Author: Mina Mortezaie

Since I have started competing and performing I have got the opportunity to meet so many pole dancers from all over the country. My first inclination was that competitive pole dancers might be territorial, catty, protective of their tricks or maybe straight out bitchy. On the contrary, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that most all the pole dancers I have met are extremely down to earth. In fact I have come to find that most of the girls are just like me. These women are driven, supportive, athletic, friendly people who have one major thing in common: we all love to pole. It’s pretty simple. So many of the dancers I have met along the way have followed the same path and have so many parallel stories and experiences. Pole dancing has not only transformed my mind, body and life, but has also blessed me with a group of incredible supportive friends.

As more pole dancers unite, we get a little closer to increasing the exposure for our sport. I think the key to expanding pole dancing into the mainstream is to build standards and treat pole dancing like any other legitimate sport or dance style. Creating universal naming conventions for pole moves is one of the first steps to building standards. Jenyne Butterfly who is one of the major pioneers to revolutionize pole dancing has created a site called www.polemovement.com in which studio owners, instructors, students, and dancers will be able to vote on the proper name for every pole position, spin, and trick in the book. Another pole dancing pioneer by the name of Ann-Marie Davies has started an organization called United Pole Artists (UPA) which helps to bring pole artists together and highlight breakthrough talents. Ann-Marie also hosts a show called Poling Around Town which showcases Pole Dance Studios, Pole Dance Performances, Dancer interviews and more. Get the low down at www.unitedpoleartists.com.

Thanks for listening. More to come next time. Stay Strong and Sexy….

Xo

Mina