Category: Uncategorized

2024 Valentine’s Day Guide

Singles, Polycules, and Couples of all genders- we've got you covered!

Polyam Lap Dance

Who?
Triads, polycules, and polyam couples that want to dance and celebrate love with other like minded folks. Choreo provided for various group sizes!

When?
Sunday 2/11 or 2/18 at 4pm

Queer Lap Dance

Who?
Anyone who self identifies as any flavor of queer! Come on your own or with a friend/partner!

When?
Friday 2/16 at 7:30pm

Lap dancing for all

Who?
All! Obviously! But especially couples and solo students who want to pair with someone in class or learn the choreo on their own.

When?
Saturday 2/17 at 3pm

Sign up is $40 per person. Email us at info@positivespinpoledance.com if you would like to register for multiple people. Sign ups are non-refundable.

Pole Dance Photoshoots for Beginners!

Pole Dancing Photoshoot Poses

Can beginners do Pole Dance Photoshoots?

We hear it over and over again- “I really want to do a pole dance photoshoot, but I don’t know enough difficult tricks! I’m not flexible enough! I don’t know what to do!”

We’ve got good news for you! Pole dancers of all levels, including beginners, can get equally fantastic photos with a few strategies to slay their first pole dance shoot. Plus, doing regular photoshoots is an amazing way to commemorate every step of your pole dance journey!

Keep your pole dance shapes simple

Some of the best and most striking photos are made from the simplest poses. In fact, complicated and difficult positions can detract from the overall vibe and energy of the photo. Choosing a position that you know you are comfortable executing will allow you to focus on the details and make intentional choices about pointing or flexing your feet, smiling or smizing, etc.

Pole dancer doing a pole sit shape

Think about the details and objectives

Building off the last point, rather than trying to do your hardest trick, spend your energy thinking about what details you want to show off in the photos. Do you want to lean into your backbend while you stand next to the pole? Do you want a super straight leg and pointed toe? Or maybe you want to look dramatically at the camera?

Collaborate with the photographer

Maybe you read tip number 2 and thought “EEEK! I HAVE NO IDEA!”.

Don’t worry! Your photographer will help you choose details that clean up your photos. We can’t see ourselves while we’re posing, but the photographer has experience looking at a pose and giving suggestions. If you’re looking to show something specific in your photos, let the photographer know so they can help. Maybe you want to show how bendy your back is, how strong your arms have gotten, or how happy pole dancing makes you! Your photographer can help achieve any of these things.

Not all your poses need to be up the pole.

Photos on the floor or standing can be equally striking, and we all know the floor can be an equally important apparatus for pole dancing. Try poses at a variety of levels, and if you don’t know any low pole moves, try adding some floorwork or low flow to your pole dance class schedule.

Pole dancer in heels lying on the floor in front of a pole

Wear something that makes you feel confident

One of the most beautiful things about pole dancing classes is the confidence it builds. Wearing something that makes you feel your best can really help your new found confidence come through in your photos. If you can’t decide what to wear, bring a few options. There’s usually time for at least one costume change during a pole dance photoshoot! If you are planning to go up the pole, make sure at least one of your outfits works with the tricks you want to do.

Grab a pole buddy

Another benefit of pole dancing class is the friends and community it comes with. Photos don’t have to be solo. You can buddy up and celebrate your friends by taking some doubles and group pole photos. Multiple bodies opens up a whole new world of pole shapes!

Your photographer can also help with good group pole photos!

Look for a pole photoshoot with a theme you enjoy

A pole dancer in heels takes a photo in a blacklight forest themed shoot

Many pole photoshoots have themes or styles that differentiate them. At Positive Spin Pole Dance we have several photoshoots each year, which usually include blacklight shoots, halloween shoots, and pride photoshoots!

We’re lucky to have lots of talented pole dance photographers in Seattle, and working with different pole dance photographers will yield different results. With pole dancing, the possibilities are always limitless!

Learn from each experience

There’s no right or wrong way to do a pole photoshoot, but just like pole dancing itself, getting the result you want is a skill that can be built, and the best way to do it is to practice! When you receive your photos, celebrate the things you love about them and think about what you’ll repeat next time, and what else you want to try!

