I AM NOT A STRIPPER "TRAINER"

Celestial started this discussion · 6/16/2013

Its so annoying when people tell me "Im going to take your class just in case I need a second job to fall back on." Har har har so funny! (Sarcasm) I know that pole dancing fitness will always have the "strip club" association and going into this type of class to teach there will always be that judgement. It is so frustrating sometimes though! This is something that I am truly passionate about and it makes me so angry when people say stupid stuff like that. Ok rant over. Lol. What would your response be to something like that?

18 replies

luvlee · 6/16/2013
I would reply, " Oh!" " You want to become an instructor one day?"
CreativityBySteffie · 6/16/2013
I would reply: The pole wont earn your fall-back money. Taking of your clothes might, and thats not what we are doing here :)
Runemist34 · 6/16/2013
I would strongly encourage them to come, do a class, and then when they do come, I'd rag the hell out of them (being safe, of course) and make them WORK. What they do with their skills are their business, but they're going to find out that pole dancing is a whole lot of work to make sexy/pretty. I just wouldn't want to see the disappointment when they find out that their money mainly comes from lap-dancing when working at a strip club.
Lara von Mondberg · 6/16/2013
luvelee nailed it, that would be the perfect response :) but honestly, I understand why it buggs you, but anyone who once poled, understands more and learns how to respect this wonderful sport and dance art. and if not, I have a wide profanity knowledge in my vocabulary :) but the idea of offering people to at least try pole dance training once might be also a great solution. my response would be: oh, that is so original. nobody has ever made this joke before. are you a comedian? because in that case I would totally understand you need a second job to fall back on :D
ORGANIC ANGEL · 6/16/2013
Honestly being an instructor it's important to know that you will actually have students who are strippers.....so how do you feel about them then? I think you are taking it way to personal. People don't make pole their life in the first couple of visits...so when they say that, they are only making conversation. They don't know how it will change them or that it can take them anywhere. And a lot of teachers claim to train the sexy side but the truth is that it is a lot more fitnessy than anything. So you should simply smile and laugh and not take it as a jab at you. You seem to take offense to it for no reason. Why would it bother you if you did train someone and they did decide to use those tricks etc. in a place of work? Rather it be stripping or other venues that they can get hired at?
Anonyma · 6/16/2013
at least if they become strippers your lessons will be used for entertainment lol why do people get so upset about it, strippers aren't serial killers omg....
CreativityBySteffie · 6/17/2013
I didnt read it like that Olivia. I read it, as if it was a joke against poledance. There isnt anything wrong with strippers, but its wrong to think that every poledancer, can just go get a job at a strip club, and earn money, in case all else fails. Most of the people who poledance knows, that the pole doesnt pay out that much, even if you've never tried being a stripper. New people mostly dont. Joke or not, I would let them know, that the reality is different.
reenie aka Mysfit · 6/17/2013
I hear this often as well but I have found it is more of an icebreaker. People are really unsure of what to expect when pole piques their interest. Most are really terrified about not fitting in, being in a group of young hotties, or just plain feeling overwhelmed by conflicting preconceived notions. I think as instructors, we forget what it was like in the beginning. The first time we tried pole.....not knowing what to expect, the anxiety of it. Then, afterwards---so dang excited and empowered by it we wanted to shout it out at the top of our lungs......but hesitated on "who" we shared it with for fear of judgement. Once we gained a deeper sense of self(through pole) and empowered.....our own anxiety vanishes as we become secure in our sensual feminity. Pole is such a journey(a great one) and varies from person to person. In the end, it doesn't matter what side of pole you sit on.....sexy or fitness.....the result is still the same. It creates this deep connection with oneself on such a personal level and creates confidence. Confidence is super sexy! So....when I get these comments, I generally view it as an icebreaker to lead into a deeper conversation of embracing ourselves in all our internal and external beauty. I also lead into conversations of how stripping is not an easy job. The industry is tough. Dancing itself, is a heck of a workout and add to that having to wear so many different masks for the public not to mention the overall general bullcrap that goes along with working with the public(that goes for jobs in any customer service industry) its a tough gig. Hopefully this is cohesive. Lol......typing this out on My phone while I wait for my son to get off work..... Dang little screens.
pegasusaerialfitness · 6/17/2013
I find the type of people who say stupid stuff like that are having an issue with something that has nothing to do with you. Those "types" of people generally can't have their mind changed. When people say things like that too me.....when I actually bother responding... I say..oh..sorry.. I don't really teach those types of things in class, there is so much too learn on this piece of apparatus that we don't have time to learn the sassy stuff like that. Then I take a mental note to not ever bring up the subject with them again.
