It was always a dream of mine to become a dancer of some sort. As a kid I was torn between making a career out of art or something that my parents would have called “legit”. I looked into going to college up at Marquette Michigan and joining their dance team, but my problem was this…. I had little to no experience in the arts. I was one of three pom captains my sophomore through early senior year, and that was the most I had come close to (outside of DDR and Just Dance). I also looked into going to Julliard for music and dance, but the requirements were higher than what I could have achieved at that time.
As a young girl, I begged my mom to let me join ballet classes. Sadly, she could not get me into these classes, because it would have been an expensive hobby to maintain. Fast forward to 2018, and I am the ripe age of 21 getting into my Intro to Pole class. It felt nice to be in a community where you did not need any experience to be good at the sport. I did not feel judged or rushed to perfect anything right away. Essentially, pole and aerial arts are a “get what you give” type of sport. The skill, agility, and flexibility come with practice, patience, and perseverance. It might sound cliché, but in all reality, to get better you have to want it.
I am now four years into my pole journey, and I find a lot more moves to come with ease. For example, my very first Advanced Pole class I took, we were told to practice our chopsticks (if you know, you know) and the grip point is right on your stomach. I was not able to achieve that move until about three months ago, it took me well over two years to be confident in that move alone. At 26, I am finally able to live out my dancing dream. Pole and Aerial have brought out a new-found confidence that I am so lucky to have found through the studio. I am so glad that our instructors are able to go out and expand their skill sets as well. I love that since 2018, the curriculum keeps evolving, and we are kept on our toes! A few years ago, heels was added so we could experience what it is like to walk in “Pleasers”. One of the most exciting added bonuses in my opinion. In the long run, I did get to live out my ballerina dreams, but instead I became a pole-erina.