Meet Natasha Wang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Wang.

Hi Natasha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Prior to taking my first pole dancing class at the age of 29, I was a self-avowed, exercise-averse party girl uninterested in anything related to fitness, health or wellness. Over the course of about five years, this casual once-a-week diversion (which I kept secret from my PR job until I left that career in 2011) evolved into taking classes six days a week.

As my skills in pole grew, so did the commercialization of the pole industry, and by 2009, pole competitions were becoming a big thing and a logical next step for anyone whose skill levels had reached a “professional” level.

I entered my first competition in 2009 and quit my job in entertainment technology PR after winning the US Pole Dance Championships in 2011, Thus began a 10+ year career as a coach, teacher, competition judge and performer.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve traveled and taught in over 60 countries, with some years spending 70% of the year living out of a suitcase. That means missing out on birthdays and anniversaries, not seeing my husband for a month and a half at a time, and being overseas when my 13-year-old cat passed away — these are moments I will never get back.

Covid lockdowns canceled all of my international teaching bookings from 2020-2021. Despite the financial and emotional uncertainty, it allowed me for the first time in a decade to have the semblance of a “normal” life, or at least as normal as one can have during a global pandemic.

I established a virtual teaching practice, launched my on-demand pole learning platform Poletica Movement, started teaching in person at local studios, and woke up every day in the same bed.

It also forced me to reconsider how I want my pole career to evolve. As I get older (47 this year!) I’m aware that I won’t be able to physically sustain traveling and teaching at the same intensity as in my 30s. Creating alternative revenue streams like Poletica Movement allows me to do what I love and slow down a bit.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I teach people how to fall in love with movement through pole dance. My virtual and in-person classes blend yoga, fitness and creative aerial movement so that regular people (as in, individuals who have never stepped foot inside a gym) can discover their inner cirque artist while having a blast in the process.

My philosophy is that pole is exercise disguised as play, so it attracts those who may have been turned off or intimidated by traditional fitness modalities or the gym. (that’s also my origin story!)

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I hired Lindsey Kimura and Kathy Luong of Made by WMN (https://madebywmn.co/) to help with marketing, business development and branding after struggling to position my on-demand pole learning platform Poletica Movement. As a sole proprietor overwhelmed with doing everything myself, these two were an absolute godsend. They took a deep dive into my business and made an effort to understand the intricacies of how I work and proposed actionable changes to my workflow and a massively detailed marketing plan that I’m slowly in the process of implementing. They also created a brand identity that I’m obsessed with and show off whenever possible (www.natashawang.com)!

Pricing:

• $24.99/month or $249.99/year for Poletica Movement

Contact Info:

• Website: www.natashawang.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/natashawangpole
• Other: www.poleticamovement.com

Image Credits
Knockingbird Creative Jimmy Brown Photography