How to choose a pole studio. Four questions you need to ask!

How to choose a pole dance studio?  4 questions you should always ask!

The craze has hit.  We all see it.  Pole Studios popping up left and right all over the country, and the world!

But how do you go about choosing the right studio?  What questions should you ask?

Hopefully, this little checklist will start you on your way to choosing the right studio for you and especially your safety.

1. Insurance
Does the pole studio/instructor have liability insurance?

This is a VERY important question to ask, which is why I put it first.  Pole Dancing is a physical sport, not unlike gymnastics, especially as you progress to the upper levels.

Liability insurance will cover you in case of an accident.  Accidents can happen, even with the most experienced instructors, and yes, even with “crash pads” you can still get hurt (I personally believe that crash pads give a false sense of security and do not use them, if you have been trained properly, yes even trained on how to fall in case it happens, then there is no need for them).  Will your medical insurance cover you if you get hurt at a class?  What if you don’t have insurance, who’s going to pay your medical bills.

This is what liability insurance is for.  It protects YOU in case of a pole related injury.

When you ask a potential instructor if they have liability insurance, you need to be specific.  Pole dancing is such a new industry, there are VERY few insurance companies that cover pole related injuries.  Many pole dance studios get insured by getting “fitness insurance” this is NO guarantee that your medical bills will be covered with a pole related injury, and in actuality, PROBABLY WON’T cover you! 

You must ask if they have “POLE DANCE LIABILITY INSURANCE”.  This insures that you will be covered in case of a pole related injury.

Don’t just ask if they have it, ASK TO SEE IT!  If they refuse to show you or if they do and it says nothing about pole dance on it, then you should think real hard about if you want to risk it.

2. Experience & Credentials
What type of experience as an instructor do you have? 
Have you been trained professionally?  Are you certified?

Another important question.  Many people are teaching pole dance tricks with minimal safety training.  This is SO important!

They need to know HOW the body works.  What muscles are being used.  And most important,  how to prevent injury.  Or rehabilitating a previous pole injury.

I get many students from other pole studios with rotator cuff injuries.  When I have them show me what they’ve learned, I can almost always find the culprit. Bad form.  Usually I have to completely retrain them to do spins the correct way.  I myself have rotator cuff issues from learning improperly when I first began.  But I learned quickly how to stop that problem!  I teach in a way that will cut your chances of shoulder injuries dramatically, if not nonexistent! 

We also focus on rotator cuff stretches at the end of class, to help ensure that no complications arise.

Also, does your instructor know what to do with other types of injuries or conditions, such as tendonitis, bursitis, previous surgeries on joints, fibromyalgia, neck strains, back strains/surgeries, etc etc..  Make sure they’ve had some sort of training to deal with these things….ASK!!

What about credentials and experience?

Does you being a dancer for X amount of years make you an expert? 

Short answer, no.

Long answer, I’ve corrected many issues with dancers that have been dancing longer than I have.  You need to make sure that not only can your instructor dance, but also that they have taken classes on how your body and muscles work, a personal and/or group training certificate is good, but pole dance certification that is approved by AFAA or ACE is even better and the two combined is fabulous!  AFAA & ACE are the 2 leading fitness certification associations in the country.  Also, do they stay up to date with the latest health and fitness news.  Are they continually honing their craft by training with other qualified instructors?

Anyone can say “I developed a Pole Dance Certification Class”, even if they’ve never touched a pole, because it’s not regulated, but if the certification class has taken the time to get the approval and CEC’s through associations such as AFAA or ACE, then you will be doing yourself a huge favor by dealing with instructors that were trained properly.

3. Warm-up/Cool-down
Does your class do a warm-up and cool-down?

If no, then run the other way!  That tells you right there they are not qualified to be teaching a physical fitness class.

You must do at a minimum 10 minutes warm-up and 10-15 cool-down and stretch.  If you do not do this you are at a great risk of muscle injury, and of course we don’t want that!

When you cool-down, ask what they do.  Do they stretch every muscle in your arms, back and chest?  Even the little tiny ones in your wrist need a good stretch afterwards, plus, hey, it feels good!

Also, if you are in a class and are sharing a pole..so one person is on the pole while the others sit and watch, this is a HUGE problem.  By just sitting waiting for your turn, your body is cooling off, your muscles aren’t warm and you are NOT ready to hop on the pole, again, injury is at it’s highest when your muscles are cool. 

Please don’t take this lightly, having dealt with many sleepless nights because of my own rotator cuff problems early on, it is NOT a problem that you want! 


4. Progression
Can I go upside down my first class?

No, you should never be allowed to go upside down in your very first class.  You should also not be doing things such as climbing & inverting in your first classes. 

You’re body needs to condition itself for these types of moves.  If you are climbing or doing inverts in your first few classes, then you have an excellent chance of getting hurt. (especially that darn rotator cuff area!)

Moves should be taught in a progressive manner.  One move should lead to the next, you should not be jumping in head first so to speak. 

Hopefully this checklist will help you choose your pole dance studio no matter what city you’re in!

Remember,  pole dancing is a fantastic way to get fit and get in touch with your own body, but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands! 

Be safe and Happy Pole’ing!

Summer Morris
Head Diva aka owner
Diva Den Studio
Portland, OR

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