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Becoming a pole instructor
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For us – we take pole very seriously as a fitness regiment
Charley, I love this quote. As the owner at my studio gives a tour and passes through the pole room while I’m instructing this is what she says to newcomers "we don’t take this that seriously here, we just laugh a lot and have fun with it"
That’s probably why we’ve had serious injuries and students saying that other instructors can’t break down moves or say ‘I don’t know how I did that’.
The bottom line is that pole studios are businesses. There must be quality control and safety has to come first. I just think that this field is so new that few people know what they are doing. Owners just hope they can open a place and the talent will show up. Because pole fitness and pole dance studios are in their infancy, talent needs to be trained and developed. That usually comes under a fantastic instructor with guidelines and standards. When pole places are run by non-polers who don’t have that passion for pole or talent on the pole or talent for instructing, pole studios end up sucking.
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Which is precisely why we want to open a studio — to offer a place where students can learn SAFELY and have a path to progressing if they choose. The instructor at the studio where we began was fine for a session or two at the beginner level, but as we learned more she could not even remember how to execute things, let alone teach them. Not what we want for our place !
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wow everyone! thanks so much for all the great insight, advice, and tips!!!
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have you looked into getting certified by the USPF (http://www.uspoledance.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)? They have a climb and spin certification thing for instructors (http://www.climbandspin.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in NYC. expensive, but it would be a good and solid way to get started…Wendy is a fantastic teacher too. I take class at NY Pole Dancing and the ladies there are incredibly talented!
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In the US there is no requirement to be certified in anything or to even be insured.
However, there is a moral and ethical responsibility to yourself and your students to do both. It’s plain foolish to risk everything by entering into a business of any type, but especially one with inherent risks of injury, without being trained in every aspect of not only the physical part of the job but the business end of it.
Being able to dance well doesn’t mean someone is a good teacher. A good teacher can break down the moves from head to toe and describe them in a multitude of ways which is important as you have a variety of students who learn differently.
Responsibility to safety is another key factor. And having insurance isn’t just to protect yourself, but is a benefit for your students. Imagine someone being seriously injured and not having coverage to take care of their medical bills. Not only do you risk your home, but once they tap you dry, what if that still isn’t enough to take care of the injured party’s needs?
Teaching from home is a major problem even though it’s commonly done. If you teach from your home, then your home is at risk if you’re sued. Your business and your personal assets should be separated.
So…there are several great certification courses out there. Do your homework and research them to find one that is thorough as well as good. Some teach based on their own schools program where you simply learn how to do their curriculum, others teach you how to teach and adapt your own program, some include the business aspects of operating a studio, some have stricter entry requirements.
A good program will require performance testing but that isn’t regulated in the states either so technically someone can develop their own certificaiton program, offer it online, and even pass themselves as a certified instructor so you really need to check into certifications not only if you’re going to be an instructor but when you are searching for classes.
Our studio offers certification, USPDF is a great program. In the UK Vertical Dance offers a well-respected program and it’s also offered online. There are others that are equally as good but a few to stay away from.
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Hi! I am from Dayton Ohio and have just started my search for info on becoming liscensed so I can work in a studio or gym for pole fitness. I can’t find anything and trabeling to California is just not an option for me right now. I had an upcoming studio tell me that when I am ready to instruct, let them know!!!! I would LOVE to do that. I just can’t find any info!!! What I did find was in Cali… and 3,000.00!!!!! Is that normal? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif ANyway. I am frusterated and woul;d love any help or advice! Thanks!!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif
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There are other certifications out there for much less! I sent you a PM.
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That depends on what you are getting for $3000.
How many hours of instruction will make a significant difference. So will the range of content…is it just a beginner level certification – does it include intermediate…advanced?
Is it TRAINING to pole dance in addition to how to teach – two different things.
Is the certfication endorsed by any organizations or groups? That requires a lot of work on the part of the certifying school to become qualified…and money as well as ongoing expenses.
What is the reputation of the program/school you are taking it from.
Keep in mind…some schools/instructors have spent years learning and developing programs and techniques. This isn’t just about how to spin around a pole but how to do it safely and how to teach it. You have to pay for the years of hard work they have put into it and are now willing to share with you.
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That depends on what you are getting for $3000.
How many hours of instruction will make a significant difference. So will the range of content…is it just a beginner level certification – does it include intermediate…advanced?
Is it TRAINING to pole dance in addition to how to teach – two different things.
Is the certfication endorsed by any organizations or groups? That requires a lot of work on the part of the certifying school to become qualified…and money as well as ongoing expenses.
What is the reputation of the program/school you are taking it from.
Keep in mind…some schools/instructors have spent years learning and developing programs and techniques. This isn’t just about how to spin around a pole but how to do it safely and how to teach it. You have to pay for the years of hard work they have put into it and are now willing to share with you.
