The Story

Pilates Scandinavia was founded in 1974 (Body Control Studio) at that time its was a pilates studio run by Anna Lena Bergqvist in Stockholm

The studo was the only one in Scandinavia - small and very simple 65 sqm. In 1999 Elisabet Prag (Davidsson) stepped in through the doors at the studio at Atlasgatan in Stockholm. Elisabet a swedish contemporary dancer just arrived after 4 years in London studying at London contemporary dance school one of the most prestigious schools in the world in the field of contemporary dance. At this time she was looking for a Pilates studio to keep up with here routine that was well established in London due to a scholarship at Pilates International a pilates studio and school. After a short period of time Anna Lena asked if Elisabet would like to teach in the studio and after one more year Anna Lena aske if she woudl like to take over the business and she said yes.

Elisabet was now the owner of the first Pilates Studio in Sweden and the oldest in Scandinavia. She run the the studio very successfully and shortly Kellogs Special K asked her to join in a commercial for the cereal. This was one of the most successful commercials that ran in Scandinavia. With passion and determination Elisabet ran the studio - clients of various occupations and status came to train with Elisabet, artist, royalty, journalists, opreasingers, musicians found the way to the studio and it became a sancuraty for many.

In 2002 Elisabet met Fredrik and they became a couple. Fredrik an artist, body worker and athlete joined the studio and gave treatments, Applied Kinesiology and he also assisted Elisabet in the studio. 2003 Davidsson Pilates started to develop educational material in cooperation with the Franshie Gym World Class. It was a great success and lasted for some years and after this in 2005 Elisabet changes the name Davidsson Pilates to Pilates Scandinavia, this was in the mind of growing into a broarder market. At this time there where 3-4 pilates studios in Sweden and as Pilates Scandinavia started to make educations the interest for the equipment started to grow. Fredrik a creative handy man started to make some equipment in the basement of their home and slowly making the drawings togheter with his dad Jan-Erik, retired engineer. In 2009 the process could have come to an end due to the misshaping in the birth of their daughter Ella. Due to complications Elisabet was very close to die the rehabilitation took 6 years.

During this difficult years the couple still keeps their goal to create great ”tools”m for the pilates teachers around the world. Using local subcontractos such as kitchen carpenters and local metal workers they tried their drawings and designs.

During this time to support their living they ran a Pilates Studio in

But this did not stop the couple to investigate the possibility to create pilates equipment for the world an extension of their own teaching and knowledge within the method that has helped so many. In february 2014

Pilates Scandinavia sold the first commercial Pilates Reformer to France, Aix au Provacne. Then things stared to move - a studio in Finland open - another in Stockholm, they had requests from the UK, Spain, Portugal…..one has to remember the sales and requests was purely based on the couples reputation in the pilates community after being in the field, Elisabet since 1994 and Fredrik since 2002. The tradition a pilates community is a relatively small community comparedto the rest of the market. But since a couple of years the business has been growing.