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Advice on taking pole classes in a studio
A couple of weeks ago a pole studio opened in my area (hooray! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif). Being a newbie I’d really like to take a class once in a while in addition to Veenas lessons. On the one hand meeting other pole addicts near me would be really great, and on the other hand I imagine being much more comfortable with some moves if someone was around to correct / spot me. The possibility of learning a variety of choreos and how to incorporate tricks into a fluid and beautiful dance not even counted in here.. *sighing happily and drifting away into pole wonderland*
Right now I’m though wondering whether I should give this studio (btw they do Polebatics by Nele Sehrt) a try or wait a little bit.
What makes me hesitate most is the price. The studio offers 6-week courses (6x90min) and the whole thing is 149 euros / about 200 US dollars. They’ve got 12 poles – one per student, no sharing. At the moment that is very expensive for me, so I’ll have to think at least twice before spending such an amount of money. They also say that it’s common to do the same level more than once… at that very thought my purse is shivering in fright. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif
My first question here: are these costs within the normal range? I do know that pole classes are certainly more expensive than other fitness classes, but any input here would be awesome!
What makes me a little bit insecure as well is that I read somewhere on their homepage that all kinds of pole moves (floorwork, transitions, spins, climbs,… and INVERTS) come up in ALL levels. As a beginner I am pretty much sure that I’m nowhere near being strong enough to invert correctly and safely… I guess I should build up a lot more strength first and then go to the studio??? I really don’t wanna risk injuries or waste that much money on stuff I can’t do yet.
What do you guys think about it? Any advice on this (or experiences with how Polebatics classes are tought) would be greatly appreciated!
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17 Replies
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*taught
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At my studio, we do a lot of floorwork stuff to gain strength, but all at the same time keepin' it sexy and fun. All the floorwork helps us prepare our bodies for harder moves. I know for a fact that my studio likes to ease us into a really hard trick by preparing us with prep work on the pole. We never inverted until we did a bunch of "inverted preps" as they call it. Then when it was time to invert, the instructors broke it down for us and one student at a time would invert, that way they are able to keep a close eye as well as spot us if we were not able to or felt like falling. If someone were not able to invert on the first try, the instructors never criticized us or anything, instead they tried to help out and give advice on what strength exercises to do at home (if you have a pole or not) so that you can better prepare yourself to invert.
A friend of mine who is also a Veener goes to a total different studio than I, and she wishes that her pole class still taught spins. I'm in a fairly high level at my pole studio and we're still learning a bunch of fun spin combos. Just like inverts, they always ease you into these really nifty spin combos. They teach you a bunch of spins in your earlier levels and use that as a base to build the combos on. I always liked the floorwork stuff as well as the transitional moves because it adds finese and flair as well as entertainment to your dance. It something that my friend is also not taught at her studio, and something she wished she had been taught.
As for pricing, I had to pay $157.50 CAD for 6 classes that were 60 minutes long. At higher levels it's $210.00 CAD for 8 classes, 60 minutes long. Hope this helps!
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To answer your first question, the price really depends on the area. Before I joined my current studio, I did about a month's worth of research for prices and customer reviews. The price you listed sounds reasonable to me, but that also depends on what you'll get out of it! Usually, dance studios (not just pole) will have either a free or reduced priced first trial class. I highly recommend you take it!
As for wasting your money, that all depends on your dedication. Some moves you'll get right away, and others you're going to have to work at it. However, I do highly recommend that you focus on building your upper body strength in your spare time. I started taking classes without really knowing there was THAT MUCH upper body strength used. If I had to do it over again, I would probably have waited about a month, and do push ups and pull ups before signing. But I don't regret it for a minute, because just pole dancing on it's own is a HUGE workout and builds strength and endurance.
Whatever you decide to do, let the passion of the dance drive you!
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I began teaching down in Philadelphia again 2 weeks ago. I teach 3 classes in a row Wed and Fri nights. The class sessions are $10.
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Thank you so much for your answers – they've all been really helpful!
