Can I learn to pole dance from a book?
by Jenny
(Fairfield IA)
Question: There aren't any pole studios in my town so I'm thinking of getting my own pole at home.
I've seen a few books that teach pole dancing moves, so I thought about getting one of those before I buy a pole, to see if I think I could learn on my own.
Are books a good way to learn, or should I get a DVD instead?
Susan from PDFF says...
Great question Jenny! Many people look at me kind of funny when I talk about learning pole dance moves from a book, so I'm glad you're with me on this one.
I guess there's good reason to be skeptical though, since dance is movement based and that can be difficult to convey with words and still photos as opposed to video.
Still, books and manuals have many of the same advantages as pole dance DVDs when it comes to learning the tricks and moves. But they also have a couple of unique advantages. For example...
- Books tend to be even more cost effective than DVDs. For about the same price as a DVD, you usually get a lot more information.
I'm not sure why information in written form tends to be valued less than visual formats like DVDs, but often books will provide all the information you get in a video (except the live motion of course!), and sometimes a lot of extra details that you won't find in DVDs and videos. - Some people learn better by reading than by watching. If you're someone who likes the feel of a book in your hands and being able to turn the pages as you learn, studying pole dancing tricks from a manual may be perfect for you.
- And if you're a real left brainer, you can get right into study mode and analyze all the little details from the photos and written explanations.
- A pole dancing manual or book is also great for reinforcing in-class or DVD learning, once again because it can supply information in a slightly different way.
You may have struggled with a concept for weeks and then one day pick up a book on the topic and, in a blinding flash of brilliance, finally "get it."
Did the book explain it better than a live instructor or a DVD? Maybe, but quite likely it was just that you were able to see things from a slightly different angle by reading, and everything just suddenly clicked.
So the answer to your question Jenny, is really it depends on what kind of learner you are - do you need to see live action to understand what's going on, or do you prefer to read and study pictures and diagrams?
My own opinion is that there's no one best way to learn for everyone. And even for an individual, there are benefits to learning in different ways.
Pole dancing books are all pretty inexpensive, especially when compared to studio classes, so I'd suggest you go ahead and pick up a book or download an ebook and see what you think.
It's not expensive, and you'll probably learn something about how you learn in the process, which is always good information to have!
Check out these pole dancing books
