Meet our May 2023 Teacher Feature: Pole instructor Alex the Pole Twink and Aerial Instructor Fran Sperling. If you haven’t taken class with them yet, we hope you get to know them a little better; and if you’ve already taken their classes, maybe you’ll learn something new! Best of all, enjoy classes with Alex and Fran for $25 throughout the month of July!
Take class with Alex: Use code BPALEX
Take class with Fran: Use code BPFRAN
**PLEASE NOTE: instructor discount codes are only valid for classes with Alex and Fran. Using the codes for any other instructor will result in early cancellation or a $45 single class purchase. No exceptions.
MEET ALEX THE POLE TWINK
Which apparatus do you teach?
I teach Pole and FloorWERK classes (Tuesday through Saturday!)
What is your training and background in pole dance?
Before embarking on my pole dance journey, I did 7 years of 🥋Kung Fu🥋.
How did you transition from student to teacher?
I transition from student to teacher about 3 years into my journey.
Are there any teachers that impacted your pole journey, and if so, what gift did they give you?
There are so many amazing instructors that helped me get to where I am today! Most notably Berna Osso, Stella Fink, Jeni Janover, Roz The Diva, Sam Doblick, and Armando Gonzales.
What makes your classes unique?
Every few minutes, I use the word “bootyhole”.
How do you motivate students when you walk into a class with low energy?
After I introduce myself and ask about injuries, I give them a few moments of space before class starts.
How do you motivate yourself?
The way in which I motive myself depends on my mood and my goals. Ways in which I motivate myself include finding inspiration on IG, playing my favorite song or playlist, and/or putting on my favorite outfit to dance in.
What’s your favorite playlist to jam to?
What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in pole dance?
BE PATIENT!
What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in class (as a student or a teacher)?
While teaching a Liquid Motion class, a class that requires movement initiated through the pelvis, my pelvis decided to initiate some movement of its own 🍑💨🍑💨🍑💨🍑💨🍑💨🍑💨🍑💨.
What future projects are you working on?
TAKING CLASSES ON A REGULAR BASIS AGAIN 😭
See Alex’s schedule here
Follow Alex on Instagram @alexthepoletwink
MEET FRAN SPERLING
Which apparatus do you teach?
I teach silks primarily at Body & Pole, but I also teach hoop. Over the years, I have also taught Spanish web, trapeze, flexibility, duo trapeze and lyra, and occasionally, aerial hammock.
What is your training and background in aerial dance?
My background was in theatre, then dance. I became more obsessed with dance, and spent more time in Dance Studios such as Phil Black, Luigi’s Jazz Dance Center, Jo Jo’s Dance Factory, which became Frank Hatchet’s dance studio and then later became Broadway Dance Center.
I met Chuck Kelly at BDC and began taking his acrobatics and tumbling classes, which led me to Sutton Gym Gymnastics, later, where Christopher Harrison was teaching, (before he created Antigravity). Backstage had an audition listing, seeking a top-mounter for a duo acrobatic team. I went to the audition, and thus began my circus journey!! I began training and 4 months later, was performing in Germany. As our shows grew larger, such as in Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, we needed more acts.
At the time, there was only one aerial teacher in NYC, so I began to work with Irina Gold. My acts were on Spanish Web and Static Trapeze. There were no silks or straps or lyra classes in NYC at that time. But when Chelsea Bacon came on the scene and started teaching silks in Chelsea Piers, I started taking silks! My aerial studies continued to expand, as I traveled to Vermont, Minneapolis, LA and San Francisco.
How did you transition from student to teacher?
I was seeking a convenient training space near where I live on the UWS, and found a small dance studio called Bridge For Dance. The ceilings were not high, but it was a nice open space and the owner was happy to let me set up points in her ceiling, if I would teach a kids aerial dance program there. It sounded like a fair exchange, so I began teaching kids and soon after, added an adult program. When I needed higher ceilings, I took the adults to Streb. I found I really loved teaching aerial dance. I had been teaching fitness classes for many years at gyms, (and was a personal trainer,) so I could put much of the knowledge gained in that arena forward into my aerial classes.
I had been working as an aerialist already for quite some time, and had studied with a number of different aerial instructors, so I felt confident to teach. I don’t think I would have started teaching in the earlier years, even if I was offered the opportunity.
