Today, pole dancing is practised by people of all ages, sizes and gender, though it does come with its own set of challenges.
Tanny Tait, Jamie Wong, Vale Chin. PHOTO: TANNY TAIT, JAMIE WONG, VALE CHIN
The cemented poles glistened in the dim lights of the studio as a slow ballad played in the background. Jamie Wong, sporting a pair of extravagantly tall heels, stepped forth. She gripped the pole and without warning, launched herself into the air, twirling and writhing as she navigated the pole with the ease of a seasoned gymnast.
Jamie is a 20-year-old student at Yale-NUS who partakes in the rather unconventional hobby of pole dancing.
Her foray into pole was an unexpected one — for she shared that she used to live a sedentary lifestyle without engaging in any physical activity.
This changed in May when she made an impulsive decision to attend a trial class together with a friend. The class ended up being so enjoyable that she decided to enrol every semester, infusing in her a deep passion for pole and a desire to stay active.
“I’m not used to exercising in the slightest but pole has become an enjoyable way for me to keep in shape since it is a full-body workout. You’re working on everything so you get to engage your back, core, arms and it also helps with stamina.”
Her experience with pole as a form of exercise is ubiquitous among many of the dancers.
WHAT POLE ENTAILS
Vale Chin, a 26-year-old radiation therapist who has been doing pole for five years describes it as “a sport that is unlike any others”.
His venture into pole actually started in school where it was offered as a co-curricular activity as part of dance sports which encompassed different branches such as urban dance, hip hop and pole dancing.
“I think pole dancing is very exotic in nature and that’s what initially drew me in. It looked really interesting and I was up for a challenge, so I thought why not try it out since I have not done anything quite like it,” explained Vale animatedly.
Over time, pole dancing has become indispensable in his journey of keeping fit. “I do a bit of running and swimming but pole is so fun that I decided to make it a full part of my routine so in some form, it is like my way of gyming.”
Beyond the enjoyment, Vale believes that another reason to get into the sport is the comprehensive curriculum offered by the studios in Singapore. According to him, the classes are designed to make sure that anyone — regardless of their experience — can catch up.
“It’s a very comfortable progression so people can level up properly. Of course, sometimes we have to repeat a certain level a few times before we can move on to the next level but it’s definitely a very natural progression,” he said.
Vale is seen executing a ‘Gemini Hang’, one of the basic inverted moves. PHOTO: TAY JING YI
Jamie concurred, noting that the classes are set up incrementally which helps pole practitioners identify their respective strengths, weaknesses and areas that they could improve on.
Moreover, she explained that pole dancers have the freedom to choose from an array of courses which can include technique-based, pole art or dancing lessons.
“There are many different types of pole, there’s classique, there’s also lyrical which tends to be more arty and there’s Russian exotic which focuses on floorwork.”
The classes are eight weeks long, where dancers practise their choreographs for the first seven weeks and perform on the eighth.
The performances are held in the studio, catering a private and inclusive space for individuals to express themselves and be more comfortable with their bodies.
THE WEIGHT DEBATE
That was certainly the case for Shieun Alexandria Cho — Jamie’s 19-year-old suitemate who also dabbles in pole dancing.
Alexandria was first exposed to pole through dance videos on Instagram during the circuit period where she was impressed by the mastery that the dancers had over their bodies.
“I was enthralled by how effortlessly they could move around the pole and how graceful their movements were,” she said.
Despite this budding curiosity about the sport, the restrictions of the pandemic and not having anyone to start it with meant that it went unpursued until Jamie invited her to one of her performances.
“What I saw there was very empowering and I was really immersed in the sensualness of the performance and how I could feel everyone’s confidence,” she gushed.
Inspired, Alexandria decided to try it out for herself.
She recounted her first hands-on experience with pole: “The first class I went to, I was quite taken aback because I didn’t quite realise how heavy I was.”
Even though Alexandria was quite fit, she was thrown off by how difficult it was to hang onto the pole initially.
“This is applicable to everyone who does pole. No matter their weight, they will definitely feel weak in the beginning but it does get easier,” said Alexandria optimistically.
It is a sentiment echoed by Vale who pointed out that there is actually a market for plus size pole dancers, including classes which are catered and tailored specifically for such individuals.
“It’s never just about your weight or your strength. I would say the technique, such as how you hook onto the pole is much a much more important factor,” he emphasised.
There are projects such as Slap Dance Studio’s ‘Beautiful Inspiring Girls’ which seek to empower women of all body sizes to pole dance. PHOTO: SLAP DANCE STUDIO
Vale recalled seeing a TikTok video where a pregnant mother attempted tricks on the pole, driving home the point that anyone is able to do it regardless of how big or heavy they are.
This inclusivity stretches even beyond size or weight, with more and more people across different ages coming together to practise this sport.
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT
Tanny Tait, a 49-year-old full time filmmaker, is a living example.
As a health enthusiast, she has indulged in a plethora of fitness related activities, including yoga and aerial — a niche form of pole where the pole is freely suspended in the air.
