MYTHBUSTERS.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

“Hey there, sexy.”

This is an example of a thing a lot of new girls expect me to say when they walk into class dressed in a bra and full makeup.

What I actually say: “Hi! I’m Cathy, welcome to intro to pole!”

What I want to say: “Honey, no. Just no. That’s not what we’re doing. Go put on a shirt.”

Reading this article (which yes, from two years ago, but it still really pissed me off) made me realize just how widespread the pole ignorance is out there. Also, hearing comments from first timers like, “I didn’t want to come to a class until I lost weight,” make me really wonder if people have the right idea about what pole classes are like… and if misinformation is scaring people away.

1. You need to look sexy

Myth: Pole girls are bitches.
Myth: Pole girls are bitches.

Why do people think they need to put on makeup to come to a workout class? Guys, you totally don’t. Especially if this is going to deter you from coming. If you like feeling glamorous for your pole class and that encourages you to show up or boosts your morale, by all means, throw on some lipstick and treat yourself to some cute workout clothes. But you totally don’t have to. Remember, it’s all girls… and no dollars are thrown for sexy outfits. Seriously, nobody cares.

2. Everybody wears a bra and underwear

Oy, again, stahp. Please don’t show up in a bikini top and boyshort underwear just because you think that’s what everybody’s going to be wearing. True, you will kind of look like a NOOB if you show up in bagging running shorts and a long sleeved shirt, but stripper attire is not going to fool anyone into believing you know what you’re doing. The best way to look smart and blend in: tight fitting (short) shorts and a tank. Show up in that and you’ll get instant respect no matter where you go. Now, what you want to wear to your 2nd and 3rd class and beyond… that’s up to you.

3. Pole classes will teach you how to strip

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

Yeah, no. Okay, well, being fair, it can vary from studio to studio.

Generally, pole classes fall into three categories:

-Fitness

-Dance

-Stripper experience

Fitness classes are pretty much exclusively about using the pole to repeatedly kick your own ass. There’s not much sensuality or flow between moves, and you should come dressed to sweat.

Dance classes, while strenuous, will be a little more sensual. You’ll be more concerned with nailing moves and putting them together than burning calories. Girls might wear cute outfits because it helps them get in the mood and it’s fun to watch hotness in the mirror, but they’ll still be functional as far as moving and sticking to the pole. This is what my classes are like.

Stripper experience “classes” are a run a little more like parties: you’ll learn a few moves, but they’re generally less technically difficult (at least at first) and everything you do will be a little raunchier looking. You might also get to sip wine or champagne, take pictures, and generally goof around more than you could in a fitness or dance class. The purpose of these is less a workout or learning to move on the pole than excitement, novelty, and fun. This is really the only class I would recommend dressing up for, because it’s part of the experience (and makes for great pictures). EDC’s parties are a lot more like this than our classes.

But that being said, you can hardly say that any of these classes teach you how to be a stripper. You may come away with some exotic-esque dance moves, especially from “stripper experience” studio, but that’s still a long ways off from learning how to actually remove clothing, dance on customers, “buss it” (which I hear about in 2 Chainz songs a lot and still don’t know what it means), etc. If that’s what you want to learn, skip pole dance classes and go directly for exotic dance classes, which are a different thing.

4. Pole classes are for wussies who are scared of the gym

This is the truth: wimpy girls don’t make it past their first class, which will definitely involve sore muscles, bruises, and god forbid, hand blisters.

I will agree with the author of the article I read that it shouldn’t be used as a complete replacement for the gym, even if you’re taking pole fitness classes. You still need cardio, and in my experience, evenly building muscle strength with free weights or machines is a wonderful way to absolutely KILL IT on the pole, with less risk of injury.

But does that make it for wimps? Or non-athletic people? Hardly. In fact, it’s best suited for the insatiable fitness people because no matter how good you get, there’s going to be a new challenge. Hitting choppers? Cool story bro, learn it on your non-dominant side. Did that? Awesome–it’s time for aerials. Got that? Nice, now monkey climb gracefully and incorporate it into your choreo.

