Many pole journeys culminate in a performance or competition opportunity. However, transitioning from pole student to choreographer can be a challenging step. Choreographing requires not only technical proficiency and pole vocabulary but also the ability to create instead of just replicating. I had my first opportunity to perform after training for only eight months. My instructor (big shoutout to Christella!) had signed up for a competition at a strip club and encouraged me to compete as well. I remember choosing “Unforgiven” by Metallica because I felt I had a story I
could tell using its intense and moody vibe. Beyond that, I recall stringing together all the tricks I knew at that point and adding a bit of floorwork using skills from jazz classes I’d been taking. I ended up winning the contest, but I really had no idea what I was doing besides being passionate about the song. More than a decade (and many performances) later, I can certainly say that my process has become much more well-defined!
Choosing a Song
The first step is often selecting a song, unless a song has been given to you. If you do have agency to choose your song, here are some things to think about:
Does the song include tempo changes? Or is it fairly repetitive? Tempo changes can often make an act more interesting.
Is the song a good fit for your style? There are many songs that I love listening to, but I would not have an easy time dancing to all of them! My natural style is lyrical, and fast-paced songs are often not a good fit for me, for example. If you’re not sure, you can always try improvising to a possible song candidate and see how it feels in your body..
What’s the song about? Are you familiar with the lyrics (if there are any)? What’s the mood? Make sure the song is appropriate for the venue, audience, your style, and the vibe that you’re going for. I struggle to authentically portray cheery/light-hearted/upbeat characters, so I usually select more moody or powerful songs.
Getting Familiar with Your Song
After I choose my song, I start listening to it on repeat. This step is essential to my process, though other dancers may prefer to start dancing to their songs as a first step. I’m able to visualize pole sequences that I haven’t tried out fairly well in my head, so that’s part of why this step helps me. During this phase, here are some things I think about:
Are there particular musical cues in the song that I want to emphasize? Is there a dramatic
climax in the song? When do the verses, choruses, etc. happen?
What style of shapes and movements make sense with the song? For example, do I see angular, bent shapes or smooth curves when I listen to it? Are movements smooth and continuous (like lyrical dance) or more staccato (sharp movements and static holds)? This will help me decide on the specific tricks I will include.
How do I see myself starting my act? Is there a specific pose that will help me begin my story?
Why do I like this song? What does it make me feel? Does the song already tell a story that makes sense for my act?
I usually listen to my song for at least one week straight before I even start dancing to it. Choreographing a song is like building off of someone else’s art and using it as inspiration. It’s like you’re sharing your own interpretation of the songwriter’s work. I like to think that I’m adding something to their art, rather than just using it.
Parameters of the Performance
Next, make sure to consider the parameters of the performance while choreographing. This will ensure that you don’t have to change your act after you’ve already choreographed it, or worse, realize it needs to modified while you’re performing it! Here are some things I like to consider:
Where will the audience be? Is the stage in the round (audience on all sides) or will the audience be viewing from just one side (as in a standard theater)? Or will you even be on a stage at all? Tricks need to be angled intentionally, so the audience sees exactly what you want them to see. For example, a non-square split will look like a straight line from one angle and won’t look like a split from most other angles. You also want to make sure you engage with your entire audience, so if you’re in the round, tricks need to be presented to all “sides.” Using spin pole tricks is a great option when performing in the round because of this. If you’re not performing on a stage, low level tricks may not be visible to most of your audience and you may choose to stay up the pole as much as possible.
What’s the size of the stage or performance area? If including any floorwork, it’s essential to know how much floor space you’ll have. If you’re performing close to the audience, you may also need to consider how far your legs can extend out from the pole without potentially hitting audience members (this might sound unlikely, but I’ve performed at many events where I had to be mindful of this!). If you’re using a stage pole, then your floorwork likely can’t extend beyond the pole stage, or you’ll need to choreograph transitions that accommodate stepping up and down from the pole stage.
What’s your costume? Sometimes you may be asked to wear a less-than-ideal costume piece. For example, maybe you’ll be asked to wear pants or attire that covers skin you’re used to using. As long as you choreograph with your costume in mind, and practice enough in it, most costumes can be accommodated. Obviously, if you’re not confident that you can safely perform in the costume you’ve been asked to wear, then discuss other options with the person who hired you.
Are you using a spin or static pole? Whether you’re using static or spin pole should be decided before you start choreographing as combos and tricks are different for each.
What equipment are you using? If you’re not provided your own equipment, make sure you know the specs of the equipment you’ll be using. For example, the pole height and diameter, the flooring around the pole, the type of metal, and whether it can be set to spin. Not all poles can spin, so if you choreograph for spin and then find out that the pole you’re using is static, you’ll have to modify it on the spot. In particular, if the equipment is provided by someone who doesn’t pole themselves, then they may not be aware of how their equipment may differ from standard poles. It can be quite jarring if the pole is not like what you prepared on.
