Last fall, I had the pleasure of stopping by Tiger Lily Vertical Fitness & Dance while on a trip to the Chicago area, for a friend’s wedding. I had run some searches for pole studios in the area, looking for something that was reasonably close to my mom’s house, both for my own convenience AND in case she wanted to finally sign up for classes. 🙂

From the Tiger Lily website

Co-owned by Head Instructors Caroline and Sarah, Tiger Lily Vertical Fitness & Dance is located in Geneva, Illinois, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It’s a great location for anyone in the western suburbs – my mom lives about 40 minutes north, but it was an easy trip down one of the main thoroughfares that runs north/south in that area (Randall Road, which is also the road that the studio happens to be on). The studio is set in a storefront in a an upper-middle class area of the suburbs, and as soon as I walked in, I was impressed with the beauty of the set up. The lobby is splashed with color in a way that is both inviting and girlish without being overpowering, which I loved. There’s also a small boutique area, allowing students to conveniently purchase any supplies they might need!

Tiger Lily Boutique – photo from their Facebook page

Behind the privacy wall and curtains, you’ll find large studio area, painted in a deep grey with pink accents (same as the lobby). The space is beautiful, with an intimate feel to it. Mirrors line one wall, with a ballet bar for stretching, and you’ll find 9 permanent 50 mm Platinum Stages poles on which to flip and fly! A door at the back of the studio leads to a small dressing area for changing and storing your items, as well as a kitchenette (snacks and water are available for purchase) and bathroom. All in all, it is a great set up!

The studio offers pole classes of varying levels in session courses, as well as package deals available if you find yourself addicted and wanting to come to class more than once a week! I was lucky enough to get special permission ahead of time to sit in on a mixed level class, which allowed me to get an idea of how the teaching works at the studio. Sarah, the instructor, gave a great warm up that combined some strength and stretching exercises with a healthy dose of dance-inspired movement to raise our heart rates – she added in some fun, flirty accents, too! Sarah was careful to teach for everyone’s level, and when she saw I was more advanced than some of the other students, she gave me more advanced conditioning to do – one of the first things she had me do was start to work inverts on my bad side, as she correctly deduced that it was something I never did (and totally need to work on!). The spins and transitions she taught to all of us were pretty and very useful, no matter what your level. Each of the students was kind and welcoming to me, especially for me being an outsider – I was so impressed by their attitudes! Class wrapped up with a free style dance, allowing us to dance as a group and test out some of the things we’d all been working on. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I felt like I got a great work out!

Tiger Lily Co-Owners and Head Instructors Sarah (L) and Caroline (R), from their website

Tiger Lily also offers various workshops throughout the year, like a striptease class, as well as specialty classes! The specialty classes include stretching and yoga based classes, including Fly Gym classes! I wish I’d had time to take one while I was there – dying to try it! In addition to their class schedule, Tiger Lily also offers party packages for gals looking to throw the perfect bachelorette or birthday party (or more!). They are also hosting and managing The Windy City Pole Dance Competition on April 13th, 2013, at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL!

FlyGym at Tiger Lily – photo from their Facebook page – great view of the studio interior!

With affordable pricing and a lovely set up, Tiger Lily Vertical Fitness & Dance makes a great addition to the Chicago pole studio scene!

You can find Tiger Lily Vertical Fitness at 1749 S. Randall Rd. ~Suite G, Geneva, IL 60134 (located next to Mario Tricoci Salon and Day Spa), and online at http://www.tigerlilyverticalfit.com and on Facebook!