There’s a really no end to the challenges, both physical and mental. Sometimes (speaking for myself here) it’s so challenging that the only thing that keeps girls hanging in there is the fun of self expression part of it. And yes, a cute pair of shorts and favorite songs help too. It’s icing on the cake, but oh, how we’d miss that icing if it were never there.

5. Pole girls are catty

Confession: I was guilty of assuming this when I first started out. (BONUS MYTHBUST: not all your teachers are former strippers. Some started out with a dance background, like me, and thought pole might be fun. It was, and is, and here we are. BAM, myth busted).

Yes, experiences can vary from studio to studio. But, having been to a few, I can safely say that the girls at MOST studios are incredibly nice and supportive of one another.

If you think about, it, everybody’s a little bit vulnerable: we’re supposed to be looking amazing (a pole is sooo sexy, right? :P), but in reality, everything we’re trying to do is very difficult and likely looks terrible at first.

That makes for a lot of commiseration, laughing, encouragement (giving and receiving), and believe it or not, genuine connections and true friendships.

Pole girls are BAD in the best possible way. You can meet some of the coolest girls of your life in classes. Just don’t write them off!

Having trouble with girls at your studio? Honestly, change studios. People are the same everywhere, but a lot of time it’s the studio itself, the teachers, or the management that set a weird tone for classes. It’s probably not going to get better, so I would advise shopping around. You’ll find your fit!

Can you guys think of anything you thought about pole, pre-first-class, that turned out to be totally wrong? I remember thinking I was going to be inverting within a few weeks of my first class. Ha!

Sad news: no classes at all this week! EDC’s moving studios. But hopefully that will leave me some free time to pole at home and work on some new moves.

Happy Twirls!

Cathy

Achieving a “dancer’s” size: on costume-induced body panic

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

You know that weird mix of excitement and dread?

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My first ever show! On campus at Pratt Institute in 2008. I was so terrified, I purposefully didn’t wear contacts so I couldn’t see the crowd.

It always reminds me of the feeling I used to get as a kid, when I couldn’t wait for my birthday, which happened to be a week before school started.

So, the big news is that my belly dance partner and crime K and I are debuting February 13th at Jebon on St. Marks place. I am so. Freaking. Excited. We’re been rehearsing really hard for a few months now with all original choreography, so now that we’ve done the work, it’s the fun part: costumes.

Hahahahaha fun? Bitch please. Try horrifying.

Let me first clarify that I like my body. It has served me very well in my time. That said, I am (ew barf I can’t believe I have to use this word) “womanly.” I have visible abs, but I’m also a little soft in places. This seems to me to be perfectly natural since, duh, i’m a woman. I eat healthy and I got plenty of exercise (in the studio, the gym, and carrying groceries up to my 4th floor walk up).

My body does what I ask of it on the pole, on the floor, and every place in between, so I’m thoroughly happy with it and the worrying ends there.

That is, until I put on the belly dance costume.

(NOTE:: ****I should clarify that the top half of this costume i’s not so much a costume as it is a balconet bra I bought at H&M. I have ginormous boobs, and “real” belly dance bras only come in small, medium, and large. I’m quite small (32″ band) AND large (D-DD), so, my options are limited.)

Me and K now, after a show

So anyway, here I am in the studio, under florescent lighting, in a freaking BRA, undulating my way down into a crouching position from THE SIDE. SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE FAT ROLLS. AHHHHHH. And I’m panicking. Is 2 weeks enough time to lose 5 pounds? Can self tanner somehow magically help?

The really f***ed up thing is I’m in the greatest shape of my life right now. I LOVE how I look in clothes (thanks, pole!). But I feel like the standards for a body being displayed during a dance performance are totally different.

Like the hardcore-ness of your body is directly related to your amount of skill and self discipline in dancing.

Like no matter how hard I work nailing difficult moves, a soft middle screams “wannabe” anyway.

