Located on the ground floor of Sanlitun SOHO, this small, trendy, and very purple studio offers performers of unconventional dance eight spinning poles. There is also an area spread with mats, above which hang silks and hoops. Although we entered and felt immediately out of our element, the friendly staff and instructors soon put us at ease.

The class began with exercises in flexibility, focusing on the wrists and arms. As we were newbies to the art of pole dancing, we had no idea how much upper body strength was required. Our first few attempts at gripping the pole resulted in a squeaky, fireman-like slide down to the floor.

Over the course of the 50-minute class, we learned two basic pole spins, later adding a transition to bring them together in one fluid movement. The lesson was followed by free dance, during which class participants were encouraged to play around, practice their new moves, and just feel sexy! Our instructor did a great job teaching a class ranging from absolute beginners (ourselves) to seasoned veterans. Although our lesson was rather basic, it was fun and rewarding to feel that we had mastered something by the end of the class. And having the opportunity to watch the instructor and the more advanced learners perform complicated tricks - like spinning upside-down on the pole - was fascinating!

In addition to pole classes (RMB150 per class), Skyline also specializes in hoop and silk classes (RMB175). Our instructor let us try hoop and silks briefly post-pole class to get a feel for the full range of offerings at Skyline. These disciplines require even more full body strength and control than the pole and as a consequence, we ended up both exhausted by and impressed at our instructor’s skill. Climbing and dancing on silks is especially taxing, because the fabric is not a rigid object and requires a high level of core control.

Tel: 5785-3550

Add: B1-137, Block A, Bldg 1, Sanlitun SOHO, 8 Gongti Bei Lu,

Source: Cityweekend