Express The Sensual

Ladies, you know I love the art of pole dancing, the delicious joy of moving a sensuous curvy feminine body.  But I cannot and will not sign or support Pole Dancing in the Olympics. You can throw sticks and stones if you disagree, but names will never hurt me.

Truly, I can’t understand why our community feels the need to “legitimize” pole dancing as a sport.  Pole dancing is about reconnecting with our lost femininity.  It’s about discovering that we don’t need to be afraid of the natural curves of our body.  It’s about learning and expressing our true sensual style in a safe and caring environment. When we each discovered pole dancing, something about this movement captured our hearts and titillated our senses.  I know the ladies who created this petition understand that, but I really don’t see how developing it into an Olympic sport will maintain that passionate spirit.

Why must pole dancing be “legitimized?”  Is the passion and intensity you feel while dancing “legitimate”?  Is the stretch you feel in your legs and back as you invert & brush your hand across your hips a luscious expression of your life… or is it “legitimate”?  I don’t care if society defines it as “legitimate”…when I dance, I feel what I feel.   I understand why the world of corporations and bureaucracy needs legitimate documents, legitimate processes, and legitimate products…..  but we don’t need that kind of distinction here.

In fact, I feel a certain amount of anger that someone might take this beautiful art form and scrub it of it’s sensual feminine components — Because that is the only way it will be accepted by the Olympic masses.  No more heels, no more booty shorts, no more bodystrings.   No more pelvic circles or hair whipping.  And I’m sure the Olympic panel won’t allow you to let your fingers glide along your curves either.  God forbid you touch your own body!

Perhaps the pole community is trying to find a way to expose more people to our beautiful art form?  But, most pole studios only allow students that are 18 years and older for a reason.  You can’t ignore the roots of this dance, which come from aerial, acrobatics, circus, bellydance, and STRIPPING. I’m not ashamed of those roots and I don’t want to remove the flavor and style that those roots impart.  I want to share it with others BECAUSE of that fabulous flavor and sexy style.

Maybe I feel this way because I’m a pole DANCER instead of a pole TRICKSTER…. Because I focus on the feminine, sensual, dance aspect of this beautiful art form instead of it’s athletic/gymnastic aspects…. Because I prefer continuous movement that celebrates the seamless transitions and emotional expression of life just as much as the gorgeous variety of tricks.

Would you call Cirque Du Soleil a sport?  Would you call Ballet a sport? Would you call BellyDance a sport?  Or would you need them “legitimized” as a sport?  I would call them art.  The expression of art is about how it makes the artist and the audience feel — not about how many points the artist can earn.

Obviously, gymnastics is defined as a sport. And if all they want is to take the gymnastic aspect of pole dancing into the Olympics, then I wish them luck.  But, this will completely take the DANCE out of it; and I respectfully request that they don’t call it pole DANCING anymore.  Call it Pole Gymnastics or Gymnastics Pole.  A little vocabulary change could make a big difference.

I realize I’m a small voice in a minority here, and my interest isn’t to incite a flame war on my blog.  I very much understand why other pole dancers are trying to share our movement with the world, I just don’t agree with the way they wish to do it. In fact, I’m actually in tears now, hoping some of you will understand how precious this dance form is to me.  It’s a beautiful movement that has helped me create a life of playfulness, confidence, and sensuality.  It’s a major reason why I’m not afraid of my body or my sexuality anymore.

Pole & Exotic Dance has opened me up to the inherent sensual nature of life and my path within that life as a woman (instead of the androgynous person trying to be “better than a man” that I used to be).  I don’t want to steal the athletic Pole Trickster’s right to share her awesome gymnastic ability with the world, but I don’t want someone to take away my ART of Pole & Exotic Dance either.

So, I urge you to consider how pole dancing will change, before you sign a “Pole Dancing in the Olympics” petition. Is this really the best way to share this art form with the world around you, when there are so many other ways.  I believe it’s as simple as turning to the woman sitting next to you and telling her your amazing story.  I know I’d love to hear it.

Do You disagree?  Please share your (respectful and honest) opinions in the comment section.

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Twirl, Swirl, and Fly!

