meet your instructors:
the APS family ♡
AKILA
Studio Owner & Founder
Hey besties! I'm Akila, the proud owner and founder of Akila Pole Studio! Ever since opening our doors in the summer of 2021, my mission has been to create a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive space where people can feel empowered and experience the sheer joy of pole. At the heart of everything I do, is a deep commitment to creating a space that nurtures personal growth, celebrates diversity and encourages self-expression. Community is the driving force behind my approach. It is the cornerstone of our studio, where people from all walks of life come together, support one another, and celebrate each other's successes.
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I started my pole journey back in 2019, and it was love at first spin! Like most people I became completely captivated by it and eventually pursued my teaching qualification and started teaching out of my own home. It’s incredible to think that just a few years later, Akila Pole Studio was born! Having a background in drama and physical theatre has given me a deep appreciation for the power of movement as a form expression and storytelling. My personal style is characterized by flowy, spinny movements that embody grace and fluidity, and I strive to create space for students to explore their own unique style while embracing fluid movements.
I love to bring a super energetic, non-judgemental & uplifting vibe to every class, so students feel safe to freely express themselves, build confidence, and above all, have fun! Creating a community that embraces and supports each other is incredibly important to me, and my aim is to ensure that each person, regardless of their background or experience, feels welcome and valued.
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You can catch me teaching group classes at the studio on Mondays & Wednesdays (and floating around on other days of the week!) <3
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Kitty (Damn Kitty)
Certified Pole Instructor
Introducing Kitty, our talented pole instructor who brings her passion for dance and pole to to Akila Pole Studio. With a diverse dance background, Kitty discovered pole in 2020 and has been on a remarkable journey ever since.
Kitty's love for pole has led her to achieve notable milestones in a short time. She's earned recognition for her performances and has been awarded titles in various competitions, including ExGen Spain 23’ 1st Place Old School Semi-Pro, ExGen UK 22’ Overall Winner Amateur & ExGen Uk 22’ 1st Place Old School Amateur. Kitty's talent has even taken her to perform alongside renowned artists like Snoop Dogg.
Join Kitty at Akila Pole Studio on Tuesday nights!
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Lara
Certified Pole Instructor
Lara Olivia's journey as a pole dancer began in the Netherlands in 2014. Her passion for the art form quickly flourished, leading her to become a dedicated and talented practitioner. Not content with simply mastering the pole herself, Lara embarked on a new adventure as an instructor, sharing her expertise and knowledge with others. For the past three years, she has been helping aspiring students reach their pole dancing goals, igniting their own passion for this captivating discipline. Lara's dedication to both her personal growth and the success of her students truly makes her a shining star in the world of pole!
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Find Lara at Akila Pole Studio on Thursday nights!
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Rosanne (Unicorn Power)
Certified Pole Instructor
Rosanne has been pole dancing since 2013 and is known for her sensual and flowy style on (and off!) the pole. As a teacher, Rosanne’s classes focus on technique, self-expression and guiding students in finding confidence in their own style of movement. She has an approachable, enthusiastic teaching style and loves nothing more than to share her love and knowledge of pole to aspiring students. Her philosophy is that pole dancing can help anyone discover what they are capable of: “There are no limits to what you can do if you work hard and believe in your own journey, let’s work together to achieve your goals!”
Rosanne teaches both heels choreography classes and tricks classes from Beginners up to Advanced level.
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Join Rosanne on Monday evenings at Akila Pole Studio!
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Angie
Certified Pole Instructor
Angie is a pole dancer, performer and instructor. Originally from Sydney Australia, Angie loves to express her sensual goddess vibes both on and off the pole. Angie has over a decade of experience teaching all levels of pole, and enjoys guiding her students movement through her signature Old School style of pole. Her experience as both a performer and competitive pole dancer also provides her students with a wealth of knowledge when preparing for their own performances and routines.
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Find Angie at Akila Pole Studio on Mondays & Wednesdays!
