Pole etiquette: Creating a happy studio environment

Hello Brass Queens!

We all love our time at The Brass Barre, and since the studio is shared by both students and instructors, it's important to be a considerate pole Queen!

Here's a little list of things of DO’s and DON'TS' that we put together, of things you can do and observe to make sure that everybody enjoys a clean, safe and happy environment at the studio:

 


ARRIVE EARLY FOR CLASS
DO - Aim to arrive 15 minutes before class even starts so you can change, use the bathroom, and relax!

DON’T - Bargain with your instructor if you're late! She's just following the studio's policies and it wouldn't be fair to those who were turned away before you and it's really disruptive in class. It's for your own safety that you cannot take a class if you're more than 10 minutes late! Doing only part of the warm up puts you at high risk of straining a muscle later on. Please allow for plenty of time to travel and prepare for class to avoid any disappointment. Coming from a class from another studio will not count either!

POLE PRIORITY
DO - Know that if you have registered for a class, you are entitled to your own pole. If you're making up, let the girls who are signed up for that class take their poles first. Then you can use any available poles after that, but you may have to share with other make-up girls. Sharing poles is a great way to make new pole pals! And always check if the class is full first to avoid disappointment.


ENTERING CLASS
DO - Wait until the class before yours has officially ended before you enter the studio.

DON'T - Rush into class while it's still going on. You would't want someone stepping on you while you're concentrating in the last 10 seconds of your centre split, or standing in front of your phone while it's recording the final part of your routine right? Right!


RESERVING POLES
If you happen to be in the studio as class is ending and you want to use a particular pole:

DO - Flash a smile at the girl currently using it and ask nicely if she's staying for the next class.


DON'T - Plonk a shoe/water bottle/extra bra at her feet that she could trip over, especially if she's still dancing!

RECORDING ROUTINES
DO - Ask a friend to film you from a safe distance, or place your phone on selfie mode and lean it against the nearest wall or flat surface.

DON'T - Ask her to stand too close to your neighbour, or place your phone against the base of a pole or chair someone else is using, or someone else's water bottle. The studio bans all tall/professional tripods in classes and no filming of instructors please!

 

POSTING ROUTINES
DO - Check out apps like Video Crop that allow you to crop others out of your video. And keep your videos brief please! Video's must be capped at 60 seconds. The creative copyrights do belong to the studio, and it's always good to just post your best moments rather than a long sequence. 


DON'T - Post entire routines with other girls in it on your social media platforms. Nobody wants to be identified in the background of someone else's video by mutual friends/ colleagues, especially if it wasn't a good run for us or we had a wardrobe malfunction!


POLE PRACTICE
DO - Share the sound system fairly. Everyone should have their turn to play their song, and not just keep playing the same track on repeat. And keep the foldable chairs and crash mats back in Studio 1.

DON'T - Ask another student to teach you new moves. You risk injury from not being spotted safely, or from learning the wrong technique.

 

PERFORMANCE WEEK ETIQUETTE

  • Do your actual performance using the same pole you used for rehearsal, to avoid last minute confusion!
  • Performance priority goes to those who signed up for a class on that day itself. (Eg: If you’re signed up for Monday classes, you get performance priority during performance night on Monday)
  • By all means film your rehearsal, but No filming once guests arrive! That way we can manage situations and protect everyone from being filmed by random people without your knowledge. 


GENERAL ETIQUETTE

  • To respect that the studio is a shared environment
  • Don't unplug someone else's phone while it's being charged. Especially if it's the teacher's phone during class!
  • If you're not feeling well, stay at home and rest. Pole is a high contact activity, and germs can spread quickly in enclosed studios. Be safe!
  • Treat others the way you would like to be treated: ask nicely, be friendly. Your fellow pole queens all want the same things as you do, might as well make some new friends along the way!
 

Did you know we have a Student Handbook? Click to find out more