A Personal Story

When I was in high school, my friends and I used to pile into the car on Friday nights and deliberately try to get lost. We would simply choose a freeway, drive until we didn’t recognize any of the street names, and then get off at a random exit. Then we’d either drive around some dark small town telling ghost stories or try to figure out why people were always moving their sofas in the middle of the night. (I swear we saw somebody moving furniture at least once a month) Eventually we’d stop at a well-lit greasy spoon for a midnight snack and ask around for directions back to the freeway.

Basically, it was a cheap form of entertainment (back when gas was only 99cents a gallon). But, years later, I realized those “cheap” Friday night trips had taught me to enjoy wandering and the process of discovery.

Back then, that old beater car didn’t have power steering, let alone an internal Bluetooth cell phone, on-star, or GPS Navigation. But instead of feeling afraid that I might get lost, I always felt excited to see some new town (under the moonlight of course). Instead of worrying about what time I might get home, I looked forward to finding a new place to get great midnight pancakes.  A place that I might never find again once the sun came up.

As a group, we spent the drive sharing experiences, learning from each others mistakes, and laughing at our ridiculous love lives. Every outing had a simple purpose, to find adventure in the ordinary and to find ourselves on a late night drive.

Simple Pleasures

As we get older, sometimes we forget to take the time to wander. We’re always trying to keep up with the neighbors or whatever the media tells us our neighbors are like, instead of taking the time to discover what simple pleasures we really enjoy in life.

Its worthwhile to wander, to get a little lost in life, try new directions, share life lessons with your friends, and laugh together.

What have you got to loose, except a little sleep on a Friday night? More importantly, consider what you have to gain. You might learn to face some of your fears, like laughing off a scary ghost story while lost in an unknown town or asking a stranger for directions. You might discover how amazing your friends really are, or at least which one has the best dating advice. You might even realize that you want to walk a different path than everybody else.

I discovered that I don’t like syrup on my pancakes (just fresh strawberries), and I hate moving furniture in the middle of the night. I also discovered that I loved telling ghost stories and trying to understand why normal people did crazy things… which has lead me to what I love doing now, exploring personal growth and fiction writing.

Tonight, give yourself permission to wander and remember the joy of personal discovery. Because finding your new path could be as easy as taking a drive for midnight pancakes.

How playful is your process of discover? Do you like midnight pancakes? Share your ideas in the comment section!

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Whenever we are learning something new, many of us have a tendency to get frustrated and disappointed if we don’t get perfect execution within the first few attempts. Not only that, sometimes we don’t give ourselves the chance to celebrate our own small successes because we’re too busy looking toward mastery of that next difficult trick. We try to jump across the river before checking if the current is too swift or if the river bank is too wide.

Approach with Curiosity

But what if we took a minute to enjoy the beauty of the river, respect and learn about its surroundings, and consider that we could build a way across it with small stepping stones. It might be a little slower than jumping or swimming, but it gives us more time and appreciation for the intrinsic nature of the river, and its certainly safer in the long run.

“Success is a journey not a destination – half the fun is getting there.” –Gita Bellin

Life is a Game

In my own experience, I have noticed that when I become obsessed with learning a new “advanced” trick, I start to get tunnel vision. I’ll spend most of my training session working on that one trick and end up grumpy and sore, instead of relaxed and playful. But, when I take the time to honor my own abilities, stay playful in my training, and break the big challenges into smaller ones, I actually enjoy my pole dancing session more and usually make more progress in the end.

The next time, you find yourself faced with a difficult challenge, take a step back to listen to your body, listen to your mind, and cherish what you have already accomplished. Then, evaluate how you can separate your difficult challenge into a series of more manageable challenges. For example, it is very counterproductive and unwise to try and lift 200lbs if you can only lift 100lbs right now. But, if you give yourself time, the proper training, and then celebrate being able to lift 110lbs, then you have a lot better chance to eventually reach your goal of 200lbs.

All steps, whether they are easy or hard, can still take you forward along your path, especially when you give yourself the time and permission to play in the river. When you celebrate these small stepping stones, you honor yourself and your journey.

How do your approach a challenge? How do you celebrate when you succeed? Share your ideas in the comment section!

If you enjoyed the article, please subscribe to ExpressTheSensual.com and share it with your friends using the Share & Enjoy social bookmarking sites. Thank you for your support!