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Pole Dance InformationHere you will find helpful information on all things pole dance. LoveSpin want to make your experience with pole dance a positive one that you can make the most of.
The benefits of Pole Dancing:
The benefits of LoveSpin Pole Dancing:
What to wear:
Bear arms and legs are essential for traction to the pole. Shorts and t-shirts or any gym wear that leave the limbs exposed are acceptable. The most important thing is for you to be comfortable. Bare feet, jazz or dance shoes, or trainers are suitable footwear. Once you feel more confident you can wear heels if you wish but you must be careful, after all this is an exercise class. You must always have suitable footwear for the warm up and cool down. Hydration:
Make sure you keep hydrated throughout your pole dance session. A plastic bottle of water or juice is best. No alcohol should be drunk before or during your session.
Creams and Lotions:
When using any creams or lotions on your skin be aware that they are often not fully absorbed even after a whole day. This is then transferred to the pole, making it slippery and very dangerous, affecting the grip and interfering with your pole training. Be particularly wary of oil based creams such as cocoa butter as these do not fully absorb into the skin.
How to choose a pole dance school:
There are many pole dance schools out there, with more and more popping up all the time. The worrying thing is because it is still a fairly new industry there are no legal requirements for setting up a pole dance school. This I am sure will change but in the meantime LoveSpin advise you choose your school wisely.
It is becoming more widely recognised within the industry that a pole dance instructor should at the very least have Exercise To Music (ETM). This can be proved with a certificate. This will help ensure that the warm up, cool down and class content is suitable for an exercise class. A really good pole school will also have a pole dance instructor qualification. Some people don't think these are essential but in my opinion this is an exercise class like any other, if not more specialised, so it is really important that people know how to teach it. A good one to ask about is the Vertical Dance qualification.
It is also important that your instructor has a first aid certificate, and insurance.
This is an important consideration. You want to be sure you will get enough pole time in your classes. The Pole Dance Community suggests you shouldn't have anymore than 3 students to a pole. So it is worth asking how many poles are available in your class and how many students there will be. LoveSpin offer a pole each in your level one class, then as you progress through your levels it is sometimes two to a pole, as we find having your own pole for the whole hour is too much. You also need to make sure there aren't too many students to just one instructor. It is vital that the instructor can see you at all times and give you pointers on your dancing, this simply can't be done if there are too many students.
It is likely that the pole schools in your area offer a similar price for there services. They may vary slightly. Being the cheapest is not necessarily the best one to go for, but by the same standards, the most expensive school does not mean it is the best. Although price is always an important consideration it is important to look at everything to be sure you are going to get the pole dancing lessons. LoveSpin are the cheapest in our area, how can we do this? LoveSpin have their own pole studio with fixed poles which means we have less travelling expenses and less overheads. You can buy a special offer price for your full course online here
The location of the classes is important. If it is too far from you or difficult to get to you may lose interest after a couple of pole dance sessions. Be sure to check if there is parking, and if you have to pay for this. Also if you are not driving check if there are other links to the class.
Be sure to ask how the class is structured. Is there a warm up and cool down? There should be, pole dancing is very physical and like with all exericise and dance classes you should be taken through a warm up and cool down to avoid injuries and prepare your body and mind for the class.
Once you know how much a pole dancing class or course is, be sure how you can pay. Many pole schools ask for payment up-front. If this is a problem for you, you may want to find a school that can offer a payment scheme. LoveSpin require payment week by week but a week in advance. That means you pay for your class at least a week in advance, but you only have to pay weekly, this can be very helpful as paying for the full course can leave you skint!
All good schools should offer a reduced rate taster session, so you can see if you like it before you sign up for the full course. This is especially important if you are paying up front for the full course.
Speak to previous students about how they found the pole dancing lessons at your particular school. Word of mouth is one of best ways of finding out about a school that will suit you. The students have no reason to lie to you so you should get an honest account of how the pole dance classes are run and what the instructors are like etc.
How to choose a pole
If you intend to practice pole dancing at home, choosing a pole is very important. First you must decide what you want out of your pole, if you are planning on just using it for posing then you could probably buy one for about £40. However, these are not suitable for spinning or inverting. If you are planning to actually pole dance on it you need to make sure you buy the right pole. Make sure it is meant to be used for spinning and going upside down. These will be more expensive but it is important to spend a little extra money to be safe. You also need to decide whether you want a fixed or removable pole, this depends on how much you are going to use it and the space you have available. Make sure you have enough space around the pole, about two arms length around the whole pole should be enough. You need to check your ceiling, the pole will need a solid base to be safe, this could be a solid ceiling or the ceiling joists.
LoveSpin would recommend x-pole fully removable poles, view more information and buy here, or Alistage semi or fully-removable poles.
