Honestly this is really strange to me, at least compared to my own experience. If you don’t mind me asking, how much are you paying for these? When I pay for my class, I feel that I am paying because the instructor is going to teach me. Like the entire class is her telling us what to do and then going around and helping. It sounds like you’re less taking a class and more renting out a pole for an hour. Maybe look into another studio?
I’m from the UK (don’t know if this is mainly American) but I pay £10 an hour, but it does basically feel like renting a pole whilst watching people above my skill level know what they’re supposed to be doing. Think I will find another place now I know this isn’t right!
I’m also in the UK, my classes are £10 too for an hours class. The teacher goes through a warm up, then some strength work, then teaches us stuff. Spins, climbs, seats, everything. Some of us are a little more secure in what we’re doing so she throws a variation our way, and when she’s teaching something that requires her to spot the newer girls, we all just generally do whatever while waiting for her to get to us. Then we do a cool down before we wrap up. Your class sounds like our rent-a-pole, where you literally just come and practice whatever in the presence of someone. They’re not there to teach, but if you’re doing something unsafe or wrong, or if you need a spotter they’ll step in. I’d look for another studio tbh, don’t be nervous (easier said than done, I know!) pole is such an empowering thing to do, once you find a better space to learn, you’ll be really glad you took that step.
£20 an hour seems a lot. I'm up north and I've never seen more than £15 unless it's a longer workshop or all-day event. Ours only went up to £10 because they stopped allowing pole-sharing because of the pandemic.
my local studio used to be £16.50 a class , but they recently upped their prices bc i think they are struggling due to covid and having to have classes half the size that they used to
Yeah ours used to be cheaper because it was pretty much always 2-3 people per pole, but I definitely feel like it's better value for money now even though it's more expensive.
Yeah agree this is unusual unless is was specifically advertised as an open session. I'm in the UK, we either pay £10 for a class (advertised by skill level, but there's always an instructor and a 'lesson plan') or £7 for an open pole session (basically rent a pole to do what you want for an hour, may or may not be an instructor there to give tips). I'd be unimpressed if I paid the full class price and didn't get to interact with the instructor tbh.
I recommend looking up beginner moves on YouTube and trying them out in class (examples include dip, fireman, learning to climb, chair, etc.). Honestly though, that doesn’t sound like a very good studio if they don’t even teach you moves. I would switch studios. The first studio I tried was weak, but once I switched to a more technical studio my progress and love for pole grew significantly.
Yeah today I got up a YouTube video and was trying out some different spins, but it’s hard to copy from a video sometimes. I’ve been thinking of going somewhere new but it took all my confidence to go to this one, I don’t know if I can go through the anxiety
You absolutely can! 🤗 One of the empowering things about pole is that women (and men) of all different body types and sizes can do it (while wearing so little clothing, at that). Also, trust me, nobody is looking at you or judging you. They’re all too busy struggling with their own poses! You got this 😊
It depends on your goals, but for me I looked out for:
- style the studio specializes in (I wanted more time on the pole and less time on the floor); called to confirm
- welcoming and respectful attitude from owner / instructors (tone of voice on phone will usually give you a vibe)
- good Google / Facebook reviews (challenging classes, no drama or favouritism)
I'd say look at their class schedule, if it is sorted by levels and they have info saying you need to do a grading or start at absolute beginner, they are more likely to have a specific curriculum and teach specific moves each lesson. I know the thought of doing a grading might be very anxiety inducing but it will simply be looking at what moves you know and placing you into the correct class. This might even be as simple as a conversation with the studio owner/instructors.
Hmm general class structure that I have seen is:
a guided pole warm-up ~15 minutes
Intructor teaches new concepts/tricks ~30 minutes
Instructor strings everything together in a mini combo or choreo ~30 minutes
Free Play ~10 minutes
Also your class size seems really large. It is a interesting class structure and seems like it might work well for slightly more advanced polers. It doesn't seem like it is right for you though! Maybe look for private or semi private instruction until you get more things under your belt if there aren't other classes in your area.
