I remember the first time I caught a glimpse of the world of pole dance.
It was that period in my life where I was finding new meaning, because of events that would have done most people in.
In their itsy bitsy pole shorts, the first thing I thought was ‘man they look hawt! Wish I had that kind of confidence.’ The rawness of the sight intrigued me and i followed them, unabashed and drawn in by their confidence.
Reality seldom meets expectations but when they started to invert (hang upside down), my jaw dropped. I knew then that I had to have a piece of that sorcery. The grace and strength blew me away and i was no longer just amazed by how much ass they were showing or how sexy they looked. It was a moment where inner beauty outshines everything else. What I saw was pure determination, empowerment and good fun. (and it became my aim much later on, to introduce as many people to pole and I craved to see that kind of change in mental well being, attitude and physique in my students)
It took me another 2 months and a lot of persuasion to have some friends join me before I signed up for my first pole dance class. At that time, I was almost 30, inflexible and unfit. I never imagined that I would one day be able to do what they did in that room that day. But I did, so did the rest of us who treated pole as part of ourselves.
The pole dance journey is a very personal one for each of us. For me, I was having an extremely rough patch in my personal life when I first started. I was insecure and depressed. But in each lesson, I found solace. ironically, It was while I was struggling to hang on the pole and feared falling flat on my face that all my troubles and worries were forgotten. All I cared about at that moment was overcoming the challenge every pole trick brought. Yes, my body felt sore after each lesson, but the pride I felt upon completing something I never thought I was capable of, was out of this world.
Trust me, there were many times when I felt like giving up – just like many of my peers did. I was older than most of my pole dancing peers. And Life outside pole dancing did not get any better either. But thank God I never gave up. As the famous advertisement slogan goes ‘I will what I want’. I want to perfect that move, no matter how many times I fail. Pole dancing has taught me determination, and even if I am not as gifted as some of the other girls, if I worked hard enough, I will get there some day. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, it is my journey. And along the way, I picked up awesome friends who are just as passionate about the art form as I am. We train together and are involved with each other’s lives outside pole. I love them to bits and I’m so grateful that pole dancing brought them into my life.
I would have never thought I would be able to do this when I first started pole.A pole dancer
However, 3-odd years down the road since I entered the world of pole dancing and as the industry mature, I began to realize that how I felt about pole has drastically changed over time. There are many good pole dancers out there now, and comparisons and judgment has become prevalent. And at times, I am guilty of that as well. I began to compare what I could and could not do relative to other Pole dancers. It made me feel like crap as it went against what the nature of a sport should be about. Now, I remind myself of how I felt when I first started pole dancing. How it made me feel, and the adrenaline rush I had. All I should be comparing myself with, was the person i was yesterday. And as long as i have made progress, no matter how small and in whatever aspect, it is enough.
We want to bring this feeling to students at Studio Sands. The feeling of empowerment and passion supported by a tight-knit pole community. We each have our own pole journey to take, in pole dancing. And this is the path we have chosen, to encourage and help students grow in their pole skills as well as confidence outside the studio. We want to help you get to where you want to be some day.
Don’t give up and go at your own pace. We know you will get there.
