Let’s soar together!
Port City Pole is a woman-owned business with 20+ years of pole dance experience. Our small team strives for complete community inclusion and student growth. Whether you have never touched a pole before, or are a seasoned, advanced pole athlete, you will find what you need within these walls, and on THE highest poles in Wilmington, NC!
Hailing from very different movement backgrounds, PCP’s teachers understand that pole is subjective, and we love that everybody can find their niche. Every human has inherent strengths and limitations when it comes to movement, and we are committed to bringing out the best in YOUR pole practice.
Port City Pole is NOT a “divine-feminine, sensual movement space devoted to empowering women.”
‘Empowering’ someone implies they need you, and we believe in your autonomy. We don’t believe in whitewashing pole dance to make it more palatable for the masses, or using stock pictures to invoke an artificial sense of sterile space. Pole is fitness, dance, creative expression, acrobatics, art, sport, SWEAT, tears, and so much more. And it’s evolving constantly!
PCP also promotes love and respect for pole’s roots, and we think you should too! You won’t catch us condoning stripper cosplay… but you may catch us at the club, making it rain for the babes who are the very reason “pole fitness” studios exist.
Our main goal in sharing the art of pole dance, is to better shift focus to valuing your own body for how it functions, instead of how it looks. Recognize the strength and power within yourselves to pursue whatever you want in pole and in life.
To our brand-new, fresh-faced polers: come as you are. You do not need to go to the gym, or lose weight before you come to class. All bodies are pole bodies. Trust in the process, bring a friend! Do expect some bruises and some soreness after those first several classes. You will get stronger and things will feel easier as you progress. “Pain is temporary, fierce is forever!”
To our seasoned pole dancers: PCP is a space of growth that treats aerial like a language. We’re committed to including foundational movements in every single combo, in every single class, so if you’re used to learning one trick at a time, in one specific way, you may feel stifled and/or overwhelmed your first few classes at PCP… stick with us! We want to encourage fluidity, build your stamina and vocabulary, and increase strength to keep you in the game and uninjured.
If you want to sacrifice a shoulder or a hamstring for a 20 second IG video or hot photo, respectfully, our classes might not be your thing. If you are content dip-turning and pirouetting through your low-flow routines, you might feel temporarily outside your comfort bubble with our dance curriculum.
If you want to get stronger and more proficient in the language of pole to foster your own creative impulses, and progress as a mover, WE GOT YOU.
To all prospective students: challenging yourself is a huge part of student growth, and we hope you see the merit in the movements that feel uncomfortable or are not inherent to you… yet!