The Pencil, explained
The Pencil pole move is one of the simplest-looking shapes on the spinning pole, and that is exactly its charm. Your body stays long and straight beside the pole, legs together, toes pointed, while the pole turns you slowly around. It teaches you how to stay calm and lifted while the spinning pole does what it does best.
What is the Pencil in pole dance?
Imagine your whole body as one clean line, from your hands on the pole down to your pointed feet. That long, narrow shape is where the name comes from: you look a bit like a pencil standing next to the pole. Instead of tucking your knees like in many beginner spins, you stay stretched and let the pole carry you around. It looks elegant and minimal, and it feels a little like floating. How you lift into the shape and how you hold it is what the tutorial shows you in detail.
Pencil pole dance on a spinning pole
At POLEPLACE this move is taught on the spinning pole. A turning pole gives this shape its magic: you do not have to create much speed yourself, so you can focus on your line while the rotation keeps going. That can feel lovely and a bit unfamiliar at first, especially if you are used to a static pole where you make all the momentum. If the spin feels faster or slower than you expected, that is part of getting to know your pole.
Is the Pencil good for beginners?
Yes, it is a friendly move for your first steps on the spinning pole. You stay upright, you do not climb and you do not go upside down. What it asks for is a bit of patience: keeping a straight line while turning is harder than it looks, and your legs may want to bend or drift apart in the beginning. That is completely normal, and it gets calmer with every try.
What it builds: grip, core and body line
This pole spin for beginners trains steady grip in your hands and forearms, and your core learns to keep your body long and together. It also builds body awareness: feeling whether your legs are straight, your feet pointed and your shoulders relaxed, without looking. Practical basics help here too: bare legs or shorts and no body lotion on training days, so your skin has good contact with the pole.
How you learn it at POLEPLACE
With the Floor-Stand-Air Method™, you get to know the long, straight shape on the floor first, then practise the position standing at the pole, and only then lift off and let the spinning pole turn you. Each stage is a small win, in your own space and at your own pace.
Pencil variations and what comes next
Once your Pencil feels smooth, there is a whole little family to explore. At POLEPLACE you will also find tutorials for the Pencil Side, where your body tilts into a diagonal line, the Pencil Twist and the Pencil Passé Diagonal, which each change the shape in their own way. You can also link it with a Fireman Spin, a Chair Spin or a Carousel Spin into a short spinning pole combo, and later with your Basic Climb.
