Meet the Team
Here at XPOLE Academy we are proud to have the best team, our instructors are some of the most highly skilled and trained instructors, when you take a class with us, you are getting the best quality instruction.
Fully qualified and insured instructors with YEARS of experience.
ALL our trainers are qualified with XPERT Fitness, Our Reformer Instructors are qualified with Fit Core.
Angie
Angela is a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Pole instructor. Her passion for pole dancing started in 2016: and it was love at first sight and has kept growing since then. Her love for this discipline has led her away from the UK; in 2019, she moved for a year to Sydney, Australia, where she had the opportunity to train with prominent artists and explore different styles. There, she understood her heart belonged to choreos, dancing in high heels and spinning in the air. Her qualifications include Personal Trainer Lv 2&3 Premier Global NASM, Classique Certification Pole Dance Academy Sydney, Australia, Xpert Pole Lv 1&2, Pole Strength & Conditioning
Evie
Evie started aerial and pole at a school club in 2015 and instantly became addicted. She is an Xpert qualified aerial and pole instructor, with aerial hoop being her first love. Evie is also L2 Fitness Qualified and a Fit Core Reformer instructor. Evie really enjoys creating routines and is constantly researching new fun tricks and movement to incorporate into her classes. She strives to ensure everyone really enjoys coming to her sessions, and can achieve something by the time they leave. When not hanging upside down she loves going on holidays and being with her family and friends.
Morgan
Morgan loves all things pole, floor & heels. She has been poling for the last 5 years and started at our sister studio HD&F as a baby poler. Now she has grown and developed into one of our sexy pole instructors teaching our heels pole. Morgan is fast gaining a great following and her classes are fun. She works hard to train regularly so she can give you the best experience. Morgan is XPERT Pole Fitness 1&2 qualified, and also Essential Science Of Heels.
Morgan won 1st Place in Low Flow category at British Pole Instructor Championships 2023
Vanessa
Vanessa is our head instructor and has been teaching pole and aerial for 12 years, she is a seasoned instructor and XPERT Master Trainer, alongside working for XPERT head office. She is passionate about teaching and passing on knowledge to help students achieve their goals. In here classes you will find a fun and supportive learning environment with focus on technique and building strength and confidence. She specialises in tricks and transitions, and loves to help all body types, styles and skill levels. She is a mum of 2 boys and is also qualified to teach pole, aerial hoop, silks, flexibility and pre and post natal clients.
More recently Vanessa has found a love for Reformer Pilates and is now Fit Core Trained.
Zoe
Zoe teaches beginner pole and has a passion for slinky flow. She creates a fun and encouraging environment for her students as they embark on the beginning of their pole journey. Zoe is also an ambassador for
Pole Junkie and winner of Pole Theatre Classique Beginner in 2020. Zoe is XPERT
Pole Fitness 1&2 and Essential Science of Heels qualified.
Apolline
Apolline fell in love with pole dancing while at university. She started Aerial in 2014 where she quickly became addicted to all forms of aerial in particular hoop and silks. She has been teaching aerial classes since 2016 and loves seeing her students find a passion for all things aerial.
Ellie
Ellie has been doing aerial for over 10 years and started as a baby aerialist at HD&F, she now is Xpert qualified in hoop, silks, pole, trapeze, flexibility and Reformer. Ellie loves training all things fitness and strives to ensure her students have a fun and supportive environment in classes! Ellie has a passion for exercise and ensuring it is inclusive for everyone, with a MSc degree in clinical exercise physiology she is always on hand to adapt exercises when needed to keep pole and aerial safe and inclusive for everyone.
Cerys
Cerys started training in aerial 5 years ago at Xpole Academy’s sister studio Herts Dance and Fitness and now they can’t get rid of her! Armed with a degree in Inclusive Performance from Chickenshed Theatre Company, Cerys has honed her skills to create a space to ensure that children of all backgrounds and abilities can experience aerial arts in a supportive and safe environment. Cerys has worked in children’s performing arts for over a decade and she also currently works as a freelance performer so can often be found “treading the boards”. She looks forward to welcoming everyone to the kids’ classes!
Jo
Jo is a multi disciplined instructor, teaching pole, aerial, Pilates and reformer. Jo is the queen of anything spinning and has been honing her craft for a number of years ! She enjoys learning and creating great class plans, doing other aerial arts and generally being incredible. She is dedicated to her students and ensuring that they enjoy her session each time.
Emily
Emily ( Protein Princess) is an Aerial and Pole addict.
She started Pole back in 2018 and never looked back! She then started Hoop a year later and loved that too. And along the way has picked up more like Fly Pole, Straps and trapeze.
She absolutely adore teaching and seeing her students confidence progress. She also loves performing and within that competing.
She has won a few titles including- Pole Theatre Semi Pro division in drama. London Pole Champion Professional no heels. 2nd place Elite Pole Championships Professionals, 2nd place Great British Pole Championships Professional Expert
Doug
Doug is an aerialist and neuroscientist. Hailing from the deep South of Brazil, Doug trained as a hoop aerialist at the National Centre for Circus Arts London, and is a pole and aerial instructor and performer. Doug is a Xpole Xpert Certified instructor Pole Levels 1-4.
He has competed nationally and Internationally, including Pole Art UK 2019, Pole Theatre UK ’22 & ’23 (Pro), Elite Pole Championships ’23 & ’24 (Pro) and Exotic Moon 2024 (Pro). During his competitive journey, he has collected a few sashes and trophies along the way.
Doug likes to combine strength, flexibility and unusual transitions when teaching and performing and having not come from a dance or gymnastic background, Doug believes pole and aerial arts is for everyone and everyone can do this!
