Just a thought about the value of freedancing: the other day I read an article about a study that showed that social dancing (i.e., couples or ballroom) may help prevent Alzheimer's.  The idea is that you have to make a lot of split-second decisions when dancing socially (what's the next step, how to avoid the other dancers), and that this helps keep certain mental faculties sharp.  I found myself wondering if the same thing could apply to freedancing in pole- I know when I do it, I feel like I'm making a lot of split-second decisions about where to put my feet, which way I'm going, what the next transition is, etc.  Here's hoping!