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How did you start poling?
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I started when i was doing postgrad at uni – new country (sort of, I'm from NI and i moved to England) and didn't know anyone. Saw it as a chance to meet people and irritate my mother (love her to bits but it's so much fun winding her up https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif ). lost loads of weight doing intense core work, but didn't learn many tricks before had to have a wee op (nothing serious but they did have to cut thru my tummy https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif) couldn't pole, then uni got so hectic i didnt have time. After that, i finished my course, moved home and wished i still had somewhere to dance!
about a year later one of my friends heard about a pole studio opening (only 2nd in the country i believe) and she asked me to start with her. Cant remember what happened, but she ended up not being able to go. I did, and except for a car accident (idiot R driver in a jeep drove into me in traffic- 3months off) and when work is busy, i've been obsessed!
it's fantastic and i try to talk EVERYONE i know into having a go – unfortunately with limited success…
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The inspiration was a combination of going to my first strip club and stumbling across Tara Karina on Youtube. Like ScarlettHoney said, I was also in awe of some of the strippers, and their grace with the pole. . .not to mention their bangin bodies!
In Tara Karina's profile, she mentioned that she started poling as therapy for her mental health issues. For most of college and a year or so after, I seemed to have health issue after health issue, on top of depression and anxiety. So I was looking for physical fitness that would keep me entertained and make me feel strong. I was sick of feeling weak and, well, sick!
I also loved dance and yoga, and pole seemed to strangely combine the two forms. So I stalked Youtube for about a year, and eventually started stalking StudioVeena. I received my first pole in December 2010, enrolled for Veena's lessons in January, and haven't looked back since! I feel healthy and strong. . .I cannot remember the last time I even had a cold! It may not be the pole dancing, but I am sure it is only benefitting my body and well-being.
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I got married and found out my "husband" and I had too much in common… we both liked MEN. Needless to say, that relationship ended quickly. However, Ben and Jerry had become my best friends and I had gained a substantial amount of weight that needed to come off.
I tried pilates, yoga, zumba, spinning… having never stepped foot in a gym, I found that I didn't like to workout or sweat. Then I saw an add for a Pole Teaser class and gave it a try. I was hooked at first spin!
That was back in 2007. I lost over 25 lbs, gained back self confidence, found abs I never knew I had, and I am completely addicted to pole. I don't even mind sweating when I "workout" https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
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I don't think i ever really knew what "pole dancing" was until around 2006 when i entered university… i was watching a spanish music video which showed some bikini dancers grinding the pole and one of them did a Cross Ankle Release… i was fascinated due to my attraction to anything gymnastics-related, but i also remember feeling jealous cause i thought i would never have the opportunity to try that (i thought it was something only strippers would have access to)… , then i youtubed "pole dancing" and came across 2 videos… 1 of a girl doing only simple spins as well as this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa-UEd6CrbQ …. and i thought I WANNA PLAY ON THAT… but i didn't think i ever could so i pushed it to the back of my mind and never thought about it again…
until a couple years ago my mom randomly called me one day and said she's enrolling for a pole dance class at Aradia uptown studio in toronto (she's ALWAYS looking for new things to try- dance classes, etc), and asked whether i want to join. I said yes without a moment of hesitation (I had never heard of pole studios before), and she was actually shocked & pleasantly surprised… and she still mentions to this day how ironic it was that i said yes to POLE DANCING when i NEVER took up her other offers for dance classes (i was always shy to go cause i had never danced in my life…) before the day of the 1st class i youtubed pole dancing again and spent the whole day watching Tara Karina's videos in amazement and knew this was something i would stick to. So we went to Aradia 4-5 times and i fell in love with it since the moment i set foot in the studio, even though i was surprised that i couldn't do ANYTHING on the pole. the classes were super fun but i couldn't learn fast enough without having a pole to practice on at home, and since my mom didn't have time to go anymore, i finally ordered my xpole and crossed my fingers that my dad would approve, and he did 🙂 best investment i ever made in my life 🙂
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I guess I could blame my interest on the garage sale across the street where I bought a pole for $5 – but truthfully, my interest goes way back, I guess. In the early '70s I danced for a few weeks at a friend's club – no poles back then, laughed all the way to the bank, but just hated the environment.
