Need Advice: New Male Student

Danielle Tillie started this discussion · 11/17/2011

Hey everyone! I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on starting a new male student in the wonderful art of pole dance. I realize that men have a different base strength level than women, so should I begin where I always do or modify my plan a bit because he is a moderately strong fellow? Also, are there any differences in technique that men like to use, such as different climbing techniques? Any and all advice on the topic is most appreciated! I am totally excited to have an interested male student, and I want his experience to be wonderful. :)

13 replies

Dancing Paws · 11/17/2011
Just like with any student, if he picks things up quickly, you don't want him to get bored, so you might consider bumping him up a level if he gets too ahead of the class. Feel him out, see how quickly he progresses.
Kobajo84 · 11/17/2011
This is a very interesting topic. Has he expressed what he would like to get out of the classes? Some men want to dance sexy but some men want the tricks aspect. I would ask him his preferences since pole dancing has so many possibilities that way you can cater to his learning needs. Keep us updated, I'd like to hear the outcome and about the experience of teaching him. This is one of the wonderful aspects of being a teacher- you now get to be a student too in his journey! ❤️
chemgoddess1 · 11/17/2011
I would also be sure that any of your female students are going to be ok with a guy in their classes.
Danielle Tillie · 11/17/2011
Good point, Chemmie, so I should clarify! Sorry I didn't mention this initially. Because the fitness studio I work at is an all-women's facility, I have set up a time when the morning classes are finished to do private lessons with him. The owner of the studio is very supportive. We will see where it goes from here. I have already spoken with him a few times about what he would like to get out of his experience, as he is a friend of mine. He is interested in completely tricking out but also having a little bit of sexy. He said he wants "masculine sexy, not girly sexy", lol. Girls like a guy with a good body wave right?
emotioncatcher · 11/17/2011
as kobajo said i would already ask him which style he prefers. most men might prefer those strong male tricks, but we all know that there are also a few who do bodywaved and sexy split tricks. if he´s more the typical male type, i would make sure to chose tricks which won´t look too female. but i would still let him go through the basics, because it´s not only strenght which makes a good pole dancer, it´s also a lot of technic and practice
Kobajo84 · 11/18/2011
I would research some Chinese pole dancing videos- very high male dominance in that area of dance and you could pull out some tricks with him and coach his form while his superior strength executes.
dustbunny · 11/18/2011
Hey there, I actually sent a couple emails to male polers on youtube when I began teaching my husband to pole. He was inspired by the Malakamb videos on youtube and informed me he wanted to learn pole but "without all the sexy stuff". Joel and Jungle Cat were both very friendly and helpful. The only tequnique I have really adjusted is while gripping with the thighs like in a pole sit. While we grip up high at the very top of our thighs, men need a little extra space in that area and will grip further down. Other than that we started at the beginning with crucifix's, sits, spins, etc. I'm not planning on doing floorwork, or a lot of our dancey transitions at least for now. In the future, if he wants "filler material" we'll add later. For now, I'm trying to keep him interested and make it fun. He was very surprised at how much it hurts the thighs when you're learning to grip the pole. LOL Although I would never laugh at him during one of our lessons, it is funny to watch a big strong man, who rarely gives in to pain, to look like he wants to cry while trying to do an upright crucifix. Oh and I don't know whether it's a guy thing, or just because my husband in particular is stubborn, but he likes to argue about technique with me. lol "I don't think I need to point a finger down." (In reference to the lower hand in a split grip position) Since he's strong enough to do it anyway he wants, he thinks he can get away with it...not in my class! Haha
Bob Zamora · 11/18/2011
Hi There, So far I have danced with four female instructors. The two teachers that I have worked most extensively with have been Lori Huett and Estee Zakar. What impresses me the most about them is that they always show a move a certain way and then give you options so that you can figure out what works best for you. They also stress that they like to sit back for awhile and learn how you move. Since guys move differently this is essential. I had one woman I worked with that was really rigid and she tried to get me to do turns in a really feminine manner. It made me uncomfortable and since a dancer has to live in their own skin we just didn't click. I do want to stress that it is really important to learn the fundamentals. When I worked with Amber Richard she picked up on little things that made a huge difference in how well I could do a move and they were fundamental. Guys can get away with working in the biceps rather than engaging the lats but it kills their lines and pulls them into the pole. In that respect the rules are the same for women and men and to keep from getting injured or developing bad habits a teacher has to make sure that the basics go first for men and women. I'm also an advocate of static pole first. Spinning is a whole different game and I'm glad that I learned the basics on static. When I started pole work I had no dance background and really no idea of whether I wanted to do fitness, tricks or dance. Lori gave me a ton of room and lots of ideas. I ended up wanting to do very artistic dance and became totally comfortable with the sensual side of dance. She directed me toward modern and ballet dance to help me with transition and floor work. I think a good instructor makes sure that a guy knows that its a journey not a destination. Finally, private lessons are the way to go at first. It puts a guy in the comfort zone. The first time you dance with a bunch of kick ass women who make it all look easy is pretty intimidating. :) I hope this helps. Good Luck!
RoseMay · 11/18/2011
To the chinese pole topic ... I found an interesting manual of the basics to download: http://www.fedec.eu/resources.1637.html (under the basic circus arts instruction manual, chapter 5) Maybe it's helpful :-)
PippiParnasse · 11/18/2011
My rules are "get a dance belt" and "You are responsible for your own peepee." (I.e., Keep in mind that I can't intuit your anatomical concerns.)
Veena · 11/19/2011
Here was Poledancefans advice: I always say the biggest challenge for men is flexibility. If a man has focused much of his fitness activity in life on weight lifting, he is going to be as tight as a rubber band. Male runners MIGHT be the exception to this rule because they tend to stretch a bit more. I think men are more motivated by a fitness ideology than a sexy one--in the sense that they perceive looking strong and muscular as being "sexy"...if that makes sense. Do not assume that we can tell left from right ( I cannot!) nor understand even the most rudimentary dance terminology like "OK, now..do a pirouette from first position." Most of us have never had a dance class. An "extension" is that piece of metal you attach to a hex wrench to pull spark plugs. Men like to compete, so group exercises that have a little element of that will be more interesting to them. Instead of making the basic climb "graceful", challenge them to see how many times they can get to the top, then critique the technique afterwards. And of course, don't be afraid to manipulate their sense of macho to motivate them. Male students will work harder for a woman who uhhh, well...ignites their desire to impress any and all females. At this point in my life I can confess that this is how Karol Helms got me to invert--just by leaving me little challenging comments on my videos, lol... Just be careful not to push them beyond their skill level at any given moment. Now of course I realize none of this applies to ALL men. Some of us took dance class (I am now!) and others are flexible, and want to look sexy. So I guess that individual assessment of the student is also important. Ask the male student what his own goals are. Good Luck!
Danielle Tillie · 11/20/2011
Thanks everyone! This is some awesome advice! I can't wait to get started. :)
Reyn · 11/20/2011
Search YouTube for "reme Martin pole". My guy thinks most male dancers look way too feminine, but even he loves this guys performance.