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Interview with New PoleCon Instructor: Jolene Theresa
We are sitting down to talk to our new instructors for PoleCon 2025! Learn more about them and then click here to purchase their workshop
1. We’re so excited to have you teach at PoleCon this year! Can you tell us a little more about what you’re teaching?
With decades of experience in pole & dance, I‘m really excited to be teaching two workshops at PoleCon this year!
The FREE workshop, Teach Like You Mean It: Continuing Education for Instructors is from a program we’ve been developing at studioXpresents providing a platform for instructors to reference. We often see certifications for any and all styles of dance but over the years, I’ve consulted many instructors and studio owners with continual education and references after the certification process is over. It’s like an encyclopedia with a network built in. If you’re joining me in this workshop, we will be mostly discussing and reviewing information that often gets overlooked or lost.
My other workshop, Twisted Shoulder Rolls, is a floor based workshop where we navigate all the weird and twisted movements we can use for shoulder rolls. As a transitions based instructor, meaning I prefer how we get into and out of the tricks more so than the actual trick itself, finding ways to navigate between shoulder rolls has become both a game and a specialty for me. We will be talking troubleshooting and customization so that each student can learn how to adapt rolls to their own custom body and how to create new transitions for themselves in the future! It’s going to get weird and goofy but, we will all learn something new about our bodies.
2. Is there something that defines your style of teaching or your content that is unique to you?
In a world of fast & hard dance I seem to have missed the train. My personal style has always been slow & sultry mixing ballet with a haunting appeal. Although this style is often a niche within a niche, I’m excited to bring my version to PoleCon and meet others who enjoy a similar style. Slow movements are challenging and often come from those of us who are obsessed with the theory and science behind movement. It’s always fun to nerd out with those who also enjoy sharing this type of information through this style of movement.
3. What is the one thing you want your students to leave with after taking your workshop?
A basic understanding of how to translate movement for their own body. Each body is slightly different and as a transitions based instructor, my focus lies more in creating an understanding for how to move in our custom bodies versus how to do something the exact way my body does it. Think inspiration versus replication. My goal for each student is that they leave my workshop understanding how adjustments can be made for their body to create fluidity, stylistic representation and ease of movement.
4. What are you most excited about for PoleCon 2025?
Every few years there is a shift in pole culture and I’m really excited to experience this new wave of pole culture in person. Immersion is my favorite style of learning and I cannot wait to experience all that the community has to offer first hand. I’m also really excited to see some old friends who are hopefully attending.
5. Anything else you want to share with PoleCon attendees?
If you want to find me at PoleCon, I’ll be helping out at the Active Elixir booth and probably buying everything Mila Krasna has brought in my size. I’m usually lost in my own mind but I really like chatting about bodies and troubleshooting with people who “cannot” do certain movements; I love a good challenge!
Colleen Jolly is an entrepreneur and a pole dance enthusiast. She has been poling for 13 years, is the CEO of PoleCon and the Executive Director of the IPIA. She teaches pole, lyra, floorwork, and mobility online and in-person in the DC metro area. She has been active in leadership roles in several international businesses over the past two decades and is also an award-winning pole dancer, artist, writer, and speaker. She is certified in several movement modalities and wrote the book "Mobility for Pole" to help pole dancers move better.
Latest posts by Colleen (see all)
- Interview with New PoleCon Instructor: Jolene Theresa - February 7, 2025
- How’s Your Recovery? - January 10, 2025
- Announcing the PoleCon and IPIA Grant Program - January 3, 2025
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