Do you need qualifications to be a pole dance instructor?

I have been asked  by many people if it is actually necessary to be qualified to be an instructor, so I thought I would answer this question comprehensively. 

So the answer technically, is "No", however this is not the best way to become successful at what you do. 
As the pole dance industry is largely unregulated, it means that there are a lot of people opening studios, or doing pole dance parties who have little or no experience in pole. Why is it necessary to be qualified then?

Would you attend classes with someone who is unqualified in their field? Whether it be yoga or pilates? 
Pole may look easy, but it is strenuous and students can injure themselves very easily, especially when the instructor is not aware of either the short-term or the long-term damage that can occur if they have the incorrect hand, shoulder or leg positions.

I advise all my trainees to get insurance for public liability, as accidents can and do happen, even to the most experienced instructors.  A person who is not qualified will no doubt also be making themselves vulnerable to prosecution should something happen to their students. 

I have trained over 200 instructors since 2004 and I have taught 20 x more students and I have heard many horror stories from studio instructors that were not properly trained. Here are some of the stories:

• One lady came to me with her right arm black and blue from the elbow to the shoulder. Her "instructor" had made her invert for a full hour and a half, with no other moves.  She did not show this student how to invert correctly, and only told her that if she didn't know what she was doing then she couldn't help her.
• A trainee informed me that her instructor at her studio told her that "we don't warm up here, we learn to do tricks".
• A trainee told me her instructor insisted they could only climb if they wore boots. Upon investigation I discovered that the instructor needed them to wear the boots so that they could hook the heel of the boot behind the pole in order to sit on the pole. She did not think that there could be another way to sit.
• A trainee who attended a studio in one of the smaller towns had not learned to invert after attending classes for almost two years. The reason she was given was that the students "were not ready to invert yet".  This was because the instructor could not invert.
• Another trainee attended a studio where they learnt the same spin combination every week. After coming to classes at my studio her instructor started asking her to teach the class some new moves.
• Another student came to me after 3 poles had fallen down at her studio and the politics got too much.
• There are many other heart-breaking stories or wrist and shoulder injuries and instructors who were rude, did not explain things correctly and sometimes had no idea what they were doing.

What saddens me is that these people are discrediting the pole dancing industry. Most of the injuries were avoidable and they are making students feel inferior or stupid. 

There is a reason why you would want to get qualified and recognized:

• You will know what moves can cause potential injury
• You know how to execute tricks correctly so that they look good and are safe
• You know how to teach moves in the correct order, so your students get the moves right faster and so they get it correctly without falling or injuring themselves
• You know how to structure your classes so that all your students get the maximum benefit
• You know how to identify different learning styles
• You know how to make your classes enjoyable and make your students fit
• You reduce your chance of being sued should something happen.
• You are a role model that your students can trust and look up to

At the end of the day, any qualifications you get will add to your CV and show you as a person who is interested in furthering themselves in life. 

I cannot tell people what to do, but I do fear for some students who are attending at studios, just because they are closer to home or work. Every pole studio is not just a pole studio. There is a vast difference in background, experience, training and knowledge, and at the end of the day it will come down to the instructor.