Pole-dancing class isn't what you think: It's more.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
By MARIA HOWARD
Christina had just finished hoisting herself up a few feet, flipping upside down on a brass pole and sliding down slowly with her legs wrapped gracefully around the shiny prop.
"Your face is red," said a smiling Kat, who was watching her friend practice the difficult move.
"It's the Irish," Christina said quickly, prompting a laugh all around.
The rapport among the women in the room was similar to what you'd find in most any challenging fitness-class environment. But this wasn't your typical fitness class. This was pole dancing. It's fitness with a sexy twist.
That's why the participants asked me to not use their last names. They do, after all, have jobs. Some of them even have doctoral degrees. And they know that not everyone appreciates the value of pole dancing as a fitness option.
But let me assure you, it is a fitness option. After watching these women lift themselves into "inversions" and use their leg muscles to control their descent, I was amazed at their strength and poise.
"You certainly couldn't do this in your first class," said Kate Rockwell, instructor of the pole-dancing class and owner of Studio X on West Broad Street, where classes like this are held several times a week. You have to attend the beginner-level pole class and work your way up to the intermediate and advanced levels, where you might be able to flip upside down safely.
None of these women dance for an audience. They're here to learn a new skill and get a good workout.
Christina said she and several friends talked about taking the pole-dancing class at Studio X. She was the only one to sign up.
"None of my friends were daring enough to take it," she said with a laugh. With six months of basic instruction behind her, she's in the intermediate class and able to do many of the more difficult moves.
Plus, the workout has helped her in other athletic endeavors. Christina said she exercises several times a week and enjoys snowboarding and rock-climbing. "I've noticed a lot more [strength] in my core," she said.
On the West Coast, fitness experts have been touting the benefits of pole and exotic dancing for a number of years. Hollywood stars have bought into these workouts on the wild side. Look at Carmen Electra's "Aerobic Striptease" DVD series.
But can this craze take off in staid, old Richmond?
Maybe it can.
Certainly, the number of classes in this genre has grown in recent years.
Shirley T. Burke, a longtime local fitness instructor began teaching an occasional "self-esteam" (yes, that is spelled right) class at Victory Lady fitness centers here a couple of years ago. The class is designed to boost confidence through inward focus and expressive dance moves. Since then, she has started teaching similar classes at other fitness centers, including the YMCA.
Burke also has been instrumental in bringing to Richmond the Art of Exotic Dancing for Everyday Women. This Philadelphia-based dance organization sends instructors to Richmond for special introductory classes at local clubs.
Burke says these types of classes have immediate, positive results: "Women begin to feel good about themselves."
They walk with their heads a little higher. They exude a higher level of self-confidence, even after the first class.
"It's made a difference in a lot of people's lives," Burke said.
At Studio X, pole dancing is just one offering in the fitness and confidence-building lineup. Another is an exotic-dance class called "Fantasy Fit."
Laura, the instructor of that class, said she's had women as old as their 60s attend that class.
"Our target market, though, ends up being women in their 20s to 40s who do it for the fitness benefit and to gain confidence," she said.
In her mind, "there's no better way to work out."