Pole Dancing
Created | Updated Oct 4, 2006
Pole dancing is a form of exotic dancing that takes high levels of skill, endurance and coordination as well as sensuality. The dancers make use of a vertical pole (usually metal) which they dance around, spin on and perform more athletic moves such as body inversions (hanging upside down in laymen's terms!). Pole dancing is often combined with lap dancing or striptease in gentlemens clubs and is now often seen in ordinary nightclubs as well.
Pole dancing is a dance form but it is also a great form of exercise that increases fitness, flexibility, strength and endurance without becoming boring or repetitive. The art of pole dancing can be split into several areas:
- Pole Fitness (classes)
- Pole Dancing (lessons)
- Pole Parties
- Podium Pole Dancing
- Pole Dancing combined with Lap Dancing and Striptease
Pole dancing has had very bad press in the past as until recently the art has only been made use of in exotic dancing clubs alongside lap dancing and striptease. However these clubs have now become much more mainstream, safer and acceptable to the public with more and more women frequenting them either with friends or partners for entertainment. More recently women have become a lot more confident about their bodies and attitudes have changed greatly leading onto many of them wanting to improve their image and do something in the way of keep fit that is much more fun and entertaining than aerobics or step classes.
Pole Fitness (classes)
Pole Fitness classes are similar to pole dancing courses but they are run and paid for on a weekly basis and can be continued as long as the student likes. They are based more on a fitness angle but the same moves are learnt as in the pole dancing only in a more relaxed environment. Pole dancing is an amazing way to keep fit and it tones your body in ways other fitness routines can't.
Pole Fitness classes are run at different levels with Stage 1 aimed at teaching the moves required to carry out the fitness classes and as you progress there is the opportunity to move into the Stage 2 and Stage 3 groups. This is done to ensure that those new starters are not too overwhelmed by the abilities of the more experienced as well as the advanced students being given the chance to move onto more complicated moves! As they are run weekly the classes are often more suitable for students and shift workers than the Pole Dancing lessons described below.
The most common question regarding Pole Fitness classes is 'what do I wear?!', that's an easy one. The lessons are run as fitness classes so dress as though you're going to one, the only difference is that instead of tracksuit bottoms students need to wear shorts or hotpants to be able to grip the pole.
Pole Dancing (lessons)
Pole Dancing lessons are generally aimed at those who are looking for a more fun orientated way of learning to pole dance. They are often held in exotic dancing clubs although some companies do run the courses at ordinary nightclubs and dance studios. The difference between these and Pole Fitness classes is that they are run in blocks of 4 or 6 week lessons at Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels. The courses are paid for in advance and are usually a little more pricey than the Pole Fitness classes.
Pole Dancing lessons are also run on a generally more erotic level with students learning everything from climbing, spins and inversions to floor work and lap dancing at some venues. Because they are often run at exotic dancing clubs there is also a more fun element to the lessons. Some venues may also run classes in burlesque dancing and/or striptease.
Pole Parties
Pole Parties are run as individual lessons varying between 1 and 2 hours in length. They are designed to be a fun activity for hen nights, birthdays or any other celebration where the group want an entertaining few hours learning something new together. The parties are usually run in groups of 8 or more and they aim to teach as many tricks as possible to the party whilst keeping the entertainment side of the day alive through fun and games during the lesson.
The parties are more often than not held at venues such as exotic dancing clubs or nightclubs but recently several companies have started to provide Home Parties at venues closer to home. A great way to spend your hen night!
Podium Pole Dancing
Podium dancing has been around for many years and is popular in places such as Ibiza and dance clubs in the UK. More recently nightclubs have started employing Podium Pole Dancers to entertain the crowds and these can either be hired from exotic dancing clubs or through event management companies and companies who provide dancers to these events.
Not only have Podium Pole Dancers recently been used in nightclubs but they are also employed for PR events, car rallies and other commercial ventures to promote new products or entertain the crowds. Some pole dance schools in the UK also provide instructors to teach at these events to attract even more attention!
Pole Dancing combined with Lap Dancing and Striptease
The origin of exotic dancing in the UK was at Windmill Theatre in London (dramatised in the recent film Mrs Henderson Presents) where the girls posed motionless as living statues. Since then it has progressed and somehow poles were introduced into the act! Here the dancers (more often female than male though not exclusively) perform spins, tricks and inversions on and around a vertical metal pole to entertain customers and initiate conversation in order to make financial gain from more intimate lap dances in exotic dancing clubs. these lap dances are more often than not combined with striptease which is used as another form of entertainment for both men and women alike.
Who is Pole Dancing/Pole Fitness for?
Contrary to popular belief pole dancing is not purely for those possessed of Jordan-esque figures, it is now for women of all shapes, sizes and age groups who want to improve their fitness, body tone, body image, confidence and even spice up their relationships. Whether you are Kate Moss or Vannessa Feltz, as long as you are willing to try new things and have fun no one there will care as they're all there to do the same.
Several pole schools in the UK now teach men as well as women and with the increased acceptance of homosexuality in the UK this is proving increasingly popular! Many nightclubs (both gay and straight) now have poles on the premises and every night women and men are up on them dancing away. Quite a few go to these clubs frequently purely because of the poles!
Qualifications
Students work towards certificates at the different levels described above as well as learning to create routines which they often have the option of recording to take away with them after they complete a course or series of classes.
There are no accredited Pole Dancing qualifications for students however the first Pole Dancing qualification for instructors has recently been brought out by Vertical Dance and this is the first in the world to be accredited by an awarding body.
Basic Tricks
The best way to learn how to pole dance is to find a class in your area. Some run set courses and others run Pole Fitness Classes on a weekly basis so have a search on the web and see what you can find in your area. Here are some basic moves you might find yourself learning:
- Snake - Stick your chest and bum out then switch in an S-like motion using the pole for support
- Backward/Forward Fall - Hook your right knee around the pole and grip with both hands high above your head, then pivot forward or backward on your left leg eventually lifting it off the floor to spin around the pole
- The Chair - Grip the pole with your right hand above your head and grip it across your body with your left arm locking it straight into your chest. Walk forward around the pole until you feel you can raise both knees in front of you and continue supporting youself to spin
- Attitude - As above but hook your left leg around the pole at your ankle in front and bend your left leg behind
Interested in Learning More?
Search on the internet to find out about 'Pole Fitness Classes', 'Pole Dancing Lessons' or 'Exotic Dancing Clubs' in your area. Several of the larger companies teaching nationwide in the UK are:
Please Note
Pole dancing takes a lot of practice and patience. Take it easy at first if you are overweight, unfit or have any joint or muscle problems. You will get bruises at first but these get less as you gain confidence in the moves.
