Our talented Body Electric Instructors – join them for classes in the studio soon!
Maree Prebensen
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Co-director of Body Electric Pole Dance Studio, Maree has a background in ballet and martial arts, and is an Art Historian by professsion with a Masters degree in the field. But attending her first pole class over a decade ago, she found her true calling.
Maree has been a Miss Pole Dance New Zealand finalist, an NZAPP finalist and was selected to perform in ‘Encore!’ a pole showcase based in Sydney. As well as teaching and performing, she produces the Pole Room shows, regular pole showcases based in Wellington and featuring acts from throughout NZ.
A certified pole teacher (X-pert certification, Levels 1 through to 4.), Maree teaches all levels of pole dance classes, but her favourite classes are Fierce Flow, Floorwork and creative choreography sessions.
Giada Caluzzi
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Co-director of Body Electric Pole Dance Studio, Giada has been fascinated with the art of pole since 2009. She is originally from Melbourne where she taught as an elite level pole dance instructor at Pole Divas.
Since making Wellington her home over a decade ago, she has become a much loved and admired part of our pole scene. Before dedicating herself to the business of running a dance studio, Giada was a high school teacher with a Masters degree in Linguistics. She is a beautiful and gifted solo pole performer who has performed in Wellington and throughout New Zealand, as well as Australia.
She teaches all levels of pole dance classes, including our most Advanced classes, and hard-core conditioning sessions, but she also loves teaching new beginner students – and seeing them discover how much fun pole is!
Hannah Bartle
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Hannah (aka Cinnabar Steele) is a tattoo artist and illustrator by trade. They have been pole dancing since 2011 and were one of the very first instructors to join the Body Electric team.
Hannah has a wide repertoire of creative pole content to teach, including plenty of floor and basework tricks and flowing combos, both on and off the pole. She is well known for her visually stunning and always captivating pole performances, both in the Wellington pole performance scene, as well as the competitive pole circuit, where she was awarded the ‘Ms Sexy’ sash at Pole Inferno 2018, ‘2nd runner-up Floorwork’ at Pole Inferno 2019, and ‘Ms Theatrical’ at Pole Inferno 2019.
Hannah is a beautiful, creative and graceful performer, whom you will meet teaching both static and spin pole, and Basework classes. We are extremely lucky to have this talented dancer at the forefront of our teacher cohort at Body Electric Pole.
Ileia Fox
Ileia has been pole dancing for a decade. She is an experienced performer who has taken part in many shows around New Zealand, including ‘Hell on Heels,’ ‘Caburlesque’ and ‘The Pole Room’ shows.
She brings together her passion for pole with her love of all things geeky to create unique, cosplay-inspired acts that are unforgettable.
Ileia is also a fan of showgirl-style pole. High heels, glamorous, sparkly costumes and legs for days are her trademarks.
She is a knowledgable and fun teacher who will show you how to get down-and-dirty in Floorwork and Intmermediate level classes.
Nadja Carina
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Nadja discovered her love for pole in Germany more than a decade ago, competing for the first time in 2010 in Hamburg. She has traveled the world extensively and enjoyed visiting foreign studios, working with different instructors, and attending pole camps.
A qualified yoga instructor, Nadja is also a certified Xpert pole trainer, and has worked as a pole instructor in Auckland.
She is now living and practising massage therapy in Wellington.
Nadja is obsessed with anatomically correct execution, clean lines and correct angles, but also loves how everyone brings their own style to pole, and how it connects people with very different backgrounds.
Karina Shann
Loaded with passion for pole, Karina excels in using her considerable experience as a personal trainer to inform her pole teaching style. Karina began her pole journey in 2017, when Body Electric became her second home. Throwing herself completely out of her comfort zone, Karina quickly developed a taste for pole performance and competitive pole, and exceeded her own perceived limits as a performer on stage in The Pole Room and as a competitor in the NZAPP pole competition.
