The Stigma of Pole Dancing

and why it’s BS**t

A few years ago, myself and two friends decided we wanted to join a fitness class. Mostly because every time we met up, it usually involved drinking, eating take away pizza, and lazing around on the sofa. Now, don’t get me wrong, that was heavenly, but as we all grew nearer our 30’s we thought maybe we should try doing something a bit healthier.

The problem is, as a group of 3 close mates, we really couldn’t be more different. We talked about every class imaginable, but one of us always had a reason not to go.

Hot Yoga, was far too sweaty. Running, no running bra could contain her boobs, my suggestion of trying Salsa Dancing was just met with a plain ‘F**k Off’

So, by the time we saw Pole Fitness classes advertised we decided to throw caution to the wind and just give it a go.

Our first class, we couldn’t hold ourselves up for a second (you honestly don’t realise how sweaty your hands are until you try to hover off the floor holding vertical metal!)

We spent most the hour trying to walk around the pole without falling over, honestly even that was hard! But we had such a laugh, at this point there was no turning back.

A year and a half on, this is the longest we have ever kept up with an exercise routine. We all fell in love with it instantly. From our first lesson where we couldn’t even leave the floor to now, we have all grown so much, and it’s become one of those exercises that you don’t do to lose weight, you do because it makes you feel great!

Never in my life I thought us three would be so excited to return to exercise classes (bloody lockdown) but we finally found a workout that doesn’t feel like a workout, and that’s why its such an amazing one that I would recommend to anyone.

But here is the kicker –

I don’t recommend it to anyone because there is such a stigma attached to it. The minute you mention ‘pole’ people assume you mean stripper.

A lot of people, (contain your shock — it’s usually men) say -

‘’oooooohh, pole dancing, wheyyyy!! Ill bring the dollar bills’’

Well good for you mate but this is the UK, I can’t do shit with dollar bills so piss off.

I just accepted this will always be people’s reaction, and decided its best not to mention it, not to put up photos or videos of me and my friends having fun, because it just comes with a load of backlash, and that ‘dirty man laugh.’

You know the laugh I mean, the ‘’heh heh heh’’ noise made by some Grandpa over his dry chesty cough sound. — that laugh.

But during lockdown I have, for my own sanity, put up a home pole, and used it as a routine exercise. Because without the regularity of going to work, or being able to see people, and the dodgy weather that means sometimes you can’t go for a walk without swimming, doing 2–5 Pole Fitness workouts a week has literally been my life saver. Its been my only form of routine!

(except the obvious routine of celebrating reaching another weekend with copious amounts of wine)

After putting all this time and effort into working hard on something, seeing improvement and feeling really good about myself I thought, screw it –

I am going to talk about it! I am going to share it! and I am going to recommend it!

Let’s be honest, when you think about it, the whole pole stigma is the biggest load of bullshit!

No one ever feels embarrassed or guilty telling someone that they go to the gym, or play football, or do literally any other form of dancing.

There is no dirty man laugh and ‘’Oh you’re a tap dancer wheyyyyy’’ or ‘‘Oh you Salsa, I’ll bring dollar bills wheeyyy’’

So, let’s set this straight -

There are many suggestions about the origin of Pole Dancing but the two most predominant are from Indian or Chinese Culture. In India it was used in a traditional dance called Mallakhamb, where athletes would perform acrobatic moves around the pole. In China, pole dates back to over a 1000 years ago, where again an athlete would climb the pole and perform tricks. The most interesting fact I find about both these origins is that this was a — wait for it

MALE ONLY SPORT

A theory of why this was is because it takes great amounts of strength and balance which was considered to be a Male attribute.

It wasn’t until after the 1920’s when the sport became popular within Circuses along with Ariel Hooping, that it became more popular with female athletes. And it was after this point that it grew its association with being a sensual form of dancing, and later still in the 1950’s that it became associated with stripping.

So out of a thousand years, its only the last 70 that associates it with your dirty man laugh antics!

So maybe you could reign it in a little?

The bottom line is

I don’t want to be embarrassed about doing something which has only affected my life positively.

I now have (pre lockdown) a regular social, healthier gathering with my two friends every week, which is so hard given our schedules. I have met amazing women and friends for life through these classes. I have got stronger, fitter and healthier generally. Mentally, it has helped me stop my obsession with weight watching and instead I watch strength improvement. And on those small occasions where I have been brave enough to tell people about it, I have found that there has been a surprising amount of people I know, that either do it themselves or have in the past, who also never talk about it!

To all you lovely ladies out there, let’s not let that stigma stop us doing and talking about something we love.