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Rachael Gisella
Certified Pole Instructor
Rachael Gisella is a professional pole dancer and performer who splits her time between London and Lisbon. She has gained recognition for her dynamic and sensual low flow routines and emphasis on musicality. As an award-winning dancer, she has earned titles in Basework and is the current title holder of ExGen New Face Flow. Her talents have also taken her to share the stage with acclaimed artists such as Snoop Dogg and Burna Boy. Rachael loves nothing more than sharing her passion of Sexy Style Pole with students; striving to create a safe space for them to freely express themselves.
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Catch Rachael at Akila Pole Studio for popup classes/workshops during her next return to LDN
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Phoebe
Certified Pole Instructor
Phoebe has over 10 years of experience pole dancing, and has been a part of the Akila Pole Studio family for a year and a half. Her style often combines spinning flow with an artistic touch, as well as choreos with a sassy, energetic flow. Phoebe enjoys providing the building blocks for her students to unlock their own style of dancing. She will help you explore the creative side of pole - whilst making it a fun and empowering journey for you!
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Join Phoebe at Akila Pole Studio on Tuesdays & Thursdays!
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Divya
Certified Pole Instructor
Divya started pole in undergrad with the Brown University Poler Bears. She's been obsessed ever since. Before, her background was in ballet, and she loves bringing a soft and fluid style of dance to the pole. As an instructor, she loves to help her students unlock their own movement pathways, specialising in contemporary pole, and slow cathartic flow in heels. Divya also competes internationally, most recently at ExoGen Australia. On stage, she moves with the same gooey, sensual energy that she teaches in her classes!
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Join Divya at Akila Pole Studio on Thursdays!
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Alexandra
Certified Pole Instructor
Introducing Alexandra Mutungi, an accomplished pole dancer who has been perfecting her craft for over three years. Recently, she took on the role of a pole instructor, sharing her expertise with others. Alexandra's movement style is a captivating blend of sensuality, delicacy, and embodiment. For her, pole dancing serves as a powerful method of self-expression, allowing her to explore and convey her innermost emotions with grace and artistry.
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Find Alexandra on Sundays at Akila Pole Studio!
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Coffee
Certified Pole Instructor
Coffee is a London-based heels enthusiast from Hong Kong and Taiwan. She first started pole dancing in 2018 and currently teaches every other Wednesday at Akila Pole Studio, in alternation with Zac. Her favourite style is technical flow with lots of twirly transitions. Cheryl is also a founding member of Cobalt Flame, a London-based pan-Asian pole dance collective that aims to uplift dancers of Asian heritage and create a safe space for all to freely express their creativity and sensuality.
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Join Cheryl at Akila Pole Studio on Wednesday nights!
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Zac
Certified Pole Instructor
Introducing Zac, our talented and passionate pole instructor. With a background in dance and pole since 2019, Zac's journey has been a gorgeous blend of strength, creativity, and artistic expression.
Zac's love for all things soft and floaty is evident in his teaching style, where he seamlessly combines the art of dance with the strength and technique of pole. His classes are a fusion of fluid movements and elegant transitions, and a focus on embodying the music.
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Join Zac at Akila Pole Studio on Wednesdays & Sundays!
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Beth
Certified Pole Instructor
Beth's pole journey began four years ago in Hanoi, Vietnam. Now, as a London-based dancer, her style shines through long, flowing combos, with a love for spinning tricks that showcase her passion for transitions and speed control. In December 2022, Beth transitioned into teaching, blending her skills as a qualified yoga instructor with her pole expertise to offer a mindful, empowering approach. Her guiding principle & her pole mantra is “Pole dancing embodies the journey of self-love.”
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Join Beth at Akila Pole Studio on Tuesdays & Saturdays!
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Yasmin
Certified Pole Instructor
Introducing Yasmin, Akila's bestie! Yasmin has a lifelong background of dancing and has a passion for fitness, also working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer. After taking her first ever pole class with Akila in 2021 she instantly fell in lovve with pole dancing and became very passionate about it. She loves the blend of athleticism and artistry that pole combines, finding freedom, empowerment and expression through the sensual yet srong nature of the movement.
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Catch Yaz at Akila Pole Studio on Thursdays!
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