Starting pole can be a really daunting feeling but here are 5 things I wish I knew before trying Pole Dance that might just help you out.
Everyone starts from the BEGINNING. Yes of course if you are a professional dancer or gymnast you may already have some skills that mean you can pick up pole quicker, but everyone - no matter their background - has to start from the very beginning. Regardless of how much of a gym rat you are, or if you have never been to the gym in your life, you will still have to learn a Step Around and the basic techniques specific to pole.
No one cares about your BIKINI LINE. We wear shorts in pole so that you can use your skin to grip the pole, and if you don't wear shorts in everyday life this may be very challenging for you. But rest assured, everyone feels the same in their first class! And if everyone else is too busy worrying about their own bikini line, they definitely will not have time to worry about yours!
Film EVERYTHING! Now, no one expects you to do an elaborate Instagram post with hundreds of perfect videos straight after your first class, and actually you never have to post anything publicly if you don't want to! BUT, my biggest regret from starting pole is not filming my first ever class. Not because I wanted to publish it all over the internet, but because I desperately wish I could look back and see how far I have come. I would give anything to see baby poler Alex do her first ever Step Around and hear the teacher's enthusiastic cheer!
Pole is hard work but high reward. I have no doubt you already know that pole is harder than it looks, regardless of people on Instagram making it look like it's as easy as ordering a coffee! But, with high effort comes even higher reward! Of course there may be some moves you get straight away, but the best moves are the ones you work to achieve. Pole is one of the only sports I have tried that you can see and feel real progression every month, and that comes from max effort in class and a handful of 'f**k me this is hard' moments.
There is something for everyone. There are a lot of different sides to pole; spin, static, choreography, strength moves, flexibility moves, floor work, sexy style and flowy contemporary style just to name a few. You may be a gymnastics tricks kind of poler, or being upside down may be your worst nightmare and rolling on the floor is your jam. Pole Fitness and Dance gives you the space to explore every facet of your personality via movement, so even if you aren't sure after your first class, don't give up! Why not try a different style of class and see what clicks with you. This is the reason we do 4-week courses instead of Drop-in classes, as four classes will give you the chance to have a go at more of what pole can offer as well as let you see actual progress by the end of the course.
I would love to know if there is anything you wish you had known before starting pole dance, and what you would say to your baby poler self?
Cheers
Alex :)