You can start today by signing up for our 2023 Blacklight Halloween Shoot on October 21st!

Do you have other tips for pole dancing photoshoots? Leave them in the comments!

Pole Dancing Injury Prevention and Treatment

Like all sports and activities, pole dancing comes with a risk of injury. At Positive Spin Pole Dance Fitness, we want our students to enjoy pole dancing for a long time, with minimal pain along the way. (At least injury related pain- those pole sits are going to hurt when you start working on them!)

This post includes information about preventing pole dance injuries and for treating them when they do arise. It includes some specific resources and recommendations for seattle pole dancers specifically!

How can I prevent pole dance injuries?

The best way to deal with injuries is to prevent them! But what exactly does that mean for a pole dancer?

Gradually increase your training load

We know- pole dancing is so fun and exciting that when you get started you want nothing more than to pole dance all day every day, but if your body isn’t used to that level of physical activity, it can lead to injuries, which could mean taking even more time off from pole dancing. So while you can work up to taking pole classes 5 days a week, it’s going to take some time. The good news is that beginners can handle a few classes per week if they vary what kind of classes they are taking, which brings us to our next point!

 

Spend a substanial amount of your pole dance time cross training!

Cross training is doing other activities that supplement your pole dancing by strengthening the muscles that you need to execute pole dance skills. It is also targeting muscles that are less utilized in pole dance to prevent muscle imbalances, which is another leading cause of injury.  We offer 4 main types of cross training classes- flexibility, conditioning, handstands, and floorwork. We’ll share more about the unique benefits of each of these in a future post!

 

Take care of your body outside of class time

Things like eating enough food and getting enough sleep are key to your body’s recovery process after physical activity, so make time for food, water, and rest!
It also doesn’t hurt to do some extra self care, like getting regular massages. If you’re a Seattle pole dancer, one of our pole instructors, Emily Gunter/Forbes is also a massage therapist and you can book with her here. It’s always nice to work with someone who understands your activity of choice, so that if you tell her what you’re working on in pole dance, she’ll know exactly what muscles might need some extra love!

 

What can I do if I get injured?

Even if you follow all the best advice on injury prevention, if you pole dance for long enough you’re bound to pull or tweak something eventually. We’ve all been there, so we’ve compiled our best tips and advice for recovering and getting back on the pole safely and as quickly as possible!

Best Practices for soft tissue injuries

Soft tissue injuries are injuries to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If you have a relatively minor one, there are some guidelines for taking care of them on your own. Whoever makes these guidelines really likes acronyms and you may be familiar with some of the outdated ones like ICE, RICE, PRICE, and POLICE. The current acronym protocol is PEACE & LOVE.

PEACE covers the immediate care after the occurence of an injury, and LOVE covers the subsequent management.

Protection- avoid activities and movements that cause pain during the first few days. Elevation- elevate the injury higher than the heart when possible Avoid Anti-inflammatories and ice - these can reduce the healing process Compression- elastic bandages and tape can reduce swelling Education- your body knows best, so let nature play its role. Load- let pain be your guide as you return to activities gradually. Optimism- your mindset can speed up the healing process! Vascularisation- pain free cardiovascular activities can increase blood flow to the injured area. Exercis- restore mobility, strength and proprioception by taking an active approach to recovery

When should i seek medical care for a pole dance injury?

The short and annoying answer is “it depends”, but we do have a few guidelines to help you decide when it’s time to see a professional.

  • If it’s a chronic injury lasting longer than 4 weeks and it’s getting worse or keeps coming back.
  • If it’s an acute injury lasting longer than 2 weeks or is not trending better after the first week.

Who can i talk to about pole dancing injuries?

“Dr. it hurts when I do this”
Dr.: “Well don’t do that.”

Pole dancing takes this cliche to a whole new level. It can be hard for a regular doctor or physical therapist to understand why it’s so important that you can work on getting a flatter jade split or a twisted grip ayesha. Lucky for us the Seattle pole dance community is blessed with a wealth of resources and people who get it.

