When to Fire Your Pole Dance Instructor
Not all self-proclaimed pole instructors know how to teach pole – you want to make sure yours does.
1. You are getting weaker, not stronger.
Typically, pole classes make your muscles stronger. But if you are feeling like you can do less and less, that could be a red flag that your teacher isn’t giving you the proper building blocks for each move. Maybe you have been misunderstanding the instruction or maybe you have skipped a few steps – but if that isn’t the case, it’s time to consider moving on to better pastures – and better instruction.
2. You notice she’s all talk when it comes to safety.
Nothing is quite as spooky to me as instructors who talk endlessly about safety, but, when it gets down to the actual class, gloss right over it. I had one teacher who thought my problem was just being too scared to try new moves, so she just kept pushing. Uh no, teach, I wasn’t scared of the move; I instinctively knew my body wasn’t ready for it yet. Solution? I switched teachers – and now I can do those moves. Safely.
3. Your sensual dance style makes her uncomfortable.
Most pole teachers understand the sensual origins of the dance, but if yours is so divorced from the sexiness that she makes you feel you’re being inappropriate every time you circle your hips, it’s time to say goodbye.
4. You are made to feel stupid for not getting a move.
This is usually a case of the teacher not knowing any other way to explain the move – she feels stupid, so she makes you feel stupid. Dump her.
5. She’s more interested in being worshipped than helping you learn to pole.
Ah, the diva complex. Class isn’t really about teaching you to pole; it’s about teaching you the proper worshipping techniques. Seems to me it’s your money; take it elsewhere.
6. She uses your lessons to take care of studio chores.
Your class time is not the moment for her to be opening her mail. If she isn’t concentrating on you, find someone who will.
7. You realize you never are taken through a warm-up or cool down and that the main person on the pole is your instructor.
Let’s see … you’re not getting two essential components of each class and you’re never on the pole? What’s up with that? Move on.
Check back for the next in this series, When to Fire Your Pole Dance Student.
I just opened my own pole studio but I keep having problems with unreliable pole instructors, any suggestions on where I can find reliable pole instructors for hire?
Very good point, Beth! Thank you – an adult class is very different from a kids’ class.
I agree with all of these except number 3. I think there’s a time and a place for the sansual or sexy style, and it wouldn’t always be appropriate in my classes. We suggest that heels are only worn at the practice sessions where you can do your own thing and can be as sensual as you like. But our classes are technically open to under-18s (we teach at a uni and there are some kids who go to it) and I think it WOULD be inappropriate for people to be grinding their hips or booty clapping in these. So it all depends on the situation.
If you’re there for that style of poling then by all means find a different class
[...] See also When to Fire Your Pole Dance Instructor. [...]
It’s unfortunate that we need these reminders. Just because somebody can DO a move doesn’t mean they have any business TEACHING a move. How many people out there are disrespecting our industry and opening a studio with NO knowledge whatsoever about what it takes to make s studio safe and educational? These same folks are hiring instructors based on those girls’ ability to perform only. And they are hiring this position out because they know nothing of pole in the first place, they just want to jump on the bandwagon. When hiring an instructor do they ask “can this instructor break down a simple move for visual, auditory and tactile learners?” Does this Instructor and/or owner even know what those mean? I’ll get off that soapbox before I get too rabid… But it’s sad, since the student is the one to take the brunt of the bad situation.
Teaching isn’t as simple as demonstrating, then regurgitating it verbally. You have to throw in passion and a desire to see your students succeed. There is nothing more rewarding to my soul than to have a student surpass me. Thank you for reminding us that we should not just be sheep, but active in our quest for responsible instruction.
My major pet peeves are #2 (safety!), #3 (sensuality), and #4 (negativity). These are right on the ball Jennifer!
This is such a timely article as collectively at the studio I go to, some of the see our instructor guilty of violation numbers 2 and 5. She barely discusses safety and even when confronted with the fact that students are getting injured, (as opposed to just typical soreness), she makes the students feel like they are wimps for not being able to move the way she thinks they should. This also is in connection to violation 5 of which she spends more time self-promoting and even blatantly displaying jealousy of students and other instructors. Unfortunately, she is also the studio owner. The other instructors are great which make it bearable but her antics have been getting worse. Anyway, glad to see validation with our concerns.