Judged to be worthless and degrading, just a glimpse in to the reality of being a Pole Dancer.
When Jessica Walker began her side career of Pole Dancing at ‘Upstairs’, the local Gentlemen’s club, she worried about how it would fit around University and about the harsh opinions of her family and friends.
*The Interviewee’s name has been changed for privacy purposes*
“I often got called disgusting by own sister and my friends weren’t supportive of it at first”.
The traditional view on pole dancing is that it is degrading for women and that it exists only to please men in sleazy clubs. However, this view can be challenged by the feminist view that it is a beautiful art which allows women to express themselves and become confident with their own body and sexuality.
Jessica has been interested in dance from a young age and thought, why not get paid for something she loves to do? The harsh opinions that she faces daily are from family and friends, who don’t process the idea of pole dancing as a form of expression but rather as a degrading lifestyle. This view often conceals the truth behind pole dancing and Jessica aims to reveal the true nature of the job.
Until recently, Pole Dancing had a negative stigma within society.
“Some people are supportive of it. Others are shocked at the realities of it compared to stereotypical American TV shows”. Jessica emphasises how society over exaggerates the actual nature of the job and how women flaunting their bodies around on TV is not the reality. Many colleagues of Jessica’s have said that “It is a confidence boost if anything.
The main pressing concern is how some of the women that experience this lifestyle for the pure enjoyment of it, are left vulnerable to the men within the club. Jessica has admitted that males approach her with questions such as “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” or “You don’t deserve to be here”. This highlights the conventional image that many people have regarding adult entertainment which frustrates Jessica. She says, “It is sad because they are at the clubs themselves, supporting this style of work.”
“When asked how the job fits around University Jessica said, “I sometimes struggle to get up for an early lecture when I have been working until 4am due to the job being so physically demanding, but it’s a new experience and I love it.”
Pole Dancing is now even being considered as a sport as even children attend The World Pole Sports Championships, held for professionals to participate all over the world. The sheer strength and endurance that pole dancing takes has led to the question, can Pole Dancing escape it’s negative stigma and become an Olympic sport?
When Jessica was asked on her thoughts regarding whether Pole Dancing should take a place within the Olympics she said, “pole dancing requires the use of every muscle in your body and is a very strenuous activity, much like most sports in the Olympics so I don’t see why the negative opinions of pole dancing in the past should get in the way”.
Although pole dancing is on its way to being reinvented as a feminine act of empowerment, there are still difficulties that occur on the job which Jessica gives a brief insight in to.
“One of the girls dancing on the same night as me was paid for 15 minutes where he asked her to squat the entire time. This made me quite uneasy due to the physical demand of the job but also the slight intimidation of the men in the club”. This highlights the fact that although pole dancing is becoming part of a new Feminist revolution, there are still dangers surrounding the profession from people who still see it as a sleazy act only for their entertainment.
The idea of pole dancing being degrading, and insulting must stop. Jessica is not the only one affected by the brash opinions of others. There are many women who seek a sense of self-empowerment and who enjoy celebrating their bodies and femininity for themselves, not for the approval from men.
If you are currently a pole dancer or are interested in joining women on the quest of empowerment, there is a safe place you can discuss any queries or fears.
http://www.poledancecommunity.com/magazine/510-prejudice-against-pole-dancers
The pole dance community sets out to uplift women and banish the misconception about the art of pole dancing which still exists in the world.
The community discusses life experiences with pole dancing and how it uplifted women from having absolutely nothing, to discovering self-empowerment and the ability to help other discover this as well.