It’s very discouraging. And it doesn’t help that K is TINY. She’s both petite and about 90 pounds, so not only do I look a little on the flabby side next to her but I look like a freaking giant too. This is bad, guys. Please help me. I have two weeks.

Here’s my plan so far:

1. Focus on healthy fats and protein

I can’t starve myself right now, mostly because I really do need a lot of food for my lifestyle. I’m talking back to back pole classes and THEN a workout at the gym. None of these places are convenient locations for fainting. Also, fuck starving yourself. No.

BUT. If anything dials down on belly pudge, it’s skipping bread and sugar, right? Can’t hurt anyway.

2. Take care of my skin

I feel extra repulsive when all that extra flesh is also dry and icky looking. Now until February 13th is officially Exfoliation and Lotion Time. And performance night is going to require a shit ton of freaking shimmer, I don’t give a fuck. Yes.

3. Fluids?

This one I’m a tad sketchy on. A trainer friend of mine who also happens to be a show wrestler (hulk hogan type as opposed to skinny guys in jumpsuits, on mats) swears by this: chug tons of water in the weeks leading up to the event (to flush out bloat), then scale way back on fluids the day before and day of the event. I think I remember reading that Adriana Lima does this before Victoria’s Secret shows. I also remember thinking that it was batshit crazy.

Honestly I probably won’t do this one, except for the “drinking tons of fluids” part. That part seems good.

4. Self tanner

Yeah, actually, maybe not. Flabby and orange isn’t really an improvement on flabby and pale. Strike this one.

5. Beg K to let me change the angles on certain things

Crouching from the side… eesh. Or maybe we can incorporate some veil work here? Specifically holding up a veil to cover ourselves as we crouch from the side?

Here’s a funny story: one time, a woman came into my spins class and said she’d been wanting to take my class for months. I asked her why she waited so long. She said she thought she needed to lose 10 pounds before she could take a class like pole. (She was very, very slightly overweight by the way, this was not a safety issue).

Wait, did I say funny story? I meant a sad story, about a woman who didn’t think she was good enough at her current weight to take a damn EXERCISE CLASS.

WTF society, look what you’re doing. Stahp.

Anyway, how do you guys feel about the weight issue with pole? It’s hard to see all the top people in our sport looking soooooo tiny in their equally small costumes, and feel like we still have permission to even try.

Does fear about your body hold you back from performing? From wearing certain clothes to class?

Have you ever tried to lose weight for a show? (if so TELL ME ALL OF YOUR SECRETS)

Pole Pleaser, Pole Spins, and Intro to Pole tonight! 7,8, and 9pm, respectively. Hope to see you!

And here’s your official invitation to the belly dance show! Yes, they spelled my name wrong. Come for the frozen sake, stay for (possibly orange), nervous-looking belly dancer 😉

Happy Twirls!

Cathy

Flu-pocalypse Attacks!

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater
Image
This is a totally unrelated photo of me as a zombie on Halloween. But also kinda a reenactment of how red my eyes have been. FLUPACOLYPSE.

Hey ladies!

First things first–I had the flu! Bought the t-shirt, went through the tissues and a bottle of Nyquil, bonafide flu-vivor over here!

Actually, for all my joking, yes, it sucked. But it was very short lived–suspiciously so, which leads me to believe that my flu shot was indeed NOT useless. I basically sweated and shivered like I had malaria for 24 hours and then felt better enough to move the next night. To a 4th floor walk up. Modern medicine! I dig it!

Anyway, wash your hands, people. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s no fun either.

But down to business. Here’s the big news: EDC’s lease is up and we’re moving!

We’re going to be in a temporary space for a minute (same neighborhood, don’t fret!), but we’ve got our sights set on a bigger, better, more permanent space, and we need your help! So if you’ve been considering taking a class or a series, now’s a great time to do it–through Indiegogo!

For the same cost of a drop in or 4-week course, you can make a donation directly to our Awesome-New-Studio cause AND score invites to the re-launch party. Oh yeah, and you’ll be helping us out, son!