This is what people don’t understand. The studio I am with right now is trying to implement an instructor cert. course and were baffled when I told them how much I wanted to get paid and how much they should charge students. I had to break down all the years I have spent studying pole dance, studying the AFAA group fitness instructor cert., and all the money I spent getting the certification, attending classes and workshops. They wanted to charge just a couple hundred dollars, and to me that didn’t seem to be enough. I know these are tough times, but I am afraid that if they make the price too low, then anyone will want to do it, and not weed out those who are the most serious and dedicated. It can take years for someone to fully understand the CORRECT techniques, stretching, and execution of the moves and even longer for them to learn how to teach someone else properly. I know everyone is different, but it always made me nervous when I would see pole dance instructor cert. programs that were only held for a weekend or a couple days. IMO there’s no way someone with less than a year of pole dance experience can take such a short course and come out as a stellar instructor. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I have seen a few instructors who *think* they are doing moves correctly and end up having injured students because they weren’t educated on the safety aspects or how to go in and out of the moves the right way (and also emergency exit options). I just hate hearing about students getting hurt bc their instructor did not show them the right muscles to use and safe ways to get in and out of tricks….. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
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GatorGirl…I agree. I’ve spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on my growth and development as a pole dance instructor and business person. I’m not willing to share all that with someone who is only willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars. If they dont like it, they can do it the way I did…and spend a lot more.
However, I also want to clarify that a two-day certification program is different from a two-day training program. Of course, it’s more about how one words things that can be confusing.
My program certifies instructors in 2 days for basic…but that doesnt mean I teach them how to pole dance in two days. We teach how to INSTRUCT pole dancing, the basics of business management, on top of requiring an approved fitness certification program under their belt and then they must prove their abilities through written and practical exam.
It comes down to content and expectations of the program. Would Wendy, Jenyne, or Althea need to take my course in order to "pass" the exam? Nope. Would someone who’s been pole dancing or even teaching pole dancing for 5 years be able to pass my course even after they attended the two day program? Not necessarily.
No matter how you break it down, it still amazes me the people who expect to not only get a short cut to certification but to pay a fraction of what I did to get there and cant understand why I won’t do it cheaply! I dont expect each person to pay what I did to share my experience and knowledge with them but I won’t insult myself by offering it for a couple of hundred dollars.
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No matter how you break it down, it still amazes me the people who expect to not only get a short cut to certification but to pay a fraction of what I did to get there and cant understand why I won’t do it cheaply! I dont expect each person to pay what I did to share my experience and knowledge with them but I won’t insult myself by offering it for a couple of hundred dollars.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
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Hi everyone,
I’m with Brass Ovaries Pole dancing and I’m NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) certified and getting a Pole Position Fitness certification in February. My NASM cert is about to expire and I’m not sure if I should get ISSA certification as planned (a very well respected personal training exam) or ACE. ACE seems to be preferred by pole instructors, can I ask why? Is it because they have a group exercise focus?
Julie
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No matter how you break it down, it still amazes me the people who expect to not only get a short cut to certification but to pay a fraction of what I did to get there and cant understand why I won’t do it cheaply! I dont expect each person to pay what I did to share my experience and knowledge with them but I won’t insult myself by offering it for a couple of hundred dollars.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I agree with this.
However, the other side of the coin is … if you spent, say $3000 all up on your training and learning you would probably end up with a lot more money if you re-sold much cheaper. Not so cheaply that you devalue the knowledge itself, but say $500ish per person, for half the knowledge you have. Yes, they’re getting an amazing deal. But you’re getting a better one, because many more people are likely to spend $400 than $800. So you’ll end up with the most in the end, in the end. You only need about 8 people do pay that low price to break even. Everything after that is profit https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif So you’re not shortchanging yourself financially at all. Because you would probably get twice as many enrolments at least, at the lower price.
That’s purely the business side of course. There’s also ethical considerations such as one’s perceived duty to the pole dancing industry not to sabotage our image by making qualifications seem trivial etc etc.
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That’s true but I don’t think some people realize the amount and cost of training and certifications others have had. Just off the top of my head, my training has been closer to the range of 7,000 when you add it up. That doesn’t even count the time I’ve put into it which in business you have to consider the value of your time as much as what you spend.
This isn’t just about making my money back…heck if I’m a successful business person I will more then break even…It’s about how could someone expect to spend a couple of hundred dollars to get what I’ve worked so hard to obtain on top of my monetary investment.
Finally consider this – a student spends close to a couple of hundred dollars for for just one 6-week/6 hour program…sometimes less…many times more. But people expect to only spend a couple of hundred dollars for certification?
Now…I don’t charge thousands. Mine are roughly $800 for basic and $600 for intermediate but I know of other really good programs that cost a couple of thousand dollars that are very good and definitely worth it. Of course I know of some for much less that aren’t worth the time, let alone the money.
At $800 I’m making $50 an hour for one on one training with someone as the basic program is 16 hours long.
Of course (unfortunately) no one HAS to be pole certified to teach pole dancing so they really don’t have to spend anything. It’s a personal, ethical and business decision but it’s not like you must be certified and all your choices are in the thousands of dollars range.
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Hi everyone,
I’m with Brass Ovaries Pole dancing and I’m NASM (National Association of Sports Medicine) certified and getting a Pole Position Fitness certification in February. My NASM cert is about to expire and I’m not sure if I should get ISSA certification as planned (a very well respected personal training exam) or ACE. ACE seems to be preferred by pole instructors, can I ask why? Is it because they have a group exercise focus?
Julie
AFAA also has Group Fitness Instructor Certification (what I earned my cert. with), but ACE is probably heard of more than AFAA. Both are equally good IMO. I have heard tho that the ACE Personal Trainer stuff is harder than the AFAA Personal Trainer stuff, but I have no experience with either course, so I can not give a fair opinion on that. Essentially you should be learning the same info from both programs, so I guess it depends on the price of the course and what the Pole Fitness Certification you are going to take prefers. Good luck.
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