[anngiern]

My 2 cents:
You really have to assess what type of clients you market to in your area and what style of pole dance you teach. For example California has quite a few studios that cater to people who want to compete. Other studios cater to the everyday woman who wants to have fun, get some exercise and go home to her family. There is a vast difference between the two different markets in my opinion.

I got the “Strengths and Tricks For Everyone” lesson plan.
First and foremost when she says beginner that is very relative…LOL. For example she was talking about a basic invert and what beginner students would do for that…I think what she meant was these are ways for students who are already inverting and how to progress it from there. So just be mindful that its not really beginner in the sense that she will be breaking down how to do a basic invert to a stay at home that lives next door to you who has never touched the pole. So you definitely already need to know how to teach pole dance.

I really didn’t get what the flow was supposed to be between lesson to lesson or how they were supposed to connect. That was baffling to me and just random. For example maybe if she was teaching a back hook spin for beginners and then how to progress that move to a more advanced level for your more experienced students. I was also looking for a more detailed warm up that would help with the upcoming moves she was about to teach, strengthening exercises for the particular move/moves being taught, etc…Basically how a live class would go. I wasn’t expecting a full live class… but a little more than what was given.

Instruction/breakdown was very limited. This is definitely a “monkey see monkey do” type of instruction. So if your looking for very specific breakdowns you will not get it (at least with the lesson plan I purchased). There was this cool advanced move that she demonstrated from a lifted back hook spin but she just showed it. No breakdown whatsoever. Now I can rewind it a few times and probably figure it out myself but I can go on youtube and do that. I just would have preferred a little more breakdown if I am paying extra money for it.

She did have some good pointers on the shoulderstands…and I did pick up a few things I liked from the barefoot pole moves. I also like the creativity exercise she suggested for when you are trying to find unique transitions between moves.

I probably wont get another lesson plan for now. To me this was not really a curriculum planner. I think that is the wrong verbage. It was more just “move ideas” to me.

I love our core curriculum that we teach at my studio (which is done in a series, 7 levels). It has been super successful for 8 years and we definitely cater to the everyday woman who wants to have fun, be challenged, and go home. ( I do have some students who want to compete but not nearly as many as other studios such as Be Spun, Body and Pole,Choreography House, etc…). Our curriculum is pretty detailed week by week, with appropriate progressions and modifications, creativity exercises and each level has a finished product so the students can see what they accomplished at each level and that they met the objectives of the course.

I personally purchased this to add spice to my drop in classes and workshops that I teach. I am always looking for ways to make my classes better, fun and creative. Knowledge is power…LOL

But for me personally dont think its worth the extra $30 a month. I just didnt see how it was any different than the other teachers on poleandaerial.com. I find Veena’s lessons much more helpful, and Rhiannan Nicole’s lessons as well. (just love her style and combos, sexy flow lessons, etc..)

Again this is just my opinion…but I always encourage people to try things for themselves and come up with their own conclusion.

[anngiern]

Also check out foxy fitness, s factor,stripxpertease (for something more risqué)

[anngiern]

Exotic dance central does a lot of parties.. I would check out their reviews…

[anngiern]

WTH (feat Ab. Soul) by Jhene Aiko
Inside My Love by Delilah
Wait For A Minute by Tyga and Justin Bieber
Overcome by Tricky
Sex for Breakfast by Christina Aguillera
Lessons for the lovers by Usher
DotCom by Usher
Pussy by The Dream
So Long by Sissy
Luxurious by Gwen Stefani
Splash Waterfalls by Ludacris
Wicked Games by The Weeknd

I have over 3000 songs but this is a just a few….

[anngiern]

@honeybrown

thanks for your wonderful feedback 🙂 it always makes my heart sing to see another woman’s journey at polelateaz and how it has impacted them.

p.s. yes i am a stickler about there being a lesson plan for every class….thanks for noticing that. when i train all the instructors they must adhere to this b/c it just makes the class flow better and the students leave feeling more accomplished.

luv yah and thanks for your business!

[anngiern]

Hello@jadorebree,

I am the owner of PoleLaTeaz. Definitely come check us out 🙂 We offer free teazers and a $20 intro every month that way you can see how we teach, what our studio looks like, parking, our setup, etc….before investing anymore money into us.
But I do suggest that you take intros at various studios to see what suits your fancy. Everyone is different and has their own way of doing things.

Happy Dancing 🙂 and welcome to the ATL!

[anngiern]

So funny to me … Pour it up was our #1 requested song for classes and parties this past year. I guess it really depends on where you live and your market. We throw the fake money and everything. Rihanna has great music and you can dance to it. Sometimes I think people just need to relax, have fun,go with the flow and shake your ass a little. Lighten up!!!

But it does suck that she was wasted and they had to reshoot 🙁 I hope her fame does not lead her down a crappy path of drugs and alcohol.