Exercises that will improve pole dancing
Stand feet shoulder width apart, keep your knees soft. Fix the elbows close to the side of the body. Keep the body lifted and buttocks tucked in. Start with arms to front of body, do not lock elbows, lift lower arm towards the chest, then lower back down fully extending, but not locking the elbows.
To progress you can use two cans of beans or hand weights. Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Muscles worked: Biceps and brachialis (front of upper arm) Will help with: The lifting phase of all spins
Press Ups: Choose one of three:
Box Press Up – On all fours lay place the hands a shoulder width and a half apart and level with the shoulders, fingers facing forwards. Bend and straighten the elbows to lower and lift the body weigh up and down. Keep the spine and neck in line, be careful not to lock the elbows. Keep the abs pulled in tight, this will help keep the back straight. Take care not to rest on the knee caps. Once you have mastered this you can progress to three-quarter or full press up. Three Quarter- As above but knees are further back, making the downward move longer. Do not rest on the knee caps. Full Press Up – As above but resting on feet not knees.
Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Muscles worked: The Pectorals and Deltoids (chest and shoulder) and the Triceps (back of upper arm)
Helps with: General posture, upward phase of all spins, lifting body, specifically Catapillar, descent from invert
Sit on the floor with the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor. Position the hands about 12 inches behind the buttocks with the fingers pointing towards the body. Bend and straighten the elbows to lift and lower the body weight. Keep the abs pulled in tight and take care not to hollow the back. Ensure the elbows fully extend when the body is lifted but do not lock them. You can progress this by sitting on a chair.
Muscle used: triceps (the back of the upper arms) Helps with: the lower phase of a spin, caterpillar
Sit Ups:
Lie on you back with your knees bent and your feet placed firmly on the floor. Tighten the abdominal muscles (stomach) and pull them towards
the back bone. Maintain this fixed position of the abdominals throughout the movement. Place your hands either on thighs (easiest), across the chest (slightly harder), or at the side of the head (harder still). Contract the abdominal muscles to lift and curl the shoulders and chest upwards. Lift as far as comfortable, but without lifting the lower back off the floor. Breath out when lifting up and in when lowering.
Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps Muscles Used: Rectus Abdominus (front of trunk) Helps with: General posture, perfecting all moves- helps make them look graceful, caterpillar, upward phase of knee release
Back Extensions:
Lie face down on the floor. Place the hands either at the side of the head (slightly harder) or by the side of the body (easier). Pull the abdominals in tight to fix the spine. Raise and lower the chest, keeping the movement controlled at all times. Keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine, lift to a comfortable height. Breath out when lifting and in when lowering.
Muscles worked: Erector spinae (the muscles that run along the length of the spine) Helps with: general posture, lowering phase of knee release
Squats:
Stand with feet placed comfortably hip width apart. Bend the knees and lower the body downwards. Return to an upright postion to complete the lift. Look forwards throughout the movement and keep the knees in line with the feet. Keep the spine inline. Fully extend the hips and knees but never lock out the knees when straightening them. Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Muscles Worked: The Gluteus Maximus (buttock) and the Quadriceps (front of thighs) Helps with: The seat, climbing, all inverts
This muscular strength program should be done 2- 3 times per week to really work. If you require any advice please give LoveSpin a call.
The Best way to work the muscle you’ll need for Pole dancing is to get on that pole and practice! Pole Moves
Many moves have different names, as LoveSpin were qualified by Vertical Dance we use there names which are widely recognised. Here are a few of our favourites:
COMING SOON
Hyper hydration (sweaty palms) and grip enhancers
Ask any pole dancer and I am sure they will have suffered with over active sweat glands in their hands. This can prove almost impossible to grip the pole. There are many products out there to help your grip, but it is important not to get too reliant on them. LoveSpin would recommend you give the pole a good clean with wetwipes (Tesco value ones work well), alcohol or alcohol wipes and towels. If this doesn't work there are many other things to try. Chalks (liquid or normal) can dry your hands, but be careful not to use too much as you wont be able to move your hands at all! Gloves such as those used for weight training or biking help some people.
It is best to try a variety of products to see what works best for you. LoveSpin offer free use of wet wipes, towels and chalk in our pole dance studio.
Blistering
Soft, unconditioned hands are susceptible to blistering and in extreme cases skin peeling can occur. If you get a blister you should stop exercising immediately. If required weight lifting gloves can be worn to protect the hands. Prolonged use of the pole will, eventually toughen the hands.
This guide was created by LoveSpin and is ulitimatley the opinion of the instructors from their own experiences.
Check out our pole dance studios in Holywell & Mold, Flintshire, North Wales here
Book your pole dance place here
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LoveSpin Pole Studios07843 632548 / 07786 088189follow us on twitter @lovespin1 and @lovespinpoleLoveSpin Pole Studio, Unit 2, New Street, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1QQLoveSpin Pole Studio, Victoria Hotel, High Street, Holywell, Flintshire, CH8 7TW
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