Bushwick’s Pilates-centered wellness studio Manifest Bodyworks is officially opening the doors of its brick and mortar location at 5 Central Avenue between Flushing Avenue and Forrest Street, around the corner from Forrest Point, this weekend, and before the studios opening party, scheduled for, Friday September, 2nd, owner and Pilates-certified instructor Travis Sisk will be kicking the schedule off with a donation-based Pilates class called QUEERLATES: Pilates for Queer Bodies. Bushwick Daily caught up with Sisk to chat with him about his introduction to, and passion for, Pilates.
Sisk tells Bushwick Daily that he has operating Manifest Bodyworks out of his Bushwick apartment since January, and his client base has grown so much that a larger space was necessary to serve the community— “it can be awkward having clients waiting in your living room for their session to start!” he explains.
Sisk would like Bushwick Daily readers and beyond to know that Manifest Bodyworks is, proudly, a “safe space for people of all sizes, gender, sexual orientation, able-bodied and otherwise to come and manifest wellness within their own body.”
In addition to the studio’s Pilates offerings, other wellness services, including massages, Thai yoga, and personal training will be available at the studio.
Currently, all of Manifest Bodyworks’ teachers are members of the neighborhood’s vibrant LGTBQ community, and all staff members are committed to the studio’s principle of inclusivity.
Sisk, who first discovered Pilates for cross-training purposes in between dance tours, is an “ex-pro dancer,” though he follows the statement with a quick “once a dancer, always a dancer.” His dedication towards the practice seemed like a natural next step in his career, “since most dancers usually end up teaching yoga or Pilates or dance to children,” he jokes.
He’s certified by The Kane School of Core Integration: “I fell in love with the kinesiology and anatomy and all the wonderful things Pilates can do to help your body, in whatever state it’s in,” says Sisk.
The idea for the donation-based Queerlates class originated four years ago when Sisk wanted to offer something for both Pilates beginners and aficionados who couldn’t afford to take a class, envisioning “a cheap safe environment for my friends to come work out— and why not throw some disco in there and make it fun!”
Queerlates has been donation-based ever since Sisk first started teaching it at the East Village studio Pilates on Sixth—and he’s kept the format consistent at plenty of other places as well (at one point, the class was a fixture at the Williamsburg Queer DIY space The Spectrum.
Other offerings at Manifest are reasonably priced: classes cost $15 individually, and a monthly pass is $60. Private sessions also also available: first time clients can take advantage of huge discount on an introductory private lesson: a regular private session costs $85, and the discounted rate is $40. Thai Yoga classes are available on a sliding scale of $30-60, and massage and personal training price points will be available soon.
This weekend’s Queerlates offering kicks off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 27th. If you’ve ever wanted to check out Pilates in a fun, judgment free environment, here’s your chance Bushwick!
All photos courtesy of Manifest Bodyworks.