I Teach Pole Dancing. Here’s How it Can Change Your Life.
“I don’t think I can do that. I’m not strong enough. I’m scared.”
“Is this your first class?” I ask as my students as they file into the smaller of our two studios. Its closed door is a layer of protection against insecurity.
“Yes — and I’m terrified.”
Signing up to take your first pole class isn’t like signing up for tennis lessons. Once you set foot into the studio, you can’t help but wonder:
- What should I wear? Is it too sexy? Is it not sexy enough?
- What if I’m so nervous that I get sweaty and slip off the pole?
- How do pole dancers walk in those heels? Do I have to wear heels?
- How will I tell my partner/my parents/my family/my co-workers that I want to pole dance?
- What if I’m not strong enough?
- What if I’m not thin enough?
As a pole dance instructor for beginners, I anticipate these questions from my students and create a supportive, relaxing environment in which they can get their first taste of what I consider to be the most body-positive form of dance.
What I didn’t anticipate when I started teaching my students was how quickly I would see them change.
What’s the first class like?
I invite students to choose a pole and explain that dancing poles are made of different kinds of metals, which react differently to various types of skin. I mention that some people naturally sweat more than others and that solutions like grip aids and strength exercises can help.
That’s when I see my dancers first begin to relax.
Then, we begin a follow-along dance style warm-up that can feel incredibly awkward for someone without previous dance experience. Many beginners that walk through our studio’s doors have never danced before or even taken an exercise class.
Again, I warn the “newbies” that it’s normal to feel a bit uncomfortable — but that it does get easier, and they should just follow along the best they can.
The tricks
Once warm, we are ready to take on the tricks. I like to teach my students a basic climb, a forward spin, and a backward spin. When I demo the first trick, the climb, I often hear:
I don’t think I can do that. I’m not strong enough. I’m scared.
I try to break down the trick in as much detail as possible without overwhelming the dancers, and I remind them that not everyone gets every trick on the first try. I sure didn’t!
I like to share my own struggles with different tricks during my pole journey — that’s what makes pole dancing unique. There are tricks and movements for everyone. Some require strength, some flexibility, some grace, and some attitude. Everyone is bound to find their “thing.”
Most importantly, these women were slowly breaking down walls that they had built up around the idea of being “a pole dancer.”
The choreography
The last part of our 45-minute introductory class is a short dance that incorporates the tricks the students have just learned. Once again, people without any dance experience tend to panic, but I assure them that no one is watching, and they should just try to have some fun.
Some classes pick up the moves quickly, while others struggle, so I adapt to each group as I see fit. I like to challenge them while still maintaining a level of safety and enjoyment.
By now, some students have entirely transformed. Often the ones that entered the room with the most apprehension and lit up and engaged.
At the end of the class, I lead a gentle cool-down and stretch. Then, I ask each student what they thought of the class.
“Was it what you expected, harder than you expected, or easier than you expected?”
Each class is different, but I’ve heard all three answers in my two years as an instructor.
Transformations after taking a pole dance class
Immediately, I notice dancers leaving the studio with:
- A feeling of accomplishment. Many students take a class on a whim, and just walking in the door makes them feel successful.
- A feeling of strength. Pole dancing requires a lot of strength, but it’s attainable, and that’s evident even from the first class.
- A feeling of boosted self-confidence. When students first enter the studio, it looks like they are about to run and hide; but by the end of the lesson, they are smiling, confident, and energized.
While pole dancing still carries a stigma, I see it as a sport and art form where people from all genders, sizes, ages, and abilities can progress, thrive, and flourish.
Sometimes the hardest part is just showing up to that first lesson. Past the initial butterflies, a metamorphosis into something greater lies ahead.
Jamie Bird is an American dance instructor living in Australia. She is currently working as a pole dance instructor at “The Pole Gym” in Brisbane. Passionate about all styles of dance and travel, she previously taught ballet, jazz, Latin, and contemporary dance in Costa Rica, France, the United States, and Egypt.
