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conflict of interest for instructor to visit competition?
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I’m curious if anyone has something to say on the other side of the coin? How would you feel if an instructor from another local studio came to learn at yours?
I have been really wanting to take my aerial training (lyra and silks) to the next level but there’s only one other aerial instructor at my studio, and I feel like I need to get out and explore a bit. Unfortunately I don’t feel like I can afford to go way out of town all the time to get the instruction I desire, but there’s another studio locally that teaches and one of the girls used to teach at my studio. I’m afraid to say “HEY, I started teaching here after you left, but I want to also learn from you!”
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Reyn – Just be honest and open about everything. I would call or show up and talk to them about the situation. In the end, everyone will appreciate your being open and honest. However, be prepared to pay more for classes/lessons because you are an instructor. Many studios charge existing instructors from other studios more or prefer lessons be done as privates due to the conflict of unintentional promoting of your studio of employment. There may also be a contract you sign to protect themselves if you choose to take what you learned and start teaching it yourself. It can get to be a very touchy subject and your best bet would be to discuss things with the studio you’re wanting to take lessons from. They can refuse you as a student if they feel their hard work of their program is going to be jeopardized by local competition. Just all things you should take into consideration.
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You are going to have to call and see if they will let you take classes. I know that some studios, no matter how far away you live, will not accept people who are instructors. If you are open and up front with them it is then in their hands. And I really do not see them and you as “competition”.
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I would inquire about privates, obviously letting them know youre an instructor. Agree with chem about the ‘competition’ bit. Studios that operate under the perceived threat of competition are only hurting themselves, IMO
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Total BS catty garbage. The instructors up here go to each others studios for workshops, shows, classes, no problem, no chick bs drama. Back home in LA/OC, same diff. In both places, they celebrate the grand openings of new studios and show support. One of my pole instructors teaches Pilates at another studio and teaches pole at several circus studios. The studio that she teaches the most at knows and doesn’t give a crap.
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Agreed! I go to loads of other studios for master classes and there are a couple I got to for privates just because I really like the instructors teaching style! My ‘boss’ doesn’t seem to mind! In a way… Its not really her business I’m expanding my own knowledge and passion????
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I totally don’t get this. I’m VERY happy to teach someplace where we welcome other instructors to come take classes, and where we are never discouraged from visiting other studios to learn as well. We even have a big team going to CPC, yet the studio doors are open the weekend of the competition so that other competitors from other studios can come rehearse in our space because we are just a few blocks away from the competition venue and our poles are spaced the same as the competition poles, so it just made natural sense to us and didn’t strike us as a threat to our competitors or anything remotely like that….if another studio wants to bring their team in and rent the space and rehearse, awesome! Good fellowship from dancer to dancer across studio lines is important at the Brass Ring, and that’s a huge reason why I’m so proud to teach there. I believe that attitude of community shows in everything TBR does….the whole philosophy of the studio is to be an open door for the pole community in the Chicago area to train in a facility with a multi-disciplinary approach to pole.
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You should be able to practice or take lessons elsewhere especially if you are getting something here that is not available (for whatever reason) at your current studio. O. If you grow in your own pole skills that will make you a better instructor. I am sure you will have to adhere to the teaching method of the studio in which you work and of course could tell students to go to the other studio for lessons. I would refrain from sharing a you have learned there with students even if it is in a casual manner.
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I’m in the same boat with my “boss.” I’ve been teaching at the same studio for 4 years. I live literally 5 minutes from the studio, so it’s über convenient. The owner has a very limited point of view, refuses to spend any money on improvements and doesn’t understand pole as an industry is changing all the time nor her students. The studio opened 5 years ago. The studio has no mirrors (well a small one, on the side), 9 poles, 50mm all static. As an instructor, I LOVE teaching, the majority of the students are beginner and intermediate level, so this is not a huge problem for teaching but for me personally, I’m dying a slow death. Meanwhile, 5 new studios have opened in the area, all of which offer state of the art equipment and facilities. The owner doesn’t approve of me venturing out of her studio who is stuck in a time warp, She told me once “I should learn all I need learn at her studio,” but I don’t care. I’m an independent contractor, not an employee anyway. This is a touchy subject and I need to voice my frustration, can you tell?
I go to other studios, gyms, I attend different dance classes, yoga, aerial silks and lyra, I actively travel to other pole studios and I take workshops year round. This makes me a better teacher, a better dancer and a better performer. All of which I impart my knowledge to others. It’s healthy. We’re a community, there’s enough business for everyone. Only small minded people think they own students, moves or styles. The goal is to grow and spiral upward not fall and hold people down.
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We can tell:). Holy Moly Mari, it’s like you’re describing something from the Stone Ages (including mindset lol), if it had been possible for a pole studio to be that old :).
I guess the problem for all kind of companies that were once leading (assuming the one you’re talking about was since it opened earlier than the others) is that they sometimes don’t realize that what once made them nr 1 will most probably become outdated, and sometimes pretty fast. It’s possible to survive on good reputation for a long if one is lucky, but it won’t last forever. For example, an old looking homepage can be repelling enough. Good instruction for a reasonable price must be what counts most, so I guess you must be good if the place is still getting students!
