Ly Le
Ly founded Ly’s Pole Studio (LPS) in January 2014. Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam, Ly studied martial arts since she was 10, loved to climb trees and play outside when she was a kid. With the college major in education, she was an IELTS and TOELF teacher for the MBA programs in Vietnam before moving to California at the age of 24. Here she discovered her passion for Pole fitness and the changes it’s made to people's lives. She decided to pursue her Pole journey and travelled all over the world for training. Two years later, she turned her house in Santa Clara into a successful home-based Pole dance studio that ultimately expanded into the two beautiful studios in San Jose and Santa Clara.
She continues to cross train (Rope, Silks, Lyra, Straps, Partner Acrobatics, Weightlifting, Swimming besides Pole), play and explore, and thrives to grow as a performer, instructor, and business owner. She’s also a certified elevatED teacher and NCCA certified personal trainer. She has coached students and instructors in competitions, performed at several showcases, weddings and fundraising events. She believes everyone of any age and all walks of life can greatly benefit from Pole and Aerial Arts.
Instagram @ly_poleandaerial
Michula Nunez
She is a native Californian who has been teaching Pole fitness since 2001 and is considered reverently as an official “OG". She grew up doing competitive gymnastics and cross-country running. After teaching elementary math and science for 8 years, she knew she could make a bigger impact bridging her love for science and education into fitness.
At the time, Pole dance was still a taboo, she decided to pursue her career as a Pole trainer. Being one of the first pioneers in the Pole industry, she was soon invited to teach and perform on international stages. She produced and hosted several first nationally-renowned Pole dance showcases and competitions that allowed male competitors as well as doubles in the Pole dance history. Until today, she continues to teach workshops around the world and teaches classes at local studios.
Mikey is super excited to share her wealth of knowledge with everyone who has passion for Pole fitness
Instagram @antixfitnessstudio
Asia Dubarenka
Asia started her circus journey in Belarus, where she was taking Pole classes for about 4 years. Shortly after she moved to the US in 2012, she tried Aerial Silks and fell in love with creative possibilities of this apparatus. Since then she was taking classes and experimenting with fabrics for several years before she started teaching.
Asia has several years of teaching Aerial Silks under her belt and loves performing Aerial Silks at events in the Bay Area. Her major in Psychology helps her find individual approach to each student and help students create, explore and perform on this apparatus safely.
During her free time, she spends it exploring other types of dance and on other circus apparatus.
She is also an activist and active advocate who devotes her life to helping her community and making the world a more peaceful place.
Instagram @asiadreamingair
Nicole Wong
Nicole started Pole dancing in 2015 and quickly fell in love with Pole and body movements. In 2016 she started exploring Partner Acrobatics and took a lot of professional training in this sport. A year later, she taught her first Partner Acrobatics class at LPS and have been constantly sharing and teaching ever since.
Nicole is known for her unique and precise way of teaching. Her passion for bodywork gives her the opportunity to welcome and embrace people from all walks of life, and encourage them to find freedom through movements and touch. She also has extensive knowledge in postural realignment and body mechanics.
Instagram @_nelyse
Jessika Cooney
After recovering from an eating disorder, she sought out something that would make her feel strong and powerful. She always had an interest in acrobatics because of her background in yoga, and after researching different acrobatic arts, she started doing Pole and fell in love with it, especially all the flexible tricks. That’s when she decided to take her flexibility to the Contortion level while learning the art of Pole.
What motivates her everyday is the desire to become a stronger version of her past self, like the magical girls that she always looked up to as a child: Strong, dexterous, and brave.
Her goal is to one day become a professional performer (Cirque du Soleil would be cool) who expresses herself through her grace and strength while dazzling and inspiring anyone who sees her doing what she loves.
Instagram @bendyshrimp
Yoko Taketani
Yoko was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan and has moved to San Francisco CA in 2016.
She began learning classical ballet from the age of six, then a variety of dances including contemporary, modern, jazz at Peridance Capezio Center, Ballet Arts, and Steps on Broadway in New York City from 2001 to 2006.