Will you be performing somewhere especially cold or hot? Outdoors or indoors? Cold poles can be slippery and there may be certain skills that you won’t be comfortable performing (or you may just need to add a point of contact). I used to think quite a bit about whether I would be in a cold environment, but I don’t find I need to worry about that as much at my current skill level. If you’re performing on a metal stage pole in direct sunlight, you might want to minimize skin contact with the stage and limit floorwork, depending on your tolerance to hot metal!
Who’s your audience? Some skills may be recognized as incredibly impressive to fellow polers but may go over the heads of a non-pole audience.
Free Dance to Your Song
Once I have a clear idea of what story or feeling I want to share with my act and with the parameters of the performance, I’m ready to start dancing. I begin this phase by playing my song on repeat, trying out some of the sequences I visualized, and filling those in with improvisation. I often choose to “fill-in” with recent combos I’m excited about and fluent in. However, it’s important not to be too rigid with specific combos and adapt them to fit the flow of the song as well. For example, if your combo has a dramatic drop in it, the drop will probably make the most sense at a musical cue you want to emphasize rather than occurring wherever it happens to land in your freestyle! While I may have some sequencing planned out already, I usually have to figure out the practical timing once I actually start dancing. While I can visualize combos well, I usually don’t know the timing until I start dancing. I like to video most of my dancing and start viewing my act like my audience will right from the start.
Outlining Your Choreography
The beginning of your act is your introduction to the audience. It’s how you can draw them in and engage them. It can also set the tone for your performance. I often like to start with a pose that represents the beginning of the story I want to tell. For example, a small,compact pose where I’m hiding my face and protecting my body, and then as the song progresses I blossom and become empowered, and conclude my act with a large and strong shape. I will use the first musical cue I want to accentuate for a big trick that may require more strength or grip. This will continue to reel in and excite the audience but also is practical because at the end of the act I will likely be getting a bit tired and have little chalk left on my hands. I always hold my first big pose long enough for the audience to fully appreciate it. An old coach of mine gave me the advice: “Hold your first trick until the audience claps.” I have found this to work very well. Keep in mind that an audience who is not familiar with pole tricks may take longer to appreciate and “understand” shapes.
I often think about the ending of my act before I finish choreographing the middle. The
ending is your chance to leave an impression or lasting thought with your audience. It could include a climactic twist in your story or be an impressive trick. If finishing with a big trick, just make sure that you’ll have the strength and grip for it at that point. There are many beautiful shapes that may look challenging to the audience but don’t actually require much effort on your part. Janeiro is that trick for me!
To finish choreographing between the intro and the conclusion, I often try out combos that I am very familiar with and see how they feel with the music. I adapt them as needed to hit the musical cues I’ve identified. I also usually plan rest poses where I’ll need them, and floorwork whenever I know I’ll need to restart my spin since I perform on spin pole only. Specific shapes in these combos can also be varied to align with the music. For example, if the combo I’m using includes a superman, but my character is “creepy,” I might choose to perform a twisty, contortion variation of superman instead.
Refining Your Choreography
Once I’ve outlined my choreography with all the tricks I’ll be performing, then I start really honing in on the transitions and details. First, I think about the “moments” that I’m including (usually these are the musical cues I’m emphasizing with big tricks). If my hands or legs are free, what am I doing with those? Can I use my hands to draw the audience’s attention to something in particular or to emote? Will I look at my audience or instead look somewhere onstage to encourage the audience to do so as well? This will help you tell a story instead of just performing a sequence of tricks. Choreographing arm, leg, and head movements will also help you polish your act.
Next, I think about angles again. It’s really helpful to watch a video of your act for this. Make
sure you’re presenting your tricks where your audience can appreciate what you’re doing. If you’re using a spin pole, make sure you’re starting and landing your spins at the right positions.
In the final phases of choreographing, I watch a video of my act and try to identify any parts that appear awkward, difficult, or just don’t help me portray the character I’m presenting. It’s important not to be too attached to anything. If it doesn’t fit or if it doesn’t look the way you want it to, swap it out for something else. For example, I generally don’t perform any active splits tricks, such as a handstand with a square split. While this looks beautiful on many performers, when I see it on myself I just see that my split isn’t completely flat and that’s not something that I want to show to my audience. There are so many shapes to choose from (and to create!) that I don’t need to try to perform any shapes that I don’t like on myself or that may reveal one of my weak spots.
Lastly, I always “level down.” I don’t include any tricks that I’m not confident I can safely execute 100% of the time on a cold pole and when I’m tired. You can also plan alternative options for tricks if that makes you feel more confident (generally adding a point of contact may be all you need to do to accommodate an extra-slippery pole). Audiences often love simple tricks that look effortless. If you’re not confident in a skill, your audience will be nervous for you! Don’t forget that beginner pole tricks are impressive too! Since the goal of performance is generally to share a story or emotion with your audience, you don’t need to perform all of the most difficult pole skills you can do (which may go over your audience members’ heads anyway).
If you’re new to choreographing, I hope you find some of my tips helpful! Choreographing is a skill that requires practice and takes time to develop. Feel free to share your journey as a choreographer with me!