Maybe changes seem too much of an effort/cost for your owner. I can kind of understand that in some way, one must have the passion to keep it up… She may need to know she has some (practical) support to rely on if deciding to make changes (even though I must say that switching to spinning poles can’t be that much of a big deal).
If to say anything about the question in this thread, I think I would just feel that I’m ahead of the others if they came to take my lessons. Mostly flattered. It’s ok to copy but it’s nicer to be copied. But since I’m not an instructor I don’t know everything else that could be to it.
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Wow, Mari!! You are clearly a very talented and passionate teacher. I wish your ‘boss’ gave more to the studio and you to bring it up to your level! So I was wondering what happens to your long-term students. Since you said they are mostly beg/int, do you have some advanced? Or, after a point, do they move on to a studio with 45 mm/ spinning poles etc? I am sure they love you!
ITA there is enough for everyone. I wish all studio owners understood this!! As a teacher (or owner), we don’t ‘own’ students or anything else.
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I think it’s interesting as students most are given a safe place to learn and grow however once you become an instructor you often become “property” without a safe place to learn and grow.
This is a multi layered subject. I would say having personally put way too much out there only have it taken for granted and my finger prints dusted off that I definitely have a wall up when it comes to teaching other instructors. One one hand once creativity is put out there it’s no longer “yours” but public domain. If you video your special tricks or choreography and put it out there for the world to see, don’t expect credit for your inspiration. That said we are ALL inspired by what we see and often may replicate something we’ve long forgotten who did it or I inspired us.
Every class an instructor takes will feed their curriculum in one way or another which is what tears my opinions to shreds because on one hand why should I give bits and pieces for instructor group class pay? On the other hand it’s not like students don’t try to go teach their friends – which I am adamantly against ( I know that makes me sound like a “B” but unless you’re qualified to teach please don’t hurt your friends, take my material YOU paid for and give it away for FREE – and I’m not talking about polers sharing amongst themselves, I’m talking about students who think its cool to let non poler friends learn TRICKS – not simple walks and steps and encourage them to go to a class or here and learn safely.)
On the other side the tricks are really BIG now, I refuse to self teach some of these things which means I will need a spotter and a class setting. Just because I teach doesn’t mean I know it all, I never had the student experience and very much feel like I missed out. I want the community aspect, I want the encouragement that you don’t get learning on your own or teaching and I want to turn my brain off and just move. I cannot promise that I won’t take away something special and revise and teach it. I personally rarely struggle with ideas for classes but I can’t promise I won’t take a move and add it into something, that’s the awesome part of being a student is having a clear mind to create with what you learn. I also make very little so it’s not like I could pay for a private even though I truly value another instructors time and the downside of privates is that they are typically trick based which is good if you can learn a new trick and want to but what if you just want a work out or to dance?
I also know many amazing instructors who aren’t “advanced” and would love to take upper level classes for themselves. This poses another argument for instructors being able to take classes elsewhere. Where do we go to work on ourselves? Chances are an intermediate level dancer who teaches is not going to start teaching flag mounts or whatever after one class! Lets be real! If she’s a good instructor she knows better. So that makes me wonder should instructors only be able to take trick based classes? Then how do we exercise our movement and transitions? Plus it’s not really possible to know who’s a teacher and who isn’t unless you know then personally or through social media sites. Some people don’t know they should say they teach, honestly. They aren’t being deceptive but naive.
Issues arise because of our egos. I will honestly admit that mine needs petting, it’s fragile and I tend to come from the “Emily Post” era where I believe in giving credit and thanks for each simple thing you gain from another because creativity and energy is to be appreciated. But seriously how much framing credit do I need for teaching, spotting or helping with a common community move or sequence? Again, lets be real. If I’ve created and taught something to even a single person and they’ve paid for that, isn’t that credit enough?
It’s all so complicated. I will end by saying these are my rambling thoughts, they are not directed at anyone or any of the above situations. Just this topic is one that shreds my head to pieces because I haven’t found an answer yet. If I owned a studio I *feel* like I wouldn’t want my instructors looking elsewhere for lessons, I wouldn’t want them sharing what they learn from me outside of class and I can’t give anyone a good reason for that outside of I sometimes need to pee all over my self proclaims “genius” and I certainly make sure that I’m treating others as I would want to be treated and respect other studios, their restraints and rules.
Finally, I very much want a community of sharing and togetherness and perhaps I’ve personally been Hurt too much or not stroked enough or felt looked down upon whether for real or imagination that as I go further into my journey I find myself closing my world off. I jokingly say I fire “clients” because I have no desire for drama or unappreciative students. I sometimes wish I could take classes and I will sometimes pop into a studio but only one that I trust, respect and call friend. Pole is pretty catty even when we are on our best behaviour “Emily Post” style. I’ve learned you can’t be nice enough to escape rumors and people talking smack about you. No matter how nice I’ve been I still hear rumblings about me, I still hear that people hate me and I’ve been beyond giving and nice, so anyway – ugh conflicts if interest. I see both sides…wish there was an easy answer.
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Charley, come on, we all KNOW how much of a controlling backstabbing bitch you are!
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Hahahaha!!!!!!!! It’s so very true, chemmie!!!!!!
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Charley, I love and completely respect what you have shared here. it doesnt get more real than to admit our past can sometimes hinder our future. I’m torn like you.
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