Lee lee started this discussion ·
When did you start calling yourself a pole dancer? Better yet, at what point did you feel like a pole dancer as opposed to saying you are taking a class, doing pole fitness, etc... I'm just curious to know what moment contributed to that feeling for everyone.
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For me, it was more-or-less when I owned my own pole! I had been taking classes, and decided I would do it at home as well. It's been a long time since classes have actually been available to me, and a long time since I bought that pole... and, through all the hiatuses and such, I still call myself a Pole Dancer :)
Oh that's cool, but I meant for each individual. In my case, I think it was when I went to my first studio pole jam. My instructor at the time took a picture of me and immediately came to show me. She said I made the move I was doing look effortless. From then on, I think I felt confident enough to start saying I was a pole dancer.
I considered myself a pole dancer as soon as I started classes lol. I had a pole before I started though. After like 2 months of owning a pole (I only did the beginner series class) I started filming myself....boy was I wrong! Lol, I think I should have waited to call myself a pole dancer haha! Seriously though, I think if you use a pole, you can call yourself a pole dancer. But what if you dont dance at all and just use it for holds and poses without transitioning? Can u call yourself a pole dancer if u dont dance? Just curious... hmmm
Yeah, I don't know. I mean a beginner might not 'dance' much initially but they could still be considered a pole dancer.
I don't know what to consider myself, since I mostly practice individual tricks and combinations, rather than anything fluid or dance-like. Tricks come easily, but dancing does not, so I feel like I can't really call myself a dancer. "Pole athlete" maybe?
I have been doing pole for 7 months, and I still can't call myself a pole dancer. I say I do pole dance, but never refer to myself as a dancer. Being a dancer, in my mind, has a prerequisite of flowing movement and grace. Neither of those qualities do I possess. Putting together spins and poses with flowing transitions, is definitely not my forte. At this rate, I'm not sure that I will ever consider myself a pole dancer. So, I'm sorry I can't be of much help :-)
I'm not sure when I made the transition from, "I take pole dancing classes" to "I'm a pole dancer". When I teach I get my students doing continuous motion and "dancing" right from Day 1. After we go through a whole song without stopping (by the end of their first class) I tell them that they are now officially pole dancers. Gets a great reaction, big smiles, cheers, etc.
Snobbery aside, I think anyone who grabs a pole and creates movement using the pole as a center can call themselves a pole dancer. I guess I tend to say "I pole," or, "I pole dance," rather than, "I'm a pole dancer." I feel like saying "I'm a pole dancer," is similar to saying "I'm a stay at home mom," as though the term defines who you are, and there's so much more to us!
*grabs a pole and creates movement using the pole as a center on a regular basis
@SmilingFox - At least you know in your mind what you have to work towards then, should you want to call yourself a pole dancer one day. @dustbunny - I like what you tell your students!