A strong desire to help people progress and celebrate their successes motivates Karina in her work with others. As well as personal training, Karina also has a background in jazz dance. Her love for dance and movement naturally brought her to pole, which combines elements of dance and strength.
Her friendly personality, patience and strong empathy for students, make classes with Karina relaxed and so much fun.
Nicole Geiger
Originally from Paris, Nicole discovered pole in Wellington in 2014. She immediately fell in love with its mix of fitness, dance and circus elements.
Nicole absolutely loves performing and building fun and entertaining characters. Having tried a range of styles, she has found a preference for comedy performance in solo or in double acts. Nicole uses her creative talent in performing regularly to enthusiastic audiences at the Pole Room in Wellington, and she has also performed in Australia at Encore, in Sydney.
A certified yoga teacher, Nicole loves helping her students develop flexibility in a healthy and safe way. She enjoys seeing women progress in their strength, flexibility and pole dance goals, and always strives to make pole dancing accessible, and great fun!
Emma Hopkins
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Emma began her pole journey at Body Electric in 2016. One class in, and she was hooked! Practicing pole has helped Emma reignite her passion for expressive movement and performance, having spent a good chunk of her childhood learning Jazz dance.
An expert mover, shaker, bouncer and twerker, Emma’s creativity also extends to considerable skill in makeup artistry, which she employs regularly to help performers prepare for the stage.
On the pole, Emma is a huge fan of drops and flips, and is also partial to the occasional booty pop. Emma loves to share with her students her passion for pole – one which has literally and figuratively turned her world upside down
Cécilia Comelli
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Cécilia discovered pole in 2017, upon visiting a friend’s place to share beers and the use of an x-stage (not the best combo)! Things became more serious when she later joined Body Electric, and transformed from couch-potato into annoying sport-maniac who couldn’t but share their obsession with anyone who would listen.
With a true and undying passion for elbow and armpit grips, Cécilia loves exploring twisty, splitty tricks and graceful movement with her students. Join Cécilia in her classes, where she will no doubt knock your socks of with beautiful lines and bendy elegance!!
Sophie Disney
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Sophie began taking pole classes as a student a decade ago after becoming a stripper and falling in love with pole. She loves how pole can cater to everyone, whether they enjoy training flexibility, working on strength tricks, getting some cardio, shaking their booty, or embracing the sexy, sensual stripper style in which pole dance is rooted.
Sophie adores the amazing friends she has made in the pole dance community! As a student, she is constantly learning -taking online classes from international teachers and trawling though Instagram to discover the newest tricks. As a teacher, she gets huge satisfaction from sharing knowledge and seeing students achieve things that they never thought possible.
In Intermediate and Advanced level classes, Sophie loves working on dynamic transitions, flips and drops. Outside of pole she’s a big ol’ introverted sex-working science nerd, with a degree in biomedical science and a passion for photography. When not at pole, Sophie travels the world, eats out, or stays at home, to play in her indoor jungle.
Stephanie Rodgers
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With a background including belly dance and flamenco, Stephanie became properly obsessed with pole on discovering it could be comedic, athletic, serious, sexy or anything else that might take her fancy and suit her style.
Convinced to take to the stage in the New Zealand Amateur Pole Performer competition, Stephanie quickly transformed into her well loved stage persona, ‘Rosa Buxomberg’ – a sassy and shameless pole dancer who just loves to give good face.
Her proclivity for the stage sees Stephanie regularly performing at and emceeing Wellington’s ‘Pole Room’ shows and Body Electric’s ‘Pole Inferno’ competitions. And although Stephanie also manages to juggle a day job in politics, she really just loves working with Beginner students at Body Electric Pole.
Gabrielle McElwee
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Gabrielle had already long been infatuated with pole dance before even attending her first class at Body Electric in 2016.
Having spent many years studying Ballet, Jazz and Classical Music, she fell in love with the freedom and flexibility that Pole dancing provides, both in training and in performance.
Gabrielle loves to experiment with all aspects of Pole but is particularly fond of working on exquisite lines, floorwork and dance.
