It was a night unlike any other when we stepped into a Montreal strip club. My friends and I were young, wild, and frivolous—so like, it was a year ago—and I didn’t know quite what to expect.
Obviously, I expected naked people, but there was something else there too. Once I got past just HOW naked the ladies dancing were, I was incredibly impressed by what they were doing. I never thought I’d be in a strip club admiring their dancing, skill, and strength, but there you go.
Afterwards, when I was headed to the bathroom, I ran into one of the women who had been dancing on stage.
I was extremely inebriated and very excitable. I rambled on about just how engrossed I had been by her performance. Looking back, that sounds a little creepy, but she laughed and was very appreciative.
It was this past January that I fi nally decided to look into pole dancing. I had heard more and more about women taking classes for exercise and fun, and I was curious.
I’d heard it was good for your arms and core, and yes, the idea of learning sexy dances was very appealing to me.
Pole dancing, surprise surprise, is no easy task. The spins and moves require deliberate action and placement of the limbs. It takes a hell of a lot of arm strength to hold yourself up off the ground.
And you have to do all this while moving gracefully and seductively.
Dawn M.*, a studio manager at Brass Vixens, has been dancing full-time since 2005 and says it still takes her months to master a new move. But that’s part of the thrill.
“Everybody loves the feeling of nailing down a new move, no matter the level of skill,” Dawn says. “It’s a physical art, and it’s physically demanding and rewarding.”
Dawn first heard about pole dancing when it was featured on Oprah ten years ago. She immediately checked it out and participated in the first-ever pole class in Toronto.
She attended three classes a week and flew through the levels, eventually becoming an instructor after just a year. Now she helps run the studio and continues to teach classes.
Dawn has only in the past year told certain members of her family that this is a full-time gig. And when she starts seeing a new guy, she leaves out most of the information on her dancing.
“I’ve never cared about the stigma around pole dancing,” says Dawn. “But some people like to judge right off the bat. They don’t know what they’re talking about, though. It’s not that scandalous—it takes a lot of hard work.”
Another frequenter of Brass Vixens pipes in aswell: “Yeah, how many guys do you know do you know that can hang upside down on a pole using only their thighs?” (note: Brass Vixens also offers classes exclusive to men)
This past month of classes has been an incredible experience for me. I no longer feel embarrassed to shake ma’ thang or walk around the pole confidently.
I can do some beginner spins, and last class I learned how to clumsily climb the pole. I can even do pushups now, which is a completely new thing. Pole dancing may be hard, but it’s sexy and rewarding work, just as Dawn said.
*Interviewee’s full name isn’t disclosed for privacy reasons
Ashlee Mitchell
Video Editor