I stupidly confessed this story to my teenage daughter, and eventually SHE became the girl on the pole 🙁 -which combined with her mental illness, has pretty much ruined her life.. BUT she was quite an athlete. She once poled down a square rusty Martin birdhouse pole in our front acreage totally skinning up her legs! But it looked GREAT!
So, now back to me…. For me, this attempt birthed at the garage sale was a joke… just a desire to do a 'pole dance' for the boyfriend. But now, it's something quite different. I don't know what I was thinking – You know.. I figured I'd do a couple dances and wa la – magically be on the pole. HA!
It has become, most likely, the challenge of my lifetime. I have in recent years overcome degenerative disc, carpal tunel, Realllllly bad Knee (actually left hospital to avoid surgery of replacement!), Fibromyalgia, AND getting rid of 55 lbs. I have never been a 'jock'.. never really been in good, worked out, 'ripped' shape. Now is the time. (and yes… I actually have and use a mobility scooter for big walking trips like the mall or flea market! LOL)
I have learned so much about diet and health (ex-massage therapist) due to personal interest and education over several decades. This is just the most likely place to go after becoming so much 'better' due to the weight loss, and better diet.
I may be closer to death then ever before.. (age.. lol) but I'm "goin' out with a bang"!!
After my first week, and blowing my muscles out really bad by doing the wrong exercises (oops) I actually DO feel better, even this early into it. Squats are not as deep as a normal persons, but I don't have to hold the rail going up my three steps to the kitchen, already! And that.. means the world to me. ( I'm planning on the muscle building around my knee making a huge difference by supporting it better.)
I'm gonna make it.. and I'm glad to have found this site and all of you! 🙂
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I have pretty much hated all sports since I was a kid. And so I was a skinny girl in bad shape and no strenght or flexibility at all.
I had been wanting to get in shape for a long time but everything that I could do to get in shape seemed just to boring.In september 2009 a friend of a friend was just starting to teach pole classes. On facebook she was telling people to sign up and attached a link on youtube from uspdf 2009.
I saw it and thought WOOOWOoow! And I also thought that she would not teach stuff like that. I thought it was awesome anyways and interesting and talked my sister into taking two classes with me.
We went upside down in the first class, learned the basic spins, handstand and I loved it. But man it was hard to get out of bed and just move the next days! Sores muscles ever!
I was hooked and have barely missed a class since. I started teaching pole classes in august and my interest in pole dancing seems to be here to stay 🙂
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Great thread! I've always wondered myself…
After everyone elses story mine seem–bleah–but here goes..
I was on YT searching for songs to convert and put on my iPod…in looking for songs I found Alethea Austin's spinny pole vid and from there I searched for MORE. From Alethea, Jenyne, Felix, KT Coates and I …was…hooked. The very next day I searched (how embarrassing but I still remember) "Stripper poles for the home"—on eBay, of all places. Up comes the TopCo pole that came with fake money, boa etc…stumbled on StudioVeena and X-Poles and ..boom…. Purchased a 50mm TG X-Pole, the Art of Pole Dvd's and some booty shorts (a collection that is ever expanding) and signed up for Studioveena lessons. There are no studios near me…PoleFit Revolution (Charly's studio) in Royal Oak, MI is the closest to me so I merely taught myself.
I have never done gymnastics nor any form of dance…ever. Never was a fan of exercise and I KNOW when I bought my pole my husband was rolling his eyes. I have a tendency to decide on something and then go whole hog within 24 hours. I am very impulsive. This is the only exercise I have done that a) I have stuck with b) I look FORWARD to doing…everyday if I can I drive around listening to music and choreographing in my head. I like that I do something that is out of the "ordinary"…people ask me about it all the time and want to do it. I love this community…it is such a unique and supportive community that I noticed the first video I put up and there were postive comments when I thought I was looking at a piece of trash that I had created…but I had created it!
I have not met as many pole people in "real" life as I would like. I work FT as an RN and have two youngish kids and a husband with an uber demanding job so to take off for pole events isn't always an option. But the ppl I have met, make me super grateful to be a part of such a movement. That's the long and short of it. My ONLY regret is that I discovered pole at an *advanced* age…I was 39 when I stumbled on that video and in one week I turn 41…but I am in the best shape of my life…and I love my new friends I have made and lucky enough to have met.https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
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hehehe….great thread!
