September 3, 2026

Chinese Pole: Spotting & Coaching

With Sandra Feusi and Levi Helton

As coaches we are asked every day to find new ways to teach our students and give them new skills to learn. In this workshop we’ll come together and share expertise and ask questions through the coaching lens.

Facilitated by Sandra Feusi, this will be a deep dive into spotting techniques and coaching tips developed over more than 30 years performing and coaching Chinese pole.

We’ll start with progressions and spotting tips for some popular skills, and then branch out to tricks you are struggling to teach or spot. We’ll even demonstrate how to incorporate safety lines!

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More Details

When:
Thursday, September 3
5:00 – 8:00 pm

Where:
The Trapezium
10 Town Crier Drive
Brattleboro, Vermont

Cost:
General Public: $100
Pole-a-Palooza Participants: $75

Register By: 
August 14, 2026

Prerequisites:
Participants should have a current pole practice, and be comfortable with close body contact and hand-on activities. Non-coaches are welcome as the material is useful for anyone with a pole practice, but the focus will be on the needs of coaches.

Ages:
18 & up or by permission of instructor

About the Coach

Born in Switzerland, Sandra Feusi is a graduate of Scuola Teatro Dimitri and trained with Master Lu Yi in San Francisco.

Sandra began performing in San Francisco with the New Pickle Circus, Make-a-Circus, The Dance Brigade and Run for your Life Dance company. She toured internationally for 5 years with Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco. After that she and her husband, Sam Payne, created their unique duo Chinese pole act, Vertical Tango, which won a gold medal at the 2005 Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, the Prix de la Ville de Paris, the Prix de Cirque Eloize and the Prix Alexandre Grimailo. They received a Silver Clown award at the 2008 Monte Carlo festival where they were also presented with the prestigious People’s Choice award. They won the Isadora Duncan award for best choreography. It was the first time this award was given to a circus act. They performed Vertical Tango with Teatro Zinzanni in San Francisco and Seattle, with Circus Knie, with the Carre Theater in Amsterdam, Circus Sarasanni in Buenos Aires, Palazzo in Berlin, and many others. Sandra has co-directed and choreographed 2 full length shows: Birdhouse Factory and Zoppo.

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