Is it possible to teach pole dancing without a certification?

by Aisha Camacho
(Newark NJ)

How can i find a good open location to teach pole dancing lessons to my girls?

Susan from PDFF says...

Thanks for your question Aisha. Actually, it sounds like you have two separate questions...

1 - Can you teach without having a certification of some kind and;

2 - How can you find a suitable teaching space.

Let's tackle them one at a time. For a detailed answer to your first question, please see this page where I replied in detail to Jessica from England, who also wanted to know if she should get a certification in order to teach.

Regarding your second question, there are a number of options for finding lesson space so I'll do my best to cover them all.

First though, be aware that the suitability of class space will depend on the number of students and poles you anticipate having, and also the type of poles.

For example, unless you are able to rent a space exclusively for your class use (it won't be used by anyone else) and the landlord is ok with screws going into the floor and ceiling, then permanent poles are not going to work.

So for the purposes of my reply here, I'm going to assume you have portable, non-marking poles such as platform or friction mounted.

Here are some ideas for locations that may work for your classes:

Gyms or fitness centers may be willing to rent their aerobics studio out for pole classes when it's not otherwise in use. These types of spaces are usually large enough for at least 4-6 poles, and often much bigger.

Private dance studios may be another option, but be aware that they may have strict rules about what kinds of shoes can and can't be worn because of the expensive sprung flooring often used in dance studios. If you're only planning to do classes in bare feet this won't be a problem, but if you want to give your students the option to wear sexy shoes you'll definitely want to make sure this is ok with the studio.

Community centers and city recreation departments often have rooms for rent at reasonable rates, so you could look into this. Most communities publish a calendar of recreation activities and if you look in this publication you'll likely find a contact number for rentals.

Another possibility is the recreation department at your local university or college, if there's one in your city. An advantage to renting space on campus is that you'll have a built in market with all the students!

You could also do an online search for "studio space ." Most cities have at least one classified ad site (most have several) and there's also kijiji and craigslist which are nation wide. Sometimes you can find listings for space for rent by the hour, particularly if someone has a home based business and they don't use their space a lot.

And finally, depending on the size of the groups you plan to teach, it's possible to work from your home or perhaps a friend's home, if there's a room of suitable size available.

All of those options assume that you're looking for short term space, but if you're planning to open your own studio, you're probably searching for a more permanent location.

In this case, you could search the MLS listings online for commercial properties for sale or lease, but an even easier way to do this is to get a good real estate agent who specializes in commercial properties.

There should be no cost to you to engage the services of a real estate agent, as the seller or lessor will be paying their commission. They'll do all the leg work for you, helping you negotiate the lease or purchase agreement, and saving you precious time and money.

I hope this answers your questions Aisha, and I wish you all the best with your classes!