Organizing Stunning Pole Dance Shows

This webinar was part of the IPIA Webinar—Stage Secrets: Masterclass in Organizing Stunning Pole Shows with Myss Angie held on February 22, 2024. Members can view the entire webinar at this link

This post focuses on the setup and safety for a pole show, for more information on budgeting and finances for putting on a pole show, check out these posts:

• Student Showcase Costs
• Venue Rental-Scrappy Edition
• Venue Rental-Maximalist Edition
• Traveling Performance Troupe

Setting the Vibe

When putting on a stage show, the first thing you need to ask yourself is “What is my goal?”

Are you aiming for a club-like atmosphere? Dark and spooky? Rainbows and unicorns? Once you define the experience you want the audience to have you can start planning the stage.

Whatever you choose, always lead with professionalism. Be kind to all that are involved, but stay firm on what you need.

Setting the Stage—Safety

Safety comes first. If you’re going to rig poles, make sure you have someone qualified to rig them. Even if the venue says they have someone who can rig, rigging for stage (hanging lights and speakers) is a different skillset than rigging for a human to hang off something.

If you don’t have someone who can safely rig your poles or aerial points, stage poles and free standing aerial rigs are the way to go.

Setting the Stage—Backdrops

The backdrop is going to be visible during your whole event, and will be immortalized in photos and videos of your event, so make sure it is showing what you want it to show.

A blank backdrop is a great option, just remember a blank stage is not a neutral stage. Many times, especially in black box theaters, the backdrop will be a black curtain. If your performers are wearing primarily black costuming, they’re going to blend into the backdrop. You can use that intentionally for some really badass things, but you don’t want to have performers who are giving their all to disappear into the backdrop, so plan accordingly.

Creating Levels

When putting on a show, consider the sightlines. If performers and audience are the same level only one row of the audience will have a good view. You can choose to raise the performer or the audience. This will depend on multiple factors like venue layout and budget. Raising the audience gives more of an amphitheater feel, and raising the stage gives more of a theatrical feel. Your options may be limited based on the structure of the building hosting your show

Sound Quality

Different sound systems will have different quality. Ripping a song from YouTube (is illegal) probably sounds fine on your headphones or playing out of your phone speaker, but when piped through a professional sound system you’ll hear the diminished quality. It is recommended that you purchase the song (support the artist!) in a .wav file for the best sound quality. If you can’t purchase the .wav format, work with someone who can remaster the music so it has that polished sound during the show.

Most venues already have a sound technician. Depending on the terms of the contract you have with the venue, they may require you use their sound tech for your show. The backdrop and any other decor on stage will also have an effect on sound. An experienced sound tech will know how to best mix and balance the sound system for the highest quality sound given all the variables.

Lights

Properly lighting your show will bring that professional polish. Light can change the vibe of your show and will change how photos and videos come out. If you’re offering professional pictures or video of performers, make sure your videographer and photographer know what kind of lighting they will be working with. Different light settings will require different lenses and camera settings (more on this in our webinar with Lakin Jones). Proper lighting design not only makes the show look professional, but makes all the photo and video advertising obtained from the show look amazing.

Conclusion

A show looks professional when it has professional safety, lights, sound, and staging. If you’ve never put on an event before, a large scale pole show or competition probably isn’t the right place to start. Cutting your teeth on smaller shows, gaining experience, and fostering connections in the industry will get you the hands-on experience needed to run a successful pole show or competition.