After returning to Tokyo in 2006, worked as a multi-media performance artist, performing at various popular shows around the world including Beijing Biennale, Beijing, in 2009, where her performance creativity and originality was quoted as “Outstanding” by Time Out Beijing and “Next Level” by Beijing Today.
She began Pole dance training at Studio Polish, Tokyo, in 2009, and has been instructing and performing since 2010, received many winning awards in Felix Cane Pole Championship 2015, Pole Classic Championship Pole Expo 2015, Pole Treatre Sydney Pro Drama 2014, U.S National Pole Championship 2013 Drama L4. She is also judges for several pole competitions around the world.
Instagram @yokotaketani929
Jo Celso
Jo, they, also known as Joanna Animal, is a professional circus artist and instructor. A former professional cyclist, they spent most of their 20s as an endurance athlete racing in the US and Europe before an injury in 2016 caused them to shift their focus to performing arts. They specialize in Aerial Hoop (aka Lyra), Aerial Silks, Aerial Rope, pole, chair acrobatics and burlesque, and have been described as “one of the Bay Area’s top burlesque performers”.
Instagram @joannaanimal
Jane Tam
Jane is from the San Gabriel Valley/626, an area notorious for its Asian food and boba. Though she was intrigued by Pole dancing in her college years, she procrastinated on starting her Pole journey for a number of years. It was only after the pandemic that she committed to taking a class and was immediately addicted. She finds Pole very interesting in all aspects. Everyday she enjoys challenging herself with tricks and flips and loves how moves can be perceived as both powerful and elegant. She hopes to help students develop strong foundational techniques to execute Pole skills safely, but also wants students to have fun expressing themselves through movement. She's excited to help guide and support you on your own Pole fitness journey!
Outside of the studio, Jane enjoys reading, snowboarding, playing tennis recreationally, and lounging with her dog, Porter.
Instagram @thechefchaos
Yisha Wang
Growing up as a shy kid, Yisha looked towards dance and sports as a form of self-expression and fulfillment. With some experience in ballet, gymnastics and hip hop, she was looking for something that was both elegant and spectacular.
Prior to the covid pandemic, she dabbled in Pole dancing through some studios in LA. Although her interest took a pause, in June 2021 she moved to the Bay Area and decided to continue her Pole journey at LPS. At LPS, she fell in love with the sport and now enjoys sharing her passion with her friends and students.
As someone who shied away from the gym, Yisha found Pole as a strong motivation for both strength and flexibility training. She aspires to become as good as her Pole idols and to have the opportunity to teach around the world someday. As an instructor, she hopes to inspire her students to believe that what was impossi-pole is possi-pole.
Instagram @missionimpossipole
Jody Ryker
They have been training in circus arts since 2011 and specialize in pole, aerial hoop, and acrobatics. Jody has performed all around California in music festivals, specialty events, and variety circus shows. and has taught pole dance and aerial hoop at various studios. Jody enjoys choreographing dramatic acts that showcase their unique aerial and pole creations as well as developing new drills for strength, coordination, and mobility for their students and for themselves when working towards a specific movement goal. They hope to shift traditional teaching mindsets from viewing differences as deficits to seeing how differences in bodies can be appreciated and used to create new skills. Jody graduated with a master's degree in pure mathematics from UCSC. They currently teaches math at FootHill College and is also working on a series of articles on applications of mathematics to circus arts.
Instagram @polediversity.coach
Zhenia Mendoza
Zhenia, also goes by “Z”, took her first pole class at Ly’s Pole Studio in 2021. Having a dance background doing Tahitian and Hula, she instantly fell in love with pole heels classes. Zhenia was drawn to the strength and sensuality these classes bring out, while cultivating her style of dance. Outside of her pole life, you will most likely catch her reading, trying new food/drink places, doing martial arts and weightlifting.
Instagram @z_hunnyy
Lisa Tran
Lisa started pole dancing in 2021 at Ly’s Pole Studio determined to find a fun way to exercise consistently. She has always admired pole dancers and their strength to dance on a pole while looking so graceful. After her first class at LPS, she knew this was something she wanted to pursue. Gaining strength and feeling empowered while doing so made exercising so much more enjoyable
Lisa is now a passionate dance instructor with a deep love for pole dancing. Her classes are a fusion of sensual and diverse movements ensuring an enjoyable experience for all. Outside the studio, she likes reading manga at home or eating all the yummy food and desserts in the Bay Area.