Are there any teachers that impacted your aerial journey, and if so, what gift did they give you?
There are many teachers that have impacted my circus/aerial joinery, and I am grateful to have worked with them all, whether long or short term, in classes, workshops or privates, in aerial, acro ,or contortion. I LOVE being a student. And I continue to learn so much from working with others.. I currently am taking privates on straps. Still learning, still growing.
Some instructor mentions: Terry Beeman will forever be ingrained in my aerial DNA. Juliana Neves remains a good friend and mentor, Brett Womack, (who I met at Aloysia Gavre’s Cirque School LA where I studied briefly, before he opened his own Womack and Bowman studio) also remains a good friend and mentor.
I brought Brett to NYC years later to teach workshops at Reebok Sports Club, where I created an Aerial Program from 2008-2012. I continue to take privates with him whenever I can. And Kevin O’Connor, who is such a master on corde lisse, taught me such invaluable skills.
The challenges, struggles, and frustrations of learning new skills is real. As instructors, we know this, because we have all been there ourselves. Memorable teachers are those that inspire students, have the patience to give each individual room to find their way, and offer as much guidance, information and skills possible to feel them feel safe and confident.
What makes your classes unique?
I like to offer a lot of information in my classes. Fundamentals are relative on every level of classes one takes. Foundational skills are essential, so I like to start talking about how we use our bodies in relation to our apparatus, and to space, and how the forces of physics can help or hinder us in that relationship. Understanding how things “ work”, what makes movement more efficient and effortless or harder. Break movement down. This is the basis for technique. Making movement appear effortless in the little things one learns to do from moment to moment. What muscles do we use or are we overusing?
I don’t feel this learning process ends in intro or level 1 classes. How do you make this work efficiently? is a question we can ask ourselves in every level of classes we take. What does my body need to do to make this easier? You take information you learn and continue to apply it.
How do you motivate students when you walk into a class with low energy?
I can be a little goofy and silly sometimes. Getting students to laugh. Putting on a bit more of the lights can help, so they won’t fall asleep! Lol Taking classes certain times of the day or night can be rough, but often that is the only time people have in their schedules, But the fact that they showed up! is motivating. I find once the class gets started the energy is there.
How do you motivate yourself?
By showing up! There are days I am tired. I try to listen to my body, and need to train a little less hard than other days sometimes. It’s good to push yourself, but in excess, can lead to injuries or just a less effective work out. But it’s good to get some training in, nonetheless.
If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!
What’s your favorite playlist to jam to?
I really do not have a fav playlist.
What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in pole dance?
Have a great time and don’t take it it too seriously. Aerial arts can be intimidating because when performed well, it looks easy, and as we all find out, it’s not.
Don’t come in with expectations, just go with the flow of the class, have a blast, and find out a bit more about yourself as you go along. What feels easier or harder for you? What are you less or more afraid of trying? What surprised you that you did really well? What might you need to work on more to achieve the things that you found more challenging? Ask the teacher questions. Ask yourself questions. Then come back and see what might have changed by the second class. Then the third class…. Then the…..
Be curious. The learning curves in aerial are very malleable, personal and diverse. Be willing to fail again and again because one day you suddenly will achieve that thing that felt so impossible! And that is SO empowering. There’s no feeling like it.
Then take that feeling with you in all the things you are striving to achieve in your life.
What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in class (as a student or a teacher)?
Embarrassing things.. I probably embarrass myself when I start singing to tunes I’m playing during the warm up or during the class, lol!
I’ve experienced more embarrassing moments during performances. When working on Corporate gigs, and being required to wear costumes the Event company provides, I have lost my top on a couple of occasions because the costumes were often too big for me. And the show must go on, nothing you can do about it. Nowadays, maybe that isn’t such a big deal? But it wasn’t something I was planning for!
I also encountered my hairpiece during an aerial net act. It managed to get caught in the net, so I had to pull it out of the netting and attempt to inconspicuously throw it offstage.
What future projects are you working on?
I am not working on any project currently. Most of my time is spent on straps privates and training. I am really intrigued with the apparatus. (it appears to be a huge trend of late). Every achievement on this apparatus is a shout of joy.
I also am taking Chinese pole classes. Very new for me and a lot of fun.
See Fran’s schedule here
Follow Fran on Instagram @skybodysystemaerial