@Tiffany2587: I searched the studio's website and found out that they do offer trial classes like you mentioned. Great tip, I'll definitely sign up for one! Hopefully I'll be able to say a lot more about their teaching style after this experience.. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif Concerning my upper body strength – I promised myself to be able to do Veena's pole strength routine with ease before taking any class at all.. hehe. And, as you said, a couple of extra push ups and pull ups here and there won't hurt either.
@Ewa Tran: your studio sounds amazing, those instructors must be really good!!! Love the idea of all the prep work before inverting. That's one of my biggest concerns – being rushed into moves like that without being mentally and/or physically ready for them. I think I'd rather sit an exercise out than try something I'm not comfortable with or even afraid of. Listening to my body has really become my first principle over the past few months.
I'm very interested in the floorwork and dance stuff as well. So glad that the classes don't seem to be tricks-only. In a couple of weeks the same studio is going to offer lap dance / chair / strip lessons as well. Oh boy, all those temptations!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
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That comes out to $33 USD per class!? That seems high to me. I went to a studio where it was $25 for 1 session, $100 for 5 ($20/ class), $180 for 10 ($18/class), and $260 for 20 ($13/class.) There was a studio nearby there that was significantly more expensive (hence why I never went there.)
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sensualscimitar, I thought so as well. :o/ But pole isn't that popular here yet, and it's the first studio in Upper Austria. I guess without some competition they can pretty much charge whatever they want??! Some of their special workshops are 60Euro/90min.. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif
I'd even prefer signing a contract binding me for a year or so to paying full price for every level. I've come to love this sport and I hardly think thats gonna change within a few months.
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I've learned that price does vary by area. At the studio I go to, you start at $270 for a Level 1 class and it gets reduced by $10 every level after (up to level 8). They run 1xweek, for 8 weeks. Any additional class (8 weeks worth) within that same session is $139. Our classes are 90 minutes long. That seems to be the going rate at my location in Illinois.
As for our format, we start with meditation and stretching, move into our workout (crunches, leg lifts, sexy pushups, floorwork, planks, etc) and then get to trick time, where we learn new moves and review older moves. The last 15 minutes of class is free style dancing in really dim lighting. So we do really work on building strength before we do anything crazy. We start inverting after roughly 16 weeks, and it's one student at a time (max 10 students in a class with 6 poles), so the instructor can really watch you, spot you, and give you any tips or advice. We do learn spins even in the upper levels to give you a break from inverting tricks.
I have had such a great experience at my studio that I encourage you to try the one near you! Obviously, not all studios are alike but if you get a great experience at yours, it's well worth the money.
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Price does vary. I try to find studios that offer unlimited monthly memberships. Those give me the best deal and more flexibility. There are several studios in my area, so I’m sure that drives down the price a bit. Most studios in my area charge $15-20/class or $80-120/month unlimited.
As for the description, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I suspect that just means the teacher will cater the lesson to the abilities of those who are in the class that day.
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Phoenix1986 if you do end up taking pole lessons and they don't teach you some "inverted preps", I can most definitely make a video of the preps that we do to prepare us for inverts. When the time comes for you to invert and you've realized that they haven't taught you preps, message me and I'll be more than happy to help!
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Hi,
Don’t mean to jump in but I would love it if you could make a video of the invert pres that you do!
I do the tucks etc that I have learnt from this site but any other prep exercises would be great to know.
I definately don’t want to kick into any inverts so I am happy to do as many for as long as… Until such time as I am strong enough.
I would love to see any and all exercises all you ladies do to prepare yourselves or your students for inverting! -
Ok I'll make a video this weekend for you 40andlovingit https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
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ewa tran will you please post for all of us!! Thanks
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@Kaylie- Being this is a new studio, there prices and method of doing business is subject to change. If I were you, I would contact them with your concerns. They might have a prorated option or may take it into consideration to make a future cost adjustment. There's a learning curve when you open a new business and often as consumers we don't take this into account.
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their* prices and method
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