12 Days of Split-mas
Hey pole muggles! Yes, in a merry twist this pole dancing blog is for actually for you! We are here to help the friends, partners and relatives of passionate pole dancers, who are struggling to think of an amazing Christmas present for their favourite poler. Because while us pole dancers know our booty shorts through to body grips, you might need some pole schooling! So grab your highest heels and get ready to enter our glittery world to find the perfect present for a pole dancer...
1. Pole Dancing Heels or Boots
Price range: $70 - $350 AUD
There once was a little lady who lived in her pole shoes, she had so many, but a few more could do! We can NEVER have too many pole heels or pole boots. They are glittery, luscious beacons of beauty which, even on a dodgy pole day, make us feel like the queens we are! But you may not know that the shoes we wear are actually made especially for what we do. They are platform heels/boots, therefore the actual arch of the foot isn’t that high (even though the platform may be 7 or 8 inches high). They have rubber on the bottom of the shoe so that we don’t slip and can grip the stage or studio floor as we walk around. They are also made to withstand the heel slams, claps, splits and tricks we perform.
Things to know when buying your pole pal a pair of heels/boots:
Ankle straps on heels are a MUST or they will go flying off as we do tricks! If your poler is a stripper/exotic dancer, they can get away with wearing slides sometimes as they can still walk and dance upright in these.
Beginner pole dancers will usually opt for 6 or 7 inch heels, and if unsure, get them ankle boots as the added ankle support makes them feel less wobbly.
If your pole dancing pal has been taking classes for 6+ months, she might be ready for 8 inch platform heels or boots. Any platform size higher is not ideal for tricks and dance class, but more for photoshoots and posing.
Knee high or thigh high boots look incredible but again, aren’t always practical for tricks and are more ideal for performing or photoshoots. Calf high boots, ankle boots or platform heels are better for tricks training and let us utilise our body gripping points better (eg behind the knees).
There are different finishes of pole heels and boots – you can find glitter, suede, faux leather, patent leather, even feathers or rhinestones! We’re a creative bunch!
Men can wear heels and boots too!! (And damn they be lookin finnnneeee – have you seen Blue Phoenix and Adam Lin?!) However, you may need to contact the website about sizing to make sure you select the best size for your man!
Depending on the finish, size and style, prices will vary. Check out the following websites and don’t be scared to get in touch with them if you have any questions!
Toes On Pointe – custom pole shoes at a great price!
https://www.instagram.com/toesonpointe/ or https://www.toesonpointe.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: $50 off any pair, valid until 24 December 2020
DISCOUNT CODE: HF&T
Shoe Me – under the ‘Sexy’ Collection: Platform Heels (Pole/Exotic Dance)
https://shoeme.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off all products when spending $50 or more, valid until 31 December 2020
CODE: SPLITMAS
Exotique B
https://exotiqueb.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 10% off valid until 31 March 2021 (excludes sale items)
CODE: EXMAS10
2. Hand & Body Pole Grips
Price range: $10 - $30 AUD
Like mouthguards for footballers or chalk for gymnasts, pole dancers have many different products in their pole bags. Some help stop sweaty, slippery hands or some add stickiness to dry skin so that we can grip the pole confidently with our bodies (ie. behind the knee, between thighs, in the crease of the elbow). While our skills are very impressive, some days the weather, our skin or hormones just have other plans for us so we need some added help!
There are a number of grip products out there in the pole world but the main things to know are:
We either have sweaty hands or dry hands. For some help knowing what grips fall into what category check out my other blog post ‘You Review – Hand Grips’
Our bodies either sweat a lot or we have dry lizard skin and need a body product to add some tackiness.
It can be a little overwhelming and a bit like trying to choose the right golf club for a golfer, if you have NEVER stepped out onto a green in your whole life! So we suggest contacting the following websites who are very popular choices for us polers when shopping for grip aids.
