How to travel and teach pole dance workshops (Part 2 of 2)

Becoming a traveling or touring pole dance instructor can be super fun!

It can also be a great way to make money and meet new people.

If you are interested in hosting a touring teacher at your studio, please read this post.

If you are interested in how to start touring (or participate in an event, camp or other teaching outside of your home studio situation), start with part 1 first.

In part 1 we covered:

• Creating your offering
• Having a contract
• Travel considerations
• Some safety considerations

In this post, we’ll talk about how to get booked for teaching a workshop outside of your home studio.

Clarify your message

If you read part 1, you’ll have already started to do some work on what your unique selling point is, who your target demographic is, and what specific workshops you might want to offer.

Now, review your existing marketing like your website, your workshop “menu,” and/or your social media.

If all these things align, great! If they don’t or it’s not clear what you are selling—maybe your social media is a mix of your personal life and pole—then you may not be showing a clear message to potential studios or other organizations to hire you.

Spend some time making sure your “brand” is clear and consistent before doing specific marketing about your intention to tour.

Check out this post for more tips on creating your brand.

Advertise your intention

While you don’t need a website, relying on social media alone can be limiting.

Creating an email list is a great way to nurture existing clients who might purchase from you/work with you again or engage more specifically with people who like your content/vibe but haven’t become customers yet.

Read this post for more information on how to create your email list.

Once you have an email list, send newsletters or emails with some regularity. Monthly is common but you could any cadence that is regular.

Tell your audience your intention to teach workshops outside of your home studio. You could say something like “I love traveling! Book me to visit your studio!” or you could try something more specific if you wanted to target a specific state or city like “Looking to teach workshops in Las Vegas. Contact me for details.”

Do the same thing on social media. Announce that you are looking for traveling gigs being as specific as appropriate for your situation.

If you don’t tell people that you want to become a touring instructor, then they won’t know you’re available to book!

Actively look for opportunities

Don’t just wait around for an opportunity to approach you.

Applying to teach at a camp or event may be a great opportunity to start touring.

These usually have application processes that are very specific as to what the organizer is looking for, what the payment is, and will most likely have a formal contract. To find these opportunities, Google for pole camps and events, search Facebook for groups that publicize these opportunities and ask friends/other pole colleagues for ideas. For instance, IPIA partner PoleCon has a clear application process for both free and paid workshop leader opportunities.

While you might not get picked the first time applying, you will get the experience of applying! Not every event or camp is looking for you and that’s ok! Use any rejection as an opportunity to keep honing your message. Ask for feedback if possible

Outside of events or camps, you can also contact studios directly. You might have a goal studio to work with that fits your demographic or teaching style or you may look for a location you’d like to visit or are already visiting.

Send the studio a clear email or DM with who you are, what you’re looking to do with them, your timeframe for teaching, and a link to your workshop menu.

If you haven’t heard back from them in a week, send a follow up. If you still haven’t heard back, they might be too busy to respond or they may not be interested and aren’t sure how to say that. How many times you should follow up after 1 or 2 times becomes a personal preference.

Get some help

You don’t have to navigate this alone!

If you really want to start touring but you’re not sure how to start, there are individuals and organizations within the pole industry that focus on helping pole instructors become touring pole instructors.

Alanatis Bohlen Management is one such organization. Poles on Tour was another organization that no longer exists. Some individuals also perform this service.

These organizations will have different structures and costs but generally they can help handle all the details of creating a tour, finding studios/camps/events to teach at, provide support during the tour in case of travel issues, and help you understand what you should expect as a touring pole instructor, and may be able to help you navigate issues like insurance, tax compliance, and more.

 

Are you ready to start your journey as a touring instructor? You’ve already taken the first step!

Are you a touring instructor? What other tips would you add? Please let us know!