Pole Control Studios, Hartford

Floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflect 1,300 square feet of glossy, hardwood floors ringing with the staccato of dancing high heels. Brass poles sprout from the floor, supporting whirling women as they learn sensual routines and build upper-body strength by suspending themselves skyward.

Pole Control Studios' owner, a seasoned performer with a BA in sports science, designs programs that scale up in difficulty while centering around fitness. The studio inducts exercisers in the flirtatious art with an introductory class, where each dancer learns correct posture, transition work, and how to use high heels to tap out Morse code. From there, guests foray into several Pole and Aerial Arts classes of empowering fitness classes that build on the basics, imparting techniques for climbing, controlled spins, or inversions. They also offer several fitness classes to build the muscles needed to strengthen to excel on the Pole, Pole Fit and Sensual Stretch supplement pole-dancing prowess with intense cardio, squats, lunges, and body-elongating posework. In the summer months, guests can visit the outside Pole deck to practice and relax before or after class.