Our absolute first choice for Physical therapy is Emily Scherb, AKA The Circus Doc. She is an internationally known PT, author, and educator and we are blessed to have her locally here in Seattle. She doesn’t take insurance, but if at all possible, don’t let the price tag scare you away. Emily is known to fix pole dancers so much faster than conventionally physical therapists, so it often ends up saving you some $ over time.

For those who cannot afford to access ongoing PT from The Circus Doc, Seattle has a free clinic Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Medicine. You can sign up for an appointment to get a free assessment and some professional advice to get you healed and back to pole dance.

Hopefully these resources give you some guidance toward having a healthy pole dance adventure! Feel free to talk to your Positive Spin instructors for more guidance, but remember that we are not doctors!

The Wondrous Wombats!

Join the 2023 Wondrous Wombats Performance Crew!

If you want support throughout the choreography creation process, this series is for you. You’ll have instructors to guide you and a whole wisdom of supportive wombats cheering you on!

This is for ALL LEVELS. Seriously! 

Lead by Fiora Wild (Whintey) and Rey Soley (Christina), this series will guide you through making a performance that you’ll love. Bond with your fellow Wombats as you brainstorm, develop, and polish your routine. Whether you want to try something fun and new, tell your story on the big stage, or just bond with your fellow wombats, this series will help you nail those goals.

The format will be 4 content classes and 4 assisted practice sessions, alternating. Content classes provide new information to help you build your routine, while practice sessions are open pole sessions with Christina or Whitney present to provide support while you work on your choreography. Bring polewear, wireless headphones, your phone with music on it, a method to take notes, and a method to take video to all 8 sections.

Dates:

Series:
Section 1: Fridays 5:45-7:15pm
Begins June 2nd
Section 2: Sundays 6:30-8pm
Begins June 4th

Make ups will sometimes be available in the opposite session space permitting.

Mini Showcase (included): Last Day of your Series 

Pole for Justice (optional): July 29th

Cost:
$250 for non members
$225 for members
(Does not include Pole for Justice registration, which will be sliding scale)

 

Join the Wondrous Wombats!
Seattle Pole Dance Competition
Week 1

Conceptualize & Explore

with whitney

We will discuss how to select tricks that are appropriate for your routine, prompted freestyling to your music, how to break your song down into parts, and how to start placing passes and tricks into your routine.

Week 2

Assisted Practice

 This is time to continue to get to know your song and find places in your song where you want to place specific movements or tricks.

A group of pole dancers
Week 3

Connection

with whitney

This week will cover how to expand on your passes and turn your individual tricks into combos, as well as how to build connection with your audience, and figuring out how to make your routine unique.

Week 4

Assisted Practice

This second practice session is ideal for building out the bulk of your choreography.

Week 5

Polish

with Christina

This class will teach you about using your extremities, taking your time, smoothing out your transitions, putting the polish on your audience engagement, and the value of marking your routine.

Week 6

Assisted Practice

This session should be used to fill any gaps in your choreography, as well as working through any passes or transitions that feel awkward or clunky.

a group of Seattle Pole Dancers perform a pole dance routine
Week 7

Finalize

This class will focus on asking for and providing specific feedback to your fellow wombats, then working on the final tweaks to your routine.

Week 8

Dress Rehearsal

Our final session will be a Dress Rehearsal where you can put everything together, and get some performance jitters out. It is encouraged to wear your costume, use your actual props, and have your hair/make-up done.

Join the Wondrous Wombats!

Routine Creation: From Concept to Completion

Tickets are now on sale for our winter student showcase, featuring performances built during this routine creation series!

Saturday
1/29
7pm
Sliding Scale Tickets
On Zoom

Profits will be donated to the Sex Worker’s Outreach Project

Get your Ticket

In person: Sunday, December 12 to Saturday, January 29

Online: Wednesday, December 8 to Saturday, January 29th

Have you always wanted to create and perform a pole routine, but you aren’t sure where to begin?  Or maybe you’ve tried in the past, but found yourself stuck, or needing advice and encouragement?  This workshop series will take you through the entire process, from brainstorming and choreography to the practical details of putting on your performance in front of an audience!  You will learn from multiple different instructors to gain a wide range of different perspectives and find your own personal style.  At the end you will have the ability to perform your piece for our winter student showcase!  Students may choose to sign up for each workshop individually, or get a discount if you sign up for the whole series.  

