, operating it as an affiliated Teacher Training Center until relocating to Paris in 2012. During this period, she also served as an adjunct faculty member at St. Petersburg College, providing continuing education courses for the Physical Therapy Department.

In 2008, Tess trained under Bob Liekens and Susan Moran to become a Power Pilates Teacher Trainer. She uniquely blends her elite lineage with a lifelong background in the performing arts and a 16-year career as a BSN-prepared Registered Nurse at premier settings, including NYU Medical Center and the Payne Whitney Clinic. To maintain her high professional standards, Tess regularly completes continuing education to keep both her Florida nursing license and her Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) status active.

This background allows Tess to approach Contrology with deep anatomical substance and artistic sensitivity, safely guiding clients through complex physical conditions. Her teaching preserves the exact architectural and systemic integrity envisioned by Joseph Pilates. Now based in Paris, Tess works with a global clientele and leads teacher training programs worldwide. She is a member of France's FPMP and remains dedicated to mentoring the next generation of instructors with insight, depth, and profound reverence for the original method.