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What do you look for in a Pole Fitness Dance Studio?
I am in the midst of opening a Woman's Only Dance Fitness Studio and am offering Pole dance fitness, zumba, kickboxing, striptease, bellydancing, personal training, ect. I'm trying to get some info or insight to the following questions and I figured who better to ask than the most knowledgeable women I know: "StudioVeena Members"
I would love feedback to the following questions or any other inputs you can offer. It would be greatly appreciated!!
– When choosing a Pole or Dance Fitness Studio to attend what concerns you before you actually join the studio? (is it price? Quality? Convenience? Customer Service? Teachers? Cleanliness? Decor of Studio? or anything else?)
– Would you prefer a studio with day & evening classes during the work week or just evenings?
-Would you prefer to Pole Dance in a studio with Dim lights or Bright lights?
– Would you prefer to pay as you go("drop-in classes) or a workshop that requires you to attend one class per week for a certain amount of weeks (like a 6 week workshop)? Or maybe both?
– What do you look for in a teacher working at a studio? (Personality, quality of teaching or certifications, ect.?)
Also, I will be attending the International Pole & Exotic Dance Fitness Convention in West Palm Beach on June 10-12, 2011 and would like to know if anyone on here will also be in attendance?
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26 Replies
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I like weekly classes as well as drop ins, since i dont have a regular work schedule having to go to a pole class the same day every week might be difficult.
I also look for a teacher that has a certification of some sort in fitness.
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Location and cost are my two top concerns. If you are in a skeezy area of town chances are I am not attending your studio. I also have issues with some places charging you for a whole 6 week session without some sort of intro. There was a place near me that was going to start pole dance and wanted the money up front and her instructor wasn't really all that well versed. Oh, yeah, BE PROFESSIONAL. The voice mail that this girl left me was nearly impossible to understand.
I could really care less about decor. Tall ceilings, decent poles, smooth floor, clean bathroom.
I like the idea of having open pole even though I have a pole at home. Some times it is just more fun to pole with other people.
I would like there to be at least one advanced instructor. And please do not make me have to go through all of your levels before I can take an upper level class. If I can prove to you that I am at the level, let me take the class.
I am not that picky about certifications, but you should at least know the names of the moves you are trying to teach me. This is a serious pet peeve of mine. I understand that there are several names for the same move but if you do not know even one of them then I will not be giving you money.
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I might add, there was a thread here a little while back asking basically the same question, but I think it was what do you look for in an instructor. That may help you.
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@JennyBacardi, I am so used to working my 9-5 that I forget to realize not everyone has a set schedule like me and that I should make my drop-in weekly classes at different times versus same time each day of the week. You just helped me look at how I should execute my class scheduling to accomodate everyone's different work schedules so Thanks so much for your input!!
@chemgoddess1, Great input, thanks! You helped me think about some factors to consider when arranging my business operations. I am totally with you on your comment about … "And please do not make me have to go through all of your levels before I can take an upper level class. If I can prove to you that I am at the level, let me take the class. " Another thing, I too understand that every studio or class has different names for the same move (which actually annoys me).
Is there a website that has the correct names (the standard names) of all pole moves/spins that should be used by all studios or that they should go by?
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i forgot to add location!! very important
for us people that dont drive or have a car, being close to a metro station or easy to get to by bus is definitely an advantage
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Lexdru,
Try Wikipole.org for pics and names of moves. Some moves have multiple names, guess it's a lack of proving which name came first, was "created" by "who?" etc. =)
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My pet peeve about any type of class is starting on time! If I make it a point to arrive on time and instructor is late, not ready, pokey, it ruins it for me. I had this experience in a pole class and it was miserable for us students.
Also using class time to carry on conversations about other classes, what happened the other day, etc. I don't like standing around time when the clock is ticking. It's disrespectul to my time and money.
I agree with jenny, I have a weird schedule also, so varied schedule, drop ins, etc.
As far as lighting, depends on focus of the class. If it's pole for fitness then regular lighting, music. If it's for pole dance, sensual workout then dim.
That brings another thing to mind, some of us pole for fitness, others like pole dance focusing on floor work and sensual moves. I look for studios that focus on fitness, workout, pole work. If a studio has both, a different schedule for different type of class. Again, if I put out money and time, I personally prefer pole workout and lessons.