All levels are welcome, beginner to advanced.   No previous experience required.  We want to support you in bringing your incredible ideas to life!

Workshops:
In person (SOLD OUT) Sundays 5:15-6:45pm

12/12, 12/19, 1/9, 1/16, 1/23

Online Wednesdays 7pm-8:30pm
Showcase: Saturday 1/29 at 7pm

Full Series: $160

Register for the Online Series
In person is sold out! Sorry!
Week 1

Imagining your concept

with Kat

Online Wednesday 12/8 at 7pm
In person Sunday 12/12 at 5:15pm

Time to brainstorm! This workshop will focus heavily on character and concept development. Students will be provided guidance on what makes for an engaging performance and be given the opportunity to workshop their ideas with other students.  There will be ample opportunity to begin preparing your theme or concept for the showcase and be provided feedback. 

Be prepared for a warm-up and light movement as this workshop will incorporate some movement-based activities intended to get your creative juices flowing.  Pen, paper, and leg warmers/leggings are highly encouraged.

Week 2

Creating your Choreo pt 1

with Emily

Online Wednesday 12/15 at 7pm
In person Sunday 12/19 at 5:15pm

Let’s start building our routines!  Now that you have an incredible concept, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and create choreography that will bring your idea to life!  We will incorporate many different methods of choreography creation to find the style that resonates with you.  There will be ample time for you to work on both the dance elements of your piece as well as any trick combos, get advice and feedback, and workshop with peers.  

We will also discuss some of the more practical elements of building a performance routine.

Students should be prepared to move a lot in this class, but what you wear will depend on what sort of routine you would like to create!  Leggings or socks and knee pads, heels, shorts/skin contact, etc. are all welcome.  Please bring any music that you may like to choreograph to or that inspires you!  For this class it is also highly recommended that you have a phone or some method of recording yourself.

Week 3

Creating your Choreo pt 2

with piper

Online Wednesday 1/5 at 7pm
In person Sunday 1/9 at 5:15pm

Continue building and refining your routine!  We will incorporate many different methods of choreography creation to find the style that resonates with you. 

Week 4

Musicality & Stage Presence

with Trixxxy

Online Wednesday 1/12 at 7pm
In person Sunday 1/16 at 5:15pm

Come embrace your Sensuality and join me in connecting your body with the music. In this workshop we will focus on musicality and stage presence. We will learn how to find public solitude and connect our bodies with the beat of the music. 

We will be on a journey to feel most comfortable with our bodies that way we can encourage our full personality to display itself and therefore bringing alive our stage presence!!  Kneepads and socks recommended.

Week 5

Dress Rehearsal and Creative Feedback

with several instructors

Online Wednesday 1/19 at 7pm
In person Sunday 1/23 at 5:15pm

We’re getting closer to performance time!  This is the perfect way to practice performing in front of others in a supportive, low stress environment, and learn how to reduce your performance day jitters.  

Get cheered on by everyone who has been on this creative journey with you, try out your costume and/or makeup ideas and work through any last minute kinks in your routine.  If you would like feedback, we will have multiple instructors helping out to give you their unique views and suggestions.

Week 6: Showcase! Saturday 1/29 7pm

Blacklight Party and Photoshoot

December 28th

7-9pm

at Positive Spin

124 N. 103rd St, Seattle, WA

$15-25 tickets

Register

Grab your UV reactive Pleasers and join us for the best pole party of 2019! This event is part dance party, part open pole jam, and part photo shoot, so come wearing your best blacklight reactive outfit! Don’t have anything to wear? We will have UV paint and accessories, so come early and decorate a t shirt or yourself so you can shine bright. No experience necessary, we will have instructors present. 18+

We will have an experienced blacklight photographer to get some amazing photos of you!

Proceeds will be donated to Lambert House to support local LGBT youth.

