jian-zhen's Blog

Yes, I know it sounds ‘slutty’; I watched re-runs of The Sopranos and scenes of the famous Bada Bing Club where Tony’s girls strutted their sexy stuff.

Truth be told I was impressed by not only their sexiness but their athletic ability. Swinging your entire body around a pole works your arms and abs like nothing else. I love pole dancing!

Pole dancing classes offer women the opportunity to let loose and have fun while toning our bodies and increasing our core strength. Once featured only in ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ and strip joints, pole dancing is emerging as the latest health-club rage.

1. Pole dancing made me feel strong.

Pole dancing helped me gain physical strength through intense training. It's an incredible feeling when you learn how to hold and control your own body weight in the air. You stand up taller. You walk with a renewed stride in your step.

Society traditionally raises girls to believe they're not supposed to be strong. However, this is an important trait for them to develop

2. It's great for body image.

Pole dancing classes offer women the opportunity to let loose and have fun while toning our bodies and increasing our core strength. Once featured only in ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ and strip joints, pole dancing is emerging as the latest health-club rage.

3. It's not just about being sexy.

   The average person may assume there is only one type of pole dancing, the kind performed in strip clubs. There are actually other styles such as "athletic" and "artistic," which have nothing to do with dancing provocatively. Some in the community are pushing for pole dancing to be added to the Olympics. Others use pole dancing to tell stories through dance.

4. … But it can be very sexual if you want it to be.

Just as pole can have nothing to do with sexuality, it can also be extremely sexual. Pole dancing allowed me to become more closely connected to my body, which helped me express my sexuality on my own terms. This better understanding of my body lead to more enjoyment in it. Many women have proudly told me that their sex lives have improved after taking up pole dancing. And this is not necessarily because they've learned moves that their partners find arousing. They are more likely to ask for what they want in bed and less likely to encourage what they don’t. I also feel more comfortable in myself, which is always a helpful quality in the bedroom.

5. It made me less judgmental.

   I had many opinions about pole dancing before I took my first class. I thought only strippers and women desperately seeking to please men did it. But then I tried it. I met those people and got to hear their stories. I found that there was no stereotypical pole dancer. They were mums, doctors, actors, lawyers and any other profession under the sun.

   I also learned that my narrow-minded views about strippers was wrong. I assumed that they were working those jobs out of desperation, but many felt perfectly content with their profession and I realized I had no right to judge someone else’s choices. I even had judgments about my own body, because I'd never been strong enough to climb a pole. And eventually I was able to deadlift into an inverted position.

6. It helped me build strong friendships.

   There is a solid sense of community in the pole world, especially among women. It is by no means a flawless utopia, but the participants in this subculture share a unique bond and understanding. Students support each other’s growth in the classroom. Audiences at pole dance competitions, showcases and performances are largely made up of women, who enthusiastically cheer each other on.

   Besides the enormous physical benefits of pole dancing, there is something else. You get a wonderful sense of empowerment that comes from being in charge of your body. It’s sexy, it’s powerful, and nothing like any other exercise I’d done before. I’m sticking with it.