Can you become a pole dancer without going to lessons but training yourself?

by Chaz

This is something I've always wanted to do! And I've finally got the pole, and the dvd training kit, but there's no pole dancing lessons close to me, and wherever I've looked they're far away and cost a lot of money, so I was just wondering, can you go to auditions without having proper training and if you've taught yourself?

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Why not? I did!
by: Susan from PDFF

You can definitely become a pole dancer without taking lessons and instead training yourself...I did! After all, the minute you do your first move on the pole, you're a pole dancer. But you don't specify what you're planning to audition for, and perhaps that's where your hesitation lies.

If you're referring to getting a job as professional dancer in a strip club, then as far as I know you just need to be able to entertain the audience. Neither your boss nor the patrons are going to care how you learned your pole dance moves, so grab your DVDs and go for it!

If you're wanting to get good enough to audition for a pole dance competition, performing group, or similar, then again I believe the focus is more on what you can do rather than on how you got your training.

As far as teaching pole dancing goes, if you'd like to audition in the hopes of getting a teaching position at a pole dance studio, the training requirement will vary.

There are no set standards for pole dance instructor qualifications as there are for say doctors or lifeguards. Some studios will want you to have a fitness instructor certification and a minimum level of pole dance ability. Others will apprentice you if they feel you have the potential. Still others offer instructor training programs and only hire out of that program.

Teaching is different than performing in that you'll be responsible for leading a safe and effective class, so it's important to have some knowledge and training, or at least some background or experience in dance, fitness, gymnastics or a similar sport.

If you've done or coached any of these in the past you'll have a good base for teaching, but you may still want to take additional training specific to the activity, and in particular to teaching, if this is your goal.

Here are some further resources that can help if you want to learn to pole dance in order to become a teacher:

Info on how to find pole dancing jobs

Different ways to learn to pole dance

Pole dance teaching resources

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