This also means instructor is there for students, not to have their personal time and "perform." This is all part of professionalism.
I don't mean to sound petty; however, again we pay $$ and sometimes drive a distance and would like it to not be a waste. I hope this helps.
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Unless you're on fire, don't cancel classes. All it can take is one cancelled class for a customer to lose their momentum and stop coming. Try to have someone you can call in on a casual basis if you can't make a class.
When you first start a business, lots of your first customers will be your friends and family. But when you're working, you can't chat to them or spend more time on them. If you want to catch up, do it outside of fitness time. You can explain this to them before hand if you're worried they fee; snubbed. The same thing goes for your staff. They may be your best friends, but keep the palling around for outside work time. This sort of thing can really put off other customers and make them feel unwelcome – and a person who doesn't know you's word-of-mouth promotion is worth a lot more than a friends'.
Make sure you have a really professional website, and optimise your google/bing searching to help people find you.
Obviously you wouldn't say anything negative about your customers' bodies, but don't say anything negative about your own body either, or talk about dieting or losing weight (unless you are consulting someone on losing weight and have the qualification to do so). So many women are self-conscious about their bodies, especially in workout clothes, and any sort of focus on body image can make (at least me) feel uncomfortable.
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It’s always worth having a 5 minute feedback session at the end of class, this could be when you’re stretching And cooling down. Just ask the attendees if there is anything they would like to focus on, review next time etc. Afterall, if you get feedback from each session you know how to make it more accessable next time. 🙂
I personally am looking for a studio to attend atm and my priorities are:
1. Friendliness and professionalism of staff. If they are comfortable the attendees will be.
2. That puts an emphasis on correct technique and safety – If the tell you to kick into an invert they’re off the list.
3. The range and availability of different types of classes (it would be nice to be able to do fitness and dance classes at the same place maybe even some fusion like pole/belly or pole on pointe)
4. A place which doesn’t tie you in to 6 weeks of regular sessions at one time due to my work schedule over summer (but has the option to do so as it is best to have regular sessions).
5. A place that has at least a few supervised (don’t want to stuck with someone who’s gonna do what I just did on the laminate) open pole sessions a week.
6. I don’t mind a little chattiness between students and teachers it helps with communication, but no mobile phone conversations with cheryl or mindy or whoever during class. My last instructor did this and it was extremely unprofessional, I made a complaint and she didn’t stop!
Everyone has made food points but I hope that helps. 🙂 x
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Everyone is providing great imput so I wont repeat what anyone else has put.
The studio I go to there are 20 poles- 1 for the instructor 19 for students. We also have to reserve for pole as well, if you dont show up and dont cancel 2hrs before – you will be deducted a class. We have a drop-in but you can buy classes in bulk and they dont expire. You can only reserve a pole if you have a class card. After visting over places, maybe having less poles to provide more space for everyone. There are alot of long legged ladies in my class and they have to seperate from eachother b/c they are known to hit each other and sometimes us smaller gals have me attacked by a foot. Smaller classes would also provide a more one on one time with the instructor. I really could use that from time to time.
I love open pole, its good to just have fun and not feel instructed.
Someone had mentioned a good looking website – YES! Most people who have heard via word of mouth is going to google you first before they come to your class.
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Oh, yeah a good website is a must! I remember one pole studio that opened near me that had all sorts of atrocious misspellings on their site.
Wikipole is a great site for names of moves. Even common names like scorpio and gemini get switched…I prefer inside leg hang and outside leg hang. Much easier.
On a side note, make sure that the floors are cleaned regularly and that you have wipes and alcohol spray bottles available and make sure that part of the class is wiping down the poles at the end. I HATE being barefoot for a class and my feet ending up black after the hour is up.
The very last thing I will mention is just proper business ettiquette. There are so many studios/instructors that bash other studios and do it publicly. We are all in this for the same reason. To me this is extremely unprofessional and downright ugly and I will NOT spend my money at your business. EVERY pole studio/instructor has something different to offer. Anything I have ever said about another studio I will say to the owner's face.
