San Francisco Pole and Dance

What San Francisco Pole and Dance does

San Francisco Pole and Dance, operating as Pole + Dance Studios (legal name), is a privately held network of five pole and aerial dance studios on the U.S. West Coast, founded by Amy Bond. The company operates physical locations in San Francisco (SoMa flagship, five rooms), Oakland (near Lake Merritt), Berkeley (near UC Berkeley), Portland (NW Portland), and Beaverton (16ft-pole warehouse), with the company founded in 2022 and expanded to five locations by 2026. The product portfolio spans drop-in and recurring-membership pole, Lyra, aerial silks, and active flexibility classes; private lessons; corporate and pole party events; teacher training programs with NASM CEU certification; the virtual Classroom Mastery course; Hawai'i and in-studio retreats; studio rentals; and branded merchandise. Instructors are employed as W-2 staff with benefits and sick pay — a structural departure from the dominant independent-contractor model in the studio industry — and the company maintains a 70+ instructor bench across both regions.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a Squarespace website, a Studio You white-label booking system wrapped in a native iOS/Android P+D App, and an e-commerce storefront for apparel. There is no proprietary technology platform, no API, no AI/ML layer, and no patents. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and regional, with community-driven growth through Instagram, email newsletters, student referrals, and the Up the Pole podcast. Pricing varies by market, with multi-room studios (San Francisco, Oakland) at $400/month for ongoing memberships and one-room studios (Berkeley, Portland) at $220/month; drop-in classes are $44, and the New Student Special is $80 for three classes. HSA/FSA acceptance via WithFlex broadens the payment surface. The company has no external institutional funding, no parent company, and no disclosed M&A activity.

Name

San Francisco Pole and Dance

Legal name

Pole + Dance Studios

Website

https://poleanddancestudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pole + Dance Studios is a privately held, founder-led network of five inclusive pole and aerial dance studios on the U.S. West Coast (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Beaverton), serving beginner through advanced dancers with classes, memberships, retreats, teacher training, and corporate events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pole Dance and Aerial Fitness Studios

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Fitness Classes (e.g., Zumba) (HSADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Urban/Street Dance Performances (Hip-Hop, Breaking) (MPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Pole dance classes
• Aerial fitness training
• Dance studio memberships
• Pole instructor training
• Dance fitness services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Class Sales: Drop-in class sales, class packages, and individual class drop-ins. New Student Special at $80 for 3 classes. Regular drop-in classes at $44/class.
2. Memberships: Ongoing monthly memberships offering unlimited classes at $30 or less per class for members taking 3+ classes weekly. Spin Intro Unlimited Membership priced under $12/class. Regional pricing: Berkeley and Portland at $220/month; Oakland and San Francisco at $400/month (multi-room studios with more class offerings).
3. Private Lessons: Private instruction available for individuals and small groups. Minimum rate for guest instructor privates at $80/person.
4. Corporate Events: Team-building corporate events priced at $350 (up to 7 people), $450 (8-14 people), $600 (15+). Includes warm-up, conditioning, spins instruction, choreographed combo, photos, and instructor performance.
5. Teacher Training Programs: In-person teacher training courses at $600 per person for 14-hour sessions. Virtual Classroom Mastery course at $600 (or $110/month payment plan). Active Flexibility training at $600. NASM continuing education credits available.
6. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including hoodies ($35-50), t-shirts ($15-20), shorts ($20-35), tanks ($15-30), and specialty items. Online store for apparel and accessories.
7. Retreats and Intensives: Multi-day pole retreats including workshops, group outings, meals, and photoshoots. Upcoming retreats: San Francisco (July 2026, 4 days with instructors Amy Bond, Tiffany Rose, Joshuah, Yoko Taketani, Sherman Yu, Atenea); Portland heels retreat (August 2026). Intensives with guest instructors (e.g., Micah Walters flexibility intensive).
8. Studio Rentals: Rental of studio spaces for private training and photo/video shoots. Simplified pole rental process for solo flow time during off hours.
9. Pole Parties and Events: Private pole parties and aerial parties for groups seeking celebratory or team-building experiences.
10. Guest Instructor Workshops: Guest instructor workshops open to public, 90-120 minutes, priced minimum $50/student with 60/40 revenue split. Residencies of 1-4 weeks available with housing provided.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

San Francisco Pole and Dance operates the flagship studio of Pole + Dance Studios, offering drop-in pole dance and aerial (Lyra, silks) fitness classes for absolute beginners through advanced competition-level practitioners. The studio provides progressive curriculum in pole, aerial, and active flexibility, supplemented by private lessons, teacher training certifications, retreats, corporate team-building events, studio rentals, and branded merchandise. Operations emphasize an inclusive, body-neutral environment with professional-grade equipment and sustainably employed instructors.