Apollo
Apollo began pole in 2019 and quickly developed a passion for strength-based movement and bodyweight training. He completed his XPERT Pole instructor training in 2022, is a certified calisthenics instructor, and holds an End-Range Excellence Mobility Instructor Certification.
As a trans instructor, he creates an inclusive environment where students of all backgrounds can build strength, control and confidence. Known for his love of both slow, controlled movement and dynamic tumbles and flips, his teaching focuses on clean execution, power and body awareness. With lived experience of hEDS, his clear, technique-driven approach helps students progress at their own pace and feel proud of what their bodies can do.
Aimee
Hi, my name is Aimee and my pole journey begun back in October 2021 after watching and being inspired by the “Pour It Up” music video by Rihanna. I begun teaching back in March 2024. I love spin combos and heels choreo. Other hobbies of mine include boxing, Muay Thai, weightlifting, tattoos and travelling!
My dream is to make it into the music/film/tv industry as a pole dancer!
AJ
AJ (they/she)
Aj Started pole dancing in 2020 and became an instructor in 2025. They love teaching beginner pole and creating an inclusive and supportive environment for learning. AJ is XPERT Pole Fitness 1&2 trained and you will usually catch her laughing, dancing or in a headstand.
Nadya
Xpert trained pole instructor, Calisthenics, Classical mat Pilates, Advanced Pilates, Pilates for orthpaedic conditions, Pre & post natal Pilates, Les Mills BA instructor, Les Mills BB instructor, Gym Instructor, Flexibility instructor.
22 years and counting as a sports, remedial therapist.
Hobbies - For fun, I enjoy making jigsaw puzzles, dancing, going climbing and listening to music.
Keen interest in travel and exploring different cultures. I also love learning, always on the lookout for something new to study!
Life moto: I live for love and I live for fun
Tasha
Tasha is a seasoned professional pole performer and competitor with an impressive 11 years of pole experience, nine years of teaching, and ten years of competing. She is a fully qualified instructor in pole, aerial, fitness, and yoga. With over five years in the fitness industry, she has refined her expertise through roles at local leisure centres, boutique fitness gyms, and major corporate brands such as Fitness First and DW, where she worked as a personal trainer and fitness consultant.
At the end of 2024, she transitioned from her corporate desk job to full-time teaching and coaching in pole, aerial, and yoga. Currently, she teaches at multiple studios across Kent and London, including Aerial Arts Studio, Heavenly Fitness, Artemis, Venus, London Dance Academy, and Xpole Academy, among others.
Driven by her passion for creativity. Tasha specializes in crafting quirky and dynamic combinations, exploring innovative movement patterns, and mastering challenging transitions and tricks. Her skillset shines in contemporary flow choreography around the base of the pole, as well as in showcasing elegant split shapes at the top.
Tasha teaches specialist workshops
Kirsty
Kirsty has been doing aerial for over 8 years, with Silks and Hoop being her main disciplines although she loved aerial straps and flying trapeze.
Kirsty now teaches at our St Albans studio, teaching her aerial silks class to a mix of abilities.
Kirsty has been doing aerial for over 8 years, with Silks and Hoop being her main disciplines although she loved aerial straps and flying trapeze.
Kirsty now teaches at our St Albans studio, teaching her aerial silks class to a mix of abilities.
Amelia
With 9 years of experience in the air, Amelia has spent nearly a decade exploring the artistry and strength of aerial hoop. Her style is all about spin, flow, and expression - blending technical skill with the soul of dance to create movement that feels powerful and poetic.
‘As a teacher, I'm passionate about helping students find their own flow and build confidence in the air. Whether you're just starting your aerial journey or looking to refine your technique, my classes are a space to grow, explore, and most importantly - have fun while flying!
Whether you’re here to get strong, find your flow, or just hang upside down and giggle a bit, my classes are a mix of hard work, creativity, and lots of encouragement.’
Julia
Julia is a Reformer Pilates and yoga instructor trained in FitCore and Ignite, known for her intuitive, client-centred approach. She creates supportive, empowering sessions that honour different body types, abilities and movement backgrounds, blending strong technical foundations with mindful, accessible teaching.
Her mission is to help every client build strength, ease and confidence in a space where their body’s unique needs are truly respected.
Julia delivers intuitive, client-centred sessions designed to strengthen, lengthen and align your body with purpose. Every class blends dynamic conditioning with mindful technique, ensuring you move safely, confidently and in a way that genuinely supports your personal goals.
Whether you’re building foundational strength or advancing your practice, these sessions adapt to your needs; so you can feel stronger, freer and more connected in every movement.
Harriet
With nearly a decade of experience as a fitness instructor, Harriet has been helping clients move with strength, confidence, and intention since 2016. After discovering reformer Pilates, they were drawn to its ability to build deep, functional strength while supporting longevity and mindful movement.
Harriet has been teaching reformer Pilates for the past year, focusing on intelligent sequencing, precise cueing, and creating an inclusive, encouraging environment for all bodies. Their classes emphasize alignment, control, and breath, while still offering a challenging, fun and empowering workout.
Holly
TBC
Stacey
Stacey is the studio manager and has been in the industry since 2004 – she has worked for XPOLE International for over 20 years and is the Head of Training at XPERT Fitness Teacher Training, the world’s most extensive Pole & Aerial Teacher Training program. Stacey is the organiser and co-owner of Pole Theatre UK and Elite Pole Champs. Stacey is a qualified fitness instructor and is a certified Pole & Aerial instructor, including aerial yoga, aerial Pilates, trigger point Pilates, Aerial Hoop and Reformer. In 2014 Stacey won the Miss Pole Dance UK Ambassador award, 2016, she won The International Fitness Showcase Health & Fitness Manager. Stacey is also the winner of IPC Industry Person 2018. In 2022, Stacey competed at BPIC and placed 2nd.