It’s no secret that I love performing , however I would be bullshitting if I told you it was a walk in the park from start to finish. Towards the end of 2024, I was pretty whacked out from spending the past two years devoting a solid 95% of my energy to crafting performances and ensuring they were as close to perfection as could be (a toxic trait I don’t recommend to be honest). Therefore, I decided to make 2025 the year I enjoy pole dancing from the spectator seats. And you know what? I really fucking miss being on stage.
To avoid taking on too many performances and exhausting my future self, I thought I’d whip up a list of as many pros and cons to performing as I can think of, so the next time I’m considering performing I can give it a read and see if I’m up to the task. Feel free to save this list, add your own to it and do the same!
Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Pros
It’s a shitload of fun
Getting up on stage and showing the audience what you have created is such an adrenaline filled, wild and life changing experience. Once you’ve danced on stage that very first time, as cheesy as it sounds something within you shifts.
Creating a performance takes a fuck load of work but for me that’s all part of the fun. From picking what song you’re going to dance to, prioritising nailing your routine over life’s mundane bollocks and all the nerves and excitement that come with it, it’s a highly addictive ride which is worth it 99% of the time.
Performing builds confidence
Conquering the inevitable pre-show nerves conjures up new levels of confidence and pride in yourself and what you can achieve. It takes an absolute ton of guts to get up on stage, guts that you didn’t know you had until you performed. Even now, when I’m nervous about something completely non – pole related, I will remember all the times I performed solo in front of an audience (often with my baps out to boot), which reminds me how brave and badass I can be.
Impeccable backstage vibes
Every time I’ve performed I have always had the pleasure of being backstage with a decent bunch of people. Be they professional, competition winning dancers or hobbyist polers like myself, every single time I have come away feeling part of a community. In the nine years I have been performing I don’t think I’ve encountered any real dickheads once backstage, instead it’s been solid, supportive vibes all round.
Builds your stamina
Training the same three to four minute pole routine repeatedly may not sound like much of a task, but mark my words it will do wonders for your cardio fitness. Long gone will be the days of feeling knackered after two or three moves in a combo, instead you’ll be in beast mode smashing through move after move.
Choreography flexes your creative muscles
If like me you have a bit of a wandering mind (putting it politely), I find giving it a task that you can fully immerse yourself in, such as choreographing a pole performance, works a treat for anchoring your mind back into the present moment. Writing the routine, working out a training schedule, planning your costume and just generally focusing on creating a performance that will blow the audience’s tits off feels way nicer on the brain than responding to boring emails or worrying about random shit any day of the week.
It’s a chance to treat yourself to a new pole outfit
You’re a fucking badass who has committed to a pole dance performance, you more than deserve to treat yourself to mark the occasion. Whether this is some stunning new pole wear you’ll use again or a custom made costume specifically for the performance, go all out and get something special. Obviously rehearse in it to make sure it’s stage ready, but you will feel extra special on the night if you’ve got a shiny new outfit to wear.
Knowing you need to get training helps keep you on the straight and narrow
As someone who very much enjoys a trip to the pub, cocktail bar or a boozy dinner at most given opportunities, knowing I have a performance to train for and prioritise gives me a bloody good reason to not get ratarsed the night before. Long gone are my days of being able to rock up to practice hungover and conquer nemesis moves. As a woman in her mid- thirties, even mild hangovers write me off for two days now. It’s a depressing state of affairs.
Cons
Performing feels nerve wracking
No two ways about it. Unless you’re one of those naturally very relaxed people who doesn’t get phased easily, performing pole in front of an audience will always be a nerve wracking experience. The good news is these nerves are 100% normal and professional dancers who have been performing for years still experience them, but let’s be honest, feeling like you’re one fart away from shitting yourself on the day is never a pleasant feeling. If it’s any consolation I haven’t shat myself on the night despite feeling like I could at any moment.
You can get in your head a bit beforehand
Similarly to the point above, I can tend to live in my own brain a bit too much in the run up to performances. The old brain gremlins of comparison, self-doubt and general worry can spiral and play havoc with my noggin in the run up to the performance. Those thoughts haven’t defeated me yet (hard cunt alert), but they’re never fun to deal with.
It’s time consuming
As someone who has a tendency to overcommit, I could do with heeding this piece of advice. Working on performances is hella time consuming and if you’re already dealing with a stacked plate, I wouldn’t recommend adding something of this magnitude to it. If you’re someone who thrives in chaos and works best being super busy you’ll probably be fine, but if like me you prefer to be a bit less overloaded now isn’t the time. You need mental and physical space for performing and all that comes with it.
The whole process can be expensive
Planning a decent costume, attending practice sessions and in some cases sorting out your travel and accommodation are just some of the costs that all start to add up when you’re whipping up a performance. It’s an expensive hobby, so bear that in mind when committing to perform.
You can get sick to death of your song choice
This is the fucking worst one of the lot I swear! Over the years there has been many a favourite song of mine which I can now longer stomach thanks to listening to it on repeat for weeks and weeks on end preparing for a performance. On the contrary, some performance songs I have ended up loving even more, as a result of associating them with the fun of performing, so maybe this one is a bit of a coin flip.
Training one specific routine can occasionally halt your pole progress
Whilst performance training will inevitably increase your strength and stamina, I have found it’s halted my pole progress in some areas. For example, training the same moves repeatedly (which are often moves I feel confident enough to execute in heels without a crashmat beneath me) has meant that my nemesis moves often take even more of a back seat than they already do. I can do a flatline in my sleep, but the rotten bastard Superman continues to evade me for this very reason.
If you can think of any pros and cons to performing that I haven’t listed above, let me know in the comments!
Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Chrome Chronicles 