Featured PDC Approved 3 Star Pole Dancing Instructor Laura Hodgkins

Laura is an instructor at Pole Control school in Essex, UK. Laura started dancing at age 4, taking Ballet, Tap and Modern lessons at her local dance school on a Saturday morning.

Laura continued dancing throughout her childhood and teenage years. She has performed in numerous shows and competed in dance competitions at local and national levels. She was also nominated for scholarships by the BATD on numerous occasions during her teens. After completing her A levels, Laura chose a more academic route and went on to study English Literature and Spanish at the University of Roehampton, where she graduated with a First Class Honours. Even during her studies Laura continued dancing; she regularly attended various classes at the campus gym as well as joining the cheer leading squad and Pole Dancing society. In 2010 she took her first of 4 teaching exams and passed with the highest mark. Laura is always looking for the next challenge and will continue to study for lots more dance and fitness qualifications over the next decade.

Laura has always been interested in Pole but found it difficult to fit taster classes into her busy dance schedule but she eventually started Pole Dancing for fitness in January 2010. She joined Pole Control as a student in April 2010, after trying out several drop in classes. The thing Laura loved most about Pole Control was not only Helen’s expert instructing but also the way that Helen always tries to change the perception of Pole Dancing- speaking on the radio to challenge Pole Fitness stereotypes and banning heels from classes. Laura quickly became addicted to Pole, as many do, ordering her own pole to practice at home within the first few months of beginning classes. She took her level 5 grading with PDC in 2011 and after finishing her degree in 2014, Laura completed her Exercise to Music qualification. Shortly afterwards she became a PDC Approved 3 Star instructor, adding another dance-related string to her bow.

Laura continues to train with Helen, her instructor and owner of Pole Control. Though Laura is a young and newly qualified teacher, her dance experience means that she brings fun, energy, passion and professionalism to her classes. She works hard- as all instructors do- to keep up to date with the newest pole moves and will often attend pole dancing master classes to ensure she is still improving as a student herself. Learning new moves is Laura’s favorite thing about Pole- the crazier and more flexible the better. Choreographing routines is always fun as it means Laura can combine her love of other dance styles (ballet, lyrical or jazz dance) into her pole routines. One thing Laura would like to conquer in the future is spinning pole- at the moment, all the spinning makes her feel queasy! She’s a static pole girl at heart but would like to also be able to perform on a spinning pole. As well as conquering spinning pole, Laura would like to eventually open her own fitness and dance studio offering a wide range of classes to a variety of ages throughout the week.

DANCE QUALIFICATIONS:

BTEC National Award Performing Arts (Dance)
MBATD Ballet and Modern Branch
ABATD Stage and Jazz Branch  
ETM Level 2
PDC Level 5 Dancer
PDC 3 star approved instructor