Product overview

Pole + Dance Studios is a network of five body-neutral, inclusive pole dance and aerial studios across the West Coast (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, and Beaverton). The core offering is drop-in group classes in pole dance, aerial arts (Lyra, Silks), and flexibility training, complemented by private lessons, teacher training programs, retreats (in-studio and Hawaii), studio rentals, corporate events, and a branded merchandise store. The company also offers a mobile app for class booking and the Up the Pole Podcast for the pole industry community. The product portfolio spans physical studio services, educational programs (in-person and virtual), events, retail, and digital tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Classroom Mastery: A self-paced virtual course for experienced pole instructors looking to deepen their teaching skills.
• Up the Pole Podcast
• Spotting 101

Quantifiable outcome

• Classes priced at $30 or less per class for members taking 3+ classes weekly, making regular attendance economically accessible
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)minorOthersNASM provides continuing education certification for Pole + Dance teacher training programs. Completing Pole Foundations Teacher Training earns attendees 1.2 CEUs with NASM. This partnership adds credibility to instructor certifications and provides professional development value for trainees.
• WithFlexminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWithFlex enables customers to use HSA (Health Savings Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account) funds for class packs and memberships. This expands payment options for health-conscious consumers who prefer using pre-tax benefits for fitness activities.
• Netflix (Strip Down, Rise Up Documentary)minorOthersFounder Amy Bond co-starred in Netflix documentary 'Strip Down, Rise Up', providing brand visibility and credibility. The documentary features pole dance as a form of empowerment and healing, aligning with P+D's inclusive, body-positive values.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Studio Veena: Long-running online pole dance instruction platform offering video-based lessons and instructor certifications. Overlaps with P+D's Classroom Mastery and teacher training offerings; a digital-first peer competing for the same pole-instructor learner base.
• Body & Pole: New York City-based pole and aerial studio offering group classes, private lessons, and workshops in a similar inclusive, body-positive model. Most directly comparable U.S. peer in the pole-specific studio category, competing for the same customer archetype in a different metro.
• Rise Pole Fitness: Multi-location pole fitness studio with a comparable inclusive, community-led brand identity. Featured alongside P+D on the Up the Pole Podcast, indicating industry-peer status. Closest comparable studio operator in mid-size U.S. markets.
• Brass Eros: Los Angeles-based pole and aerial studio network with multi-room facilities, similar progression-based curriculum, and comparable instructor-driven brand identity. Closest geographic peer on the U.S. West Coast outside Pole + Dance's footprint.
• Mora Pole and Aerial: Pole and aerial studio operator featured on P+D's Up the Pole Podcast. Comparable pole/aerial service mix with strong community positioning; useful comparable for unit economics and instructor pipeline practices in single-location pole studios.
• Aerial Dance Chicago: Chicago-based aerial dance studio offering silks, Lyra, and trapeze instruction with structured curriculum and instructor training. Comparable aerial-focused studio operator with similar class taxonomy and teacher-development offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Club Pilates: Largest boutique fitness franchise in the U.S. operating 700+ studios. Representative of the well-capitalized boutique fitness model competing for the same urban, fitness-oriented consumer wallet share; useful as a scaling and unit-economics benchmark.
• Crunch Fitness: National fitness chain offering group fitness programming including specialty classes at accessible price points. Broad incumbent that could introduce pole/aerial programming as part of its group fitness catalog without a dedicated pole studio footprint.
• AntiGravity Fitness: Established aerial arts and aerial fitness franchise offering aerial silks, Lyra, and aerial hammock classes at scale. Broader portfolio and franchised distribution model make it a broader incumbent comparable for aerial-specific revenue streams within P+D.

Regional players

• Pole Position Dance: U.K.-based pole dance studio chain with multiple locations and a structured instructor training program. Comparable multi-studio pole model and teacher-training B2B revenue stream, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/poleanddancestudios
• Facebookfacebook.com/SFPoleAndDance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-pole-and-dance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Pole and Dance