Pole dancing is hard! From the very first class we are expected to lift or hang with our entire body weight and, whilst spinning, try to figure out where our limbs go AND how to make it look good. Not surprisingly some students struggle to keep up in conventional studios. You wouldn't go to the gym and instantly lift 50kg+, so why do we expect pole students to?
Practical Pole is specifically designed to build your strength, flexibility and ability bit by bit in a safe way and will leave you feeling accomplished! You'll build strong foundations, regardless of your level, and good theoretical knowledge. My strengths lie in being able to break tricks and movements down in to their component parts and explain this in a way that is simple and easy to digest. No more "squeeze your tummy" ... I am going to show you HOW to squeeze your tummy for effective results. And I will make it as fun as possible on the way.
I'll also help you to develop your own style and interests. You'll get a little bit of everything, on and off the pole, as well as injury prevention and a syllabus you can follow, video by video, to take you from beginner to higher intermediate. It is not in my interest to create movement clones - students who move just like me - but to give you the tools you need to be the best version of yourself.
I also undertake near continual CPD and further learning to ensure my teaching is in line with the current science and theory. Not only that but you can request content or ask questions at any time - I am here to help and want you to succeed.
Come join this awesome little community and smash all of your goals.
Instructor CV
Name: Bex Smith
Name: Bex Smith
- Level 2 NVQ Gym Instructor
- Spin City Beginner Instructor Certified
- Insured by Equity
- Level 4 PDC Dancer
- Teaching since 2013
- Pole Dancing since 2012
- First Aid Trained
My pole journey started back in 2012 when a friend dragged me to her pole practice session. It was almost entirely against my will but it took only one spin for me to fall in love. I walked in there wearing terrible big baggy yellow shorts, school P.E uniform style, and a baggy t-shirt and felt completely and utterly awkward. I was shy, anxious, had never really danced in my life, could barely climb a set of stairs and found public speaking impossible. I was disconnected for my own body and felt uncomfortable in my own skin. I smoked, drank, had mental health issues and a terrible diet.
Yet here I am today, with a decade long career managing two studios, standing up in front of groups of people and teaching them to be badasses week in week out plus regularly performing in front of huge audiences whilst wearing very little clothing. Pole changed my life and gave me insane levels of confidence!
Because I know how it feels to be terrified, uncomfortable in your own body and painfully shy or anxious, it has allowed me to be the instructor that I needed. It is important to me that I create a comfortable environment for new students so that you can feel safe to explore and progress at your own pace.
Teaching and connecting with my students is the best part of my job. I take great pride in helping every person who walks through the studio doors to feel comfortable and build confidence. Teaching is problem solving and I love the challenge of getting to know each student; what makes them tick, what their learning style is and how to get them to their goals. My love of learning means I am constantly doing CPD and continued learning and I love to share what I learn with my students, so that we can all benefit from doing things in safer and more effective ways.
As for the boring stuff: I started teaching for SASS in 2013 and was promoted to manager after a few years, looking after the day to day running of two studio locations, whilst teaching and performing in a wide range of disciplines, more on that below. Like many people, during Covid, I had a complete rethink of my life and realised that I wanted to focus solely on my first love, pole, and that I wanted to reach more people and help to raise the standards of the pole community as a whole. I stepped back from my role at SASS, teaching only a limited number of classes and focused on building Practical Pole!
I decided to start my own online platform as I saw a huge gap in the market and felt that most of the home training options that existed lacked structure and the kind of detail that a student might need whilst training alone at home, with no one to support them. I opened Practical Pole in 2022 which has grown to over 100 members all over the world. At the end of 2023 I went a step further and left SASS taking on classes in Wincanton. Thus Practical Pole Wincanton was born.
We are currently in the process of restructuring and rebuilding our wonderful pole community there, and have big plans for the futures, so stay tuned.
Over my, more than a decade long, career I have trained in, taught and performed professionally in a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to: pole dance, aerial hoop, silks, trapeze, lollipop pole, fire, hula hoop, stilt walking and podium dancing. The biggest audience I have performed for was around 7 thousand but I have performed for both small and big audiences all over the UK for different agencies, plus around 40 studio showcases alongside my students.