Pole-fitness | Growing in popularity, so why the continuing stigma?

As a member of the Teesside pole fitness group, I have noticed that the sport has a undeserved reputation.

Jess Clarke is a pole fitness instructor at Teesside University. She’s been swinging effortlessly off these metal beams for years and is nothing short of an athlete. The other instructors are just as talented. The Pole-fitness group itself has a dedicated following, being the second most popular sports club at Teesside, with many new people joining every session. I was one of those people. But initially, there were prejudices that the girls had to overcome and still face to this day. The seedy stigma associated with dancing around a pole has real, tangible effects for the girls. Jess tells me that quite recently, a DJ had to make a formal apology to the pole-fitness club, having announced gleefully to a packed SU dance floor that “the slag group have arrived.”  

The damage caused to their reputation lost the club many members. 

So, is there still a stigma surrounding pole-fitness? The answer is certainly yes.  A strong voice of dissent surprisingly comes from some feminist organisations that believe that pole-fitness is ultimately exploitative and takes advantage of women influenced by a patriarchal society. Of course, if you restrict your history of pole-dancing to around the 80's then one could say it is intrinsically linked with the sex industry. But pole-fitness is a much different activity from pole-dancing. The former strictly focuses on becoming fitter, healthier and-although you can certainly express your sexuality via pole-fitness-the activity itself does not have sexual overtones by default. The latter implies a more risque, titillating display associated with female objectification, patriarchal men's clubs and performative, sexualized dances. Jess makes very sure that we call it pole-fitness instead of pole-dancing, since nobody among us is performing for money or male gazes. We are taking part in it for ourselves. This is a particularly hard point to get across, as many people cannot shake the idea that a woman would want to perform a pole-fitness routine separate from male influence.

The girls mention that there are rumors that the participants within the club actually strip and do sexualized dance routines, similar to what you might see in a R-rated film. One girl that joined up was under the impression that the pole-fitness group specifically taught stereotypical “stripper” routines. 

These messages are usually spread via word of mouth, but even the university officials were reluctant to display the pole-fitness logo on the sports website. 

Jess also mentions that the push to get the club up and running was not taken seriously for many months, further compounding the idea that exercising on a vertical pole was somehow detrimental to the overall reputation and well-being of the university and it's students. 

There is also a assumption that practitioners must be stick thin and possess years of experience in order to take part in the pole-fitness activities. Experience does help, but people can often execute quite challenging moves within a month or two of practice. And no, you do not need to be super slim to take part. 

Many people that go to pole-fitness are actually surprised by the normality and inclusiveness of it all. It’s just like any other sports club that focuses on strength and physical discipline. People wear what they want to wear and the atmosphere is relaxed, organised and supportive.

The club itself was set up by Stacy Warcup, a student at Teesside. After taking an interest in the activity, she started taking pole fitness lessons during the summer holidays. Once she was qualified, she started a pole-fitness club of her own. The online pole community helped her immensely and encouraged her to challenge Teesside University by setting up the Teesside pole-fitness club. Although it was a struggle, Stacy finally managed to legitimize her idea. 

During my time at the pole club, I've also noticed that more men are starting to attend. I remember my (pleasant) surprise at seeing the male participants when I went to my first class. There are certainly changes happening, especially in the minds of men when it comes to swinging around a pole. Unfortunately, it still seems to be that men in particular hold some of the more ignorant views about pole-fitness, often associating it with sex, drug addiction and prostitution. When I asked several of my male friends about the sport, most were reduced to snickers and contemptuous snorts."I bet the girls are slaggy." One of them says with conviction. When I pressed the issue and asked why that would be the case, he refused to answer me. Another friend did show an interest in pole-fitness, but stated that he would not want the girls to feel uncomfortable if he, as a male, were to show up at a pole club. I realized soon after the interview that there is a continuing need for men to be educated about pole-fitness and it's benefits. Fortunately, men are getting more involved in the pole fitness scene, participating in both competitions and society run challenges. BBC ITV has attempted to stamp out the stereotypes associated with pole-fitness in the past and went on to highlight the benefits of pole-fitness on national television. Rugby players from Crawly were set a challenge to learn a few moves and found pole-fitness to be a highly strenuous activity . 

There are many studios across the country that accept all genders, sexes and even ages, with some pole-fitness clubs willing to teach children between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Building physical strength, increases flexibility, toning the body and increasing self confidence all combine into an activity which is very enjoyable! Providing that their are no real, tangible limitations on who can take part, it stands to reason that it is only societal expectation that continues to hold us back.