Her on-stage talent and finely honed performance skills have resulted in Gabrielle’s selection as a finalist in NZAPP 2018, and her winning the 1st runner up position at Pole Stars 2019 in the ‘Artistry’ category.
Gabrielle adores the positive and supportive environment at Body Electric studio and is a kind and caring teacher, able to draw on a wealth of experience in varied and beautiful dance genres.
Mei Chan
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Mei (TigerFury) has been up, down, and around the pole for close to 13 years and is still counting. Having caught the pole bug from a friend in Sydney, Australia, she embarked on a slow but steady pole journey. Eventually participating in pole competitions, and competing in Aotearoa New Zealand for six years straight, these experiences culminated in the fulfilment of her ultimate dream: acceptance in the International Pole Championship (IPC) held in Brisbane in 2018.
Having arrived in Aotearoa from Malaysia in 1988, Mei has become well-known in our pole community for her amazing strength holds and tricks, and her ability to mould them into creative and unique performances. Years of personal pole practice have established her as a talented and experienced poler, and being a student of Wing Tsun kung-fu for more than a decade has further helped her develop body awareness and teaching skills.
Mei has attained XPert Spin Pole teacher training certification and IPDFA PolePro Instructor Certifications for Levels 1 and 2. Recently, Mei has made herself re-learn pole and return to its basics, and this continues to be the foundation of all her training. A much respected and loved member of the Body Electric team, Mei is a passionate instructor, with pocketfuls of sass and old-school style when she passes on her wisdom and knowledge to our lovely students at Body Electric Pole.
Olympia Kallipygos
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Happily obsessed with pole dancing since 2018, Olympia has loved being able to learn in an affirming environment, where all bodies are good bodies and diversity is celebrated.
A regular at pole events in Wellington, Olympia’s ‘sexy comedy’ pole style is a fun and entertaining display of strength and control. Twisty tricks are mashed-up with dirty dancing moves, as Olympia clowns around on stage flying their freak flag high!
With a special penchant for hard-core training and conditioning classes, Olympia is a friendly, supportive and encouraging pole instructor. Olympia finds great joy in helping students develop and nurture their own unique pole styles.
Judith Dillon
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Judith’s badass stage name, ‘Cardiac Mercenary,’ references the health issues that this amazing woman has faced prior to beginning pole training in 2014. Told by cardiologists to ‘take it easy’ in her physical activities, Judith promptly decided to take up pole. Not content with building just strength or flexibility in her new physical pursuit, Judith decided to work steadily and consistently on both – and her physical progress over the years has been incredible!
Judith now specialises in hard-core ‘poletortion,’ where she delights in putting her own bendy twists on more traditional moves. Known for her creepy and surreal flexy movement, Judith has been a regular performer in the Wellington pole scene, and in 2019 she was awarded 2nd place in the Grand Masters ‘Pole Artistry’ category.
Having started classes at Body Electric on its actual opening day, Judith has loved watching a then “tiny” studio develop in to what she now describes as a “massive, empowering space.” Judith is a supportive and encouraging teacher, who loves working alongisde others to help them “achieve more than they ever thought possible.”
Sophie Tasker
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Sophie formed an instant obsession on trying out her very first pole dance class in 2019. Within the supportive community at Body Electric, she developed a love for the intense physicality of pole.
Jumping at the opportunity to immerse herself in the world of pole dance beyond the classroom, Sophie participated in Body Electric student showcases, initially performing in group routines, then moving on to create and perform solo acts under her stage name ‘Velma Cherry.’
Sophie especially enjoys choreographing performances that are equal parts silly and sexy. Sophie took out first place in the Beginner category of the Wellington New Zealand Amateur Pole Performer (NZAPP) competition in 2020. Her quirky style and brilliant comedic timing saw her also win the finals, making her national champion in New Zealand in Beginner level competitive pole.