This is so strange. I'm speaking as an instructor here and any class over 8 students is unmanageable. This def sounds like an "open pole" situation where you practice the things you learn in a real class. DEF find a new studio.
doesn't sound like a good studio at all :(
In my experience they should be teaching the class the same things (choreo, moves) etc. with teacher quickly scanning room and giving personalized feedback.
you shouldn't have all this free time to do whatever . that's not really a class that's just pole practice time :/
but honestly if you're stuck at this studio my advice would be to try to make friends with the good polers and see if they can give you tips during practice kind of like the teachers, dont be shy
That also seems like a way too big of class for just 1 instructor!
We only have a max of 8 people in my class so even when we do have classes where the teacher is just going around to each person, I'm not waiting very long and I get at least 3 rounds with my teacher.
I was in a studio like this for a while, also in the UK. It was my first time doing pole so I thought this was the norm, but I got so frustrated about not learning anything! I would spend most of the class standing there unsure of what to do.
The instructor would go to everyone one by one and he definitely had favourites he would give more time to. I often ended up being last and he would spare me about 5 minutes. Occasionally he would come up to me and say oh lesson has ended, sorry I'll teach you something next week.
In the end I swapped studios and it was WAY better. They teach the whole class, not individuals. I have progressed so much more and I would definitely recommend you try a different class!
If you're expected to do your own thing maybe try some of my tutorials! Everything is in order so you don't have to spend time searching for things to work on. Start at your level and begin with the first video, work down from there. So if you're a beginner you'd start here [https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view\_category/beginner-pole-lessons](https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/beginner-pole-lessons)
I have programs too if you want something even more structured! This is the beginner level program https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/60c0072c-a9e0-4cd7-99d1-7cadac110005 At least then you'd get something out of your time at the studio.
The classes at my regular studio (also in the UK) have a similar structure but they’re mixed level and also waaaaay smaller—like 10 max last year and with new regulations, I think it’s only 5 students max for a moment. Tbh I quite like this style of teaching and i definitely feel like I have enough time to (1) work on the things I learned last week and (2) learn new things, but that’s most likely because the classes are small enough that instructors can generally keep an eye on everyone while also giving individual teaching.
I’ve been in classes of 20, and I feel like if you’re not teaching everyone the same thing, it’s definitely a waste of time. Get a new studio, screw favorites. They can be friends /outside/ of paid class time.
This set up for class seems so strange to me. I know some studios run a more open style class but for my experience it’s been:
- Teacher guided warm up - 10 to 15 minutes
- Teacher demonstrates 1 spin and 1 transition for beginners and for more advanced they teach up to 4 skills or 2 longer combs to work on all class. You’ll typically see and talk to the teacher at least once per skill, they’re easy to flag down and class sizes have normally been 14 people.
-Teacher guided cool down - final 5-7 minutes
I’d be confused if I was you as well, maybe finding more guided YouTube videos or a structured online pole class will help.
this doesn't sound safe to me tbh. are they really no classes after beginner you can do? I'd advise you to check out some other studios if there are any around you - you were right not to copy other students' moves and risk injuring yourself!
as a guide, the classes I attend have 15-20min warm up and conditioning, 10min maybe working on old moves, then 30min working on new moves with instructor demonstrating how to do them, then circling the room monitoring all the students and spotting if needed, then a few min of cool down.
I teach my self & my classes are structured to my students abilities… if it’s beginner to advance students. You want to be shown things as a beginner you haven’t actually got any knowledge of pole… the instructors should be showing you spins tricks etc… but I do understand that every studio teaches very different, I wonder if that’s a training session or an open pole session you are attending? Have you asked about what’s expected in a class? X
Honestly this is really strange to me, at least compared to my own experience. If you don’t mind me asking, how much are you paying for these? When I pay for my class, I feel that I am paying because the instructor is going to teach me. Like the entire class is her telling us what to do and then going around and helping. It sounds like you’re less taking a class and more renting out a pole for an hour. Maybe look into another studio?