So you wanna be a stripper?

There’s more to stripping than being good on a pole, but very few resources for those who are starting out. We’ll teach you what it takes to be a professional ass shaker, from clothing, to hustle, and to knowing local Seattle laws.

This class is great whether you’re serious about stripping, or just want to learn more about the experience.

For clothing, bring two pairs of shorts layered, a shirt, and some sort of nipple covering for when the shirt comes off. We will learn a routine geared towards performance at a club. In addition, bring a notebook and a pencil to this class; part of this will be in lecture format.

$5 from every ticket sold will be donated to SWOP, (Sex workers outreach project)

$20 Positive Spin Members
$40 Non Members

Register Now!

3 ways pole fitness is changing the narrative of toxic fitness culture

If there’s one thing you can count on in January, it’s every gym being suddenly packed with folks who have resolved to make this the year they finally exercise regularly. This is a fantastic pursuit, if the exerciser is loving themselves through the process. All too often, exercise and the resolutions that drive them are paired with self loathing, regret, and shame.

Fitness culture is unfortunately cluttered with toxic messages that portray health as one size fits all images and numbers. These uniformed standards lead many to shame and self scrutiny if they don’t fit these images, or if they don’t manage to follow the strict fitness regimen they’ve been led to believe is their moral responsibility. Health is an incredibly broad concept, and this way of thinking minimizes it in a way that erases the big picture and, at its worst, leaves the subject less healthy.

What about self love, connection, and emotional well being? Aren’t these at least as important as the size of your biceps or your jeans? Many fitness icons have started to recognize the importance of positive messaging, but I’d argue that many of their efforts fall flat. Have you ever seen a photo of a thin, white woman’s six pack abs with an inspirational caption like “love yourself at every part of the journey”? While the message is objectively important, I’d argue that such posts aren’t doing leaps and bounds to boost the confidence of the average person.

So what is the alternative? Pole fitness is making huge strides in changing the narrative of health and fitness by emphasizing these 3 principles.

1. You Don't owe exercise to anyone

Why is there such a widespread sense of obligation to exercise, to look a certain way? Who exactly is this obligation to, and why do we feel guilty when we don’t follow through? Psychotherapists have decided that guilt is a “destroyer of emotional energy,” which “leaves you feeling immobilized in the present by something that has already occurred.” So if guilt is motivating our exercise pursuits, this can be counterproductive to our overall health.

So what is the alternative to guilt driven exercise?

2. Exercise as celebration, not punishment

Have you ever eaten a delicious meal, only to be flooded with guilt afterwards, making a commitment to run for at least an hour at the gym tomorrow morning, even though you hate running? If you’re like over 75% of the population, you might go through this thought process regularly.

But are we really meant to live our lives in a vicious cycle of “eat something that tastes good, become filled with guilt, do something you hate to feel a little better about it”? Is that what health looks like? It’s certainly not the health standard I want to live by, and not the standard I try to instill in my students at Positive Spin.

Instead, we come together as a community to celebrate the unique abilities of our bodies. Pole class is a time to enjoy and take pride in what your body can do today, while getting excited about what it will be able to do in the future. It’s your favorite part of the day, not the part you dread!

3. Every body looks, and excels differently

Science has long known that our bodies are diverse, and that healthy bodies can come in many shapes and sizes. Yet that hasn’t stopped most of us from feeling like we need to meet a very narrow standard of beauty.

Pole fitness isn’t about changing what your body looks like, it’s about discovering what your body can do right now. Your body will absolutely change and get stronger in the process, but the focus is on all the amazing things that you’re already capable of.

One particularly unique element of pole is that different body types will excel at different moves. Thinner polers might have an easier time gaining the strength to climb the pole, but thick thighs are helpful for holding onto the pole in sits and laybacks. Stomach fat can help you grip the pole in cradle spin and certain elbow grip moves. A very muscular dancer might be able to easily pull themselves upside down, but they might lack the flexibility that another dancer has to do more bendy moves. Pole allows you to discover what your unique body excels at.

As we move into 2019, I hope you’ll consider what a healthy, happy life looks like to you, and don’t feel obligated to meet someone else’s standards.

