The flying beauties

My sister-in-law and I first expressed interest in pole and strip dancing last year. Berkeley, where she lives, had pole dancing studios, but my town did not. Typically, pole dancing studios can only be found in large American cities or densely populated medium-sized towns.

One of my new friends, whom I call "My Greek Goddess," has been practicing pole dancing for years. She truly lives up to the name: gorgeous, tall, strong, smart, and possessing a perfect athlete's body - complete with sculpted shoulder muscles! She recently showed us a video of her pole dancing recital with her husband; watching them felt like watching two Olympic champion gymnasts - it was a sight to behold.

I had since carried the aspiration to "learn pole dancing one day." Then, completely by accident, I found out a pole dancing studio had just opened in my town! After one trial class, I dove in headfirst!

Why do I like it? It's a form of dancing, but not "dancing-dancing." I’ve never had talent for body movement; I suck at dancing. But pole dancing falls into the gray area between dance and gymnastics. I assumed it requires more raw physical strength than natural dance talent, and that made it an acceptable challenge in the physical realm that I’d been dying to step into.

On top of all that, I want to be an amateur strip dancer! Isn't it a silent cry in every woman's heart when we see others move so gracefully and seductively? The ability to hold yourself up in such a free and alluring way is tempting, and they all have incredible body shapes! I don't care about the 'seducing' part, but the pure confidence that flows wildly with the slow music is incredibly compelling.

Then I attended my first 'Fly' class - a class focused on actual moves (there are many types of 'Fitness' and 'Flirt' classes besides 'Fly') - only to discover that the women in the class could, quite literally, fly!

I've always been proud of having a naturally 'muscular' body type, with thicker muscle mass than average. Yet, I can't yet pull myself up and climb the pole like a monkey - not yet! Most of the arm muscles required for climbing are rarely used in my daily life, and I have fairly weak upper-body strength compared to the other women in the class.

The women spanned a wide range of body shapes - from those who were very slim with non-visible muscles, to those who were larger and thicker, and not necessarily muscular. Yet, they all shared one thing: the ability to pull themselves up, climb with their arms and legs, and reach the center or top of the pole. Their legs kicked up and down, their arms waved left and right, and sometimes they were entirely inverted, hanging head down with their legs high in the air. They executed every move with strength, gracefulness, and poise; each woman put on a breathtaking show for the others to admire.

My jaw was practically dropped on the floor for the entire class. I found myself murmuring: "I'm going to be like that one day, climbing up and down as easily as a monkey, mastering all the moves and tricks to showcase my perfect body and sexiness, vertically!"