F.A.Q.
Before your class, remember to:
Avoid using body lotion or oil on the day of your class and, ideally, the day before too – that way you won’t lose grip on the pole.
Please remove rings before using the pole, as they might damage it.
I have never tried pole dancing before. Do you offer classes for complete beginners?
Yes, we do! You can book on any day either through our website or through the Mindbody app (by selecting Exotica Pole School) by selecting “Beginner/Never Tried”.
I have no upper body strength/ coordination/ stamina etc. Is pole dancing the right sport for me?
Yes! We don’t expect our students to go upside down and hold hard moves from day one. Most complete beginners come to pole with little upper body strength or stamina, but they build them class by class.
What will happen in my first ever pole dancing class?
Your class will feature a warm-up and a series of pole dance moves or combos for you to try. These moves will be appropriate for your level and experience. …
But what if I’m bad at it?
There is no “good” or “bad”. Your instructors are trained to look after both complete beginners and advanced pole dancers. So even if you see students who have more pole experience than you, your instructor will tailor the moves taught to you according to your experience and your ability. Our studio wants to welcome pole dancers at any level, and it wants everyone to win, have fun and get strong. No one is going to laugh at you if you don’t manage to get a move
What should I wear for my first pole dance class?
We recommend wearing shorts and a tank top. You will need your knees and arms for grip, so if you cover them (with leggings or long sleeves) you might struggle staying up.
Does pole hurt?
There’s no way to sugar coat it: yes. Pole is a hard sport, and bruises are very common when working with equipment made of metal. But you get used to it really quickly!
I have an injury and/or disability. Should I take up pole dancing?
There are a lot of amazing pole dancers out there with injuries or disabilities, so you can definitely do it. We would however recommend speaking with your doctor to find out what your main challenges are, what you need to be careful about and how we can make your experience in your class better. That way, when you book your first class, you can tell your instructor about your injury or disability and they can tailor the moves they’re teaching to you.
Can men pole dance?
We don’t differentiate between genders: you’re either a pole dancer or you’re not. Man, woman, non-binary, everyone is welcome.
Can plus size people pole dance?
Yes! You don’t need to be a specific size or weigh a specific amount to pole dance.
Help! I keep sliding down on the pole!
To stick to the pole better we recommend purchasing pole dance grip, which is generally made of liquid chalk. You can find it on most pole apparel / pole wear websites.
Can I come and just watch ?
No. If you want to see us and our students perform, you can buy a ticket to our showcases, which we advertise through our Instagram.
Do you have a free trial class?
At the moment we don’t offer any free trial classes.
Which classes do you offer?
We offer pole tricks classes for different levels: Beginner/Never Tried and Beginner/Intermediate. The latter can be adapted to more advanced pole dancers as well, and the instructor will give you harder moves if you are up for the challenge. We also offer stretching classes and choreography classes. You can choose among Exotic, Russian Exotic and Contemporary Pole. Find our class descriptions here.
I have been pole dancing for a while. Which classes should I book?
If you can already invert, we recommend Beginner/Intermediate. Even if you are more advanced than that, your instructor will tailor the class’s moves to your experience. I have no dance experience and don’t feel very confident.
Should I bother trying choreography classes?
Yes! You will gain that confidence while dancing, and you will find our choreography classes a great and fun way to complement the strength work you are doing in your tricks classes. A lot of our students (and even some of our instructors) didn’t start out with a background in dance, but many of them now happily dance to choreography, compete and even teach. We all start somewhere!
Which payment plan do you recommend?
You can find our class prices here: https://www.exoticapoledance.com/studioprices. We recommend to buy a package as they include more classes at a reduced price compared to our £22 drop-ins.
Should I start with choreography or with tricks classes?
We would recommend taking a few trick classes (let’s say 3 or 4) to get familiar with the pole. Afterwards, you can try your first choreo class.
What should I wear for exotic/ choreo classes?
You will need platform heels and kneepads. Heels are necessary to enhance your movement and protect your feet, while kneepads will help protect your knees in case you need to drop or slide on the floor. For some choreographies, leggings will be fine but for others you will need leg grip. We often post our choreographies on @exoticapoledance’s Instagram so you can see what instructors are wearing. I don’t have heels, but I want to try exotic.
Should I or do I need heels?
If you want to get a feel of the class, you can come try it without heels. The instructor will adapt the moves that require heels for you. However, if you plan on coming more often, we recommend purchasing a pair of heels.
Which heels should I buy?
We recommend buying 6 inch / 12cm heels, as they are the easiest to start in. You can get higher heels when you feel more comfortable. Most pole apparel / pole shoe sites sell both sandals and boots. Sandals are great to strengthen your ankles, while boots tend to protect your ankles and your feet a little more, but they are a tad heavier to lift. The choice is yours!
How should I choose my instructors? We recommend trying different instructors in our studio to see which dancing and teaching style you like the most. We showcase them weekly on our Instagram, so you can get a sneak peek from there and from our instructors page here: https://www.exoticapoledanceschool.com/instructors.
Does the Exotica Pole Dance studio have changing facilities and bathrooms? We have the bathroom and changing room in the studio.
Covid-secure? We are keeping on top of Covid-19 safety rules and we publish all our updates on Instagram. Our latest guidelines can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqyXWhhk-6/
Do you offer pole and/or studio hire?
Yes! Pole hire can be found on our schedule and it costs £10. Studio hire is available at any hour out of our class it’s £60 per hour for small room (6 poles) and £90 per hour for large room (11 poles)
I cancelled my class but didn’t get a refund. Why?
Classes cancelled within 48 hours show up as credit on your account, and you can use it to book your next class. Classes cancelled later than 48 hours before the class show up as “late cancel” and are non-refundable. Can I reschedule my class? If you cancel earlier than 48 hours ahead of your class, you can reschedule directly with the credit you have on your account.
I’m trying to book a class but the website / Mindbody doesn’t allow me to. Why?
There may be two reasons for this.
1) You can only book our classes an hour before they take place. This is to allow instructors to know numbers and/or get there on time. Please book in advance, or call the studio to be added to an existing class if there is space (our number is in the confirmation emails you get when you pay).
2) You are trying to book a class before the first class you’ve booked in your new package with us. Our packages are activated when you book your first class – so if you’ve booked your first class on, say, 24 November, and are trying to book a class on November 23, the system won’t let you do it. To be able to book an earlier class, you’d need to cancel the first class you’ve booked in your package and re-book in chronological order.