I started pole dancing at 51 years of age and can now lift my entire body laterally with just my arms.
I won three medals within nine months. I pole dance because it allows me to be uninhibited and free from judgment. Even free from the self-judgment that has been thrust upon female minds by society. Being born in the United States in a Christian family and growing up under a social construct made by men, it was all about rules of decorum, and being told incessantly that I couldn’t do things because I am a woman. I was so glad to find this sport. It is like a sisterhood. To see all my sisters succeed at something hard makes me smile. To be given the trust they have when they tell me about their journeys … that’s special! I love seeing their successes. I see them burst with confidence. I see healing.
Also, I am ducking strong. Stop pretending women’s sexuality exists only for men. My sexuality exists for me. Sexuality is an inherent part of all of us. I connect with my body, which makes me proud to see myself function. It’s not about sex for me. And I post to show other people that they can also take this and make it uniquely theirs. My pole sisters all have a style.
Several people in pole have experienced trauma and lived in daunting and alarming circumstances. There are so many stories. I love that the people I am friends with have come to trust me enough to tell me these things. They also tell me that pole dancing helped them through their ordeals and the demons in their lives. When they open up and tell me about it, it feels like a safe space. It is a community. Taking up this sport is definitely a way to heal for a lot of people, and I work in mental health.
Pole dancing is the only feminine space where we do not get judged and can be completely ourselves without the confinement of a social construct designed by a patriarchal society.
I also love the show Cleopatra because she lived in an Egyptian culture where women were equal to men and were much more liberated. They could be a pharaoh or a queen. Absolute ruler. There is a discussion about the roles of women in Egypt. It’s very feminist.
“Life is like a book…some chapters are sad, some are happy and some are exciting. But if you never turn the page, you will never know what the next chapter has in store for you.” —Izuudon
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