Hi from Charlottesville, Va!!!

Hey everyone! I am so excited to be a member of this site! I go to school in Charlottesville, Va (anyone nearby?) and am relatively new to pole dancing (I've been taking lessons at a studio for the past ten weeks and will continue to take more when I go back to school - I am addicted to my pole and am lucky to have classes available in my area since pole class is the highlight of my week!) Like many others, I was largely inspired by Tara-Karina when I was first learning about pole dancing. I was not only impressed by her strength and grace but also with how she used pole dancing as a stress reliever to combat her depression and mental health issues. Earlier this year before I started dancing I was also dealing with a lot of stress and was feeling depressed and unmotivated all of the time. I went to the gym occasionally but I still felt weak, and the workout never seemed worth it. Once I started pole dancing though, my mood improved dramatically and I started to build muscle and strength very quickly. I get a lot of satisfaction out of learning and perfecting the same moves that a couple months ago (even a couple weeks ago!) I thought I would never be able to do. I also love how graceful pole dancing can be; I just went to see the Nutcracker ballet and as I was watching the dancers I couldn't help but think, "wow, how stiff! most pole dancing I've seen is wayyy prettier than this..." Plus, pole dancing is sexy! And though my boyfriend does appreciate some of the new moves and confidence it's given me, I do it primarily for my own benefit. Pole dancing is an extremely rewarding sport that I'll be working at for a long time into the future. And good luck to all of the other beginners out there! xo HollySatine