I hate telling people to donate money (worst girl scout cookie salesgirl ever), but since you literally get a class out of this my conscience is clear. Especially because I know our classes are bomb. You can quote me on that.

Can’t wait to get back on the pole… I’m thinking of doing a little “last dance” vid at the old apartment, if my energy holds out.

Everybody staying healthy? I hope so. Did I mention you should wash your hands? Like, right now. Get up from your computer and find a sink, nasty! And for god’s sake, use the alcohol and your own rag in the studio. Never hurt anybody, and it certainly might help.

PS. Class tonight! Last week at the current studio, so pop in and say goodbye to our lovely space. Pole Spins is at 7:30pm and Intro (first timers!) is at 8:30. Sign up here!

Happy (and healthy!) twirls,

Cathy

This is why I’m fat.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

Here’s a quick, three-part summary of the last month: the first part stuck was spent entirely indoors (Sandy), the second part lazing about on the futon with a cold, the third part, cooking then (of course) consuming cheesecake and pie.

Here’s the thing with pole: you get spoiled. You can eat what you want and not worry about it, because your body genuinely needs and will use the food. But then things happen, like your studio closes for the holidays, and it’s totally too cold in your apartment to put on shorts, and your fitness game slips.

Now I don’t like eating much junk food, per se… you won’t catch me with white bread, spray can cheese, bologna, or doughnuts very often. (Actually, now that I typed that out it all sounds delicious together. WHATS HAPPENING).

But I will eat with abandon, until I am full. I don’t worry about calories and fat, so long as I’m getting enough good stuff into my body. Sweet potato french fries? Vitamin A! Guacomole? Healthy fat! Whole grain tortilla chips with flax seeds? Fiber! As long as a food is mostly “real,” with some sort of nutritionally redemptive qualities, I’ll put it in my face. Seriously. And in all honestly, this tends to work just fine for me.

But… then I stopped exercising. I was rehearsing a belly dance routine with my NEW DANCE PARTNER (okay it’s actually an old friend but WE HAVE JOINED FORCES! CAPITAL LETTERS!!!1!!!!) when I noticed my undulation was looking extra… undulationy.

Kinda like this:

Anyway, we have a show coming up (OMG YOU GUYZ, BELLYDANCE SHOW!!!!! More dets soon, I promise), and I had the startling realization that I can NOT be dancing around in a half shirt like this.

So here are the new lifestyle rules, until I look more like my normal self:

First things first: no more alcohol.

Wait wait wait, I’m not an alchy, hear me out! I’m talking wine and beer. I’ve been doing a lot of holiday socializing and that means a hideous combination of chips, the aforementioned guac, and the better half of a six pack.

Want to get fat? Slow down your metabolism with alcohol and THEN pig out without exercising! Super efficient. I’ve tested this method and been extremely successful.

Another really awful thing I’m doing: too much hookah. This doesn’t really make you fat… but it does make you wheezy and lethargic, which is not terribly conducive to exercise.

I’ve been spending way more time in the belly dance community, so to speak, and thusly, spending most of the three hours watching dancing and eating hummus with a pipe in my mouth. THREE HOURS. Imagine chain smoking that long. I’m suddenly panicked that I have emphysema.

Anyway, I’ve been over my cold for at least 2 weeks so there’s no reason I should be this tired and still coughing. I’m blaming the several hours worth of hookah with friends, several times a week. For like, 2 months.

(I know, bad. Really, really bad).

Anyway, my final solution (too German?) is: pole dance, duh!!!!

I’m committing to at least an hour, 3 times a week. Practice, classes, whatever. And on off days, conditioning and/or stretching. Just some kind of activity to remind me to stop being a fat fatty who is getting kind of fat.

I was watching a video I took of some practice dances just a month ago and I can’t believe how different my ass already looks. How can things change so much in one month?! I guess this is a symptom of the late twenties settling in. Ew.

Anyway, tips for me?  Please? Pole usually kicks my butt pretty efficiently, but if you’ve got any workout or diet secrets you swear by, please share!!

