polebunny started this discussion ·
hi all! i was just wondering where you can get certification to be a pole teacher? what method is most credible? i am a new dancer so this is a long way off for me but still my goal is to be able to teach one day... 😳
Sign in or create a free account to reply.
There are tons of different programs out there, with no standards or consistency between programs. It's best to take a look at the various programs, ask lots of questions about their teaching methods, what is required, the cost and if they are recognized by any of the major fitness organizations. Then you can decide what you feel is the best fit for you. I personally chose Pole Position Fitness because it was reasonably priced and was recognized by AFAA and ACE and has a great focus on injury prevention. Plus, you have to pass a practical exam for the certification so you get feedback on your results. Even after teaching for a while I was able to take a lot from her certification program to add to my class techniques. There are many options available though, so hopefully others can add their experiences with various programs to help you decide.
I did pole position too. I took the class in Long Island at a studio that requires all their dancers to be pole position certified before they teach. It was an 8 hour course and the safety info was great. They broke down moves into 5 'foundation' movements like inside planted leg, outside planted leg & blind hand grab. This helped me a ton for teaching some of my level I students who don't have the upper body strength. I also earned continuing ed credits for my ACE group fitness cert. The fee is the going rate in the fitness industry for a continuing ed. class (around $300) and I personally feel that charging more than that is a rip-off. I had a friend who took a cert. class in Miami for over $1,500 for a weekend course. I think that is waaaay too much. Anyway, most pole places don't require certification. I'm the only one at my studio with it and the owner could give two shits......
RoxyPink ·
Have you seen how expensive the Climb and Spin cert is (Wendy's)??? It's like $1500 for the home study portion and then another $1000 for the "live" training. I would think that since the USPDF promotes fitness that their prices should be WAY more reasonable!! PCP is like $3500 for the Level 1 cert!!! I would love to do a training but what they heck....are you getting a gold pole with the course?!??!
Roxy - I agree. Waay to much. I took a YogaFit level I instructor training recently and it cost $280 for a Saturday AND Sunday workshop. 8-6 both days!!
I got certified through http://www.verticaldance.com. I did all 3 levels from beginner to advanced. Check it out on their website.
I have taken PCP's Level 1 cert for BOTH pole and exotic dance and as a 15 yr veteran of pole dancing- I truly don't believe I would be the teacher that I am today without the certification. I am AFAA PT cert and hold about 9 other 1 day or weekend workshop certs such as Yoga, Perinatal Fitness, Pilates etc. NONE of them were as educational as the week long PCP teacher training. I believe you get what you pay for w/ PCP. YogaFit weekend courses are nothing like 200hr Yoga certifications which is what I believe you should take in order to truly call your self Yoga Certified. Same thing goes for a weekend or online pole cert- they just don't compare w/ the PCP program. When I started contemplating a cert, I did my research. I found Shawn to have to credentials I was looking including being an exotic dancer. As a 15 yr vet of the stage, I sure as hell wasn't going to give my $ to someone who have never been on one! I started off slow until I built trust in Shawn by just doing her pole safety weekend course. I immediately was hooked on her teaching style and methods that I signed up for the next scheduled level 1 Pole Cat Power Method and Slinky Cat level 1 training that she scheduled. Shawn focuses on teacher training and spent 4 years putting together her program so yes, I IS WORTH IT!!!!
Charley ·
C&S is pretty pricey but I trust Wendy to have put together something very comprehensive. I feel like pole is similar to gymnastics and I would want to be certified through someone who understands that element as well as the dancer element (ballet or modern or something like that.) I don't care if someone was ever an exotic dancer - I care that someone cares enough to provide me the knowledge of the human body, the way the body works, the way our body responds to injury, over stretching, over doing it, under doing it and the way our muscles remember movement. I'd also like to train with someone who is proficient in trouble shooting and can tell me the difficulties of teaching a move, of the student understanding the move and taking it to completion. I'd also like someone who has studied pole movement from the ground up and can help me put moves in a comprehensive grouping or order that makes sense to the students body and mind. I think Wendy's program probably covers that stuff but it is a lot of money and I won't be able to do it anytime soon but I do hope programs like what I have described above do become more available to the public and are truly comprehensive. Wendy has a fitness background personal training to the stars for 15 years as well as a performance, dance and gymnasitc background. I really think her program could be perfect but it's too much. I really hope exotic dancers and non exotic dancers can at some point marry in the middle. There is still a little too much separation of the two it feels like. Schools put together by exotic dancers look down on those who aren't dancers and schools by fitness professionals look down on exotic dancers. AS long as you are SAFE it doesn't matter and until we can all agree on what pole IS certs will continue to be expensive and there will be rivalries between schools of thought.
