Yes, I took a pole dancing class. Anyone who knows me is likely unsurprised since I’ve been wanting to take one for quite some time. This pole experience was brought to you all in the spirit of the TV show P-Valley—or should I say M-Valley, as the class was for my friend Mary’s 22nd birthday—at Charlottesville’s Phoenix Dance Studios.
While pole dancing’s origins remain a bit unclear, some say the art form finds early origin and inspiration from pole-related rituals, dances, and sports from around the world, like the ancient traditional Indian sport mallakhamb, where on a stationary pole gymnasts perform gymnastics and aerial yoga postures. Those who are firm in separating pole dancing from its stripping and erotic context point to those places of origin.
Yet, pole dancing, as we are more familiar with it in America, originates from “hoochie coochie” dancing popularized by Egyptian belly dancers in the States during the late 18th and onwards in the 19th centuries. The style of dancing would later transition into early 1900s Vaudeville, which included a striptease element with comedy and dance. As the century progressed, these more sensual and sexual vaudeville acts went underground, and poles became additions to burlesque and striptease performances. By the 1980s, behold, we finally had pole dancing and stripping as we now know it, with the high heel pleasers and green bills raining down in the club.
While Phoenix Dance Studio offers a variety of pole stylings, including the more lyrical ones, it’s safe to say this specific group of lively young twenty-somethings did not come for that.
However, within the last thirty years or so, there’s been increased emphasis on pole as an art form, a type of fitness over the erotic aspects, which to some are still taboo. While Phoenix Dance Studio offers a variety of pole stylings, including the more lyrical ones, it’s safe to say this specific group of lively young twenty-somethings did not come for that.
So when our lovely instructor started off our session leading with a fluid stretch session to Miley Cyrus’ upbeat hit “Flowers,” the birthday girl and the rest of her company were left a bit confused. When we inquired about the song choice, the instructor stated that she’d been told we wanted a more tame and lyrical pole class experience.
There had been a miscommunication.
We wanted sensual. We wanted sexy. We wanted to give P-Valley.
So she adjusted the choreography accordingly and restarted our session with The Weeknd’s “Earned It,” a song dripping with sex appeal.
I’m no stranger to “sexy dancing in my house like Britney Spears” ...in the comfort of my own home by myself and with friends. However, the public display of sensuality and physical skill that pole dancing demands, initially felt daunting and awkward.
After stretching, we focused on movement around the pole using basic burlesque struts. High on the balls of our feet with our arms moving fluidly to accentuate the swish of and shape of our hips, creating beautiful and sensual lines as we moved throughout the room. We then moved on to simple turns on a stationary pole before incorporating floor work to culminate into a mini routine. Participating in this new form of movement with friends, we all found ourselves laughing at our reflections or falling as we attempted to connect the fluid spins and transitions to floor work.
I’m no stranger to “sexy dancing in my house like Britney Spears” or throwing a lil something back at functions or the mirror in the comfort of my own home by myself and with friends. However, the public display of sensuality and physical skill that pole dancing demands, initially felt daunting and awkward.
With every arch of my back, swish of my hips, fan of my legs, and yes, even the botched spinning attempts and falls, my confidence grew.
Yet, as the lesson progressed, my body and mind relaxed. I enjoyed watching the reflection of my body as it moved in new and familiar ways in accordance with the music. With every arch of my back, swish of my hips, fan of my legs, and yes, even the botched spinning attempts and falls, my confidence grew. Not to mention, all my friends looked and felt sexy too. It was fun to watch them explore their connection with their bodies through this new type of movement, which, although fun, could be physically challenging. Plus, we got a good workout that night, too.
Leaving Phoenix Dance Studio, legs sore and spirits high, we all smiled. M-Valley was a success. Would we make bank if I hypothetically took our talents to The Pynk? Probably not, but that’s okay.
Either way, this article is a sign you should take a pole dancing class with your friends. It’s fun, and you never know what talents, skills, and experiences you may unlock. If you’re in Charlottesville, take a class from Laura at Phoenix Dance Studios and tell them someone from Mary’s 22nd birthday party sent you.
