A Greater Appreciation of Health and Fitness: Ms. E and the Pole.
My mother said beginning when I was age three I danced in the mirror to assorted hit songs on the radio. As a result, she put me in ballet. Growing up, I grooved in the various genres of contemporary, jazz, modern, African, pointe, break dancing, hip hop and cheerleading. I was also very athletic, enjoyed good health and fitness. In order to maintain my youthful shape, I ran, swam and did aerobics. Two of my favorite hit songs were “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton John and “What a Feeling” by Irene Cara.
All this ended, abruptly, in my early 20’s when new adult responsibilities kicked in.
By the age of 37, I gained enough weight to cause pain in my knees and joints. It was time to make a choice. I had to do something to get the additional weight off. I decided to reenter the game and began working out on my own and whenever possible with friends. Hitting the gym, doing yoga, hiking, running, and stretching, I added whatever else I could afford.
One day I received a random email offer to take pole dance classes at a local pole studio in Los Angeles. I asked a close friend’s daughter, jokingly, to join me in a class so that we could get a taste of what the stripper life was all about. She agreed and we signed up for several classes.
Pole’s Tainted Image
Entertaining a bunch of men was my naïve image of pole. I imagined myself stripping clothes off an already half nude body, next to a pole, wearing super-colossal heels. Taking my first class, eyes wide open, I immediately understood how much strength I lacked. I was unskilled in the area of erotic dance. Quickly, I realized the skill level needed to do magnificent, athletic, crazy ass tricks. It takes real dedication to be a true pole dancer.
My initial image of pole dancing was extremely misguided. Yes, it can involve stripping. More important, It is a true art form and competitive sport. Furthermore, it is an inclusive artistry. Men and women of all ages, body shapes, interest and skill levels can participate.
A New Understanding of Pole
Pole dancing for me is an absolute “A-lister.” Not only have I learned to dance sexy, but I stay in great shape training in the fundamentals of what amounts to gymnastics. Augmenting my poling with stretching and personal training with weights I soon reached my desired weight and built a new found confidence.
At age 41, I made a decision to aim for the stars and committed to the pole dance community. Two years later I became an instructor and soon after that entered a pole competition. I won first place.
Anyone who is looking to get their groove back and take a bit of a risk in an ageless empowering environment, give pole dancing a try. I can’t guarantee you’ll take home a first place trophy but I can guarantee that you will lose weight, gain confidence and find tremendous support learning the beautiful art of pole dancing.