“After doing yoga for five years, I decided to experiment with aerial but I did not have any knowledge about pole so I decided to enrol in some classes,” she said matter-of-factly.
For her, keeping her mind and body active is one of her biggest priorities as she ages.
“I think a big hindrance for women in their forties is losing a lot of muscle or strength, especially after having children which is why they may be more hesitant or daunted to attempt such a sport.”
“However, more and more older women are realising the importance of being spry and learning the different choreographies is good for the mind which is why more of them might be getting into it,” explained Tanny.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged that she is still in the minority even as the demographic continues to expand.
BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES
Similarly, pole has also given a chance for males like Vale to go against the grain in a sport which is predominantly populated by women.
“There’s definitely a minority of men in pole but they actually have a very strong standing in this community,” Vale said.
Epitomising this is a figure like Louis Sue who co-founded PXD Pole, one of the most prominent studios in Singapore.
Sue made waves in the pole dancing community by clinching multiple championship titles, including the Singapore Pole Challenge 2016, 2019 Taiwan Pole Sport Championships and 2019 Exotic Generation Asia.
In the same vein, Vale is also helping to champion the narrative that men can be a part of the pole community too through his performances.
Most memorably, Vale was presented with the opportunity to perform at Pink Dot 2022 earlier in June, alongside SG Rainbow, Phoenix Collective and other pole practitioners.
With aligned visions, this group of people came together to create a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community to unite and express themselves. PHOTO: PINKDOTSG
Vale shared that the performance was “extremely liberating”, empowering him to showcase his flair while “breaking archaic gender stereotypes” at the same time, proving that this sport is not exclusive to women.
PERKS FOR PRACTITIONERS
Unsurprisingly, empowerment has become a recurring theme throughout pole dancing.
Alexandria noted that dancing in a group can help to nurture a collectivistic culture, allowing individuals to empower one another.
“Doing pole is also a really good way of self expression as it pushes boundaries and pushes people to be more daring which can help them boost their confidence and get in touch with their femininity,” she added.
Some of the moves that are commonly seen in pole dancing are 'fast spin' and ‘outside leg hang'. PHOTO: JAMIE WONG JEN MIN
For vale, pole is also a motivational sport as it forces dancers out of their comfort zone.
“Some dancers are motivated by the pain. When it's more painful, it drives them to work even harder to execute the trick, which provides them a sense of accomplishment when they master it,” he acknowledged.
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE TRADE
However, the journey is not always sunshine and rainbows.
Choosing to pursue pole dancing can be taxing on the wallet, oftentimes being more expensive than one might imagine.
Jamie explained that the price for eight weeks of classes can total up to $260 and that payment for these classes in most studios are non-refundable. Other costs include equipment and gear such as grip aid and specialised swimwear.
In addition, many dancers also opt to purchase heels which are not compulsory but can add individuality while also elevating their dance routine.
The heels used in pole help to distribute the dancer’s weight while providing support. FILE PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Typically, the heels — also referred to as pleasers — range from about $90 to $300 which further contributes to the expenses.
Apart from the exorbitant cost, Vale revealed that another challenge which plagues dancers is people sexualising them due to the revealing nature of the gear worn during performances.
“These people think that we strip for nothing, but the fact is that skin contact is actually required so that we can stick onto the pole and not slide off,” he clarified.
Such misconceptions are rampant in the world of pole dancing.
“I think people tend to affiliate pole with strippers quite often, like the whole red light industry so people traditionally do not see it as an art,” Alexandria lamented.
“It’s similar to acrobats in circuses. They’re really talented but they may not get as much credit or recognition as opposed to dance forms like ballet or burlesque due to the connotations associated with pole dancing.”
In the face of all these obstacles, Jamie remains optimistic.
“I think over time, the stigma will start to disappear and actually, that is something that we are already seeing.”
“In the meantime, I will stick to telling people that I am doing pole dancing purely as a hobby so that I don’t have to deal with a long line of explanation,” Jamie quipped.
A UNIFIED COMMUNITY
Thankfully, the pole dancing community is one which Jamie describes as friendly and inclusive.
“Everyone here is really helpful so when you go to the studios to practise and you’re struggling with a move, you can approach any of them and they’ll work through it with you.”
It is no different for Tanny, who has often received unconditional help from her peers whenever she missed classes. “They would always send a video recording over, which is genuinely very useful as it helps me to keep up with the curriculum.”
She also shared that there is even a Telegram group chat dedicated to the pole community. “People ask questions here and generally, I see very good responses. Everyone here is very supportive.”
TAKING BABY STEPS
As the conversation surrounding pole dancing gradually becomes more positive, more people are raring to try their hands at the sport.
For those who have even remotely considered taking up pole dancing, Tanny has one piece of advice — throw caution to the wind and step in without any reservations.
“Don’t sell yourself short. Come and try it out first and who knows, you might possibly fall in love with the sport and even surprise yourself with how good you actually are.”
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By Aung Nyi Htet and Tay Jing Yi
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