Pole dancing in a public park

Leena started this discussion · 12/4/2015

I've ordered a x-stage lite and I'd love to do some training with it in a local park when summer comes. My only concern is how other people will take it (if there is going to be verbal/physical harrasment or if they're going to think I'm just trying to fish for attention). I see pole dancing as a sport just like yoga or gymnastics so I didn't see any problems with dancing outside before, but talking with my boyfriend about poling in the park has got me concerned... Have you been pole dancing in a park or any other public place and did you get to do your training in peace? :)

7 replies

AllysonKendal · 12/4/2015
I have! I was a bit worried about permits and stuff, but in the end nothing we were doing required a permit... So I didn't ask anyone for permission and just decided to wing it. No one stopped, and most people pretended not to look (but curiously watched out of the corner of their eye). Set up a little off the beaten path in the corner, mainly because the sun was blazing and I wanted shade. The stage gets HOT! I also made sure to be far away from the playground where some snoody moms often have play dates.... I've never gone solo, usually I'm with some other women, ranging from 30-59 and we all look pretty respectable... :) I'd say it worked out really well!!!
grayeyes · 12/5/2015
I started poling in the park this summer every chance I got. I go to my local park to run the stairs or the trail and when I'm finished with that I reward myself with a little pole work. I don't have a portable pole so I use the playground equipment. The only verbal comment I have had was someone yelling "hardcore!" from their car as they left the parking lot. No one else has said anything and I really haven't seen any sideways glances either. Adults ignore me completely as if I am invisible. Kids almost always come over and want to climb the poles or play on them too. The kids then sometimes ask their parent what I'm doing and the parent always says something like, "she's exercising." I don't do anything sexy, of course, and I wear whatever I wore to run in. I'm not sure what I'll do if someone says something. I'm not great at confrontation but in my head I'll be rather steamed--worse things than my pole tricks go on in most parks whether people know it or not. I really keep hoping some other poler will be there and join me and be my new pole friend!
kittyface · 12/5/2015
I've never tried poling in a public park - though I'd love to - but this does remind me of a conversation I had with a former cashier at the neighborhood grocery store. We chatted quite a bit when I was still shopping there a lot, and eventually the conversation went to pole dancing. Turns out he had done it before! Either his sister or his cousin (I don't remember which) had been an exotic dancer, had a home pole, and had showed him how to do quite a bit on the pole. He also said that she lived in California, where there weren't many studios and most poles had a home pole, because the "stripper!" stigma against pole dancing is much stronger on the West coast than where I live. This makes me suspect that the response you'd get poling in a public park would depend a lot on where you live - which country, which area of the country, which area of the city. Are you poling in a liberal city, a conservative town, in a park in the suburbs? In the state where I live (Colorado), I'd imagine most places in Boulder or Denver (especially Boulder) would be good places to pole publicly, the smaller towns not so much. If I were on the West coast, based on what the cashier said, I probably wouldn't risk it unless I knew the area really well.
I polekat I · 12/5/2015
I've just got a stage and am definitely planning to take it to the park when the weather gets warmer =] yes you would probably get some attention but whether it's watching from a distance or actually saying something would probably depend on the person I guess... I reckon you might have guys being a little cheeky asking if u could teach them something haha I get that in the gym 'hey can you teach me how to do the splits ??' Ummm: stretch. A lot ;) but you can shake those people off easy and just have a laugh, I would hope you wouldn't get anyone being really arsey about it. I think as mentioned it depends where you are, I saw an interesting news thing a while back about a girl pole dancing on a boardwalk somewhere and the public were horrified "ohhh think of the children waaaaiiil" etc haha but I think in a park people would just leave you to it unless they were interested in a good way. And if the weather is nice there are bound to be other people wearing less than you :) I can't see that you would need any permits or anything it doesn't involve the public it's just you having some fun with your own equipment, so I don't think anyone would have any grounds to stop you? Xox
grayeyes · 12/5/2015
I suspect you might get more attention or comments on your own pole rather than on the playground equipment that I use. It will just be more obvious that it is a pole as opposed to I just look like a weirdo playing on the playground. Babydragon brings up a good point that it might matter where you are. I'm in the heart of the midwest and I pole in a suburban park so frankly I wouldn't expect them to be too accepting of it but it is a park where a lot of exercisers go. A personal trainer or two uses it to train people and I have seen yoga classes there so I presume people just think I'm a weird exerciser.
Phoenix Hunter · 12/5/2015
I'm in Cali and no one cares if you pole in public . If anything you will have some people curious and wanting to try. Don't let strangers on your pole. If they get hurt you don't want to end up with a lawsuit. Out here you do have to get permission or a permit to pole in a public park though.
Veena · 12/6/2015
I've pole danced in public and most of the time people just ignore me.... I had one guy think it looked like a really hard workout! I've never had any trouble, but I haven't done it that much, I figure if other people can do their workouts there so can I. I've also taken by A frame to the beach and done lyra and hammock.