Dancing Dust – wide range of hand grip, body grip & glitter for all skin types
https://dancingdustbodyshimmer.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off all products until 31 March 2021
CODE: HFT
Envirogrip – liquid chalk from an eco-conscious brand committed to supporting the environment
https://www.envirogrip.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% discount valid until 31 December 2020
CODE: FLICKS15
Fairy Pole Mother - wide range of different grips
https://fairypolemother.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 10% off all grips valid until 19 December 2020
CODE: hairflicks
Griptinite – liquid chalk
https://www.griptinite.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 20% off, ends 24 December 2020
CODE: SANTA2020
Hold Tight Grip - liquid chalk
https://holdtightgrip.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off ends 24 December 2020
CODE: HTXMAS
3. Pole Wear & Outfits
Price range: $15 - $150 AUD
Just like pole shoes, we can NEVER have too many pole shorts or crop tops! But you may not realise that as we advance through our tricks, we can’t get away with wearing bike shorts or yoga shorts. We need pole specific shorts that look great but also allow us to use our body gripping points and pass the crotch coverage test (yep it’s a thing!). For many pole tricks we need to use the very top of our thighs to squeeze and hold on. We also need to use the side of our torsos to help grip so minimal clothing = maximum trick potential!!
Depending on your pole dancers' taste, they might like the sexy, skimpy pole wear to slink about in during exotic pole class, or they might prefer colourful, bold pole wear which is also practical and supportive for crazy tricks training!
Either way, you definitely can’t go wrong with a great crop top, booty shorts or pole wear set for your beloved dancer! We can’t get enough pole gear and given we are at the studio almost daily, we need it!!
Some of our favourite pole wear websites are:
AMBR Designs
https://ambrdesigns.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off valid until 24 December 2020
CODE: AMBRXMAS
All the Feels
https://allthefeels.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off valid until 22 December 2020
CODE: HFT15
Sweet Berries Pole Wear
https://www.sweetberries.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off valid until 15 January 2021
CODE: SBHF15
Rarr Designs
https://rarrdesigns.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off storewide, valid until 31 March 2021
CODE: 12DAYS
Tatiana Active
https://tatianaactive.com.au/
Chantay Pole Wear
https://www.chantaypolewear.com/
SPLITMAS OFFER: Up to 50% from 19 December until 24 December 2020
CODE: CHANTAYXMAS
Creatures of XIX
https://creaturesofxix.co/
Lucky Layne Pole Wear
https://luckylayne.com.au/
Lunalae
https://lunalae.com/
4. Private Lessons
Price range: $80 - $200 AUD
Private lessons are an amazing gift idea!! Because they are so versatile and we can use them to work on new pole tricks, learn a new dance, work on strength and stretch training, or even to help with pole competition preparation. It doesn’t matter what level of pole we are up to, we will love you forever if you buy us a private lesson with our favourite instructor! They are like gold to us!
But how do you go about this you might wonder?
Contact the pole studio your pole dancer attends and ask which teachers they take classes with most often. Then look into purchasing a gift voucher for a private lesson or adding one to their studio account (it can vary with the studio but they will be super helpful so give them a call or message!)
If you have been paying attention and know the name of their fav pole dancer (gold star to you!), contact that dancer on FB or Instagram and ask if they offer private lessons, and depending where in the world they are, they might even offer virtual private lessons or workshops!
5. Class Pass at the Pole Studio
Price range: $15 - $50 AUD
Similar to private lessons, a studio class pass or virtual class pass at our favourite pole studio is a great gift idea! As you have probably discovered by now, we are addicted to pole dancing! The more classes, the happier we are! Many pole studios offer a ‘class pass’ where you can buy a pack of 5 classes, 10 classes, 20 classes etc and the price per class becomes a little cheaper. The great thing about these is that often we can use them for different types of classes – like tricks, strength and fitness, dance, acro or stretch classes.
To purchase one, contact the studio your pole dancer attends and ask if they offer class passes or packs, and you could either purchase a gift voucher for the amount or add the classes to the poler’s studio account. Don’t hesitate to give the studio a call – they will be more than happy to help you!