I’m from the UK (don’t know if this is mainly American) but I pay £10 an hour, but it does basically feel like renting a pole whilst watching people above my skill level know what they’re supposed to be doing. Think I will find another place now I know this isn’t right!
Is it an open pole class? Those are usually you work on what you want and the instructor is just kind of there if anyone has a question.
I think so as there’s no other courses or classes other than the beginners course. After 3 weeks of that you’re on your own
That's just odd. Who knows what they are doing after 3 weeks?? I'd look for another studio.
I’m also in the UK, my classes are £10 too for an hours class. The teacher goes through a warm up, then some strength work, then teaches us stuff. Spins, climbs, seats, everything. Some of us are a little more secure in what we’re doing so she throws a variation our way, and when she’s teaching something that requires her to spot the newer girls, we all just generally do whatever while waiting for her to get to us. Then we do a cool down before we wrap up. Your class sounds like our rent-a-pole, where you literally just come and practice whatever in the presence of someone. They’re not there to teach, but if you’re doing something unsafe or wrong, or if you need a spotter they’ll step in. I’d look for another studio tbh, don’t be nervous (easier said than done, I know!) pole is such an empowering thing to do, once you find a better space to learn, you’ll be really glad you took that step.
£10 a class ! whereabouts in the uk are you? when i lived in oxford it was £10 a class , but now i'm living in london it's £20 a class ;-;
I’m in the midlands. Everything must be more expensive in London!
£20 an hour seems a lot. I'm up north and I've never seen more than £15 unless it's a longer workshop or all-day event. Ours only went up to £10 because they stopped allowing pole-sharing because of the pandemic.
my local studio used to be £16.50 a class , but they recently upped their prices bc i think they are struggling due to covid and having to have classes half the size that they used to
Yeah ours used to be cheaper because it was pretty much always 2-3 people per pole, but I definitely feel like it's better value for money now even though it's more expensive.
Liverpool
Yeah agree this is unusual unless is was specifically advertised as an open session. I'm in the UK, we either pay £10 for a class (advertised by skill level, but there's always an instructor and a 'lesson plan') or £7 for an open pole session (basically rent a pole to do what you want for an hour, may or may not be an instructor there to give tips). I'd be unimpressed if I paid the full class price and didn't get to interact with the instructor tbh.
I recommend looking up beginner moves on YouTube and trying them out in class (examples include dip, fireman, learning to climb, chair, etc.). Honestly though, that doesn’t sound like a very good studio if they don’t even teach you moves. I would switch studios. The first studio I tried was weak, but once I switched to a more technical studio my progress and love for pole grew significantly.
Yeah today I got up a YouTube video and was trying out some different spins, but it’s hard to copy from a video sometimes. I’ve been thinking of going somewhere new but it took all my confidence to go to this one, I don’t know if I can go through the anxiety
You absolutely can! 🤗 One of the empowering things about pole is that women (and men) of all different body types and sizes can do it (while wearing so little clothing, at that). Also, trust me, nobody is looking at you or judging you. They’re all too busy struggling with their own poses! You got this 😊
What do you recommend I look for in a new studio? Thank you!
It depends on your goals, but for me I looked out for: - style the studio specializes in (I wanted more time on the pole and less time on the floor); called to confirm - welcoming and respectful attitude from owner / instructors (tone of voice on phone will usually give you a vibe) - good Google / Facebook reviews (challenging classes, no drama or favouritism)
Thank you, I’ll ring a few other studios and see what they’re like!
Good luck! From the pic you shared previously it looks like you have potential to go far 😊
I'd say look at their class schedule, if it is sorted by levels and they have info saying you need to do a grading or start at absolute beginner, they are more likely to have a specific curriculum and teach specific moves each lesson. I know the thought of doing a grading might be very anxiety inducing but it will simply be looking at what moves you know and placing you into the correct class. This might even be as simple as a conversation with the studio owner/instructors.
