KEY POINTS:
I always thought pole dancers paraded around seedy joints, slithering up lubricated poles wearing Perspex heels and little else. I secretly envied them, not because I wanted a change of career but because they swung around poles and hung upside down. The last time I got to do that, I was six years old.
I had heard that pole dancing had become a huge fitness phenomenon worldwide and like any good fad you have to try it at least once. After one rambunctious night, the suggestion of ambushing the poles at Showgirls after the strippers left the stage, seemed much more appealing than the usual kebab. Apparently we weren't the first to try _ we were efficiently prised off and escorted out. A more well-thought out plan is to try The City Dance Studio in Queen St, which offers a regular pole dancing class, focusing more on fitness and fun rather than eroticism.
Leave your suspenders and spike heels at home _ but you do need to wear short shorts. The shorter the better, according to instructor Aroha Wikohika, because it allows you to get more grip on the pole while trying to manouevre yourself around it. And, yes, it can be done, but be warned, you could end up with a few bruises along the way.
Wikohika makes the moves appear easier than they are but with practice and patience they can all be learnt. At first I felt defeated by my lack of co-ordination but after an hour or so I was executing fireman spins, backward hooks and even going upside-down, just like a pro.
Pole dancing is great for those who balk at the sight of the dreaded, dreary treadmill as you can strengthen, tone and sharpen your co-ordination and dexterity all in an hour's play. It's especially good for core strength and working the upper body. The thighs and butt will get a work out too. The trick is getting a good grip and being able to hold your own body weight on the pole.
And if the idea of jumping right into a class to writhe around a pole with strangers seems too daunting, Amy Ou Yang of Pole Lot Of Fun organises something a bit like a Tupperware party - bringing the pole to you so you can learn with your friends in your own home.
Either way pole dancing will give you a full body workout while having a giggle at the same time.
Give it a whirl.
- Detours, HoS