6. Flexersize Online Flexibility Program
Price range: $119 - $169 AUD
Flexersize is a super popular and successful online flexibility program! Not only does pole dancing require a degree of flexibility and mobility, but so does LIFE in general! The Flexersize programs will help us to feel good each day, in a safe and supportive environment, and are perfect for any dancer or athlete looking to increase their flexibility, range of movement, and knowledge around stretch training.
Flexersize offer a variety of online programs which are suitable for all levels – from Beginner through to Advanced Splits, Back Bending, Needle Scales and Active Flexibility (perfect for pole tricks!!), plus an extremely welcoming online community!
Flexersize - https://flexersize.com.au/
*SPLITMAS OFFER: 40% discount on any online program valid until midnight 24 December 2020
CODE: SPLITMAS
*It’s best if the person doing the program signs up, so we suggest you buy a voucher for your pole dancer to the value of the specific program they would be interested in. Browse the website for the different program options and then get in touch with Eley May.
7. Pole Photoshoot Gift Voucher
Price range: $200 - $500 AUD
Pole dancing photoshoots are an amazing gift idea! It’s a great excuse for us to get dressed up, put on our favourite pole outfit and show off the incredible tricks and splits we have been working very hard to perfect. Photoshoots are not only a great way for us to track progress and celebrate pole milestones, but are just so much fun!
Depending on the photographer, there are different types of pole dancing photoshoots you can book. You can opt to do an “in-studio” photoshoot where we set up inside and the background of the photos are usually black or white. Or, we do photoshoots “on location” and this can be anywhere we can set up a pole, perform a split on or simply look hot AF in while striking a pose.
You can’t go wrong with a pole photoshoot voucher! The best way to buy these is to contact the pole photographers and find out what types of vouchers they offer and when they will next be shooting in your city or town.
A few of our favourite Australian pole and aerials photographers are:
The Black Light
https://www.theblacklight.com.au/
Jealous By Nature
https://www.jealousbynature.com/
Vertigo Photography
https://www.instagram.com/vertigo_photography_aus/
8. Prehab & Recovery things
Price range: $5 - $200 AUD
A yoga mat, foam roller, massage ball, therabands or a massage! Simple but oh so effective! After all of pole dancing classes, private lessons and conditioning, we are broken little cookies by the end of the week! It’s always so lovely to stretch out our over-worked muscles on a yoga mat, roll out any niggles with a foam roller or massage ball, and keep our joints functioning with some pole pre-hab to avoid future injury (for more about the importance of this, check out our interviews with The Pole Physio and Mischka!)
We don’t need anything special – just some good quality equipment from any sports or fitness store as we will be using these babies often! When foam rolling and stretching isn’t enough, a massage it must be! Pole dancing is a full body workout and we like to get a massage often to help our muscles recover and prepare for another round of crazy tricks and splits! I mean, are you even a pole dancer if you don’t wake up with at least one sore muscle?!
9. PoleSphere Online
Price range: $29.95 AUD per month
Your pole dancing pal can learn from an incredible team of dedicated instructors with thousands of hours teaching time between them! PoleSphere is an online pole tutorial platform with world class instructors and pole professionals such as Miss Filly, Joanna Littlewood-Johnson, Tammy, Andrea James Lui, Carlie Hunter, Adam Lin, Lisa D, Megan B and Chilli Rox!
The PoleSphere tutorials offer a truly progressive pole learning experience, so we can learn the ins and outs of new pole tricks and continue to build on them throughout the program – much safer than trying some random trick from Instagram!
PoleSphere has all bases covered, with pole tricks, strengthening and conditioning, stretch and flexibility, and dance routines/choreography! With so much to offer, we don’t need to tell you that a PoleSphere membership is the gift that will keep on giving!
PoleSphere
https://www.polesphere.com/
10. Knee Pads & Socks
Price range: $3 - $100 AUD
We’re not even joking – pole dancers would love to receive knee pads and/or socks for Christmas! Underneath the stunning pole wear and sexy outfits, we are usually wearing cute socks covered in flowers, kittens, flamingos or cartoon characters. And with the amount of dance classes we do each week wearing boots or flowing around the pole, we can never have too many pairs of socks!
