This post is based on my own personal experiences and perspectives and what I would find helpful if I was debating between the two.
STUDIO
pros
- levels
- pole safety and care
- pole friends
cons
- studio environment
- expenses
DIGITAL
pros
- your own pace
- cheaper in the long run
cons
- levels
- pole safety and care
- pole friends
MY OWN PERSPECTIVE
In my personal and somewhat professional opinion, I do believe it is best to start at a studio IRL because you’ll have clearly defined levels, pole safety will be more extensively taught and your instructor is your spotter. You’ll learn how to clean the pole and care for the pole. You may even get to experience different finishes and sizes of poles to see which one you prefer. You may also get to learn both spin and static to see which one you prefer as well.
Pole friends was a huge thing for me in my first pole studio a million years ago. But this can also be turned into a con with studio environments. Not every studio is friendly, not every studio is run the same (they 99% of the time aren’t run the same way 😂). It then becomes a thing of searching for the “right studio” for you and what if you only have one option? It may even cause you to give up on pole and not search elsewhere if the environment is really not your style.
Pole memberships are expensive in general but IRL you have added expenses of getting to the studio. That could add in more stress than enjoyment, imo.
I really do love digital pole classes… but I’ve also been doing it for eight years, with the majority being IRL. Digital pole classes come in so many variations that you literally can go at your own pace, in your own environment and you can sometimes watch as many times as you’d like. Whereas IRL you may never return to that trick ever again unless you ask the instructor…and then there’s the whole social anxiety aspect etc. I do find that in the long run, owning your own pole is cheaper in the long run (obviously, if you can fit a pole in your space).
But the down side to starting digitally right off the bat is levels, pole safety and care. And also knowing which pole to buy, what finish, size etc. Sometimes I terrify myself when I see people buying a pole and then doing intermediate tricks when they just started pole — EVEN IF THEY ARE DOING YOGA, CONTORTION AND WHATEVER ELSE BEFORE HAND!
I have to stop myself from being like “girl, pole is dangerous.” I would know! Injuries is a whole other topic not popularly discussed amongst the community imo.
And lastly, with digital pole, imo, you don’t really get pole friends. Or at least not the same way. You can have your social media buddies or “fans”/followers but IRL feels different to me. Which is why I like to take classes from instructors I’m “fan girling” over nowadays to see what they are truly like so I don’t waste years of my devotion to sucky people 🤷🏼♀️.
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