Create Your Own Pole Dance Space

I have not always had my own pole dance space. Sometimes I was renting and couldn’t make any holes in the ceiling with pole that I had; sometimes there just was not enough room. As of today, my pole (X-pole now!) is down because things are just a little crowded in the room that I have.

My finished pole dance room.

Before this I went from a very large bedroom with almost 12’ ceilings that I converted into a pole dance space. I tore out the old carpet and replaced with a snap-lock vinyl flooring that was relatively easy to install with a little help from a construction friend. I bought some large mirrors from a local glass shop and strung up colored rope lights, hung some dark pink curtains over the large windows to create a glowing pink colored light in the room.

Other than not having an air conditioner for the hot California summer months, it was wonderful and I used it as more than just a place to pole; I retreated in there, sweating for hours working on the two X-Poles I had, brass and chrome, until my body just felt like it needed an ice bath.

The best times were when my neighbor who is also a dedicated poler, would come over and we wouldn’t stop practicing until we could hardly move. We filmed many a practice in there and I learned that with a little technique and lots of hard work, pushing myself to the limit, I could DO IT. I learned to perfect my Butterfly in there and started learning to Shoulder Mount as well, using my handy crash mat.

How to Create Your Own Pole Dance Space

Installing vinyl flooring.

Here are some ideas first on thinking of where to create your space if you are renting and cannot make a whole lot of changes:

Use a removable pole that won’t leave marks on the ceiling and doesn’t require any drilling such as the X-pert X-Pole

Use a removable dance floor if you have carpet and are wanting a smoother surface. You can create your own with some plywood and glue-down vinyl tiles which are relatively inexpensive and can be found at a Home Depot or lumber/hardware store.

Put up a curtain or divider if you want some privacy or to close off your area. You can sew one yourself, use a colored sheet or buy a long curtain online and use twine to string it up.

String up some colored Christmas lights or use colored bulbs on the lamps for a soft, sexy glow. Setting the mood to dance is important! Unless you need bright light to film yourself or just like the light, airy look Tip: I always buy new lights right after the holidays when they are on sale.

Hang a mirror or set up a dressing-room style mirror for added illusion of space, reflection of light and also to see yourself! Look at thrift store, yard sales or Craigslist for used mirrors.

A speaker for your music that you can connect your phone to via Bluetooth or with an AUX cord. There are some really cheap options online.

Areas of your house to consider

Areas of your living space to use for your pole dance space:

The middle of the living room (you might always have an audience!)

Take advantage of the kitchen or dining room tiled floor?

Your bedroom – probably the best spot as we mostly use our bedrooms only for sleeping.

A spare bedroom or office space. If you have the privilege of having an extra room to spare, this is ideal! I am moving in the fall of this year and specifically purchased a home with an extra un-needed bedroom that has 10 foot ceilings! (I would like taller ceilings but I am not going to complain!)

Own your own home or apartment?

I found rope lights on sale.

If you do have the luxury of owning your own living space and are free to make changes or remodel, here are some ideas for creating your own pole dance space or room:

Creating a smooth floor for floor work and pivoting in heels is not as hard as you think. There are lots of DIY videos and instructions for putting in VCT, vinyl glue down tiles, snap-lock vinyl flooring, hardwood and even ceramic tile. I like the vinyl products not only are they cheaper and easier to put in, they are the smoothest!

Paint your walls for the mood you like – dark black ceiling and purple walls for a club-like effect, white walls and crown molding for a light and airy ballet studio effect.

Lighting! Lighting is my favorite. Colored Christmas or rope lights do the trick. These are easy to hang up and are movable. Track lighting for a spot-light effect is also a cheap option. I removed all ceiling lights except for one spotlight because I had put up two poles and didn’t want to accidentally kick any fixtures!

Mirrors not only allow you to see yourself when trying new moves but they create an openness to the room and reflect all your pretty lighting as well.

A shelf or closet space to store all your grips, shoes, DVDs, notes, shorts and other pole dance gear is essential. I just set up a cheap black shelf I had found for a few dollars at a thrift store and used it to set my laptop on when learning new material online as well.

A music playing system. I splurged in this area and bought a Bose wireless speaker that my phone could connect to via Bluetooth. The sound is incredible, fills the room and the base is out of this world.