Management Team
Terri Schneider
Studio Owner
Terri started pole dancing in 2017 after being inspired by Russian & Ukrainian pole dancers. She soon realized it was something she wanted to make her career. After a few years of teaching pole, competing, working at a club, & travelling to conventions & pole studios, she acquired certifications, medals, & enough money to open Pole Factory. When she’s not at the studio, Terri enjoys travelling, hiking, & good food! She also studies Ayurveda regularly, which is where the wellness aspect of Pole Factory stems from. She practices pole dancing as a form of spirituality & is passionate about providing students a holistic approach to the sport.
amanda bean
Administrator and Instructor
amanda bean (they/she) began poling in March of 2018 when looking for a new way to start exercising after a bad bout of depression had them dropping out of their fourth year of school. Pole dancing gave them a new outlet for expressing emotion through movement while also challenging their relationship with sensuality and giving them a passion for strength. Since 2020, amanda bean has been a level 4 Pole Sport Organization competitor and judge. They completed an 8-week Advanced Instructor Certification through Pole, Body, & Arts in Charlotte, NC. She has taken classes with polers such as Hali Quinn, Medusa Mami, Jazzy K, Bentley Rebel, Reckless Rhea, Roz the Diva, and Mischka.
justinverts
Social Media Manager
Justin (he/him) has been poling since 2021. After winning a 10 Class-Pass as a prize for a Halloween costume contest, he gave it a try and quickly became infatuated with the technique and strength required to execute the feats of pole dancers. After training with the instructors of Pole Body & Arts (CLT, NC), he moved to Milwaukee and leapt into Pole Factory. He has trained with Reckless Rhea and Hali Quinn. Justin also runs Pole Factory’s online presence on social media through Instagram, and TikTok. If you see a trendy Reel, it was probably his work! He looks forward to being involved and helping the studio grow & flourish!
Instructors
MJ
MJ began her pole journey at home in early 2020. Growing up, she was a competitive basketball player, powerlifter, and started training Jiu Jitsu in 2018. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has a passion for understanding human emotions and behavior. MJ began teaching at the Pole Factory in 2022, has experience working as an exotic dancer, and has performed multiple times on stage with Snoop Dogg! Her focus is to uplift and enhance aspiring dancers’ relationship with pole and to help guide her students to become more confident and in tune with their body’s desires and sensations. She believes pole can be used as a tool to help resist and cope with trauma through breath, music, movement, and community. To see more of MJ’s work, head over to her IG by clicking on her image.
Stacy
Stacy has a doctorate in physical therapy and has special interest in strength and conditioning. In addition to physical therapy, Stacy has taught various forms of movement classes over the years. As a former teen gymnast, she loves the challenging strength and acrobatic aspects of pole. Stacy enjoys developing strength, flexibility, conditioning, nutrition and recovery programming to both improve pole skills, feel better and reduce risk of injury. Stacy began taking pole classes in early 2021 on a mid-life whim, and quickly fell in love with the sport. It has helped her connect with her body in positive ways, develop creativity in movement, put her weightlifting to practical use, and learn to both challenge herself and recover adequately from those challenges. Most of all, the sense of joy and togetherness, learning from and helping others in the pole community, has been one of the biggest benefits!
Gabby
Gabby has been doing dance and gymnastics since a young child and started pole dancing three years ago. She started teaching gymnastics at age 15 and found a passion for teaching. Gabby first came to the pole factory in January 2023 and has performed in every Pole Factory showcase and community performance since. She has also competed in two PSO competitions in May and November 2023 where she placed third and first respectively.
Summer
My name is Summer and I will be teaching Intro to Pole at Pole Factory MKE beginning November 15th. I started taking pole classes six years ago in Cleveland, OH, which is where I’m from originally. I couldn’t do *anything* at the beginning. I was discouraged, and thought, “I’m not strong enough, I’m not fit enough,” etc. Over time, I slowly progressed and learned that as long as I kept showing up, I’d keep getting stronger. Aside from pole being a great workout, I’ve made lifelong friendships at class, I’ve learned to appreciate my own body and others’ bodies, and have come to crave the peace that exists during the hour when I can focus on nothing but the movement of my body through space and time, and not falling. I’m passionate about encouraging beginners be patient with themselves, and teaching the fundamentals to help build a foundation for the fancy moves later on.
Dani
Dani (she/her) began pole dancing in 2017, bringing a lifetime of dance experience into a whole new movement discipline. After taking a hiatus, she returned to pole in 2024, reigniting her passion for performance and, subsequently, placing first in her division at PSO Central. With a background in education focused on inclusive practices and social-emotional learning, Dani believes that movement is a pathway to regulating the body, mind, and soul. Her classes center on the quality of movement over aesthetics, creating an environment where everyone, in every body, can find joy in pole. Dani completed her teacher training at Pole Factory in 2024 and is thrilled to bring fun, inclusive, and empowering classes to the studio.
SJ
Bri Chantel
Bri Chantel fell in love with music and dance at a very young age. Bri started out on cheer and dance teams in elementary school and continued to flourish all through high school. As her passion continued to embellish, she took on lead hip hop choreographer and dance captain roles. In college, her studies took her focus to social work but her passion for dance never wavered, and she started expanding her talents to other forms of dance art such as ballet, modern dance and even instructing middle school aged girls. Bri is a lover of all things self love, self care and self confidence . She uses dance as a form of therapy because not only is it a great form of physical exercise but also an emotionally therapeutic way to deal with the stressors of life. In 2018, Brianna officially opened 617 Dance Space. This space was created to provide women with a variety of dance classes that emphasizes on therapeutic self-confidence and liberation. In 2023, Bri decided to close 617 Dance Space but has picked up where she left off at Pole Factory!
Laura
Laura (shey/they) has been dancing since she was a young child and first picked up a hoop in April 2019 and training in various aerial arts in November 2022. She uses these multiple modalities of expression and creativity to process and express her emotions ~ positive and negative. She believes that when she is true to herself, it gives others the space to do the same. Her wish is to provide inspiration to others on their creative, expressive journeys. She has performed with her hoops at various music festivals throughout the midwest.
Rachel
After years of exploring powerlifting and traditional fitness spaces, Rachel (she/her) traded in the barbell for this vertical metal bar in 2019 and never looked back. She loves that through pole dancing we can create emotion-provoking art with our bodies, and so her practice has evolved beyond simply exercise to be a spiritual and grounding practice where she feels most like herself.
Dionysia
Dionysia (she/her & they/them) is a movement artist and burlesque performer with a passion for improvisation, audience involvement, and expressive storytelling. After years of training and enjoying various dance styles including salsa, bachata, and ecstatic dance, Dionysia began her burlesque journey in August 2022. She enjoys creating a blend of dance styles to create truly unique and diverse dance experiences. Dionysia has had the pleasure of performing in many wonderful burlesque communities including Pole Show MKE, The Newport Theater Chicago, and Crucible Madison. She looks forward to empowering the burlesque community through classes, coaching, and producing shows in Milwaukee and beyond. To see more of their work, head over to IG by clicking on their image.