[anngiern]

hey sparrow,

i agree with kobajo84. this was a great book. now it did get a little deep into physiology and anatomy and someone might get a little overwhelmed/lost with that small part of the book ( i am a RN  and it was a bit much for me; but i thought she did a great job of writing it).

Overall, it was an easy read and very helpful. I have been teaching for 8 years but I always like to deepen my knowledge on how to be a better teacher.

[anngiern]

We have been doing 2 to a pole for over 8 years. It works. I highly reinforce to students that we share poles to decrease injury. Pole dancing you are essentially weight lifting your body. People don't typically go to the gym and lift weights for a straight hour with no breaks in between. 

There was a young woman at the pole expo who wrote a book on how to properly train for pole dancing…and that was the top reason for injury…too much time on the pole and not enough breaks….especially for beginners. I would definitely include a warm up, floorwork, and strengthening/ab work portions of class where everyone can participate together.

We teach pole in levels as well..but the debate on mixed drop ins vs. levels is a whole different discussion….LOL

Happy Dancing

[anngiern]

I LOVE when a woman comes into her own…when she embraces everything about herself, her curves, and is comfortable in her own skin. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a woman walk into my class unsure of herself and then 2-8 months later its like BOOM!!! She is just in love with herself. You can see it thru something easy as a fireman spin, something advanced or even a hair flip. Knowing that I helped increase someone's confidence level and they leave my classes walking a little taller fills my heart with joy. I never get tired of it 🙂

[anngiern]

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4810:8t56xa.1.1

 

link was not working properly from above

[anngiern]

I had a lawyer do it. I did do my own research as well on the federal site initially….

http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/search/ (make sure when you search to change the "field" option to "all". that way it searches for by owner name, business name, serial number..etc….)

But I was advised  to get a business lawyer to do a complete search b/c sometimes there are loopholes…like there might be a space in the name or certain punctuation that you don't know about and it will show up as no one having the name. For example if you type in "sfactor" it will show that nobody has that name.

But if you type "s factor" with the space, it will show up as having a trademark. So little stuff like that can be missed which is why a lawyer is needed. I actually had a student who was a business lawyer and I bartered for her services. So I gave her free classes for about 2 months and I paid a smaller fee to get it done.

Hmmm…I know you are in bind but if at all possible come up with another name. Once you do put "TM" after it which means you are in the process of filing a trademark. Once you get the final paperwork you can then put the "r" after it (the r with the circle around it) which means it is officially trademarked with usptov. If people see the "TM" that will at least make them think twice before using the same name. But please consult with a lawyer as I am not one but have had my studio for 8 years. Yes you might have used the name in commerce first but you still have to go to court or some type of litigation to prove all these things…which means EXPENSIVE ( it costs about $2000 for an attorney retainer just for them to initially send out the cease and desist letter..then you have to do the back and forth which can eat away at your retainer).

A lesson you will need to learn now is to be ORIGINAL. To keep your business fresh and stay ahead of your competitors you will always need to be original in everything that you do…it will be part of your journey as a business owner. It is so frustrating how many people in the pole industry just copy other people's hard work instead of just putting a little thought behind things and coming up with their own 🙁 it is super frustrating but its just part of being in business and you have to deal with it.

So get your Donald Trump D*ck out and get ready to play…LOL (we always joke around about this at the studio)

Good Luck!

 

[anngiern]

oh and yes…there were 2 studios using my studio name in other states, my lawyers did send them a cease and desist. b/c i had the federal trademark it was a shut and close case. their lawyers advised them to change their name immediately b/c they did not have a leg to stand on and i can sue them for money b/c of unauthorized use of a trademark name.

 

i always advise new business owners to do a name search not only on the local level but also on the federal level BEFORE choosing your final name. you don't want one of the big dogs coming after you. and they won't care b/c "you didn't know". when someone has a federal trademark on something they are entitled to a share of the profits if you are using it without permission. 

 

just some food for thought 🙂

[anngiern]

I did do a federal trademark on my pole studio name. Honestly it is for future protection. If you have ANY possible plans on expansion you should trademark your name. Now when I first opened my studio I just did an LLC. But about a year later I decided to trademark. I just didn't want anyone else using my company name in other states to prevent confusion. So really it is for future protection. You never know where your business might go so you do not want to have to "back peddle" so to speak if you want to take your business to another level. Its kind of like auto insurance..you may never file a claim but when something does happen you are so glad you have it…LOL

But if you plan to just teach in a small town and you know for sure that you will never want anything bigger than its probably not worth the money. In the end you should talk to a business lawyer and they can give you all the pros and cons.

[anngiern]

I saw these at the pole convention. They are cute and all but not for $115. And I dont mind paying money for things but this is a little too much money even for my taste.  But I love those cris cross brazilian shorts 🙂