Dana Mayer of Rock ‘n’ Roll Pole

Meet Dana, the amazing dancer behind Rock ‘n’ Roll Pole!

How did you get started taking pole?

I’ve always danced and done gymnastics, so I had that background as a base. I learned in a club through observation of other dancers, got very good through hours of practice on my own, and people asked me to start teaching them. When I started pole dancing there were no formal classes available! I was one of the first people to teach pole dancing and exotic dance/burlesque in London.

How did you make the leap to opening your own studio and offering pole classes? What was that like?

I worked for two other people, one for a short time and one at a dance studio for a couple of years, before I actually set up my own business. This gave me a lot of time to think about how I would like my own business to be run and to perfect my own style of teaching. What was that like? A lot more admin!!!

What is the first thing you teach students just starting to take pole dancing?

Proper warmup is essential. Walking around the pole, movement, and general presence. Little things like the way a dancer carries herself can make the difference between a simple trick looking great, and a complicated trick looking bad because the form is incorrect. I do teach people spins from their first lesson, I just stress the importance of finishing a move, not dropping your energy between tricks, etc.

How do you take care of yourself, given all you teach?

Stretching, massage, rest and even physio if necessary.

Favorite makeup tip:

I love makeup for the stage as it can transform appearance dramatically and help someone create a character in performance. In class, who cares if a student wears makeup or not? It’s a personal choice.

Barefoot, sneakers, or platform heels?

Yes, at different times, to all of the above! But not all at once!

Favorite grip enhancer:

Liquid chalk – on the hands, not on the poles!

Pole dance move that made you proudest to learn:

Probably transitions such as swallow to twisted grip Ayesha to twisted grip straight edge plus various knee holds and handsprings on static pole, and lots of different stuff on spinning, which, after 11 years pole dancing, is still relatively new to me.

Pole dance pet peeves:

Bitchy pole dancers! A little common courtesy goes a long way. People who are dishonest in their business dealings, and make false claims about who they are and what they offer. Also, people who apply grip stuff to poles instead of hands and leave the studio a mess.

Favorite treatment for bruises and sore muscles:

Lots and lots of stretching, some arnica, and rest. Heat is often good as well. Ibuprofen is good for occasional muscular soreness.

Who would you most like to have in the audience when you pole dance?

Anyone who enjoys what I do and is supportive of me doing it.

Who is your hero or role model?

I don’t think there is any one particular person, as people I admire tend to come from many different fields, pole and non-pole. Anyone who is talented at what they do, has a sense of ethics in their work, and brings joy and inspiration to others.

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

“Good!” I think people really respond well if they are encouraged in a class. Positive encouragement goes a long way, and is a good “cushion” against which people can be corrected if they need to modify what they are doing.

Favorite pizza toppings:

Don’t be silly! It’s impossible to pole and eat pizza at the same time without making a mess!

Cupcakes or ice cream?

See above.

What do you like to do when you’re not pole dancing?

Think about pole dancing, dream about pole dancing, etc., etc. Seriously, “normal” stuff like meeting friends, seeing films etc. I’m also an avid reader on a wide variety of subjects and am interested in psychology, astrology, energy healing, and a host of other stuff. Also, travel is great — one of the weirdest and most magical places I’ve been so far is Iceland (the country, not the frozen food shop!) and certain spots in the UK are not far behind.

Anything else you’d like to share:

My first career was as a music journalist in New York, and music remains a very important part of pole dancing for me — I think dancing to music you like is so important and can actually inspire people to improve their dancing, as they can “feel” the music.

I’ve been pole dancing for 11 years and teaching since the end of 2002. Pole dancing is my second career. A Miss Pole Dance UK finalist in 2005, I was pole dancing instructor and assistant choreographer for the feature film “Closer”, as well as choreographer on a couple of indie films. I’ve appeared as a pole dance expert and teacher on BBC1’s “Holiday –You Call The Shots” and on Living TV’s “Living With Kimberly Stewart.” Teaching and choreography credits include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Playboy TV, the Pleasance Theatre, and T-Mobile. I have pole danced at various club nights, shows and events around London including Electrowerkz, Madame Jojo’s, The Purple Turtle, The Cobden Club, and the Coronet Theatre.I currently run my own pole dance school, Rock ‘n’ Roll Pole, in London. I am a founding member of the Equity Pole Dancers’ Working Party (Equity is the performers’ union, kind of an amalgamation of SAG, AFTRA, and Equity US – in the UK).

I just got back from teaching pole and burlesque in Denmark, which I loved. I’ve done the same in Amsterdam as well, and would love to teach more abroad, as well as arrange teaching exchanges with non-UK based teachers.

If you’d like to study with Dana at Rock ‘n’ Roll Pole, you can find her on Facebook (here and here), Myspace, Youtube, Twitter (here, here, and here).

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Tags: Pole Dance, Pole Dancing

January 28, 2010 - Posted by PoleSkivvies No Comments
Filed under: Pole Dancing Instructors