Tara started teaching at UV last summer. She quickly won over our pole community with her expertise and positive outlook on life. Her students love her readiness to do/try anything and she keeps them motivated to push their limits in every class. She also has the added benefit of health and nutrition knowledge up her sleeve, which is an important counterpart of fitness training! Tara performs regularly and you can catch her at random shows around the city.
Name/nickname: Tara Mansler
What is your profession? Registered Holistic Nutritionist + Pole Dance Instructor
What got you into pole dancing? I was going through my very first break up and was also dealing with mood related issues. I was studying psychology at the time and we learned about the benefits of working out in regards to serotonin and dopamine so in an effort to get myself out of bed and out of the house…I somehow chose pole dancing! I wish I could remember why. Although, I’ve always been one to do things outside of the “norm” J
What makes you passionate about pole? Transformation. Pole has allowed me to grow into who I am today. I used to be super shy and lacked confidence in myself. Taking up pole dancing was completely transformative for me not just physically but emotionally and mentally too. Pole is a test of physical strength, determination, self-belief and self-expression and I’m happy to say those are some of my most prominent qualities I have grown into. I love that there is always something new to learn and aspire to with consistent challenge and satisfaction.
What do you love sharing with your students? I love connecting with my students and working with them to allow them to instill the values I listed above like confidence, self-belief and determination because I find these are critical components of the pole journey. I always say learning something in pole is like 99% in your brain (an exaggeration, of course!) and fear is our #1 inhibitor. The more we can recognize our fears and where they are coming from, the more we can break down goals or a trick, spin, technique to see where we can lay a more solid foundation, physically. The mental game is up to you!
What makes you feel sexy? (Mood, music, clothing, etc) Mood, music, clothing, all of the above, they’re all definitely intrinsically linked for me. Although if I was to rank them I’d say: 1) Music 2) Mood 3) Clothing
What is your fav pole move? Deadlift to Iron X. I like my strength based tricks!
What is your fav grip aid? Dry Hands for sure.
Fav brand of pole shorts? I love Mika Yoga Wear. I don’t own too many pole outfits to be honest (that’s gotta change!). I’ve worn the Pole Hearted bottoms and I’ll definitely be purchasing those soon. They make my bum look super cute!
Heels or no? This is a tough choice. My preference is no heels because it suits my style more and I am more comfortable doing certain tricks and transitions. Although in the past year I’ve come to love wearing heels because of how they make me feel. I’ve got a lot more comfortable in them but it’s a learning curve for me that I’m really enjoying.
Tara and friends, out in the wild. She might look like a shy girl in the back but she is fire.