Girls: Pole Dancing?

I've never posted in this forum before, so hi :smile:

Basically, I'm starting uni this year and I'm thinking about which societies I might like to join. It's a very sporty uni (I'm going for Fine Art, though), so a lot of the societies and clubs are sports/fitness-oriented. I'm really not sporty at all, but I quite like the idea of getting more into fitness. Anyway, one of the societies I liked the look of was pole dancing, but I don't know whether I'd be completely useless at it or not. Sooo, I was hoping there'd be some girls who can answer a few questions I have :smile:

One question that I can't seem answer by searching online is whether height matters. I'm 5'10.5''-ish, and I don't know whether that's too tall for pole dancing? All the girls on Youtube look really small, which I would think would make it a bit easier (but maybe not). I'm a size 8, so it's not like I'm really heavy, but still. Does height make a difference?

Another thing is that my arms aren't especially strong, and I don't know if I'd be able to hold myself up! I can barely even do push ups :frown:

I think my legs are quite strong, but would practicing push ups or something before I started (if I start) pole dancing make it any easier?

One last thing, I've never done any form of dancing before. It seems like pole dancing's like a form of gymnastics (which I used to do when I was younger), so does it matter if you've never done dancing before?

Sorry for all the questions, but the society only has limited places and apparently it's pretty popular, so I'd rather decide before I start uni whether I want to join. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies :tongue:

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Reply 1

Flo[ProActiv]

Height shouldn't bee too much of a problem - there's a guy in my class who's 6ft+, and he's fine. Only thing you might struggle with is climbs, but it depends how high the ceilings are where you go.

Upper body strength - mine was rubbish when I started (and still is tbh :tongue:

can't do a single proper press up). But the more you go, the better it'll get. If you want, try push ups before starting, but I wouldn't say that it absolutely vital.

And it doesn't matter if you haven't done dance before. If your uni soc is anything like mine, the focus is on fitness, not rhythm/dance. Gymnastics will probably help, since they both require flexibility.

Hope that helps! :smile:

Reply 2

Village Whisper

[QUOTE='Flo[ProActiv];37139698']Height shouldn't bee too much of a problem - there's a guy in my class who's 6ft+, and he's fine. Only thing you might struggle with is climbs, but it depends how high the ceilings are where you go.

Upper body strength - mine was rubbish when I started (and still is tbh :tongue:

Thanks for this! I was thinking the same thing about climbs, but from the photos on the webpage it isn't really clear how high they are so I couldn't really judge. Assuming of course I'd actually be able to climb at all :tongue:

I've been doing a bit more Google-searching and it does sound like you build up upper body strength as you go along, rather than just being forever rubbish! I suppose that's to be expected...I'd just have to get over that initial "I'll never be able to do this" feeling. Hmm. It does sound fun though :smile:

How long have you been doing it?

Reply 3

M1011

Pole dancing society? If your society ever needs a, erm, audience member / judge / mascot etc then let me know :eek:

Reply 4

Flo[ProActiv]

Original post by Village Whisper

How long have you been doing it?

I've been doing it since September (but only during term time). I definitely recommend going for it - I love it, it's so much fun. It's a great way to meet loads of different people, and there's a massive sense of satisfaction when you master a new trick.

Although be warned, after the first couple of classes, you will ache like hell! Also, you'll end up with some fairly random bruising :tongue:

Reply 5

facdroit

Women finally embracing their true role in society.
Men can do everything all we need you girls to do is make kids and strip.

Reply 6

catjaum

Original post by facdroit

Women finally embracing their true role in society.
Men can do everything all we need you girls to do is make kids and strip.

your mother is a woman....... :eek:

Reply 7

facdroit

Original post by catjaum

your mother is a woman....... :eek:

No. I was created in a lab.

Reply 8

catjaum

Original post by facdroit

No. I was created in a lab.

they obviously suck at quality control.... :tongue:

What now?

Original post by catjaum

your mother is a woman....... :eek:

No. I was created in a lab.