In everyday pole, Sophie especially loves the ‘aha’ moment of unlocking new tricks. Successfully executing challenging pole content after initial difficulties and frustration is a joy that she can’t wait to share. With her trademark enthusiam and approachable style, Sophie is prepped and primed to help students experience the highs she herself has enjoyed as a passionate and talented newcomer to pole.
Bambi Rogers
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Bambi started her pole journey after deciding she had retired from the dance industry for good. Trained in a huge array of dance styles, Bambi thought she had given up on the idea of pursuing her passion for dance, until she discovered pole!
Her movement background has seen Bambi quickly develop poise and grace on the pole, and a repertoire of increasingly advanced level skills. She is a spin pole fanatic and loves creating elegant shapes that combine her impressive flexibility and strength.
A firm believer in exercising for both a healthy body and a healthy mind, Bambi has truly found her happy place at Body Electric. Bambi says she has never experienced a community so friendly, welcoming and accepting, and she loves working with students to share her experience in and passion for dance.
Morgan Elizabeth
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Morgan’s very first body roll ignited her passion for pole – she fell instantly for the empowerment and confidence that pole brings. At the same time, she developed a not insignificant crush on pole shoes, which remain one of her trademark performance attributes to this very day.
Dancing under the stage name ‘Moxxi,’ Morgan has performed as an amateur and professional in shows and competitions in the Wellington region. She is best known for her commanding stage presence, musicality, and speedy heel clacking choreography. Drawing on her background in musical theatre, Morgan has combined her love of stage performance with a touch of drama, sexy, and camp, all beautifully rolled together into a singular dynamic and invigorating performance style. Most recently, Morgan harnessed all her pole talent to win a coveted title first place title at Pole Inferno, 2022.
Morgan feels privileged to watch the passion for pole develop in other dancers too. Her desire to help ignite that fire in her beginner level students starting out on their own personal pole dance journeys makes Morgan an amazingly encouraging, enthusiastic and supportive teacher of pole.
Margaret Nixon
Margaret has been a student at Body Electric since 2018, and her hard work and love for pole have seen her develop amazing pole skills and the strength that comes with them.
We are overjoyed to have Margaret take our ‘Over 60s Pole’ class, which we believe provides older women with the opportunity to join us in the studio, and share in our passion for pole.
Margaret herself is 70 years old, and perfect proof that pole is accessible to people of all ages. She is testament to the benefits of pole dancing for older women, and the ideal teacher for this class!
‘Over 60s Pole’ is suitable for women completely new to the art of pole. Join Margaret weekly on Sundays at 4pm for a dose of healthy excitement and fun!
Ruth Pay
Ruth started pole in 2020 and has been obsessed ever since, and not just with 8inch heels and outfits!! Having always loved maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping fit, Ruth was a competitive swimmer in her younger years, and later a driven participant in triathalons and Iron Man events.
Finally convincing herself to get out her comfort zone and take a class at Body Electric has been her best decision to date, and she hasn’t looked back since. “Pole is such and important part of my life now…I can’t imagine life without it. It is so amazing to be a part of such a wonderfully supportive community of people.”
Ruth loves nothing more than flowing around the base of the pole and doing lots of floorwork. Super passionate about challenging herself to learn new movements and tricks and increasing her knowledge in pole, Ruth loves teaching at Body Electric, and sharing her passion for pole dance with all.
Terumi Isogai
Terumi brings to pole an unwavering determination to master the most terrifying and challenging of moves! Her 14 year background in martial arts has helped her to learn pole tricks, flips and combos, that require careful training, practised skill, and significant strength.
Terumi’s two time win of the ‘Tricks’ category award at Pole Legends (in 2019 and 2020), as well as her second runner-up placing in the Over 35s category at Pole Inferno (2019) are testament to her abilities and experience.
With her favourite moves being Ayeshas and Phoenixes, Terumi brings to Body Electric a level of expertise, experience and maturity, that will allow her to help the most advanced of pole dancers work towards achieving their high-level goals. Her desire is to encourage students to believe in themselves, and to help them achieve more than they initially might have thought they could. Join Terumi for Advanced level pole classes at Body Electric!
