Private Lesson Perks
10 Reasons to Book a Private Pole Lesson
We know pole dancing classes are fantastic, forever buzzing with positive vibes and a bond only a twisted grip ayesha struggle can create. However, sometimes a private lesson could be just what you need to up your pole game. While a pole dancing class is as reliable and dependable as the family car, a pole private is like a Ferrari – sleek, stylish and ready to fast track your pole skills, being well worth the investment.
Here are my top 10 reasons to book a private lesson!
It’s all YOU baby!
Pole privates are all about you, you, you. Like a needy cat, sometimes pole dancers crave focused attention from their instructors, but at no fault of their teachers, the class length and numbers might mean we can’t hog the limelight. Booking a private means you get the teacher to yourself to work on all the things you might want to achieve. You can ask as many questions as you like and it also means that the instructor can teach you in your preferred learning style the whole time. You might be a kinesthetic pole dancer who learns by ‘doing’ rather than watching demos or hearing the trick broken down. So for a whole hour, you can swing and dangle from the pole while your teacher spots you or gets you to ‘drill it’ and do it again. They can also watch you, and only you, making it faster to see what you might need to correct. There is no ‘I’ in team, but there’s one in private so take the opportunity to have the spotlight shining on you!
2. Troubleshoot your troubles, not everyone else’s
While you might loveeee an aerial shoulder mount, having picked it up quite easily when it was first introduced to your class, not everyone in the class may agree. It is extremely rare in a pole class where absolutely everyone struggles with the exact same trick. You could loathe a flag to brass monkey, but everyone else has already nailed it and moved on. The beauty of pole is that we are all on our own yellow brick road adventure, exploring our personal strengths and weaknesses in our 8inch glittery red heels. But if there is that one trick proving to be a nightmare, a private lesson might just be the dream you need! Work on the tricks that are troubling you rather than the tricks that everyone is working on (and you achieved at the first attempt, you rare little gem!). In a 1-on-1 private lesson, you have the time and chance to ask a lot of questions to really break down the elements of the tricks that are stumping you. You won’t feel bad for holding up the class, and instead will probably strut in the following week with a new trick tucked into your booty shorts!
Image: Mona’s Comics
3. Work around your own schedule
Another great thing about private lessons, is that most studios offer them on all different days of the week and at various times. I have seen private lessons work particularly well for shift workers, hospitality workers and parents for example, where night classes might clash with their busy life. A nurse might have every Tuesday morning off, or a mum might have the kids in daycare on Fridays. Whatever your situation is, ask your studio about the possibility of weekly or fortnightly private lessons to stay on track working through your pole level. Why not team up with some other polers in the same situation to help make it more cost effective? I have found that parents especially love the 1 hour of socialising possibly even more than the tricks they are learning that day!
4. Kick ass content!
So you’ve seen a cool new trick on the ‘gram? Want to give that pole-brity static tumble a try? Well when you book into a private lesson you get to request the content! While working on syllabus tricks is great, you can request to learn or start working on the foundations for other tricks not included in your studio’s course. This is particularly great for a Showpony – if you are entering pole competitions or have a show coming up, you might want to add some new flavour to your glittering basket of stage ready pole moves. In a private you can work on rethinking your pole transitions, try different grips, or entries and exits with a trick. A private is a great way to explore new things, while being safe and supported by your instructor. They might not be physically spotting you but having their undivided attention works wonders when attempting new skills! However, if there is a combo or trick you have seen on socials and would like to try, as a courtesy to your teacher let them know when booking in for your private lesson that it is something you wish to work on. Give them a heads up so that firstly they know it’s a trick they are able to teach you, and can think about how to best prepare you for that trick/combo in your private if it’s quite advanced.
5. Boost your Pole-jo
Stuck in a bit of a pole-rut? Feeling flatter than your middle splits about your pole training at the moment? Get a private lesson boo! Not only do you work with your teacher to revise tricks or learn new things as previously mentioned, but you have your own personal cheerleader for the whole lesson! Your teacher will be with you every step no matter how big or small, and in classic pole style, will be cheering the studio down with every achievement. If you are taking virtual privates, I have no doubt that your instructor will have their face so close to the screen with a big cheesy grin it will put your nostril-featured Facetimes with the relatives to shame. A pole private is a fantastic way to get your pole mojo back, give your mental health a positive boost, and lift your self-esteem so that you can show that pole who’s boss!
