Real Control. Real Pilates®.
A Note from Kale
Sweet Houston Pilates Family,
It is with much gratitude that I step away from the helm of Control Studios today. It's impossible to put into words what the last 9 years and 2 months have meant to me.
I co-founded Control Studios as a young mom to one wee 18-month-old, and a somewhat new teacher, and I am walking away with that 18-month-old, now nearly as tall as me, headed into 5th grade, a 1st grader to boot, and 12 years of teaching under my belt. In so many ways I grew up with this studio. Like many of you, I learned about myself through the practice of Pilates and learned even more through the journey of becoming a business owner and operator. Looking back, it's hard to believe what this studio and community have become. All I can say is, I'm a proud mama.
From the start, we founded Control with Real Pilates® in mind. When I began my first teacher training in 2013 there was not a Classical Teacher Training Program in Houston, and in fact, in order to attend the Real Pilates® Teacher Training Program in 2017, I had to drive to Dallas. So when we decided to open Control, we knew we wanted to host Real Pilates® Teacher Training from the start, and we did just that. As the forever Classical Pilates fan girlie at heart, I am in awe and filled with gratitude that the Alycea Ungaro, I came to know and respect the moment I saw her give her signature Mermaid Hands-on at the 2015 PMA, is now taking the reins of the studio I helped create all these years ago.
I know she will shape and guide this beautiful studio into its next magnificent evolution with the utmost care and finesse, and it is going to be my absolute joy to watch. Thank you to each and every one of you for being a part of this amazing place. I'll see you in the studio when I'm back in Houston.
Cheers,
Kale
Hello from Alycea
Hello Houston and Control community!
My name is Alycea Ungaro, and I am the founder of Real Pilates®. As of August 1st, Control Studios is changing hands, and I am honored to be taking the reins here in Houston.
A little about me!
I was actually born in New York City and grew up in the tri-state area. I was a young dancer and even attended the High School of Performing Arts (Yes, the “Fame” school). My dance career took me away from New York to live in St. Louis right after high school. I later lived in New Orleans and finally in Cincinnati before moving back to New York to marry my husband and start a family.
I took my first Pilates class in 1984. By 1993 I decided to train as a teacher. In 1995 I opened my first home business and it grew steadily expanding to several locations. I’ve been lucky enough to have written Pilates books, designed products and built an exceptional team but I’m most proud of being trained by my mentor Romana Kryzyanowska who was trained by Joseph Pilates himself. My identity as a “second generation” teacher is equally precious to me as my education and degree in Physical Therapy.
I am the proud mother of two adult daughters - and a cat mom. My husband and I live in downtown New York and spend most weekends out on eastern Long Island where he fishes... aggressively! We also run a family business which preserves and promotes the music catalog of the late composer Charles Mingus - for those of you with an affection for jazz!
I have had the privilege of working alongside Control Studios for many years through our teacher training program. In fact, you could say we’ve always been here - just in the background - training the team and graduating stellar instructors.
What Kale has built with this community matters, and my intention in stepping forward is not to change its heart, but to support its next chapter with clarity, structure, and long-term stability.
Real Pilates® has been part of the Texas training landscape for over a decade, and Houston has played an important role in that story. This transition brings our partnership into deeper alignment. The team you know remains, the work continues, and I look forward to building on the strong foundation that already exists here, together with each of you in this community.
I’m excited to visit Houston this coming week, and I am looking forward to meeting and learning all about the studio and the people who make it so wonderful.
My gratitude to Kale for trusting me with what she’s tenderly built here in Houston. I will do my very best to carry it forward.
~Alycea