RoxyPink ·
I have taken PCP's Level 1 cert for BOTH pole and exotic dance and as a 15 yr veteran of pole dancing- I truly don't believe I would be the teacher that I am today without the certification. I am AFAA PT cert and hold about 9 other 1 day or weekend workshop certs such as Yoga, Perinatal Fitness, Pilates etc. NONE of them were as educational as the week long PCP teacher training. I believe you get what you pay for w/ PCP. YogaFit weekend courses are nothing like 200hr Yoga certifications which is what I believe you should take in order to truly call your self Yoga Certified. Same thing goes for a weekend or online pole cert- they just don't compare w/ the PCP program. When I started contemplating a cert, I did my research. I found Shawn to have to credentials I was looking including being an exotic dancer. As a 15 yr vet of the stage, I sure as hell wasn't going to give my $ to someone who have never been on one! I started off slow until I built trust in Shawn by just doing her pole safety weekend course. I immediately was hooked on her teaching style and methods that I signed up for the next scheduled level 1 Pole Cat Power Method and Slinky Cat level 1 training that she scheduled. Shawn focuses on teacher training and spent 4 years putting together her program so yes, I IS WORTH IT!!!! That is exactly what Yannori told me! If I were to do a training it would probably be hers! BTW...I saw a rerun of SLW...where you were on there!! 🥂
I'm also wanting to get certified and scouring the net for all options...but I'm way down here in Athens GA! I'd love to do PCP, but does that mean I'd have to go to CA? And, I also checked out Pole Position Fitness, but the closest they come to me in the next couple of months is New York. 👎 That leaves me feeling like my only option is the Vertical Fitness online course, though I really would like to find an ONLINE course that's AFAA or ACE approved.
jalin ·
Hi there, Did anyone had the online version of verticaldance.com instructor certificate programme or other online programmes? I don't know if we had this question on the forum so I'll ask: Veena, can we hope in the near future for an online instructor certification programme from you? 🌸 Thanx
I'm not sure about PCP, but Pole Position will travel to your location if you can get together a small group. I originally traveled to CA for the initial training, but several studios here in Phoenix/Tucson pulled together our instructors and brought Sharon out for another training, review course, and our practical exams. If you can find other people in your area who want to get certified that's a great option.
Huh, I didn't know Pole Position could come to you.. Has anyone taken Fawnia Dietrich's teacher training course/? Julie
I've taken Fawnia's program (Levels 1-4) and am qualified to teach it as well. The certification shows you how to teach her program and choreography as she does in her classes complete with choreography for levels 1-4 breaking down each move and muscle groups used for each move.
How do you feel about Fawnia's compared to other certs, honestly? I'm unimpressed by her videos but respect her greatly as a fitness enthusiast because she's been in figure-competition ready form for damn near a decade if not more. As a weightlifting enthusiast, I'm steering her direction. How much does she focus on things like anatomy, weight training, proper form, kinetics, etc? This is what I'm wanting most. I'm also hoping she's improved on breaking down moves since she put out that Pole and Fire video. Julie
When you train in person with Fawnia (as it would be the same with me) she breaks down the moves extremely well. The relation of each move to the physiology of muscle development is done well also. It depends on what you are looking for. You are certified to teach her program or more specifically the moves she includes in her program and she will give you the choreography for each of her levels using those moves. I guess every program is limited by the moves they teach. Even the USPDF program teaches the moves they feel you need to know to become an instructor. I would suggest you research every certification program that is available and reasonable for you to obtain based on cost and distance....and see how they meet up to what you wish to get out of a certification program as they all have different methods and goals. I know thats not really answering your question....Fawnias program is very good. But there are many good programs and you need to see which ones match your idea of a good program. Honestly, students coming to your studio likely will not have a clue what reputation the certificationg program has that you take...they just see "certified" and they are (likely) satisfied. YOU need to get a certification that matches your needs and your criteria for what you wish to get out of it. Keep in mind...I cannot really critique other programs since I offer my own so I try to give very neutral answers or it wouldn't be PC to either encourage or discourage anyone from taking another certification program.
Here is another good thread about researching certification programs that may be helpful https://www.studioveena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2136&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=certification
Veena ·
I feel that a group fitness or personal trainer certification through ACE or another reputable fitness certification service is the way to go. It will cover anatomy and give you a good foundation for understanding proper and safe body mechanics and anatomy. From what I have seen of many pole certifications, I don't feel they give you enough for the money you spend. Once you are ACE certified, they offer a pole dance continuing ed coarse you can take, the cost is far less than any other pole certification. 🌸
I feel that a group fitness or personal trainer certification through ACE or another reputable fitness certification service is the way to go. It will cover anatomy and give you a good foundation for understanding proper and safe body mechanics and anatomy. From what I have seen of many pole certifications, I don't feel they give you enough for the money you spend. Once you are ACE certified, they offer a pole dance continuing ed coarse you can take, the cost is far less than any other pole certification. 🌸 Thats a good plan! I was thinking of becoming certified not only to one day teach but really help get trained. I always need a goal to keep me moving. If I have no reason, then I wont do it. Im a overacheiver gal and Ill get qualified in anything I could. I think doing different programs would give you different outlooks on pole and be able for you to get an idea of what pole dancing is for you and how you want to portray to your students.
MCGn that's a good idea...different programs have different goals. Those that require ACE or AFAA certification are an adjunct to what you learn in the fitness program usually as a group fitness instructor. In other words they expect you to have the knowledge background from fitness to build upon for pole. Then some programs teach you how to teach pole dancing (either adaptable to your own style or specifically to teach their program) then others start with newbies and teach you how to pole dance while training you to be an instructor as well. Obviously you will wish to look for a program that expects that you already know how to pole dance but now wish to learn to TEACH pole dancing.
