The Gyrotonic Expansion System is an exercise modality created by Juliu Horvath, an ethnic Hungarian born in Romania. [1] Horvath was a swimmer and gymnast before becoming a ballet dancer with the Romanian State Opera Ballet. [2] He defected from Romania in 1970 while touring in Italy and ultimately sought asylum in the United States, subsequently dancing with the New York Opera Ballet and the Houston Ballet.[1]
Horvath tore his Achilles tendon and herniated a disk while in Houston, injuries that ended his dance career.[1] Drawn to yoga since a child, Horvath began to develop his own form of yoga in an effort to rehabilitate his injuries.[3] He sequestered himself in the Virgin Islands, and during this period of intense self-study, Horvath began to develop what was once called Yoga for Dancers and has since evolved into GYROKINESIS exercises.[4] He then returned to New York City and began to teach this emerging system in the dance community, opening up his first studio in New York City in 1982 [2] called White Cloud.