If you’re interested in trying pole fitness and joining a community that will support you in this journey, we invite you to try Positive Spin for 2 weeks for our January/February New Student Trial Membership Special.

Sign up here for more info!

6 reasons your teen needs to try pole fitness

Positive Spin is offering trial classes for winter session (starting the week of 1/8/2024)!

Fill out our interest form to get on the list for early access to new session information!

Is pole fitness suitable for teens? While pole fitness was once a controversial activity for minors, the industry has evolved into something that is not only appropriate, but highly beneficial for youth!

If you haven’t been tuned into the evolution of pole fitness, a little research will show a very wide variety in styles of pole. Sure, there are adults who practice exotic style pole, but pole fitness has expanded to include an athletic practice that isn’t any more sexual than the kids classes offered at your local gymnastics gym.

So why pole fitness, when there are so many activities for kids out there?

1.Pole is one of the only strength based sports that puts women and other non-men in the spotlight.

Even as our culture has evolved, and Title IX guarantees that folks of all genders can participate in sports, many sports programs still place men’s leagues in the spotlight. Men’s sporting events are usually more heavily attended and glorified, making men more likely to pursue and continue in sports. As a result, most femme folks do not grow up thinking of their bodies as strong and powerful.

Pole dance is culturally associated with women, has a large gender queer community, and takes a tremendous amount of physical strength. I cannot tell you how many adult women I come across that do not think they can be strong. One of my favorite parts of owning a studio is that I get to show them otherwise. It is an extremely empowering realization! I often wonder how their lives would be different had they been exposed to pole at a younger age.

2.Pole dancers have created one of the most supportive communities.

Pole dance culture has evolved to be non-competitive. Even though competitions are increasing in popularity, dancers are expected to cheer each other on and work together. 

Almost anywhere you go, pole communities share the same core values of body positivity, celebrating one another’s successes, and building quality relationships. There is a culture of respecting everybody’s unique journey, so students who aren’t traditionally athletic are treated as equals at the studio.

3. Pole can become a lifelong hobby and fitness practice.

As we age, both exercise and community become more likely to fall by the wayside, and pole is a great place to meet both of these needs at once. Many sports offer less opportunities as you age, but pole is the opposite. Most studios cater to busy adults, offering a variety of classes and flexible scheduling.

Additionally, pole isn’t as hard on the body as some other sports. Take it from Greta Pontarelli, 67 year old pole star. “Older people can still do amazing things (on the pole) because it doesn’t stress the joints…so it really has tremendous longevity. I think I opened a door. There was a glass ceiling there that broke and I realized this is something that we can do well into our senior years. I hope to do it as long as I live.”

4. Pole is incredibly body positive.

Pole dancers learn to love their body for what it can do, rather than obsessing over what it looks like. Our adult student, Tiffany, explains “I wish I would have discovered it as a teen, who wasn’t even comfortable wearing shorts, to learn to accept my imperfect body and be excited that my body allowed me to do awesome pole moves!”

The world lacks safe spaces for plus size folks to exercise. The pole community is making strides in changing this by offering classes for every body. Roz the Diva is an industry leader in promoting body diversity in pole. 

5.Pole is both athletic and artistic.

Before starting pole, I was not an athlete. In fact, I never played a sport growing up, since I favored music, theatre, and art. Pole is great because it is both artistic and athletic. It provides an incredible workout for artistic students, while allowing athletic students to explore their creative side.

6.Pole teaches men to respect women.

All of our classes are gender inclusive at Positive Spin, and students of all genders are given the same opportunities. Since pole is a female dominated sport, most of our instructors and our most experienced students are female bodied. It can be rare for boys to have female sports coaches, and it is our hope that this shows them that women can be stronger than them, and that this is totally okay.

Our teen pole program started in the 2017-18 school year. Our first teen student, Cayden, shares a little bit about her experience with pole.

“I got started with pole dance because my friend brought me along to her pole class, and then I was totally hooked. It’s made me feel proud of my body, confident, and like I can beat my brother at arm wrestling! More teens should do pole dancing, it’s great!”