Those who teach pole.dance,hoop etc How did you start?

sxyspider started this discussion · 10/27/2011

I have been dancing in some way since I could walk; studied ballet up to professional level and apprenticed with a company for 6 months,studied jazz dancing and a bit of hip hop,did burlesque, go go and pole dancing on the side for money for years and now am into hula hoop and aeriel tisu as well. All these little hobbies are expensive to train for! I figure by now I must know enough to teach somebody something at a beginner intemediate level and make a little more cash to continue my own education/finace props for my shows etc. But how do I get started? I have been teaching newbies pole stuff after work for free just to see if I can teach because some people can perfrom but not teach- anyway i got great results and got these girls who didn't even think they could climb a pole doing simple tricks and feeling great about themselves:) Despite loving to perform i am really intorverted of stage and it is hard to toot my horn and put myself out there offering my skills...I'm sure part of it is just having the confidence and guts.. I know girls who have been pole dancing just a few years who are teaching already. Girls who teach how did you start?( also I am looking into some certification but I know for some types of dance you dont need that either - I really need the fast track don't have years to spend before getting started- times a wastin! ;)) Also any other ideas on how I can make money doing what I love9 dancing, performing,designing) so i dont have to waste what time I have left( I'm 28 already) doing too many things that detract from it?

12 replies

amy · 10/27/2011
sorry to tell you this, but teaching is still a job and it definitely detracts from your time to work on your own progress. the more that you teach, the more time you need to look up music, make playlists, think about class curriculum, what to teach, how to teach it... you will be left with very little time for yourself. i wrote a blog that addresses a bunch of your questions and goes more into detail here... http://aerialamy.com/blog/2011/04/13/becoming-an-instructor/
chemgoddess1 · 10/27/2011
I started teaching in May and have only worked on something new once since then....okay, maybe 3 times but that is only because I attended 2 workshops.
PoleKitten87 · 10/27/2011
I started teaching about a month ago (someone requested I give them lessons), but I only do private lessons right now 1-2 hours a week. I don't have the time in my schedule (work FT, college at night, bowling on a league, going to the gym) to do it very often. I've had a lot of interest and unfortunately had to postpone being able to teach others until this semester ends. My husband said I should open a studio, but again, no time (so then he suggested I just be behind the scenes, but there aren't enough people local to hire on that would be able to instruct). When there is a more universal certification out there, I intend to go through the process of becoming certified. :) Good luck!
Krista Bocko · 10/27/2011
I teach both hoop and pole, either private lessons or small groups. I teach out of my home or rent a small fitness studio that's nearby. I don't have a lot of time, like polekitten said, so it's a very part time thing for me (2-3 a week). I've also been approached by a pole studio to be an instructor there too, so that's an exciting possibility. For both hoop and pole, I never set out to teach. I had people approach me multiple times to give lessons, and finally I moved in that direction. It's something you really have to enjoy, and I really do. One thing I have learned--don't give the store away. I have always, always charged for my classes. I think that's so important. When you start off not charging, it's hard to start asking your students for money later on. Do you live in a metro area? I also make money performing just by having been 'seen' out and about hooping..this takes some time though (and luck). Having a website promoting you and your skills will be important too. My hoop site is www.cachethoops.com GL!
Dancing Paws · 10/27/2011
I sorta got my bellydancve classes handed to me. Our teacher was moving, so she offered me and 2 other students the opportunity to take over the classes. We accepted. We took a workshop on how to teach bellydance, and through trial and error found the right flow for us in our class flow. When I first started it, I was TERRIFIED, but I gradually became more and more comfortable in my teaching skills. During that time I was constantly going to workshops and taking other peoples classes to further my bellydance knowledge. I even spent a week in Maui doing a week long intensive workshop. I did a lot of costuming, choreography etc. The nice thing about bellydance though, is that the classes do not have to be choreographed. You just make it up as you go. It was really rewarding to have my girls learning the bellydance moves and dances then getting out there are performing what I taught them. :D
MochaKat · 10/28/2011
I started teaching close friends and relatives and eventually ventured out to do home parties. I have been approached to teach lessons but not sure how to start either. Glad you asked. For those of you who teacher privately at your home how do go about being safe with having strangers to your house. And do you have space for more then one pole. I have considered this option but wasn't sure how safe. My pole is setup in a empty guest room would that safice
