Spinarella Pole Dance Fitness

I was so excited when I found out that pole dancing was part of the bachelorette party festivities. This is a small studio that offers fitness and cycling classes. The studio is a gated property, security guard on duty, located in a office building, and offers lots of parking.
The pole dancing room was spacious but only had four poles available for our 10 people party, therefore; we had to rotate. We could barely hear the instructor over the music. The instructor was strong & very talented on the pole however was not physically appealing/fit. The other girls became frustrated and started doing their own thing such as; twerking, texting, & taking selfies in the mirror.
Bottom line pay the extra money elsewhere for a real pole dancing experience that includes champaign, goodie bag, and most important time allotted for each participant to learn some (new) exotic moves.

I'm a little frustrated with this place. I got the Groupon for a month of unlimited pole classes. Since I'm working with silks now, I was told pole would be excellent cross training. Well, I've got a month of unlimited classes, great! Wrong.

There are no drop in pole classes. You have to sign up for a series to be eligible for any kind of drop in pole class. Of course, the Groupon isn't valid toward any kind of series. I don't want "jiggle" classes. I don't want lap dance classes. Don't hold yourself out there as a pole studio and not offer drop in pole classes after business hours to everyone. Not all of us are bored Buckhead housewives who have 10a free on weekdays. I may not have the time or inclination to commit to a series, but I want to take a class when I can. Had I known this would be the case, I wouldn't have wasted the money on the deal. Dance 411 may not be perfect, but at least they offer deals that match their class schedule.

I first went to this studio late last year with a groupon. I took several pole classes and a few miscellaneous dance classes-- all were fun, and some were really unique (there used to be a Bhangra class, and now there's a Caribbean one, for example). A significant amount of teachers and students seem to have a background in burlesque, which is a nice change of pace from other pole studios in town. The studio also offers workshops in things like lyra (aerial hoop) and aerial silks, which is fantastic and will keep me coming back.

I'll admit that the studio looks a little rough, and it isn't the best area once the sun goes down. There are signs up that the place is under renovation, and it is...it's just a slow renovation. I get the impression that like many startups, the capital to open for business AND deck out the space wasn't there originally. I've seen a lot of improvements in just the last few months, so don't let a few patched walls bother you.

And finally, the owner-- she's great. I hadn't been to the studio in months and she remembered me and a number of things about me. One time a class started a little late, and she called me to apologize. She clearly knows what it takes to make a business succeed and is putting her all into it, and I have so much respect for that!

I have been going to Spinarella for more than a year now. I have bought
1* 1 groupon NOW class ($8 each class),
3* 10 groupon classes ($29 for 10 classes), and
1* 5 classes voucher bought directly from Spinarella ($25 for 5 classes).

Do bring: water, heels (start with heels you already have at home, after a couple of classes you could buy special heels designed for pole dance online), dry hands (a lotion that helps you to grip the pole). Wear contact lenses, shorts, top, sometimes also take yoga mat and sneakers with you depending on the class you take.

Location: short distance to I-85. I live in midtown and there is usually a lot of traffic from midtown to I-85 exit Monroe/ Piedmont during rush hour. So I check google maps for traffic condition before I leave home. Abundant parking, you could also park in the lot opposite the studio. Some reviews here mentioned that the neighborhood is odd for a dance studio. I believe Ro worked in Polelateaz before she opened Spinarella. So she is an entrepreneur. BTW I respect her so much! (She knows almost every student by name) So I think Ro choose this location since she doesn't want to compete directly with Polelateaz and wants to attract people who live along I-85 (Polelateaz is on I-75). Also she start this place on her own, and it is quite expensive to rent a studio in a upscale neighborhood.

How to activate the card: I include my information in the email. Usually it takes 1-4 days to activate the card. For my last groupon voucher, it was not activated after 1 week I sent the email, so I had to call the studio.