I got introduced by hosting a "Pole Lotta Fun" party at the request of my friend. I have been hooked every since. That was Dec 2007….
As an exgymnast……..felt like coming home again.
As a personal trainer, it adds another service I can add to offer my clients. I use the poles for everything…..We wrap bands around them, we do pull ups on them, we use them while squatting or lunging….Even my personal training clients love the fact that they get to use them too~~It is cute….The PT clients don't want to pole per say….until I put the BOSU beside it and suddenly….they are hanging onto the pole for ahem….balance. BAHAAA….yeah ….sure they are~~~Until I tell them BOSU is about instability training…..grin.
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I looked into pole dancing a few years ago, but due to circumstances and work I didn't start.
Last year was a rough for me, I was on sick leave most of the year due to stress and depression. As I felt better I had the need to try something new in my life, a new start and I read in a blogg about pole and thought "Hey, I wanted to try that". Next thing I know I was signed up to a class and now I love it 🙂
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Empy (Mary Ellyn) made me.
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LOL…yes I dragged Jay kicking and screaming! Threatened her job if she didn't take a class!
Actually it was pretty funny because I was starting my first group class and only had 2 people signed up so I told Jay she had to take the class so I at least had 3! Her response was "damn right I'm taking this class"! LOL
I got interested in pole work when I took my first trip to a strip club at the age of 39 and fell in love with the pole work of one of the dancers there.
A couple of years later I was able to dance on a pole at a club we use to visit where friends of ours had this really weird free-standing pole. Then I took my first lesson when we were at Hedo in Jamaica and came home and started learning and teaching friends and then led to parties. I officially opened my business (incorporated) in 2005.
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I haven't posted in forever. My life has been absolutely crazy! I graduated college, became engaged, lost both of my great grandmas, my little brother is graduating, moved, and took over managing the yoga studio I work at. I figure this is a great place to reintroduce myself to the boards.
The first time i poled was in 2005 at Phi Sigma Kappa. My friend was a dancer and showed me some moves and I was hooked! I couldn't lift my legs above my head and had to have my then b/f help flip me upside down. Come to think of it he was a great spoter, but I was also 105 lbs :-p.
In 2006 I started dancing. I danced off and on for 2 and a half years and loved every minute of it. I bought the S factor book and came in during dayshifts to learn. I trained with the most advance pole dancer at our club (she should be a competition dancer, I am really sad I lost her contact info). After about 6 months I was the go to person to learn pole moves. I started to take the new girls under my wing and teach them all I knew and to study proper form in technique.
In 2009 I took a hiatus due to my own personal health issues, a wrist & shoulder injury, and family issues.
In June of 2010 I was offered the chance to teach at Lifesource Yoga in Fairlawn. I jumped on it and have been teaching ever since. In August of 2010 I joined the staff of Cleveland Exotic Dance. I am currently still teaching at both places and excited about the prospect of helping other people open studios around our area, pass on my knowledge to anyone willing to listen, and learn as much as I can from as many people as I can. I am currently training to yoga instructor and am planning to get my personal trainer and group instructor this summer and am working off the excess pounds from my hiatus.
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So this is my story. Many moons ago when I worked at a pharmaceutical company one of the big things was to go to lunch at the strip club. They had a $5 buffet and the food was pretty good. Very few women went because they were too uptight to go to a strip club, but there were a few of us that did. Most of teh time the girls working during the day weere nothing to write home about. I distinctly remember this one woman…and I call her a woman because she at least doubled the age of the rest that wre working that day. Again, not much to look at but she got on stage and worked it…I mean, WORKED it. She did some aerial stuff and I remember her using the side rails to do push ups or some sorts of craziness. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. This was a good 16-17 years ago.