Original post by catjaum

they obviously suck at quality control.... :tongue:

Brb uni at 17
brb graduated college at 16
brb making more money now than you will when you graduate
brb being rich
brb 142 iq

Reply 11

Village Whisper

[QUOTE='Flo[ProActiv];37161419']I've been doing it since September (but only during term time). I definitely recommend going for it - I love it, it's so much fun. It's a great way to meet loads of different people, and there's a massive sense of satisfaction when you master a new trick.

Although be warned, after the first couple of classes, you will ache like hell! Also, you'll end up with some fairly random bruising :tongue:

I think I might go for it, it really does sound fun/satisfying. I think I'm just a bit worried that everyone else there will be really athletic and be able to learn a lot quicker than me, but that's a pretty rubbish reason for not trying :tongue:

Did you do any other kind of sport/fitness stuff before you started?

I read about the bruising, and some of the reactions from doctors/nurses :tongue:

I suppose it must get better, though? The girls on Youtube don't seem to have any bruises, anyway.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 12

py0alb

I love how somehow, somewhere, a group of cunning pervy men have managed to convince otherwise intelligent women that pole dancing is "exercise" and nothing at all like stripping, no, definitely not.

I organised a joint social once with my sports club and the poledancing society. It was just... disturbing.

I wonder who will neg this more, pervy men or deluded poledancers...

Reply 13

Cirsium

Original post by Village Whisper

I read about the bruising, and some of the reactions from doctors/nurses :tongue:

I suppose it must get better, though? The girls on Youtube don't seem to have any bruises, anyway.

Yeah the three friends I have who do it spent a few months being bruised to hell, but I haven't seen any interesting bruises recently... that said that might just be because they haven't been wearing shorts in the last six months :p:

Reply 14

Cirsium

The friends I have who do it are all fairly serious gymnasts (competing on the national circuit) who also do things like circus acrobatics. And they seem keen on it as an extension of that - they like turning themselves upside down :p:

I mean I'm sure there are poledancing societies where it's dancing around a pole... but equally there are ones where it's gymnastics with a pole, and there's nothing inherently sexual about that, no matter how it started.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 15

zara55

I'm not saying this is you, but sometimes stories like this about it all being great fun and eager to do it are placed by ad companies working for the big lap dancing / pole dancing companies.

Few women who do pole dancing commercially end up enjoying it; many of the bars are basically legalised outlets for paid-for sex, thinly disguised and have a lot of pressure to offer "extras" to the punters. Former dancers speaking about it:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/nov/10/truth-lap-dancer-clubs

Object are a good organisation who have a lot of information about working in these clubs and campaign against the sexual objectification of women by this highly profitable industry.
http://www.object.org.uk/

Reply 16

Cirsium

Original post by zara55

You get that this is a university society with classes, right?... like in a gym... like Zumba or something. It's not about dancing in a club.

Reply 17

zara55

Original post by Cirsium

You get that this is a university society with classes, right?... like in a gym... like Zumba or something. It's not about dancing in a club.

Yes. But the tone of the OP is all about what fun it's going to be - which makes me wonder if this is a culture-driving piece written by an ad agency. Viral marketing for a pro-lap/pole dancing club position - at the moment, the clubs are under criticism and having their planning applications to open new ones challenged a lot. They will be paying lobbyists to try to influence public opinion on their part and student women are ideal recruits for their clubs from their point of view.

Not saying OP is in that category, just that it reads that way.

Also it isn't fun - there's nothing "fun" about pretending to be a paid-for sex worker for laughs basically.

Reply 18

Village Whisper

Original post by zara55

Wait, what? You think I'm "advertising"? How?!

My "tone" wasn't about how much fun it would be, I was actually doubting whether I'd be able to do it. How that is advertising, I have no idea.

And again, no one said this was about working in a strip club. It's a society, so it's for fun. It's not pretending to be a "paid-for sex worker" :s-smilie:

Reply 19

py0alb

Original post by Cirsium

Nah I don't believe that for one minute. If they "like turning upside down" thereare plenty of appropriate gymnastic activities that don't happen take place in nightclubs with groups of sweaty men watching you do the horizontal splits in tight/non-existent pants. Pole-dancing is pole-dancing - if its was pole gymnastics then it would be called pole gymnastics and it would take place in a gymnasium.

You're going to tell me there's nothing inherently sexual about lap-dancing next and its actually just "lap gymnastics".