Facility: Considering it is a new business, I think the renovations are good. I did notice that they renovated the restroom again this year and also added a changing room. I am happy to see these improvements. There are 4-15 students in each class with enough space for everyone.

Cost: through groupon you could buy classes at around $3/ each class. When the studio runs special deals, classes are around $3-$5/ each class depending on how many classes you buy.
The studio offer series on pole skills, with the difficulty level ranging from 1 to 6 (most difficult), the original price for a series is $100+; I have seen special deals in the email newsletter where you could buy a series for $90.

This is basically a female only studio. What I love about this studio is that your feel great after each class. You feel you are so sexy and had such a great workout.

Spinarella offer a big variety of classes, some classes are quite similar, so I group them together. All classes are taught in either the pole classroom or the anther classroom which has no poles in it. Classes I have tried:

In the pole classroom
-Pole 101, Hip-Hop Pole, Pole Seduction and Pole Position: routine involving the pole, bring heels and dry hands lotion.
-Ballesque: routine that combines pole dance with ballet, bring dry hands lotion

In the non-pole classroom
-Kick-Ass Abs/Flexibility and Shape n Pump: cardio based workout, bring sneakers and yoga mat.
-Wind It Up! and VIXEN: dance routine.
-Lap Vegas: chair dance routine, bring heels.
-FloEroticy: floor dance routine, bring heels.


Note 1: do activate your groupon/ class card around at the 20th of the month. Ro usually will upload the new schedule for the next month's drop-in classes at the end of the current month. You want your card activated by that time. The classes are booked out super super fast. For example if Ro upload the schedule on 25th of August, expect all evening and weekend classes for September be gone by the 28th August.

Note 2: Spinarella doesn't run groupons often. Till now I saw one groupon offer for class cards in Sep 2011 and another one in July 2012. Do sign up for email newsletter, they will send out a lot of specials (although the groupon deals are the best).

Being a dancer all my life (let me clarify - ballet, jazz, lyrical, etc...) I was looking for a fun way to spice up my boring ol' exercise routine. Enter: Groupon. Unfortunately for me, I was a bit slower than everyone else and I missed the deal. I bit the bullet and paid *gasp* full price for 4 Drop-In classes.

That was over a year and a half ago.

I think there have only been a few weeks during this time period where I haven't seen my Spinarella ladies. I go religiously every Tuesday. Either for Ballesque - a saucy mixture of pole & ballet or lately for a level series.

The workouts are amazing. Your arms, core, legs all feel like jello. Cardio, strength training using your own body weight, and stretching rolled into an hour (more depending if you're in a series class). There are 5 poles in the studio, but classes top out at 10, so you will have to share. But hey, sharing is caring. Am I right?

Everyone makes you feel SO comfortable. The teachers are amazing. It's one big family...a family that can invert, spin, and climb the pole like no others.

I see myself here for a very long time.

I'm a bit of a fitness snob, but back in September, a good friend of mine said she had been going to this pole studio and it was fun, so I thought I'd go with her one day to Hip-Hop Pole*.

And such began my illicit affair...cheating on CrossFit with Spinarella, who, I must admit, is just as fun and as mean, but twice as sexy. This isn't some "woo yay fun let's spin in high heels" kind of place. You come to Spinarella to get the crap beaten out of you by some very wonderful and kind women.

I am almost done with my second pole series, and I will continue as far as I can go, because the series is an excellent way to build strength, flexibility, coordination, and an epic repertoire of tricks. However, my favorite class has to be the abs and flexibility session offered both days and weekends, which is suitably butt-whooping and then ends with flexibility sessions that will help even the tightest legs eventually do the splits.

The calibre of instruction is quite impressive, and it really feels like one big sexy lady family. You will fall in love with everyone there and make wonderful new friends. You will flip upside down! You will spin in the air! You will blow kisses!

While, of course, getting ground down and beat up. Because what is love, if it doesn't hurt a bit?

*one of the many pole-centric drop-in classes offered; I'm not sure why the below reviewer is unaware of them.

