Intro/Demo Class Ideas

SpiralingSprite started this discussion · 2/19/2014

Hi Ladies (and Gentlemen)! I'm a long time member, but this is my first real post. I am currently in the process of building my own pole instruction company! I start classes, at a fitness studio, that I am renting space from in a little under a month! I am so excited. The gym location and myself are trying to come up with ideas to get the word out. One of those is a free intro/demo night. I'm brainstorming ideas of what that might include. I would love to hear y'all's thoughts and opinions. Thanks so much! I'm so happy that there is a community like this to turn to.

6 replies

chemgoddess1 · 2/20/2014
A few things that I always taught in my first classes were the walk, standing up, walking around the pole, becoming comfortable with the pole, half turn in front of the pole and step arounds. I also taught them how I instructed using outside and inside for my foot and hand placement. I usually also spent about 5 minutes talking about who I am and how I got into pole and how I got to where I was at that point. One thing that I will warn about in a gym location is privacy. If there are glass walls between the class and the gym I can pretty much guarantee that your clients will feel self conscious. Although you state fitness studio and then state gym so I am not sure which one you will be teaching at.
JoleneBell · 2/20/2014
As a beginner, myself, I'll tell you that the first class I went to was lacking in teaching form. She would demo but then not tell us to engage shoulders, etc, and girls were just going for it, hanging from their arms and what not. That's one thing I'd say to stress right away to anyone interested. As a spectator, I say if you did a mini routine before instruction samples would be neato!
SpiralingSprite · 2/20/2014
Thank you so much for the responses! Much appreciated. @chemgoddess. The location is set up similarly to a cross-fit gym, but has spin bikes as well. All of the equipment is able to be moved to the back, leaving me plenty of room for my x-stages. It's in a very large warehouse bay area with no windows. It's curtained off from the office area in the front, so no one can see in. Keep those suggestions coming, I love hearing them!
Veena · 2/20/2014
If you have the lessons here please feel free to use what I have listed in the beginners section. You might also get some ideas if you take a look at the routines and combos section. Also I've added a section called Veena's tips that has good info on scapula exercises and even tips for creating a pole routine.
SpiralingSprite · 2/20/2014
Awesome! Thanks, Veena! I know that will be a huge help. :-)
nilla · 2/21/2014
I do a free Intro class/open gym so that new students can try pole and regular students can bring fiends and have some free practice time. For the intro I like to teach a few moves from my entry level class, as well as teach or demonstrate a move from each of the other classes. So to show what my beginning class is like we do a full warm up including practicing forward facing and side holds and slides with correct form (assisted or feet off the ground depending on each student's strength). Depending on how much time each move takes, I teach a few feet-on-ground spins, pirouette, and a feet on ground combo. If strength level permits I sometimes teach a fireman or back hook spin. I explain the difference between the 3 classes I teach and we learn at least 1 move from the "All Levels" choreography class to show how move variations work. Then we usually do a crucifix hold from my Pole Tricks class. Students who wear pants, or are not able to lift off the ground yet, practice crucifix positioning from the ground. Once students are all practicing their crucifix hold I explain the process of strength building to work up to inversions and demonstrate how in Pole Tricks we learn things in a natural progression (example: upright crucifix from ground, crucifix off ground using hands- then no hands, inverted crucifix from the ground, then inverted crucifix close to ground with spotting, and inverted crucifix from standing w spotting, and finally inverted crucifix from standing. (At first I was reluctant to do a demo of more advanced moves in my intro because I was afraid I'd have all these beginners trying to flop into inverts left and right, but in every intro at least one student asks about inversions and then it's harder to control the way I'm presenting inversions to the students, so I make sure I present them in a way that is realistic ("you have to work up to them") but not intimidating or discouraging ("these are the steps we would follow in class to get you there"). Then we do a cool down and usually students take pics of some of the moves they learned. So basically I make sure I teach a few moves they can be successful at, as well as some that might challenge their ability, and shamelessly advertise for all my other classes.