The Brass Monkey, explained
The Brass Monkey pole move is the one that makes everyone in the room grin. You hang upside down, hooked onto the pole with one leg, your arms helping you, and your body opens out into a shape that is a little cheeky and a little wild. It is a fun way to play with inversions once you have your first ones, and it opens the door to a lot of creative combos.
What is a Brass Monkey?
In a Brass Monkey, you are inverted and secured mainly by a hook at the back of one knee, with your hands on the pole for support. Your hips stay in front of the pole and your legs open slightly, which gives the move its playful, almost acrobatic look. The name is a pole classic, and once you are in it, you will see why people love posing here. How you get in, how you hold and how you come out again is something the tutorial and your coach take you through.
Is the Brass Monkey pole dance move good for beginners?
It is not a first-day move, but it is a lovely goal once inverting feels familiar. The hold itself is often less of a challenge than getting into it, and the entries are where most of the learning happens. So if it takes a few sessions to find your way in, that is completely normal. Every attempt teaches your body something about where it is upside down.
What it builds: strength, grip and body awareness
This hold trains your hamstrings and glutes, which keep the knee hook active, plus your upper body and core for control. It also builds a great sense of orientation while you are inverted, which helps you in so many moves later. Wear shorts so your skin can grip the pole, skip body lotion on training days and make sure your hands are clean and dry. The back of your knee may feel tender at first. That is your body getting used to a new contact point.
Static or spinning pole?
Most dancers learn it on a static pole, where they can take their time with the entry and settle into the hold. On a spinning pole, the shape gets extra momentum and turns into a moment of flow. Get calm and confident on static first, then explore how it feels when the pole moves with you.
How you learn it at POLEPLACE
At POLEPLACE, you learn this move with the Floor-Stand-Air Method™. On the floor, you get to know the shape and the muscles that hold it, without being upside down. Standing at the pole, you practise the hook and the setup. Then you take it into the air, at your own pace and in your own space.
Variations and what to learn next
Once your Brass Monkey feels steady, the Brass Monkey Reverse is a variation worth exploring (its tutorial is currently available in German). The Brass Sit and the Brass Hook Twirl are great friends to add to your practice. If you want to strengthen the basics, keep working on your Invert and your Knee Hook. Each of these makes this pole dance move feel lighter and more playful.