Instagram @polewithpisa
Alexandra Du
Alex started her pole journey in 2021 at Ly’s Pole Studio with the dream of someday doing a pull up. Now she spends her days at the studio doing not just pull ups but more than she ever could have imagined. Growing up in Houston she trained in ballet and Chinese traditional dance but unfortunately stopped dancing into adulthood. Finding pole dancing has reignited her love for movement and creativity while building strength and confidence beyond what she thought she was capable of. Outside of the studio she is an electrical engineer, avid snowboarder, and cat mom.
Instagram @whatduido
Luna Finn
A North Carolina native and California transplant, Luna Finn was always considered a wanderer of sorts. So, it came as no surprise when she announced she would be running away with the circus. As a young adult, Luna moved from place to place in search of finding a spot to call her own. After travelling across the United States four times, living in five different states, and moving nine times, the one thing that consistently followed her was circus.
After discovering aerial dance at Burning Man in 2010, Luna diligently studied as many apparatuses as she could get her hands on. In 2017, she took her first aerial teacher training with Paper Doll Militia and now teaches and performs all across the United States. She has performed with various music artists including Porter Robinson, The Glitch Mob, and Corey Feldman; as well as, in venues such as Coachella Music Festival, The Santa Monica Pier, and Envision Festival.
Instagram @luna.finn
Andrey Pfening
Originally from Russia, Andrey has been in the Bay Area for over 18 years, devoting half of it seeking knowledge and experience in parkour, acrobatics, dance, handstands, and calisthenics. He is passionate about teaching. His constant involvement in learning from experienced teachers and experimenting on his own, gives his students effective methods and easy-to-understand explanations.
He credits the start of his teaching career to Shira Yaziv and Athletic Playground has been Andrey’s biggest inspiration and influence in his style of teaching.
As someone who struggles with fear to try new skills, tricks, and generally risky moves Andrey genuinely understands how important it is to be patient with the learning process. Andrey creates a comfortable and easygoing environment for his students to explore their movement practice. All levels are always welcome!
Outside of teaching Andrey performs in live shows. In 2012 he competed in a popular tv show American Ninja Warrior and later in 2015 and 2016 he had a rare opportunity to be part of two SF Opera productions “The Trojans” and "Carmen."
Andrey is currently living in Marin County and managing/teaching at the Cave. Once in a while you may find him teach a Handstand workshop at LPS.
Instagram @andrey.pfening
Annie Shen
Annie started her Pole journey during her last year in UC Santa Cruz. The classes weren't much, but enough to get her hooked and wanting more. So much so that Annie decided to join and perform at LPS winter showcase in 2019 despite she had only been consistently doing pole at LPS for 4 months.
Annie lost the momentum during the pandemic, but had decided to pick up Pole dancing, especially Pole Heels, with the encouragement from Ly. Annie fall in love fast as it reminded her the love for dancing ballet and ballroom when she was little.
Annie hasn't stopped Pole dancing in heels since. Her favorite is anything low flow: shoulder stands, leg circles, body waves and leg waves. Consistently training very week, you would be able to see Annie in the studio quite often training tricks and exotic.
Outside the studio, Annie loves the green outdoors. Often in Santa Cruz mountains hiking with her pit-mix JoJo.
Instagram @wobble_with_me
Tiffanie Chan
Tiffanie first discovered Pole dancing in 2016 while on a business trip in Texas and was immediately hooked. She was fascinated by the sensual and seductive side of Pole and loves that it combines her appreciation for performance arts with strength, flexibility, and dance. She has a background in competitive artistic roller skating, placing in many regional competitions in the dance category, and spent her childhood doing ballet and playing the piano. When off the Pole, you will most likely find her shopping, trying out new restaurants, or traveling. She is extremely grateful to be a part of the Pole community, and to be given an opportunity to share her experiences while helping and encouraging other individuals on their own Pole journey.
Instagram @chantiffie