Image: Jerry from the Netflix series ‘Cheer’ - the king of positive talk!
6. Fresh feedback
This one is for the pole competitors out there, endlessly thinking about their upcoming performances and becoming a slave to their pole training (we secretly love it though!). When you are immersed in creating a show, it can be hard to watch your run throughs or think about the quality of your combos objectively. Enter the private lesson. Whether you commit to weekly privates to work on your show or just want the odd one at different points of the comp prep journey, I personally think at least one private is a must. You don’t want the routine critiqued for the first time when it’s the last time you will be performing it onstage – at the comp itself! Booking in with your regular instructor or even with a coach whose style you admire, is essential for bringing your best on comp day. Together you can work through your show to fine-tune it to become the masterpiece you first imagined it to be. They can help you identify what you may need to work on, like drilling your straddles with straight legs, fatigue management and breathing, use of props, just to name a few. Your teacher or coach might even have had experience judging competitions before, so they will be able to help you prepare your show from a judging perspective. We all dream of a sashie at the end of this rollercoaster, and getting feedback throughout the ride will help you to create a routine you can be proud of.
Image: Pinterest - from the TV show ‘Sex and the City’
7. Injury woes
There will come a time in a pole dancers' life, where an injury might come knocking politely on the door (hello sore shoulders) or crashing through the front door with no remorse (goodbye hamstring). No matter how serious the injury is, there might be ways to work around it with your pole teacher through a private lesson. After consulting with your doctor and pole physio/chiro/oesteo and receiving the medical attention needed, you might be lucky enough to be given the okay to continue working on other tricks and skills that may not require the use of the injured area. A pole private as we have highlighted can be tailored to your needs, so don’t halt your pole progress because of that one injury! If you are able to, keep working on other skills while it heals with the support and knowledge of an instructor who can guide you safely around your injury.
8. Sweat baby sweat!
I’ve already said how great it is taking a private lesson for the undivided attention of your pole instructor – but it is just that! Unlike a class, there are no other students for them to spot, answer questions or focus on, so be prepared to get worked hard in your private. It is actually surprising just how much harder you push yourself when it’s just you and your teacher, without the distraction of chatting to friends in class or having a breather while your teacher helps someone else. Practice makes perfect so the more you attempt a trick or section of chorey, the better it will become and a pole private is certainly a great way to get motivated to practice those moves on repeat. But girrrrl you will sweat hard while drilling those techniques! Whether you choose to work on pole tricks, combos, dance, stretch or strength, a private will have your muscles burning (but smile lasting) for days to come!
Image: Pinterest - from the film ‘Dirty Dancing’ - the look you give your teacher at the end of another drill!
9. Unlock those pole goals
You can choose to focus on anything in a private lesson! Want to up you chorey game and learn the Russian Exotic dance style? Need some tips and tricks to better your splits and extension? Maybe it’s both, and you spend half a lesson on dance and then stretch it out for the second half once you are toasty! Whatever you are currently working on, you can work with your teacher to structure a private lesson to point towards your personal goals. Perhaps you just want to learn a cool dance with your mates – book a group private! Maybe you and your friend keep hitting a wall with the same trick – jump into a private together so that you can keep chipping away at it during practice time. Whatever achievement you seek to unlock, a private lesson could just be the key you need to start opening some doors.
10. Become the poler you were born to be!
Take some time to reflect on the pole dancer you are currently, and the pole dancer you are aiming to become. Write these things down and book into classes that help you grow into the poler want to be. Fast track your pole-gress by knowing what you want and how you’re going to get there. A basketball team doesn’t take the court without a game plan, and if you are serious about pole you shouldn’t step into the studio without one either! Sometimes our game can get invaded by aliens and become more sidetracked than Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan in Space Jam, so this is where your teacher/coach comes in to pass you the ball and help get you back on track through a private lesson. Some polers don’t necessarily like 1-on-1 learning and would rather a class vibe to pump them up which is totally fine! But if you are a pole dancer who needs a motivation boost, is struggling with a new trick, needs a killer workout or just wants to start slam dunking some pole goals, booking a private lesson might be the perfect way to get that game plan back on on track and up the pole!
Image: Pole Dancing Adventures
What do you love about private lessons? Tell me in the comments below!