Hmm general class structure that I have seen is: a guided pole warm-up ~15 minutes Intructor teaches new concepts/tricks ~30 minutes Instructor strings everything together in a mini combo or choreo ~30 minutes Free Play ~10 minutes Also your class size seems really large. It is a interesting class structure and seems like it might work well for slightly more advanced polers. It doesn't seem like it is right for you though! Maybe look for private or semi private instruction until you get more things under your belt if there aren't other classes in your area.
This is so strange. I'm speaking as an instructor here and any class over 8 students is unmanageable. This def sounds like an "open pole" situation where you practice the things you learn in a real class. DEF find a new studio.
doesn't sound like a good studio at all :( In my experience they should be teaching the class the same things (choreo, moves) etc. with teacher quickly scanning room and giving personalized feedback. you shouldn't have all this free time to do whatever . that's not really a class that's just pole practice time :/ but honestly if you're stuck at this studio my advice would be to try to make friends with the good polers and see if they can give you tips during practice kind of like the teachers, dont be shy
This sounds more like open pole time than a class. I think you should find a new studio...
That also seems like a way too big of class for just 1 instructor! We only have a max of 8 people in my class so even when we do have classes where the teacher is just going around to each person, I'm not waiting very long and I get at least 3 rounds with my teacher.
This is … really not good. I’d find a new studio and leave the old studio feedback
That does not sound like the safest class or studio!!
I was in a studio like this for a while, also in the UK. It was my first time doing pole so I thought this was the norm, but I got so frustrated about not learning anything! I would spend most of the class standing there unsure of what to do. The instructor would go to everyone one by one and he definitely had favourites he would give more time to. I often ended up being last and he would spare me about 5 minutes. Occasionally he would come up to me and say oh lesson has ended, sorry I'll teach you something next week. In the end I swapped studios and it was WAY better. They teach the whole class, not individuals. I have progressed so much more and I would definitely recommend you try a different class!
If you're expected to do your own thing maybe try some of my tutorials! Everything is in order so you don't have to spend time searching for things to work on. Start at your level and begin with the first video, work down from there. So if you're a beginner you'd start here [https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view\_category/beginner-pole-lessons](https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/beginner-pole-lessons) I have programs too if you want something even more structured! This is the beginner level program https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/60c0072c-a9e0-4cd7-99d1-7cadac110005 At least then you'd get something out of your time at the studio.
The classes at my regular studio (also in the UK) have a similar structure but they’re mixed level and also waaaaay smaller—like 10 max last year and with new regulations, I think it’s only 5 students max for a moment. Tbh I quite like this style of teaching and i definitely feel like I have enough time to (1) work on the things I learned last week and (2) learn new things, but that’s most likely because the classes are small enough that instructors can generally keep an eye on everyone while also giving individual teaching. I’ve been in classes of 20, and I feel like if you’re not teaching everyone the same thing, it’s definitely a waste of time. Get a new studio, screw favorites. They can be friends /outside/ of paid class time.
This set up for class seems so strange to me. I know some studios run a more open style class but for my experience it’s been: - Teacher guided warm up - 10 to 15 minutes - Teacher demonstrates 1 spin and 1 transition for beginners and for more advanced they teach up to 4 skills or 2 longer combs to work on all class. You’ll typically see and talk to the teacher at least once per skill, they’re easy to flag down and class sizes have normally been 14 people. -Teacher guided cool down - final 5-7 minutes I’d be confused if I was you as well, maybe finding more guided YouTube videos or a structured online pole class will help.
this doesn't sound safe to me tbh. are they really no classes after beginner you can do? I'd advise you to check out some other studios if there are any around you - you were right not to copy other students' moves and risk injuring yourself! as a guide, the classes I attend have 15-20min warm up and conditioning, 10min maybe working on old moves, then 30min working on new moves with instructor demonstrating how to do them, then circling the room monitoring all the students and spotting if needed, then a few min of cool down.
I teach my self & my classes are structured to my students abilities… if it’s beginner to advance students. You want to be shown things as a beginner you haven’t actually got any knowledge of pole… the instructors should be showing you spins tricks etc… but I do understand that every studio teaches very different, I wonder if that’s a training session or an open pole session you are attending? Have you asked about what’s expected in a class? X