Emily of Altius Pole Studio in Bend, Oregon, talks with host Amy Bond about how opening her studio in the middle of the pandemic was a surprisingly good idea. They discuss how trauma-informed teaching can make students feel safer. Can you ever truly create a safe space? What makes for a good pole instructor? How do you even know if you can afford to open your own pole studio? Emily and Amy dig into all these questions in Episode 3 of Up the Pole Podcast, Season 2. 

Amy Bond, host of Up the Pole, chats with Vikka Wrexx of Wrexx Dance in Allen, TX about her experience moving from Russia and opening a pole studio in the US. They discuss the term "russian exotic," the sink-or-swim style of training pole in Russia, and what kind of community Vikka wanted to build with Wrexx Dance. 

Crystal Song of Songbird Dance in San Francisco chats with host Amy Bond of Pole + Dance Studios about the realities and surprises of running pole studios. Does Crystal regret getting the pole-a-way system? Can you be friends with your instructors? She also gets into why her $5-a-day virtual assistant didn't work out and why she's taking a step back from hosting a lot of guest workshops. 

Host Amy Bond talks with Milissa Marshall of Dazzling Diva Fitness in Winchester, Virginia. Marshall took over the reins of her studio when it was at risk of closure, becoming a pole studio owner nearly by accident! 

Amy Bond of Up the Pole Podcast talks with Hannah Mico, one of the co-founders of Midwest Movement Collective, an intentionally inclusive and all-varieties dance & movement studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. MMC opened in June 2022, and welcomes diverse styles, modalities, and people. Hannah started pole dancing in 2017, and has competed twice through Pole Sport Organization (once earning a silver medal at PSO Great Lakes in Chicago). Through pole dance, Hannah took an interest in other dance forms, including ballet, contemporary, and even tap dance! While she isn't an expert in any form of dance and doesn't consider herself a master of any form of movement, she is enthusiastic and excited about the pathways safe & comfortable movement can open for adults of all ages, abilities, and identities. 

NY based Pole Position Dance Studio owner Taylor Starke (@starkestruck) talks with host Amy Bond about the delusion required to jump into becoming a studio owner, creating a studio culture that feels authentic, and more. 

Posture and movement specialist Lorae Lyn talks with host Amy Bond about working with pole dancers' bodies, opening and expanding her own practice, and more!