Classes this week: Thursday and Saturday! Check the schmedule.

Happy Twirls!

Cathy

I AM THANKFUL FOR POLE, and other musings.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

Life has changed a LOT since this time last year.

Last November, I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 2.5 years after a sad, fighty trip to Hawaii. I was juggling a writing class, a writing job, and an unpaid writing internship (Time Out NY, holla!)

I was scared, broke, lonely, and feeling burnt out and poopy about life in general.

It was at this time that I took my first pole class.

Just swap “Pinterest” for “WordPress” and you now know what the inside of my dreams look like.

Fast forward to this year. I’m stronger and braver than I ever thought I’d be. Most of my body hangups have faded…  if I feel icky or out of shape, I ask myself, “Hey girl (I do it in a Ryan Gosling voice), did you flip your feet over your head several times this week?”

“Why yes, self, yes I did.”

“Then you’re good. You wear what you want, girl.”

“Thanks self. I’m so glad we found a sport/hobby combination that keeps us in shape and feeling good, self-esteem wise.”

“Me too, girl. Me too.”

AND SCENE.

I’m ever better at talking to people and generally asserting myself/being friendly with strangers since I’ve started teaching pole. I’m naturally pretty shy, but I’ve discovered that I LOVE leading people through new things and reassuring them, and that’s started carrying over to all parts of my life.

And boys… yeah, let’s go there! I had another disastrous relationship/ish thing last winter, after I had just started getting really into pole (I admit it).

But looking back on the heartache, I realized it probably didn’t work out because… well, I was asserting myself.

Homeboy–while at first extremely attractive to me for being ballsy and funny–was generally kind of a selfish, arrogant dick underneath all the charm.

And your girl,  newly pole-i-fied, was just not really having it, ya know?

It hurts when things don’t work out, yeah. But not as much if they DO work out, and they continue to suck. I actually wonder if I had been this person two years ago, would I have ever stayed in my other empty, lame, crappy relationships as long as I did.

I think I stayed because I didn’t think I was strong enough, just me.

But now, as I challenge other grown, in-shape men to try to climb a pole, or hang upside down, I realize: I’m amazing.

I’m the package, all by my lonesome.

And I owe that to pole. Oh, and some incredible teachers.

It’s no coincidence either, I think, that EVERY pole girl I meet is freaking amazing. Y’all are incredible, and I love you. Don’t let people try to put down what you do, or minimize it.

Heck, don’t say anything at all. Just step away from the pole and give the haters an “all yours” gesture. Then try not to laugh. That would be rude.

So tell me–what are you guys thankful for? How has pole shaped YOUR life over the past year or months?

PS. No classes this Thursday, for obvious Turkey-related reasons 🙂 But we’re back on for Saturday, so be sure to check the new site.

Happy twirls!

Cathy

P-A-R-T…Y? ‘Cause I gotta!

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

You guys… big news: I’m in training to teach parties. This is partially because I’m broke, and partially because our studio is doing mad party business. But the bottom line: I need to get better at walking in stilettos and shouting. Holla!

PS. Sexy new website! EDC is now at http://danceyourwaynyc.com/. CHECK IT.

<3<3<3
Cathy

THE WRATH OF SANDY. Plus, getting on/to the pole/polls: equally important.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

THE WRATH OF SANDY.

This happened about 30 feet from my apartment in Boro Park, Brooklyn.

Omg, you guys. This past week. Ugh.

Okay, so I’ll spare the boring recap, but I was basically really lucky and didn’t even lose power during Sandy. What I did lose was mobility (no subway!) and the motivation to do anything but lie sideways on my futon and watch slasher movies. Oh, and Uno. I played a lot of Uno.

Here’s the ironic part: as soon as I was able to leave the house, I somehow contracted a cold (FROM WHO?? I DIDN’T LEAVE THE HOUSE? Oh wait, probably that guy that coughed in my face the first time I left the house). So now, just at the apex of wanting to do productive things again, I feel shitty and thus give myself permission to park it in front of Hulu with chips and guacamole again. (Hahaha, just kidding, I’m too lazy to actually make guacamole… it’s just a hunk of avocado in a bowl with some salsa dumped on top. Then I mush it around with chips as I put it in my face. This is my life).

