According to Tina Kelley in her New York Times article “Pole Dancing Parties Catch On in Book Club Country”, pole dancing is traditionally linked to the “province of exotic dancers”. Up until fairly recently, there has been a strong public perception that pole dancing takes place in basements of seedy nightclubs, where scantily clad female strippers confidently strut their stuff around a pole in the middle of a darkened room, to an audience of ogling men. This perception has been heavily supported by films such as Striptease, which famously projected Demi Moore’s sculpted assets into our living rooms and made women everywhere want to give the sexy dance a try.
The pole dance workout
Views have now changed, with pole dancing widely recognised as a performing art and an excellent form of exercise. Professionals and amateurs across the globe compete against one another in competitions, and there is an abundance of pole dancing courses on offer to encourage us regular folk to try a new method of fitness and toning, at the same time as having some fun.
There are also the social benefits – ladies (and men!) of all shapes and sizes can meet up at weekends and together learn a new discipline as a preference to attending a gym exercise class, and there is a sense of camaraderie about this. Plus, the satisfaction of learning such a skilful art form and progressing week by week boosts the self confidence sky-high.
Overall, as a muscle-toning workout, pole dancing is second to none – it is often slow and deliberate, with shapes and moves held for any length of time, meaning that in order to excel at the discipline, you need to be strong, supple and balanced; but this can only come with a lot of practice and hard work.
Pole dancing for your Hen Do
Despite the paradigm shift from pole striptease to pole fitness, there can be no doubt that pole dancing is still incredibly sexy. Where the art form started as an exotic, sensuous dance for the enjoyment of the male eye, it has morphed into a dance that is still exotic and sensuous, but at the same time exists for many as a way of working out certain muscles and developing core strength.
For all the above mentioned qualities, pole dancing is a brilliant idea for a Hen Party – what better way to learn a new discipline, build on your fitness (those cocktails afterwards will taste so much better with the endorphins flowing) and rediscover your inner sex appeal, with some new moves to try on your partner. The best part is that you can have a laugh with your nearest and dearest in the process – there is surely nothing more amusing than watching your Aunt Janice trying to find her way around a pole!
Pole dance party venues in the UK
Below is a selection of UK pole dancing party organisers to spice up your Hen Do:
- Polestars – Nationwide Hen Party ideas and dance classes
- Chillisauce – Birmingham based Hen Party organisers
- Polepeople – Pole dancing and burlesque parties, London
- Pole Dancing Party.co.uk – Hen and private group parties, Scotland
Below is a list of great pole dancing classes and courses across the UK:
- The South: SpinSity – Petersfield, Hampshire based pole Fitness Company
- London: Pole Dancing School – Pole dancing lessons and classes in London
- The North: Poletastic – Manchester pole dancing lessons
- Scotland: Pole Physique – Pole dancing academy, based in Glasgow
Nikki Woolf - Based in the UK, Nikki works full time for a B2B technology PR agency, having graduated from St Andrews University with a Master of Arts ...
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