Likewise, knee pads help protect our knees during floorwork, basework, acro, splits and any other wild floor shenanigans we are up to! It may seem like we don’t feel pain and during performances or competitions, as we can sometimes tough out having bare knees, but our floor skills take loads of practice so protecting our knees is super important!
We can wear volleyball knee pads during these practices, however if we want to do pole tricks also (and require the sticky grip behind our knees) we will need proper pole dancing knee pads which you can find from the websites below.
All the Feels
https://allthefeels.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off valid until 22 December 2020
CODE: HFT15
Rarr Designs
https://rarrdesigns.com.au/
SPLITMAS OFFER: 15% off storewide, valid until 31 March 2021
CODE: 12DAYS
Lunalae
https://lunalae.com/
Pole Threads
https://polethreads.com.au/collections/knee-pads
11. Hair Flicks & Tricks Weekly Pole Planner
Price range: $17.99 AUD
The Hair Flicks & Tricks Weekly Pole Planner is the perfect present for your pole dancing pal! Designed especially for us pole dancers, the weekly pole planner helps us to manage what pole classes we have each week, with a space for every day and tick boxes to mark off when we have completed our class. There’s space to write down our strength, stretch and dance goals, plus there’s even a habit tracker to keep us focused and grow into our best selves! A4 in size with 50 pages, the HFT Weekly Pole Planner will have us organised for a whole year of pole classes. Plus it’s printed on 100% recycled paper so is eco-friendly as well as being super stylish!
Hair Flicks & Tricks
https://www.hairflicksandtricks.com/store
SPLITMAS OFFER: 25% off, valid until 24 December 2020
CODE: SPLITMAS25
12. A pole!
Price range: $250 - $745 AUD
What’s a list of pole dancing gifts without adding a pole of course! While we love training at the studio, it can be tricky sometimes to be able to make practice time slots or be able to get to class on some days. With a pole at home, we have the flexibility to be able to practice our tricks or dances whenever we like, and now there are plenty of online programs and classes we can take from the comfort of our home!
Now despite what is commonly thought, we don’t just dance on any type of pole! Oh no my muggle friend, there are different widths, finishes and types of poles available to us to install at home. Unlike the studio poles, the poles we purchase for home are pressure mounted – so there’s no need to bolt them into the ceiling! How amazing! They are easy to install and can be de-mounted so you can continue to use your living space.
Here are some things you may need to know before buying a pole for your pole loving friends, relatives or partners:
Width – studio poles range from 38mm to 50mm in width. We recommend a 45mm pole if you are unsure as it is thin enough to hold onto but also thick enough to grip with our body grip points. The skinnier the pole, the harder we have to squeeze our legs or thighs to stay on.
Finish – pole dancing poles come in chrome, stainless steel, brass, powder coated or silicone. If you are unsure which finish to select for your pole dancer, find out from the pole studio they attend what finish they have on their poles. You will know then that they will be used to this type of pole so using it at home won’t be so different.
Height – Most poles come with extensions if you need add some length the pole to that it will reach the ceiling.
Static and spinning – some poles will remain locked on static, while others have the option to “unlock” so that they spin once some momentum is applied (ie if you hold onto the pole and push off from the floor gently, the pole will keep rotating!). Pole dancers do different types of tricks on static pole and spin pole, so have a sneak peek at what classes your poler takes and if they include ‘spin pole’ make sure you buy a pole that has the spin option.
Stage poles – if you don’t have space inside to mount a pole, but a large courtyard or backyard, a stage pole might be the way to go. The stage base is very heavy and therefore will weigh down the pole and hold it in place so the top of the pole won’t need to be attached to anything.
Our final tip – DO NOT purchase just any old pole off eBay! There are many knock-off poles out in the world, that are not designed to endure the types of spins and tricks we perform on the pole. Safety is the top priority and while the safe pole might be more expensive, they will be cheaper than a visit to the emergency room.
Visit the below websites to find a quality pole dancing pole for home and don’t hesitate to contact them if you have any questions!
X-POLE Australia
https://www.dance4me.com.au/
The Pussycat Pole Australia
http://www.thepussycatpole.com.au/