Angie La · 6/17/2013
I hear this all the time, especially since I am not just a pole dance teacher, but a studio owner in the Bible Belt. Now, how can we not expect these kinds of questions? I work about 30-40 minutes from the nearest "club," as they would call it. I'm 32 years old and was only in a strip club once when I was 19 and I barely remember it. I tell them that what I teach is not like that, because it isn't. I do teach pole fitness but more than that I teach pole ARTS. We do strength training that is mostly tailored for pole, but the goal is focus is on technique and flow...whether of not someone decides to take this to a strip club is none of my business. The first thing I tell them is that is not what they think...I tell them that pole dance has come a long way since it was just seen in strip clubs. A lot of these comments come out of ignorance, and jokes. I get tired of the jokes and also exaggeratedly roll my eyes and say "I have heard all these jokes before. Besides, I didn't get these muscles from grinding on a pole. There is a lot more acrobatics involved than most people know." I often keep a photo handy and show them something cool. But, again, most of these kinds of comments come from ignorance. I've recently been treated very harshly by someone who used to work in a strip club and made comments to her sister who started coming for classes, and I invited her to my "stripper" class as she called it. I mentioned that it would not take 3 minutes for her to see it was so much more than that...she blasted me on Facebook and it all came from ignorance. She compared calling it pole fitness was like calling meth a dietary supplement. This bothered be for a few weeks until Hanka came to do workshops at my studio, and then I was reminded just by how much people do not get what we really do...every time I hear that squeal of delight when my ladies learn a new move, or are awed by something I am working on, or how they tell me how much weight they've lost (by just having fun), or how they tell me to feel their muscles, hehe. All of this is much more important than anything else someone says. You are a teacher and helping women to believe in themselves! That is a great gift to give someone! Pole is more than just fitness or dancing...people can learn to do things that they wouldn't in a normal gym and can do things either that they have never done before, or can do things (like splits handstands and cartwheels) that they could do a long time ago. There really isn't much in the way of acrobatics for adults...once they hit 19, many gymnasts have reached their prime. I have a few former gymnasts who finally feel "alive again," they say. Don't let these people take that from you or any of your students. Invite them for a trial class and tell them it's really hard work to make it look so easy ;). You also have my permission to direct people to my pole journey video on YouTube, "once upon a pole." It should be the first or second video after you do the search, but many people have told me they could see it was more than just "stripping." Then again, I am technically a stripper bc I wear layers and have to strip down to my pole shorts, and sports bra ;)
SkylerWither · 6/17/2013
I will give my opinion and many may dislike. I have no problem whatsoever teaching women pole dancing that will use it to strip. Who am I to decide how they use it? In fact, I am harder on these students because of the fact that their skills will most likely be seen in the public. I teach them to make it an art, to tell a story with their dance because in reality this will make them more money than just "shaking booty". Everyone has their reason for doing things and you never know what might lead them to that door, so instead of getting upset and frustrated cause they might strip, consider why they might need to. Also I view it as, I would rather teach these girls to do it right with class. There will always be strippers, and pole dancing will always be associated with it, so if I bring up a handful of classy, badass polers, then at least I feel as though they can properly represent. In a way, as a teacher I would be more upset to have a student say that they plan on learning all I have to give and only ever do it at the studio than I would to have someone say they will use it at work. Shoot, I have seen many many girls on YouTube who are not strippers degrade pole dancing much more than the stripper industry. But I tend to digress, so I will end here.