I went with 7 other girls to kick off the big Saturday of my friends bachlorette weekend. We took a group pole dancing class and had a blast. At first I was a little apprehensive because I don't have great moves. ..lol! The instructor was awesome, very encouraging, and made everyone feel very comfortable! I tried moves I've never even dreamed of. By the end of the hour we knew a whole routine and the bachlorette even preformed for us all while we showered her in fake money! Sounds degrading but it wasn't... it was playfully awesome! Pole dancing is def an art and an incredible workout. The ladies that worked there were great and I would def recommend this to anyone! I plan on returning maybe for another girls day! GREAT TIME!

This might be a request of mine for all my girlfriends and my birthday!!

Yet another excellent exotic dance studio that's popped up in Atlanta. These seem to be the hot trend in fitness (aside from CrossFit of course) lately, and ever the trendsetting city, Atlanta's following suit.

I found out about Spinarella through Groupon, snapped up the deal and registered as soon as I could. It took a while for my emails to be taken care of and for me to get my login online, but it was worth it.

Apparently how it works (unbeknownst to me at that time) is that the entire class schedule for the coming month is released at the end of the current month and everyone registers then. Since I was ignorant of this fact, it was frustrating to see all the classes that sounded cool already filled up.

Luckily, one spot opened up this past Monday evening and I snapped it up. A "Vixen" dance class. When I arrived at the studio, a little unremarkable-on-the-outside storefront, one of the sweetest ladies I've met in ages signed me in and gave me the mini tour of the studios (she also clued me in that the upcoming class calendar would be released soon and to keep checking back on the website).

Then it was time for class. Unsure of exactly what I needed (some classes call for heels, others are barefoot or call for regular shoes), I brought heels just in case. Not necessary. Everyone was barefoot or in leg warmers or socks.

Our instructor was a really cool girl who led us in groups through a series of stretches and sexy walks back and forth across the mood lit (ie. low light) room to warm up. Then she taught us a fun routine that had us sexy walking, fan kicking, sliding and shakin' it to a Beyonce tune. How is that not awesome for a workout? I certainly felt great after.

Now I'm eagerly checking back for when the next class calendar's released because there's a number of drop-in classes in addition to their pole dance classes and series classes I'm eager to try.

It was a great first experience at the studio though - everyone was really nice, friendly, and I'm looking forward to my next class.

So, here's the deal - I came here for a private-party Chair Dancing class as part of a bachelorette party. Before getting to Spinarella I was skeptical and, honestly, a little nervous - I've never been a very coordinated or dance-able kind of girl and the idea of struttin' my stuff made me a little uneasy. To add to that feeling of "what have I gotten myself into", Spinarella is not in a highly-trafficed area and the surrounding buildings seemed a little (very) rundown.

Once inside, though, I was almost immediately put at ease. The staff and instructors are fun, personable and don't take themselves too seriously. They helped adapt the class to what we were and weren't comfortable with (or for some of us, what we were and weren't able to physically do).

I can't say that I'm going to be back anytime soon or that I've found my new passion, but these women did a great job of making my friend's bachelorette a little more unique and special!

Went to this studio with a friend after getting groupon. Class was ok. Be careful at night b/c studio is kind of off in a secluded corner (near railroad tracks so I would not go to a night class).Teacher was ok...she did not have good body knowledge and breakdown of moves was minimal. i have been to some other pole studios in the area who are much more experienced and you can tell they have had some extensive training in pole dance
I went to an intro class at another studio and the instructors breakdown of moves was impeccable; not to mention her demo was amazing..she executed very difficult moves flawlessly (and had the body to match...that motivated me even more). And she gave us a good strength routine to use at home. She really knew her stuff.

I would probably come here once in a while but if you are serious about learning how to pole dance (and safely) I would spend my money elsewhere. Shop around ladies! The teachers were nice but I cant say they offer the best instruction; which at the end of the day is what I am paying for.