Anyway, run on sentences. Sorry. I plead cold medication.

PS. I’M IN HUFFPO! so, um, read my article about internships even though it’s not at all related to pole dancing because I’m amazed I accomplished anything on EITHER career front this week. Look, it’s my full name in the URL and everything!!!!11!!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathryn-vandewater/internships_b_2080327.html

PPSS. You’d think with all the time alone at home with my pole and all the energy I had from being cooped up that I would dance. No. Not really. Dance I did not. Stare at my pole while eating Halloween candy because Halloween was essentially cancelled, I did. I truly, truly did. Thus, I have little to report on the pole front. Sorry 😦

PPPSSS. Go vote guys. And by vote, I mean please vote for Obama. Assuming it’s all ladies reading this (and the occasional lost male with an appreciation for ladies), that’s kind of a no brainer. (Sorry for being political, it will all be over soon).

Happy twirls and civic duties!!

Cathy

Getting MAD FIT in 8 super weird places

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

ImageAh, more reasons to love pole. So. Freaking. Much.

I know a lot of people dance to mix up their work out routines (great idea, by the way!), but fitness has always been just a nice plus of pole for me.

I mean… I’m the type that gets really frustrated when my muscles start giving out because dang, I wanted to practice that one thing one more time!

But the weird thing is, it’s always super random muscles that get tired from pole. Last night I had to give laybacks a rest not because my legs were giving out, but because my big toe was cramping.

Seriously?

Seriously big toe? You’re going to play me like that?

As our instructors like to say though, you can’t ignore even the little muscle issues because a toe cramp can definitely screw with your leg muscles, which can in turn screw with your grip.

Which can then screw with your head. Because you landed on it. OH SNAP.

But seriously, cramps aside, here are weird muscle groups I’ve noticed I’m accidentally keeping in top condition:

1. Inner thighs

Okay this is actually pretty awesome. I remember being in middle school and finding out what “thunder thighs” meant for the first time, staring at my legs for a bit, then frantically doing leg lifts out of my mom’s Jane Fonda book.

Eventually though, I realized “spot reducing” is kinda BS, and resigned myself to a little inner thigh chub. NBD, right?

NOT UNTIL YOU HAVE AMAZING INNER THIGHS. Holy crap, trying not to die while hanging upside down from your thighs is like, the best training ever, apparently, because my inner thighs are looking boss. I mean, I guess I’ll take it?

2. Deltoids

This kinda pisses me off, because I assumed that pole dance would trick out my arms. Nope, just the shoulders.

In fact, the contrast between my super tight delts and loose, ever-so-floppy triceps just makes the whole arm situation look worse. Damn you, fiercely toned delts. Damn you to hell.

3. Calves

Can’t pretend to be angry about this. “Imaginary high heels” at all times (ie. standing on your toes) makes for some awesome, accidentally toned calves that look baller in real heels.

Downside: the shame of running in shoes with lifts in the back. The guy at the shoe store was horrified by by my apparent muscle imbalances, so that’s what I ended up with.*Shame*.

4. Forearms, wrists, and hands

This is kind of a do or die situation, really. After I weaned myself off Dry Hands (grip aid’s a hell of a drug!), my wrists and hands had to get stronger… because I couldn’t really spare any more skin rubbing off, and they must have known that.

I mean, I guess my forearms never really looked fat or anything, but I can the difference. I find myself giving very intimidating handshakes. Though that could also be the cray cray callouses I have, that are scary people. Whoops.

5. Obliques

ROCK ON, I love my new side abs! Kinda wish the rest of the abs would catch up, but I’ll take what I can get. I think it’s all the leg swinging, twisting, and wrapping, but I can actually see individual, Bat-man ablets happening along my rib cage. That’s DEFINITELY a pole perk.