SkylerWither · 6/17/2013
I will give my opinion and many may dislike. I have no problem whatsoever teaching women pole dancing that will use it to strip. Who am I to decide how they use it? In fact, I am harder on these students because of the fact that their skills will most likely be seen in the public. I teach them to make it an art, to tell a story with their dance because in reality this will make them more money than just "shaking booty". Everyone has their reason for doing things and you never know what might lead them to that door, so instead of getting upset and frustrated cause they might strip, consider why they might need to. Also I view it as, I would rather teach these girls to do it right with class. There will always be strippers, and pole dancing will always be associated with it, so if I bring up a handful of classy, badass polers, then at least I feel as though they can properly represent. In a way, as a teacher I would be more upset to have a student say that they plan on learning all I have to give and only ever do it at the studio than I would to have someone say they will use it at work. Shoot, I have seen many many girls on YouTube who are not strippers degrade pole dancing much more than the stripper industry. But I tend to digress, so I will end here.
Lina Spiralyne · 6/17/2013
I'm not an instructor but I can understand if it gets annoying that people "make fun" about pole dancing. They may even be fully aware that stripping is not taught at most studios but anyway they want to take the opportunity to be funny. Some have that need. Luvlee's reply was just about perfect, I'll remember it and use it when someone tells me that I have an extra job to fall back on because I pole dance ;). @SkyleWither: It may be digressive from the topic of this thread but you got me curious about what you meant by that some people on youtube degrade pole dancing. How do you mean?
pegasusaerialfitness · 6/17/2013
I don't think those types of comments are REALLY about "exotic dancers"....it is typically a comment someone gives who is trying to be condescending. Unless they are trying to be funny...I don't think this thread is about that. People who do make remarks like that dont need anymore of my time either...so i give them a response that has no come back.. i choose not to waste my valuable time on people who are quick to judge out of ignorance....life is complicated and there a lot of grey areas... I would teach anyone who wanted to learn..regardless of profession.. Anyway...why do I need to know what someone does to make money? It's really none of my business...sorry for the soap box..but stupid close minded people annoy me
SkylerWither · 6/17/2013
What I meat was the countless videos that I see if someone tagging their video with pole dancing and basically is just bumping and grinding a pole or floor. There are many if those out tee, who learn a few moves and throw those in with extreme sexual behavior and call it pole dancing. In reality, ibe can say that, cause they are in fact doing such. But I have seen actual strippers dance with much more class and art than some in YouTube
suigintou · 6/17/2013
To be fully honest, I kind of find it funny. I joke around about it being my "backup career" and my friends joke and call it "career training" when I say I'm going to pole class. I guess it doesn't bother me because I know they don't mean any harm and they know I do it for fitness (and passion). I've brought them to performances and they are all in awe. =] One of my friends said it's like nothing in like what she saw in a strip club. What REALLY bothers me is if they look down on it and don't respect the strength, grace, and persistence that is needed to do it. Some people think pole is just prancing around the pole like some strip dances in clubs. Just no. It's a lot of bruises, sweat, and pain. I think it boils down to yes, you can joke about it but please be respectful and not ignorant.
Jessilee · 6/18/2013
I love joking, or maybe it's serious that "pole dancing" fitness or hobby/fun is job security. My job in a club years ago is what attracted me in the first place. I teach fitness classes designed to help with pole and as far as pole I teach parties at a local studio. I love exposing new people and I think mostly they think it's pretty cool I get paid to do something so fun and effective. I saw a studio advertise an exotic dance style class and then they made a disclaimer that this class is not for teaching exotic dancers..WTF..get the stick out of your ass! Yes there is a difference, but ultimately it's just technique. I have a day job as well as my teaching job. I am NOT above entering a club to make money if I have to, and I am happy that I will have skills to know wtf I am doing so I'd be able to focus on the hustle and not the pole...but mostly I am happy to teach and learn the fitness side, that's what really excites me and is very empowering. There is nothing like helping a woman discover something sexier about herself while also finding strength.
Brandi RocknBody · 6/19/2013
At some point you will have to let these comment roll off you, because the general public can sometimes be judgmental or weird about pole. That being said, I'm proud of what I do: I own a studio where I train non-strippers AND strippers and I love them all!