Elisa Puccioni
Elisa had never been a fan of physical activity. She’d tried and abandoned a long series of sports, always, in the end, opting for good food and a good book over the sweaty stuff. That changed in 2018, when she took her first lesson at Body Electric, having decided to try pole dancing before hitting 40. The lesson changed her forever. She became hopelessly addicted to pole.
In her years at Body Electric, Elisa has learned so much from teachers and fellow students, not only about pole tricks and dance combos, but especially about love, respect, inclusivity and empowerment. She feels privileged to have become part of an amazing community, where she can be herself without fear or shame.
Elisa is a firm believer that everyone can find something to enjoy in pole dance: it might be tricks, or rolling around on the floor in slinky sky high heels, or it could be striking poses and shaking booty in the sassiest of dance routines.
Elisa herself finds her greatest joy on stage, and adores creating slightly crazy and often hilarious theatrical routines, both as a solo artist and in group performances.
She is a bubbly and energetic instructor, guaranteed to put students at ease with her lust for life and all things pole!
Scarlet Roberts
Finding herself with a bit of extra time on her hands and the thought that at least it might be a good complement to her martial arts training, Scarlet finally took the plunge and attended her first pole dance class in 2019. She hasn’t looked back since!
With over 20 years’ of martial arts experience, she tends to favour strengthy tricks and moves that can definitely test the pain threshold. She’s a strong proponent of conditioning, and always training the other side!
Scarlet loves how pole has something for everyone – whether you’re flexy or strong, sexy or silly, love heights or prefer rolling around on the floor, there’s plenty of room to develop your own unique style. She loves helping people figure out what works for them, and watching students become comfortable and confident in themselves and their abilities.
Louise MacPherson
Louise is an avid Pole Groover who features in countless studio videos of the class – but Louise’s talents are not limited to pole! She has trained in a range of performance arts, including aerial silks and hoop, as well as Burlesque, and has put her skills to work as a Burlesque instructor and host at hens parties, birthday events and celebrations.
Ever passionate about arts subcultures, Louise has also been a prolific event organiser, an emcee at pole and variety shows, and has worked with a travelling male review. With a background in costuming, hair and make up for film and theatre, Louise is passionate about the process of performance development and enhancement through the creation of decorative elements and ‘looks’ that are fundamental to the impact of any piece of performance art.
Louise is driven by helping people, and has a special interest in promoting women’s rights and working towards female empowerment. She hopes to help to encourage new students coming through Body Electric to discover what they are capable of, no matter what their body type or physical struggles. Louise has health issues of her own that she has been able to push through with pole, and she would love to help others do the same, and gain confidence in themselves and their self image. Louise is excited to work with students to develop happiness and health through pole
Talia Hana
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Talia is from Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toarangatira and Ngāti Raukawa. She started pole dancing 4-5 years ago and fell in love with how rewarding it felt, especially in moments when she managed to nail a challenging trick or new spin. Talia genuinely believed she was confident before pole, but her confidence doubled when pole helped her realise what her body could do!
Talia loves to perform and has been doing so since she was 7. She believes there is no better feeling than that wave of euphoria that crashes over you when you have just finished a show. Talia has competed and performed pole in a range of events, including NZAPP, Caburlesque, Stand Up and Spin, Finest of the Fringe and Pole Inferno. She also has a background in film and theatre acting and performed in the Bats Theatre show, “Tales of the Strypt” which delved into and explored the lives and experiences of sex workers.
Talia loves seeing people’s performances and successes, and can be heard cheering and laughing a mile away. Her goal is to empower her students and do her best to help diffuse any barriers that exist for them. She works and studies in various areas of the social services, and has a huge passion for sex worker rights and kaupapa Māori social work. She brings all her learnings to her everyday life, and to her teaching and learning at Body Electric Pole!