6. Upper back

Holy god is all I can say about this. In addition to posture improvement, my upper back is mighty fine in the muscle department. I think it’s safe to say that this is where the majority of effort is coming from in pole, not arms (at least with spins).

7. Feet and ankles

Weird, right? But all the push offs, the climbing, the ankle hook make their mark. I’m hoping this helps with running, since the top of my feet tend to get tired. Is there a word for that muscle? Moving on.

8. Biceps

Okay this is not a weird muscle. But yes, climbing and inverting will tone the shit out of it.

Any weird places you’ve noticed firming up with pole?

How about muscles you WISH would get stronger, to help with dance?

I work with a lot of personal trainers at my day job so I’m thinking of asking them for help with a strength building routine. If they give me a baller work-out, I’ll be sure to share!

Happy twirls!

Cathy

I believe I can flyyyyyy

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

Literally.

So first of all, HI SNITCHES! I’ve been away…  doing a little of this:

And a teeny, tiny bit of this:

Baaaaaaaaaaaallin’.

So basically, my birthday happened (eww, getting old, gross) which meant a pilgrimage to my home country (upstate New York) to hang out with my parents and re-enact parts of my childhood, like looking at my mom’s flower bed, walking around the block with my lil sis, and going flying with my dad.

My dad, who’s closing in on his 1000th hour in the sky, has been flying since the 70’s for fun…. because people did weird shit like that for fun in the 70’s.

I was raised on 20 minute trips to the Oneida County Airport, saying “Niner niner!” and the gumball machine by the Upstate Flying Club sign out counter. (Gum helps you equalize your ears, which was always my excuse for begging for some, pre-flight).

A few years ago, while I was still coming home for the summers, I was even working on  my pilot’s license, to my dad’s delight. I had a female flight instructor named Adina that I paid for with my lifeguarding money ($75 an hour!), studied my flash cards, and wrote in flight sessions in my log book. All until I ran out of money and moved to New York City to be A Writer.

Now, not so much to my dad’s delight, I dance on poles. And write! But it’s the dancing on poles part that I know bugs him.

My mom’s having a hard time with my new hobby too.

They were both okay with my illustrious bellydance career (I was in an off-off-off broadway show!), but, though that arguably involved less clothing, it was more easily put in the “art” category of dance.

Now, even when I try to tell my parents about climbs, spins, and inversions I’m working on (so not sexy! This is totally a serious sport!) they tell me I’ll paralyze myself.

You’ll shoot yer eye out, kid!

It’s impossible to win: do spinning and floorwork, you’re too sexy. Do inversions and holds, you’re PUTTING YOUR LIFE IN DANGER, CATHY.

*sigh*

Truth of the matter is, pole IS sexy. It DOES involve your body, and scantily-cladness.

Maybe that’s okay.

Our manager likes to say at EDC that it takes balls to call ourselves “Exotic Dance Central,” while it’s easier to go by “pole fitness” something or other, and not offend anybody.

But at the end of the day, whatever stereotypes or fears people have about connections to The Industry That Shall Not Be Named, pole dancing is still dancing on a pole. Some people are going to call it exercise, some people are going to call it stripping. But what is really is is dance.

Use it to get fit. Use it to feel sexy.  Use it for whatever you can get from it, and enjoy every minute.

Just don’t use it for approval from others–because that might be a taller order.

I especially know my dad will be a hard sell, since he still sees me as a 5 year old wearing a huge headset and chewing gumballs. But I’m going to keep working on him. I have this hunch that when you’re doing things with a pure heart, other people will come around.

Meanwhile, I did get SOME family approval during my trip–from my little sis (not so little at 23). She picked up my camera while I was out and found a few practice videos. I was immediately concerned when she told me she watched them, but she just smiled and said… “That was really cool.”

Gotta love family.

How do you guys talk to your family about dance? Do you feel like you get a lot of judgement from people?

Spins class tonight at 7–I’m back and getting straight into the swing of things 🙂

Happy twirls!

Cathy