617 Pilates
617 Pilates was built on a simple belief: that the body deserves more than a workout. Founded by Julia Stetson — a third-generation Classical Pilates instructor certified through Real Pilates NYC — the studio is rooted in an unbroken tradition that traces its lineage directly back to Joseph Pilates himself. That transmission matters. It means every session is informed by decades of accumulated wisdom, passed teacher to teacher, and delivered with an integrity that goes far deeper than a certification alone can offer.
To practice here is to experience the method as it was meant to be — performed on Gratz apparatus, the gold standard in classical Pilates equipment and the same line of machinery Joseph Pilates himself designed. Every spring, every strap, every line of resistance is intentional. So is everything else. At 617 Pilates, class sizes are kept deliberately small, sessions are highly personalized, and no detail goes unnoticed. Whether you are brand new to Pilates, returning after time away, rebuilding after injury, or simply ready to move better and feel stronger — you will be met with expertise, attention, and purpose.
About Julia
Julia Stetson is a third-generation Classical Pilates instructor certified through Real Pilates, bringing a rare combination of deep lineage, rigorous training, and lifelong movement artistry to her teaching. She has completed the Mejo Wiggin Classical Syllabus and Carrie Russo's Mentorship Program and Pilates Lab, and continues to study weekly with some of the most respected teachers in the field — including Sonje Mayo, Clare Dunphy Hemani, Shari Berkowitz, Cynthia Shipley, and Victoria Torrie-Capan. For Julia, learning never stops.
Her relationship with movement began long before Pilates. Julia trained at the School for Creative and Performing Arts and earned her BFA from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati. She went on to perform professionally with Dayton Ballet, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Quad Cities, and the José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, MA. That performance career naturally evolved into a long and dedicated chapter as a ballet educator — teaching students of all ages, coordinating productions including The Nutcracker, and shaping young dancers with the same precision and artistry that defined her own training. That background in dance is inseparable from the way Julia teaches Pilates: every cue, every correction, and every eye for alignment is informed by decades of living inside the moving body.
Certified in Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise through Dr. Sarah Duvall, and additionally trained in the Burdenko Method and Barre Boston, Julia works with dancers, athletes, new mothers, and anyone seeking to build strength, improve alignment, and move with greater confidence and ease.
Beyond her work with clients, Julia is passionate about supporting the next generation of Pilates instructors. She is proud to serve as a host studio instructor for Alycea Ungaro's Real Pilates Teacher Training Program — one of the most rigorous and respected classical Pilates certification programs in the world, rooted in the direct lineage of Romana Kryzanowska. Through this partnership, 617 Pilates serves as a Boston-area home for teacher trainees, offering them access to authentic Gratz apparatus, experienced mentorship, and a living, breathing classical studio in which to observe, practice, and grow. With decades of teaching experience across both dance and Pilates, Julia has a deep understanding of what it takes to not only move well, but to teach well — and she brings that same precision and care to the instructors she mentors. It is a natural next chapter, and one she is embracing with the same dedication she brings to everything she does.
