Every pole instructor in the world knows these things to be true... At Pole Dance Academy, we love our students. Seriously, we really, really love you guys. We love watching you progress and grow. We love watching you get stronger, more flexible, and waaaaay more badass every day.
Teaching pole dance is a wonderful job, and every day is different because every group of pole students in different. It's true that no two classes are the same. However, there are some experiences that come with the job that pretty much all pole instructors will recognise, because we’ve all been there… 1. WE LOVE BEGINNERS!
When we see a fresh new class of brand new first timers in a pole class, we smile to ourselves quietly, knowing that for some of you, this moment will be the start of a new passion and will change your lives. We know that by the end of the class, some of you will have a glint in your eyes that we can recognise immediately - the glint of a new passion sparked, that will burn brighter and brighter over the coming months until it become a fully fledged pole obsession. We recognise that glint in the eyes because we experienced it too in our first class 😊
Pictured: Me, with my lovely beginner students at their graduation. Oh how proud I was!
2. LEARNING TO LOVE THE SKIN YOU'RE IN
You started in leggings, now you’re twirling around in teeny tiny shorts. We’ve watched your pole wear become skimpier and skimpier as your pole skills and your self confidence grow together. And of course, we’ve lived through all your wardrobe malfunctions, and we know you’ve witnessed ours. We’ve all basically seen each other naked. But it’s not weird. It brings us closer together ❤️
Pictured: the Pole Dance Academy instructors at the poster shoot for Dance Filthy. Remember, friends that get nekkid together, stay together!
3. WE DANCE TOGETHER, WE HEAL TOGETHER
Once we’ve all been in the same class for a long time, warm ups pretty much become a group therapy session, where we all either swap horrific dating experiences or complain about our partners. It’s a proven fact that laughter makes the discomfort of splits stretching more bearable.
Pictured: Pole Dance Academy instructor Cami having loads of splitty fun with her students
4. YOUR SECRET IS SAFE WITH US
We instructors often find out about pregnancies before family members do, because one of a newly pregnant pole dancer’s top priorities is finding out ASAP how long they can continue poling for, and then calculating the minimum amount of time possible until they can get back on the pole.
Sometimes, as was the case with Charlotte Halstead (left) and Dan Rosen (right), we go way beyond what is actually necessary to show our support.
5. WE SECRETLY FEAR THAT WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE!
We are all secretly terrified of performing for our students. The more you love us, the worse it is for us. It’s more nerve-wracking for us to perform for our students than it is for you to perform for us. WE DO NOT WANT TO DISAPPOINT YOU AND BE UNWORTHY OF YOUR LOVE ARGHHHHHH!!!!! 6. SORRY, MAN...
We feel guilty when we meet your boyfriends/husbands/girlfriends/wives/significant others because we know we are the ones responsible for you not spending enough time at home due to the love of pole that we have instilled like an incurable, all-consuming pole fever in you.
Pictured: Leen Isabel's awesome recreation of a very common seen in a pole dancer's life!
7. I'M NOT CRYING, YOU ARE!
We are all filled with an intense mama/papa bear pride when we watch one of our students perform for the first time on stage. To us, your performance was a brilliant and perfectly executed piece of performance art. Even if you fell off the pole during your performance, we will vigorously maintain that we thought it was actually a new move or drop that you had invented on the spot, and we will deny vehemently that anyone in the audience could possibly have suspected otherwise.
Pictured: Pole Dance Academy instructor Magda exploding with pride.
8. WE CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES AS OUR OWN VICTORIES
We all know that the student who is the most frustratingly uncoordinated student in class is also the one most capable of bringing us supreme joy when s/he finally manages to get the move and the whole class erupts in to excited screaming and clapping for the student. 9. POLE CHANGED OUR LIVES TOO
We all know what it is like to be brought to tears by a shy student approaching us after class and quietly explaining how much their pole instructor has changed their life, and made them feel better about themselves. As a pole instructor, to know that you have had a hand in guiding your students towards learning to love themselves and their bodies is the biggest honour and source of joy in this job.
Pictured: Steph, killing it in one of my workshops in Florida!
10. WE ARE ALL TOO HUMAN
We have all, and I mean ALL, at some point in our instructing careers, broken wind in front of our class. And we are all extremely appreciative of your pretending to have not noticed, thereby allowing us our dignity. We respectfully return the favour by likewise never acknowledging your passing of wind, irrespective from which orifice it cometh.
Pictured: Artist's impression of me breaking wind in a workshop at Pole Theatre World in Prague. Thank you to everyone for not noticing. Much appreciated.
And lastly, and most importantly, we instructors are all eternally grateful for you, our students, for loving pole as much as we do, and for enabling us to share our passion with you simply by showing up to class every week. Thank you for giving us the honour of being your instructors and showing you the way up and down and around our beloved pole. We learn as much from you as you do from us.
Pole love forever ❤️ Michelle Shimmy xxx
PS Come take a class with us at Pole Dance Academy and join the family!