jade s · 10/28/2011
I help teach at one studio, and take classes at another studio. There are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself. Are you thinking of renting studio space or do you have room in your home to teach multiple students at a time? If renting space, can you take a loss if not enough students show up to cover the rental cost? Can you safely monitor multiple students at one time? What type of format would you want to use? Can you develop a format that will progress students of different levels in the same class, get an assistant, or hold separate classes for different levels? Will you have time to continue your own progression so you can keep progressing your students? I loved the 1st studio I started taking classes at, but our instructor never learned anything new herself, so she got to the point where she really couldn't teach us anymore and eventually closed the studio. I take classes in order to keep progressing myself. My advice would be to either teach out of your home first, or become an instructor at a studio. If you are thinking that you might want to open your own studio some day, I would really advise teaching at a studio. You would get a steady income, while being able to learn new things, and also learn about the business side of owning a studio. You are still young, and by no means running out of time! I'm 46 and both of the owner/instructors where I dance are in their 50's! If you're just looking at keeping it small, and doing something right away, I would just continue teaching out of your home, but charge your students. It'll be a little harder since you've been doing it for free up to this point. It sound like dancing in general is a passion of yours, and it it's always wonderful to make money doing what you love to do. Just make sure that before you really dive in with both feet, you ask yourself a lot of important questions and make a solid plan. Good luck to you!!
Mary Ellyn · 10/28/2011
the first problem is thinking you are getting old and that you don't have years to get started. That's just not very realistic because you have MANY years left to start a business and not risk doing it the wrong way by starting before you are ready. You have a lot of great advice in this thread to follow but understand this - it's not an easy way to make money. It takes a lot of time - from your social and family life as well as from your personal practice time. To continue as a good instructor you have to invest in onoing training for your own growth and if you think you don't ever need to learn from someone else and can be fully self taught then you have many many hours of practice and self learning ahead of you. Starting up, even if you teach from home, is a business. One that has legal requirements such as licensing, insurance, equipment overhead and replacment, etc. Also if you teach from home, you may have difficulty finding insurance to cover you but if you do it likely will not protect your home from any liability you incure. Talk to a lawyer and accountant first. Also certification programs will give you tons of information that would nornallly take years to acquire on your own.
Lyme Lyte · 10/28/2011
Hevans, 28 years old!!! You got one foot in the grave already!!!! When you get my age 45, you will be in the nursing home! Girl, what I wouldn't GIVE to be 28 again, your young still. If I can do it starting at 44 (with no type of exercie/dance background), you for sure can! im not an instrucor, far from it. But just set your goals and you will go far. Please don't think 28 is too old, because it is not!
jade s · 10/28/2011
@ Lyme Lyte: don't we wish we could've been doing this when we were 28!?
divapolegoddess · 10/30/2011
@PoleKitten87 I didn't know you started doing privates. Let me know when you start again. I'm would like to take lessons from you.
Kobajo84 · 10/30/2011
There is a huge responsibility when it comes to teaching and when you first begin, it will feel as though you've taken on another full time job. Like the other ladies have said, teaching can be time consuming. You're not just dedicating an hour of your time to a class at a studio once or twice a week for the extra cash flow, you need to dedicate hours of your time out of the studio researching and educating yourself as well which could be costly in the end. I first started teaching at a studio that was looking to advance their curriculum. When I started I found myself needing to expand on my own knowledge base and learn how to teach. I have experience with teaching in my profession but translating my teaching tactic of my expertise to dance specific proved to be a learning experience in it's own. Teaching, a lot like pole dancing, has been a wonderful journey for me. I've had the fortunate experience of being able to share my passion of dance and teaching with an amazing group of ladies at a new studio that has taken pole fitness in my area to a professional level by initiating education. I've recently taken an instructor training course which clarified many important issues when teaching pole fitness. There are many pole specific training courses out there now. It's important to research them and participate in a training based on what you're really wanting to get out of the training for your future as an instructor. It will benefit you and your students in the long run and as a teacher, you owe it to yourself and your students to be responsible as they are trusting you with their safety.