Meet Team Nightshade

  • Owner / Lead Instructor / Creative Director

    With her 17 years of dance training, from the ballet studio to the strip club to the pole studio, Natalya is a sought after instructor, frequently traveling both nationally and internationally to share her one of a kind approach to pole dance.


    An avid performer and occasional competitor, her titles include 1st in PSO: Low Flow, 2nd in Dance Filthy: USA Semi-Pro Division, 3rd in Dance Filthy: USA Professional Division, and most recently 1st at Eden Pole Competition: Old School Division, as well as winning 1st Overall. She’s a skilled freestyler, passionate instructor, and lover of all things sexy.

    As the owner of Studio Nightshade, she set out to create the diverse and supportive pole space she’d always dreamed of but could never quite find here in Tampa. Having notoriously high standards, she brought on a team of the most knowledgable and passionate pole dancers who share the same vision and ethos of kindness, inclusivity, and celebrating our differences. Despite being told it couldn't be done, now years later she’s proud to be the owner of the most diverse Pole Studio in all of Tampa Bay, if not Florida.

  • Lead Instructor

    Sy was a group fitness instructor for 5 years before taking a step out of her comfort zone and taking her first pole class in 2020. She quickly developed a strong passion for pole, realizing it was the perfect way to strengthen the mind-body connection and tap into all forms of sensual expression. She is a lover of static flow and floorwork and views dance as a puzzle for the body, always searching for new ways to connect movement.  

  • Lead Instructor

    Christy started her aerial arts journey back in 2014. After trying out a variety of apparatuses, she finally hit her stride in 2019 when she started diving deep into low flow and freestyle.

    Our resident beginner whisperer, Christy is adept at making sure newbies are not only comfortable in their first classes, but that they’re also building a solid foundation to continue to safely grow as pole dancers.

  • Instructor

    Born and raised in Tampa Bay, Amber started gymnastics and dance when she was 8 years old and hasn’t stopped moving since. Her pole journey started in 2020 and was instantly obsessed with how it made her feel. Amber says: “Dance has always been a source of expression and freedom for me, and as an instructor i hope to help liberate others!”

  • Instructor

    Jo discovered her love for dance at a very young age. With over 12 years of dance experience, she has a passion for musicality and movement exploration. She began her pole journey in 2020 and instantly knew she had found her forever thing. She is a lover of all things low flow and is always up for a challenge.

  • Lead Instructor - On Hiatus

    A former CrossFit addict, Rachael heard the siren song of Pole Dance back in 2017. From the first class she took, she knew she found her new love and she never looked back!

    Rachael has performed and competed in various pole shows, including Original Sin, Nocturnelle, and Lust Pole Show.

  • Instructor - Bilingual (Spanish) - On Hiatus

    Drea danced competitively for years in high school and when she found pole dance years later, she immediately fell in love with how it was both a physical challenge and an invitation for her to come out of her comfort zone. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Drea teaches class in both English and Spanish. She is a captivating performer and recently competed in Dance Filthy: Semi-Pro.