After weeks (or even months) of searching online for your nearest pole dancing studio, you have finally decided to take the plunge into this mysterious world and book your first beginner pole dancing class.

The night finally arrives, and you pull into the car park next to the studio. You start to question yourself and wonder why on earth you would willingly book into a class where you will probably spend the evening grinding a pole, in a dimly lit studio, most likely naked. You start to wonder if you should bail and give the class pass you purchased to your neighbour, who happily walks around her backyard naked.

Then ‘Pony’ by Genuwine starts playing on the radio and you think about the possibility of bumping into Channing Tatum one day, and how you would obviously need killer dance moves to match his if you were to ever become his girlfriend. You take a deep breath and get out of the car.

 

Walking into the studio, you are shocked – in the best possible way! This isn’t a seedy night club and everyone here is wearing clothes! You are greeted by the smiling receptionist who instantly calms your nerves and tells you what the go is. She gives you a tour of the pole studio, lets you know where everything is and what room your class will be in. You take a seat in the waiting area, which is warm and comfortable. As you wait, you take in the space around you. There are pole dancing magazines on the table and jaw-dropping pole routines playing on the TV. It seems to be some kind of glamourous pole dancing competition or show.

Then something glistens in the corner of your eye, that will change your life as you know it – pole dancing shoes. But these are not the normal heels you wear on a Saturday night out with the gals; these heels are PURE HEAVEN. If heaven was 8 inches of glitter, bold colours and patent leather that is. As you pull yourself together and try not to get whiplash from looking back at the shoes on display, you hear ‘who’s here for beginner pole?’ yelled out by a woman whose confidence seems as perky as her booty. It’s time.

The studio you walk into is gorgeous, with the perfect amount of flattering pink lighting and the front wall is framed with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. There is fun, upbeat music playing and it’s like any normal dance studio, just with 10 or so brass poles scattered about the room. The teacher tells you to pop your things to the side of the room and pick a pole. Because you were busy taking it all in and still recovering from pole shoe-shock, you are slow to find a pole and suddenly find yourself up the front near the teacher. She gives you a kind smile and starts the class. After a quick chat about who’s pole cherry is being popped and who has done pole before, we begin the warmup.

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The warmup is way more fun than the 10 minutes you would normally spend on the treadmill. You do a lot of different movements to songs that remind you of your cool, clubbing days, and the pole is used throughout it too. It’s nice to see the other girls are all wearing similar clothes to you – yoga shorts and a t-shirt. Although the girls who have taken pole class before seem to be wearing pole specific shorts. Some have strappy black pole wear on, while others are wearing bold and bright colours. There is a range of styles – high-waisted, high leg, sexy, flirty and fun! These girls all seem so confident in their body, helping you relax a just a little bit more.

After the warmup, the teacher tells everyone to pop their pole heels on if you brought them, and you immediately wonder if those rose gold boots of pure awesomeness are still beckoning to you from reception. The teacher, Jess, explains that you don’t have to wear pole heels in class – it's totally up to you! Likewise, you can wear anything that makes you feel comfortable although shorter shorts are best, as you need to use your inner thighs to grip the pole in some tricks. You sneak a glance again at the girl on the pole behind yours, who is wearing stunning, high waisted pole shorts in a blue-swirl pattern. They look amazing!

You start to learn pole dancing tricks and different types of spins around the pole. The first spin you are learning is called a ‘fireman spin’ and you happily start to pick it up after a few attempts. Jess explains your hand positioning and how you should always practice switching between arms. As you work on your fireman spin, Jess spontaneously creates a mini dance sequence with it, and the class grins as you all have a go, twirling in-sync together.

Next, you move onto learning a pole sit and pose, where you use the inner thigh grip to squeeze the pole and sit on it. Holey moley you think to yourself, wondering if someone is going to call the fire brigade because this trick has set your thighs on FIRE! Jess laughs and tells the class it gets better the more you do the trick because your skin gets used to it. She tells everyone to push their hips into the pole more and tuck their feet up under their booty. Walking around to help, Jess also reminds everyone to avoid moisterising their legs the day of pole class so that you aren’t too slippery. Finally, you learn another spin called the back hook spin which instantly becomes your favourite. It’s a brain tease at first but once your body starts to work out what it needs to do, the buzz of nailing the trick is the best feeling in the world!

After a quick drink break, Jess tells everyone that the class is going to finish with a mini dance routine. You learn the steps, popping your legs and hips, body rolling here and there, and adding in the occasional hair flick. Then she tells you to add in your favourite trick from the class and that you are going to repeat the choreography plus the trick, until the song ends. She plays ‘Levitating’ by Dua Lipa (and you silently forgive her for not playing ‘Pony’) and the class dances together. By the end of the song, the room is buzzing as you all glow from good vibes and glisten with sweat! Who knew pole dancing could be such a workout?!


As you stretch and cool down in the last 5 minutes of class, Jess tells everyone about the other classes available at the studio such as exotic pole dance, pole conditioning for pole fitness, stretch and flexibility, even a class called pole acro. She thanks you all for coming and acknowledges how great everyone did tonight. You collect your things and start to walk out of the room, chatting to the girl in the blue pole shorts. Her name is Kate and she tells you that she started pole dancing a few weeks ago and how much she has been loving it. You both talk about how pole is surprisingly hard, but once you get the trick just how great it feels. You ask Kate where she bought her pole wear from, and she tells you to check out AMBR Designs online. She says that AMBR has so many different styles for different body shapes, which feel so flattering and comfortable on. Her high-waisted pole bottoms are apparently called the ‘Isla Minx Highs’. You make a mental note to check out the AMBR website when you get home.

Walking back into reception, the next class starts to make their way in. The receptionist excitedly asks you how your first class went, and you tell her you have no idea why you were so nervous – it was a blast! Discussing other classes you might be keen to try, you decide to book into another one tomorrow
night. Your naked neighbour will have to buy her own lessons – she isn't getting your class pass now!

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As you leave studio, the rose gold boots sparkle quietly from their corner and whisper your name seductively. You smile to yourself knowing you will be back for them tomorrow. Jumping into bed that night your body aches with a newfound love of this shiny world, and you happily drift off dreaming of hair flicks, heavenly heels and a blue pole wear paradise.