Men in pole dance classes: how to make studios a welcoming place everyone
Pole dance in Australia is undeniably a female-majority sport; while there are many phenomenal Aussie men representing at competition level, most classes are overwhelmingly female. It can be daunting to be in the minority. It can also be daunting to teach someone who is physically quite different to yourself.
We asked male pole dance students about their experience in the studio to find out how instructors and studio owners can make their spaces more welcoming to guys.
You only have to search #poledance on Instagram to see that there is little representation of men in this sport. If you visit the website or Instagram of local studios, you’ll rarely see promo photos containing visibly masculine people. Having photos on your website that are representative of the diverse range of people at your studio can be reassuring to guys looking to try out pole. The last thing most of us want when we’re trying something new is to stick out. If photos aren’t possible, add some information on the inclusivity policy of your studio.
When it comes to the studio space, simple things like private, unisex changing rooms, and stocking merchandise in a diverse range of sizes and styles indicates to students that your space is welcoming to a diverse range of people. When stocking other pole brands, look for unisex or masculine options to accommodate students who don’t feel comfortable in the typical skimpy, femme-style pole wear.
Should pole dance instructors do anything differently when teaching men? You’ll often hear that certain tricks are easier or tougher for guys, but this is a generalised statement, and it does all students a disservice to assume their strengths and weaknesses. Even subconscious biases about how men perform in pole can be obvious to beginner students. These can manifest in instructors spending less time with male students or classmates being less enthusiastic when he nails a trick. Overwhelmingly, men reported that they want to be treated like everyone else in the class. Without any preconceived notion that he will find pole either insultingly easy or impossibly difficult.
Finally, the big fear for both instructors and beginner pole students alike - are students with testicles more likely to hurt themselves pole dancing?
We can all breathe a sigh of relief because the answer is no. Folks with testicles are no more likely to hurt their genitals pole dancing than anyone else. Some male students report tricks that require slight adjustments of body parts, but the same is true of every pole dancer, really. Everyone makes minor adjustments getting in and out of tricks based on their own anatomy and this case is no different: nothing a tilt and tuck can’t fix.
For anyone still concerned, a dance belt may put their mind at ease. Typically worn by ballet dancers, a dance belt is a garment worn under the pole shorts for extra genital support to keep things tucked tight out of danger.
The good news is that welcoming men into our pole spaces needn’t require major change. Small adjustments to things like the website, studio space, and merchandise stocked can encourage new guys into the hobby. Beyond that, men just want to be treated like anyone else in the class. Fears about anatomical differences can be put to rest, as most students will be able to accommodate these without your assistance.
Pole dancing is a sport for everyone and with a few considerations we can hopefully encourage more men feel the same.
Your Author - JAYY BURR
Jayy (they/them) is a creative, thinker and pole dancer from Melbourne, Australia. Jayy is a Vertical Flex ambassador and occasionally writes articles for us. Jayy’s aim as an ambassador is to give a students perspective of Vertical Flex classes and the community surrounding it. Their favourite pole trick is the #pdflatline and their favourite Vertical Flex class is Aerial Conditioning.
Feel free to check in with Jayy to ask about classes, their articles or their own fitness and pole experiences.
@heyjayyb on instagram