Oh, just thought of another…if you run a groupon or living social deal be well prepared for the amount of people that will buy and want to take a class. I know a studio owner who's head is spinning because she had over 300 "deals" sold. She is handling it well but I think it is also killing her slowly (Love you angel6101).
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My first step in making a decision is spending some time on your website. The more information you have on your website about your studio and your classes, the more I will visualize myself in your classes.
So, the more descriptive your class descriptions are, the more my enthusiasm and interest is piqued. General class descriptions don't get me excited about, or get me visualizing me in your class. If it is a sensual dance class, don't just tell me that I will learn some sassy new moves and focus on floorwork and transitions. Specifics will make me want to be in your class.
Other things that wil help me visualize your classes are photos, testimonials, and videos on your website.
I also would like the opportunity to explore other fitness and dance related classes that will enhance my learning in pole. (belly dancing and Zumba are good options here) as well as conditioning and stretching classes.
Flexibility in payment options, drop-in, punch card, classes that run for certain periods of time, and memberships. Having a variety of payment optionswill bring you a variety of people from those who just want to try it out, (drop in, punch card) to those who are committed pole dancers (memberships)
Ramona
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@STLpoledancer27 – thx for the website
@Hookedonpole & @cinara – Thx for your input….I totally agree with you on the level of professionalism and punctuality that the studio and teachers should uphold. I’ve been to a class where a teachers became friends with a student and they joked and talked during the session of the class and I was so upset and uncomfortable that I never took that teacher’s class again.
@polecat88 – Thx for the great feedback idea and inputs
@minicoopergirl – thx for ur input, I like having 1 pole per person since sharing a pole is not my thing but why do so many studios put their poles so close to one another…I totally can relate, I hate when I’m trying to do a spin and so is the other girl next to
me and we lose momentum because we either are going to bump into each other and stop to let the other one go first.
@chemgoddess1 – thx for the groupon /living social idea….I would probably take it slow in the beginning when I first open up my studio
@monary – thx for input, u are right about being descriptive about classes especially for people that are curious and have never taken any of these classes before -
Some things i like about the studio i go to….
– if you are progressing faster than the other people in your group, have the option of moving up a level or switching classes
– other fitness classes / dance classes (burlesque, pump, attack, flex&tone, routine class)
– Combo deals if you are taking the fitness classes as the cost does mount up.
– flexibility – once you commit they ask for upfront payment. If you miss a lesson you don't lose your money – you can have it as credit for your next course or you can drop in to the fitness or open sessions instead (this also helps encourage people to try them out! Clever marketing, lol!)
– opening hours – evening lessons. owners both worked full time in the beginning- one had hours cut so now does morning lessons too. a lot of mummies liked the late sessions – easier to get a sitter if kids in bed!
I love the studio – there is always such a buzz about it as there is so much going on – it's become as much a social club for people as a dance studio! They also do performances at charity events, host charity events and have hosted national comps (though this always seems to be more hassle than it's worth!). for me it's a 1 hour round trip to go to the studio and i'm not the furthest away. there is a studio thats a lot closer but classes are shorter for same price and as i enjoy the atmosphere and the classes at my current studio i wasn't even tempted to try it!
Good luck with your enterprise! hope it all goes well!
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The most important thing for me when looking for a studio was What does it look like? I want to see pics online and not have to search your entire website just to find your pics of your studio. I also want a clean and easy to navigate website. Your home page should be free of cluttery words, no flash video or annoying music that if I have my volume up I'm going to get my ears blasted, and an easy to navigate menu with all the essential information a simple click away. I have done an enourmous amount of research and consulting with website marketing designers of big name industries like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. A lot of valuable input has helped with our studio website reconstruction. Their job in marketing analysis is to disect those websites and find out the best layouts for the consumer. And as a business enterpenuer I can say, thinking like the consumer will definitely get you in the ball game. Consumers want to know what the product is you're selling and why your product is better than the other guys in the simplest fashion. I agree with everything everyone else has said. I also like the idea of having a link to a youtube account with dance videos so I can see the style of dance being taught at the studio or if the studio is strictly tricks only. Every studio has something different to offer, and offering a little sample of what to expect is like sample day at the grocery-makes you want to buy the whole product and get more. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif
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