The Rookie Diaries: So I Think I Can Pole-Dance!
Posted by Tula Karras on Wed, Jan 27, 2010
If you'd have asked me before taking my very first pole-
dancing class what the most daring, hair-raising thing about being a pole dancer is, I'd have said "the strip-tease part"—you know, the embarrassment (in my case) of revealing my not-so-toned and not-so-clothed body to a roomful of strangers. But I'd have been wrong about that.
On Monday, I took a pole-dancing class at Crunch Fitness (John Street location) in New York City. The first 15 minutes were a piece of cake: Shimmying your hips (no problem), bending over and touching your toes all sexy-like (ditto), and crunches (puhlease, this is soooo easy, anyone can do this). But when the instructor—the lovely and buff Michelle—demonstrated the first move involving the actual pole, I'd have offered to rip off my sports bra and yoga pants in exchange for not having to hoist myself up on a pole using nothing but my upper body and core strength, then hug the pole with various limbs while spinning around gracefully until coasting to a rolling stop. But bartering with my clothing wasn't an option (by the way, the attire was decidedly PG-13—skimpy shorts and sports bras were as revealing as it got). Clearly, we were all expected to at least attempt the maneuver. No one was getting a free pass.
One of my favorite mantras in life is "fake it 'til you make it"—and that's what got me through the class. That, and the encouragement of Michelle, whom I've dubbed "The Pole Whisperer" (thank you for telling me my butchered fan kick was really good when it wasn't, as evidenced by these videos: the first one is Michelle showing us how it's supposed to be done; the second is my version), and the warm support from the more experienced dancers (my still-intact shoulders and not-broken neck thank you for repeatedly demonstrating the proper pole grip and rescuing me after I hurled myself into the floor and missed the pole altogether). It was scary, fun and thrilling all at the same time.
By the end of the class, my admiration for pole dancers was right up there with tri-athletes and Olympic gymnasts. If there's a more effective and sexy way to tone your entire body, gain upper body and core strength, and improve flexibility, I don't know what it is. And taking the art of pole dancing out of the club and into the gym places the emphasis on the artistry, femininity and camaraderie of the exercise—there was zero feeling of seediness or exploitation in the room. I was surprised, actually, by how connected I felt to the other women and how self-empowered and confident I felt at the end of the class, despite my clumsy attempts to befriend the pole.
If you've had a similar experience with a class or activity—putting yourself out there even if you're scared senseless, or discovering that an activity can simultaneously help you gain strength and self-esteem—I'd love to hear about!
Thanks so much to Crunch Fitness and the incomparable Michelle Stanek, the class instructor (Michelle is an arts and design program director when she's not in the gym), for participating in the blog.