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when they hear pole aerobics what they really hear is stripping
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“Spread eagle” is a common pose in many dance forms. It is a show of flexibility. Tell them to keep their dirty minds to themselves if they can’t handle such awesomeness. To call Oona or Jenyne slutty…. for shame! *ruffles feathers*
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Somebody actually thought I was a stripper just last night because I mentioned pole…
A guy I know trains and teaches at a martial arts institute, and he knows I pole and said I could probably benefit from some of their classes. Last night I decided to go to his gym for a class schedule. I was interested in one of their conditioning classes and was asking the guy working at the front desk about it, and he sounded really discouraging – along the lines of, well if you can't do a push-up or a pull-up then this class really isn't for you, it's really intense, it's for fighters, blah blah blah and I sort of felt like I had to defend myself. So I basically said, yeah I do those all the time actually, I've been taking pole classes for over a year now and half the class is conditioning. And he said, "Wait, you mean there are classes for that kind of thing?"
So I basically said, yeah, there are classes, no, I'm not a stripper if that's what you're implying. And then we laughed about it for a minute. What made me feel better about the whole situation was that my friend talked to the guy after I left, and he said this guy actually felt like total crap for making assumptions. The best part? My pole studio is actually only a couple hundred feet away from the MMA gym, and this guy was totally clueless.
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I don't really care much about what strangers say when I mention pole because their opinion doesn't really matter , but it makes me so sad when the ones I am very close to don't understand why I do it. I have been poling for about 5 months now and I am absolutely obsessed but between my boyfriend and my father the classes are now not as fun or as relaxing as they used to be… now I almost get stressed when I practice because they are so vocal about how they think it is JUST like working at a stripclub. it is ridiculous but I refuse to give it up because they are both completely crazy.
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I don't really care much about what strangers say when I mention pole because their opinion doesn't really matter , but it makes me so sad when the ones I am very close to don't understand why I do it. I have been poling for about 5 months now and I am absolutely obsessed but between my boyfriend and my father the classes are now not as fun or as relaxing as they used to be… now I almost get stressed when I practice because they are so vocal about how they think it is JUST like working at a stripclub. it is ridiculous but I refuse to give it up because they are both completely crazy.
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Oh girl I am so sorry! You can’t replace your dad but if I were you I would’ve told that boyfriend off! He’s supposed to be supportive, right? Well, major fail on his part. I’m glad you won’t give it up. You shouldn’t have to, especially not because of a
boyfriend with a lowsy attitude! -
A few things to add:
1) When people get confused, I say it's like Chinese pole, but made out of chrome. It's more like circus tricks.
2) "Nothing I do on the pole would be considered seductive in a bedroom." (Bendy Kate)
3) I'm sure someone has said it on a thread before: stripping requires you to remove clothes. This doesn't require (many) skills. Pole dancing is an art form where you express yourself. You don't remove clothes. Therefore one has NOTHING to do with the other.
4) Remember when you were a kid on the playground playing on those horizontal bars and all other contraptions? Yeah, well that's how I feel again! (People may struggle when you bring children in because their sick twisted minds are focused on stripping and stip clubs).
If this fails, then flex some muscles.. LOL! Besides, the truth is, people will see your body tone up and then start to show a bit more respect anyways. If you have a pole, invite some friends over. They all want to try it deep down inside!
xxx
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@Bambielove – tell your boyfriend he should be supportive because he's also going to benefit by a new and sexier you! Your body gets more tone, you get more confident, etc.
I agree with Englann86… EPIC fail on boyfriend's part!
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I totally sympathize w you @bambielove! My hubby doesnt get it either. I also refuse to give it up. Drives me crazy- if I hear him pull up, I stop and take my pole down. Somehow he thinks our daugters will tink that stripping is OK and if things get tight will strip! All becasue I pole..
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In Sydney, most people my age (mid-20s), when they find out I pole dance, say something like, "Oh yeah! That's cool, also does it, it requires a lot of strength right?" There are sometimes jokes about my "new career" and stuff, but I haven't gotten any serious criticism, except for at the beginning from my sister – and she's enrolling for classes next term 😀
It's relatively mainstream here now I think, kind of like zumba or bellydancing or yoga. I'm also lucky to be around open-minded people. My online friends from the UK and US are generally waaayyy more suspicious of it. There are probably girls from Sydney who have had negative reactions but most girls I know are very open about their pole dancing hobby to their coworkers, parents etc.
It helps that Bobbi's is such a huge studio, so everyone knows someone who pole dances already and aren't shocked, and pole dancing gets quite a lot of mainstream public exposure (morning shows, newspapers etc).
I think this is why Australians tend to be less fussed about getting pole dancing into the Olympics/"pole fitness not dance" for widespread acceptance – Aussie pole dancers have possibly the "raunchiest" style, but they also seem to run into the least problems with being stigmatised. It's hard to think of something as "slutty" when you know a bunch of otherwise quite normal people who do it.
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Wow…I guess I'm pretty lucky with the family and boyfriend. I showed the mom and sis a few vids of Jenyne and Felix and they were awestruck. The boyfriend thinks it is awesome that I've mounted a pole in the house and he doesn't associate me with strippers at all…I'm not sure if it is because he used to date so many of them (LOL) or if it's because he paid attention when I showed him the Felix and Jenyne vids (probably both). Either way, they are all supportive of me being me. Now that I've been away from it for many months, I have my pole up again and am starting from scratch. Urgh… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
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im glad i have some folks to sympathise with, and also glad that in some parts of this cournty and world more folks are tolerable of the pole.
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Australians are lucky that their country wasn’t founded by prudes, like the U.S.A. was! It is still quite the thorn in many Americans’ sides. 😛
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DO you know what I experienced just today that I fidn worse than flat out disapproval? The disapproving insult hidden inside a false compliment. A lady at work saw some pictures I posted on facebook and side this to me today (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist) , " So I guess the part where you are spread eagle is the money shot, eh? The part the guys pay you! But no, no, that takes strength, I can't do that myself. You must have muscles."
What the eternal fuck!?! Basically, she meant it as a slight, as a insult, but since she ended by saying I "must have muscles", it's all of a sudden okay that she made a joke about my beign a stripper? I find that when people who REALLY accept what I do make a joke, it's funny, we laugh. When the joke is a meant as a badly camouflaged slight, it's painfully obvious.
Anyway, the people who matter the most to me genuinely accepts what I do. My bf thignks its' great exercise and supports me. My mom "likes" many of the pole pics I have on facebook, and my cousins and aunts and uncles all tyhink it's cool. Not to mention, the people I write off as being closed minded and are replaced by all the beautiful, amazing ladies and gentlemen I've met in the world of pole.
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