Fast forward to 2007. I had to travel to Holland for business and my husband came with me. We spent some extra time outside of my training which included a few days in Amsterdam and also going to a few clubs. It seemed like every club we went to had a pole but not once did I see anyone using them. I so wanted to play but I knew nothing about pole dancing and I was not about to make a fool of myself. Once back in the states I started trying to find info about about learning. At that time the only thing that was well known was S Factor. I had also called many of the strip clubs to see if tehre was anything but there was nothing. A club I go to locally installed a pole and they knew of someone and told me if I could get a total of 10 girls they would have this lady come in and teach. I got the girls but unfortunately the owners of the club had a death in theri family so that fell through. I was too impatient. I was looking at getting a (peek a boo) then realized that I could get a semi decent pole for about another $70. I bid and won a pole off ebay. After paying the seller totally disappeard off the planet. I filed a dispute and set about getting another pole. Just as I won another pole the seller of the original reappeared and told me they had shipped the pole, providing the tracking info. I tried getting in contact with the second seller and lo and behold she had also shipped the pole. So here I was with 2 used Lil Mynx poles on their way. I ended up keeping the hot pink one and selling the black one to a friend.
December 10, 2007 she was UP! I borrowed the S Factor book from the library and set about trying to follow what was on the pages. I ended up buying the first video and then all 3. The only other things out there I could find was PoleCats (Shawn Francis Lee) and Pantera. I was also involved on the S Factor forum and was taking in every bit of info I could.
I ended up finding a studio in Cleveland but the first time I was supposed to go out we had a bad snow storm so that killed that trip. In the mean time I had to go to Bryan Texas for business and took 3 back to back classes at S Factor Houston…that was about April. By this time I was already inverting and trying laybacks on my own. I had CKR down and learned CAR and ankle hold while I was there, not to mention doing a little lap dancing and just soaking in all of the lushness that S Factor studios offer. This was also the first time I had gotten to dance with other women and really feel the love "in person" that this community provides. That totally sealed my fate.
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I was complaining to my husband that after having child #2 I needed to get back in shape (I have ridden horses and been fit most of my life) but needed a fun way to do it. He bought me Shelia Kelly's begininng dvd. I threw it on the self and didn't touch it. I was again complaining about needing a fun workout and he reminded me of the tape. I told him it couldnt be much of a workout but to prove it to him put it in and did it. Holy cow the next day I couldn't move. I admitted it was tougher then it looked. That is just FLOOR work. I found the S forum and was posting there a couple of months when I was lucky enough to be selected to fly to LA and be part of an infomercial for the DVD set. It was there I got to touch a pole for the first time, and met a bunch of fantastic ladies. We were in a bit of a tough place money wise so a pole wasn't really an option at the time. The wonderful ladies on S unknown to me were raising money for me to have a pole and one of the girls gave me a pole and the money they had raised went to shipping and the vautled ceiling adapter I needed for my ceiling. I spent time at home over the next couple of years learning on my own. On a trip to San Fran did some more S factor lessons. But for the most part I learned on my own until last year. Last year was my "year of pole" I went to Chicago to study for teacher training with Empy (which by the way I highly recommend her program for teacher certification!) in June. Went to Detriot in July for workshops with Karol Helms pole jam and (because Empy made me lol) performed in a showcase. In August I worked more on my teacher cert with Empy, did the midwest pole jam and showcase including a workshop with Gravity Plays favorites (wayyyyy over my head but fun anyway) in Nov I went to Dance Wicked and got to take a lesson from Michelle Minx, Leigh Ann Reily, Fawnia, Karol Helms, fyrestarter and with the lovely burlesque dancer Lola Van Ella. (which I also highly recommend dance wicked for a fun vacation that involves pole!) performed in the showcase there too. My husband is my biggest fan and greatest supporter. There is only one studio in town and its downtown (I took a couple of lessons there too last year) and we are going to open one on the east end of town 🙂
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After repeatedly attempting to stand and turn on one leg for 39 years and coming home from the studio most evenings at 9pm, I was looking for something I could enjoy at nights while building some upper body strength. Something that would replace my nightly 10pm habit of sitting my butt down on the couch with a glass of wine while watching the news on TV. Above all I love to spiral and turn plus I hate those exercise machines, so no way I'd put one of those in my place.
I caught a few videos of women poling and was amazed at the grace, line, flow and especially the strength involved. I thought to myself "who cares what others might think of a pole in the middle of my living room, the only other things there are an indoor hot tub, a couch and a TV.
