As the Founder of Aerial Dance people often ask me what is my favorite thing to teach. That’s easy: Intro Classes, the very first week of Beginner Pole and PARTIES. Why? Because there is something MAGICAL about being part of someone’s first spin. And of all those class types parties are extra special because not everyone in the room wants to be there…
It’s true, when a party walks through the door, some of the women are SO EXCITED to be at a pole studio, some are nervous and hesitant but willing, and some don’t want to be there at all and are annoyed their friends booked this. ha! One of the things I love most about these events is seeing the ones who are in the last category crack a smile by the end. I understand that pole is intimidating. I also understand that there is a LOT of stigma surrounding pole so I am fighting an uphill battle depending on the preconceived image they walk in the door with. My job as their Instructor is to make sure they have an insane amount of fun and bonding as a group while also helping educate. And that is a privilege.
Pole is an empowering activity if you choose to define it yourself instead of taking the patriarchy’s definition. Every day I watch women gain strength and confidence through this apparatus. I also watch women become friends and our classes and bond over their releasing insecurity and trauma. It’s these last ones that really make having pole party a special event with your friends. Laughing and sharing a new experience heightens connection and when that activity allows you to play like a kid and expand your perspective it is an even greater bonding experience.
We offer a lot of different types of parties including: Aerial Hoop, Aerial Yoga, Twerk, Dance Routines off the Pole, Mixed Aerial with Hammock and Silks and pretty much any combination you can think of using our four apparatus. The standard is our Pole Party where the group does a warm-up on the pole, learns tricks and then puts the new skills together in a short dance routine to a song the party organizer chose. Of all the party types, the Pole Party, is my favorite to teach because I love seeing how the women attending truly embrace the routine by the end. Without fail someone says they are “uncoordinated” or “not strong enough” to do pole and by the end of the party they are absolutely ROCKING whatever tricks are in the routine and having a blast spinning around. Seeing that transformation is truly a privilege and one of my most favorite things about teaching at Aerial Dance.
