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Pole Dance Competitions for Plus size dancers
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I guess that what it will finally boil down to is the view of the ones who picks the contestants from all the applicants. Some people may have applied considering themselves being plus size, but if the panel doesn’t agree I think they won’t make it to the comp anyway.
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As a formerly plus size person (ok, obese), I have to say I don’t love the idea of a competition for just plus size dancers. To me it implies that bigger women don’t belong or by virtue of their size have no chance competing against smaller dancers, which isn’t necessarily true (a trained plus size woman is going to be better than a thin newbie, c’mon), and the fat girl still inside of me feels offended by that idea. I didn’t get into pole until after I lost the weight, but I did dance (and perform) in various styles as an obese person, and while maybe I wasn’t as cute as some in my costumes, I could absolutely dance.
Competition should be about skills (with any separation into categories outside of skill level over factors 100% outside of a person’s control, such as gender or age).
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I guess I’m trying to say it feels a little patronizing…. like “oh, it’s ok sweetie, we know you can’t help what a pig you are, here’s a special competition JUST FOR YOU! We know you can’t hang with the “real” dancers.”
Somehow it feels different when you make a special category for 40 and up (I’m there, too- almost!) or men, or whatever, because you can’t help being a man, or older. There’s no shame attached to those labels.
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I can understand that, too. Skill is skill. (This is a great discussion!) I have known some skating competitions where if the “Adult” category winners win over three times, they are tossed in with the majority to compete, regardless of age.
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Since height is God-given and nothing to do about, I can see such a class as well. Especially since there are divisions for age.
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I believe body type is also God given and there is not much I can do about it. When I was young people used to say that I stole the meat and potatoes off of my sisters’ plates because they were taller and thinner and I was shorter and thicker. They took after my mother and I took after my father. Just the luck of the draw. This translated to a bout of aneroxia for me as a teen and a current issue of being an exercise-aholic. I am not downing those that support this type of division…only trying to emphasize the seriousness of body type implications on girls/women in our culture.
On a lighter but similar note, if there is a booty shaking/clapping/twerking event maybe we can have a special category for those with little or flat butts! 🙂
At the end of the day, I go back to a skill is a skill is a skill.
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I suppose I’d be fine with pretty much any cathegory, be it weight/height/age/unflexy/unsexy(lol)/disabled(already exists), given that the rules are clear. I guess the purpose is to get more people on the boat.
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