Poling was a new technique to explore, while at the same time it's also an extension of what I've been loving to do for so long, just dance. I figure to give it 25 years or so of working this pole technique, while still dancing of course, and see how I'm are doing when I hit 85 … 🙂
There is one problem however. I've discovered that I prefer to pole in the bright sunlight of the afternoon hours which means you'll still find me at 10pm, on my butt, with a glass of wine in hand.
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I love this thread almost as much as I love seeing where every one puts their poles up at home…..my story is simple almost four years ago I had a friend who heard about a pole class and she wanted to try it so bad but no one would go with her…needless to say I love fitness and so she called me and I was hooked!!! I'm blessed to have been introduced to the sport and meet the wonderful friends I now have in my life <3
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Everyone's got such neat stories!
MIne's pretty simple, really. I was looking for fun ways to stay fit. I tried Crossfit for a while, and I LOVED it, but on my college student budget, membership at the Crossfit gym was pretty cost prohibitive. Eventually I stumbled on a website for a pole studio here in Atlanta, GA. I casually mentioned it to my boyfriend at the time:
"I don't know if I should spring for the $250 pole classes, or just buy a month's membership at the Crossfit gym," is I think the gist of what I said.
His jaw pretty much dropped, and he said, "POLE CLASSES! Definitely something I'd be willing to subsidize." And a week later I was enrolled in a pole class which turned out to be addictive.
I just ordered my brand spanking new 50mm TG X-Pert last night. I can't wait for it to be delivered!
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The first time I ever heard of pole dancing was when friend invited me to her friend’s studio opening. The owner did a demo and I was amazed at how graceful, beautiful and non trashy it was.
They were offering a cheap trial class so I signed up with another friend and went. The trial was a really simple floor work-based routine with just a half-spin and no other tricks. We loved it… Til the end of the class when the owner told us that if we wanted to take classes with her after that, we’d need to be able to grab the pole above our heads and lift ourselves off the ground!
This was prior to me ever doing any form of work out, so my little spaghetti arms reached up and pulled, but my body didn’t move anywhere. She made it pretty clear that if we couldn’t even do that then we def would not be able to keep up with her classes, so I gave up all hope of learning since it sounded as possible as winning the tour de France without being able to ride a bike.
A couple years later, I got into yoga and it was the most non threatening form of exercise for a person with no hand eye coordination who hated anything competitive. After a few years of yoga, I started reaching a plateau in strength and wasn’t motivated enough to work any harder at it cos I was getting bored.
At the same time, I started working really hard in a male-dominated industry, starting to burn out from trying to keep up with the guys, and just losing my sense of sensuality and my spark in life.
So I started looking for ways to get my sexy back and I remembered pole dancing. I reckoned that after a few years of yoga, I’d have enough basic strength to handle it and signed up for classes with a friend in January this year.
Well I still struggle with strength, so I’m trying out different poles to decide which to eventually buy for p home, but i definitely got my sexy back! 😉
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WOW I am so glad that this topic was such as Hit with everyone but it has come to my attention that I started this thread and havent even included how I started poling! So here it is.
I was one of those loser kids that had a somewhat finished basement that had those support poles with the little things sticking out of it in. I LOVED playing on my beam in my basement and when my friends would come over I would show them how to do a carosoul minus the spin. None of them could hold them selves in the position so it made me feel special right from the get go. Ever since then growing up I loved the thought of actually poling (once I found out about poling) Finally I went on youtube and for what ever reason I accidently stumbled upon a video of Zoraya Judd and that was the moment I told my significant other that I WANTED TO DO THAT. haha he was down and about 2 weeks after ordered me my pole for christmas =) Since then I am obsessed and feel stronger and sexier than i ever have before!
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@Savy…so funny that you hadn't posted for yourself yet 🙂 I do love this thread and read all the posts. I also go back and read them again, it makes me smile and glad to be part of such a wonderful group of people from all walks of life and different parts of the world. THANK YOU!
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I first got interested through a forum about breast implants! A lot of the girls on there pole for fitness and after watching some of their videos I was SURE I wanted to do that. However, I realised that because I had surgery lined up I would lose my upper body strength.
Pole has definately improved my posture and my strength and inspires me every day when watching the struggles and triumphs of everyone on SV.
x
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I am glad that poling has helped you out Polecat88! It has definitely helped my back, I have a pretty bad one and its strengthed in alot!
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