Pole Dancing has well and truly hit the fitness scene, and though it's already been here for a while, it certainly hasn't hit it's peak with more and more studios opening up in Sydney and indeed worldwide.
I have been involved in the craze for the last four years, as a student and a teacher and am thrilled to watch this sport grow and grow in popularity. And yes, it is a sport, with National and World Championships to prove it!
Having said that, for most of us, we are there for fun and fitness rather than the hope of becoming a World Champion! So what exactly is it that makes this form of exercise so popular? I guess it begins with the lure of wanting to try something you have never done before. Once you have started, your progress is easily measurable. Each lesson you're learning new moves and tricks, all the while developing your strength and fleixibility. At Bobbi's Pole Studio, each class works on a routine that they can perform at the end of term, which is where you realise, just 8 weeks ago, you weren't able to do anything at all, now you can do a whole routine complete with pole tricks! And then you're ready to start going upside down! Most people are hooked by this point...
Of course, everyone will develop and progress at a different pace, and that is fine, the point is, everyone is getting somewhere.
Then there is the body image side of things. With pole dancing, lots of moves, particularly as you're becoming more advanced, require bare skin to grip onto the pole. This is why you might notice that women who are performing or participating in pole dancing lessons can be scantily clad! In my experience, the beginners group start in shorts and t-shirts and are as covered as they possibly can be - and then they move on to Intermediate 1 and it's amazing that first week of the new class, how much the amount or size of the clothing can reduce! And this is twofold I would suggest, in that a) the ladies have accepted that in order to progress, they need to bare more skin for better grip and a well and truly prepared to do that, and b) everyone is feeling much more comfortable after 8 weeks of being in a studio with women of all ages, shapes and sizes cutting around in not much more that their underwear - and that's awesome! That's not to say that nobody feels self conscious, or doesn't compare themselves to others - as women, we're almost always wanting to have something we don't, and worrying about what we do have etc. (thats a topic for another post), but it's not enough to stop you from shedding a few layers of clothing and that rocks!
So, we're looking at increased strength, flexibility, grace and poise, and confidence, and there are the phisical changes too - there are plenty of toned abs and arms walking around that pole studio, which often coincides with the further advanced levels (but you don't have to be super advance to achieve this at all).
My experience is only at Bobbi's Pole Studio, but there are many other studios out there now, each with their own approach to Pole Dancing which is fantastic. You might like a more sensual side to it, or you might prefer a more contemporary dance style, or just plain fitness, or a combination of everything. And that is the true beauty of Pole Dancing - it really is open to interpretation, even within the one studio. You can find your own style, bring it out, and enjoy it, while getting all the other benefits at the same time.
Of course, I'm a big fan of traditional gym based training, but if you're looking to give something extra a try, checkout http://www.bobbispolestudio.com.au/ they have classes at Miranda and in the City (Sydney). Bobbis Pole studio also operates in Peth, Singapore and Malaysia.
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