Something that I have always admired with Aerial Dance is the ability to accept everyone. Now, it may sound vague, but over the course of the past four years I have seen so many different personalities, styles, talent levels, etc. Individuals range from school teachers, to moms, to nurses, and so many professions beyond that. I, myself, work in a female dominant job where we embrace the feminine power that we are bestowed with. When I first started at my job back in 2019, my bosses asked what I did for a hobby, and instead of turning up their nose or cringing, they actually had a conversation about the curriculum.
Most individuals when I say that I am a hobbyist/competitive pole dancer, they’ll always say things like “Oh, I am not strong enough to do that” or “I doubt I could because I am too heavy”. I always return with, “You would be so surprised what your body can do, plus it is a curriculum where they don’t make you go upside down right away.” People usually don’t believe it, and I will usually show them my progress! Even when you move up in class difficulty, the instructors have tips and tricks up their sleeves to accommodate moves being taught that might be harder to nail on the first try. The classes are based on personal growth, but still have a structured backbone.
It is nice to see once the show seasons come around everyone’s personal style from music, training, and self-care regimens. This is also a time to learn from our instructors and peers alike to see how some moves or combos can be achieved. I like that I can reach out and ask for help when it comes to harder moves for me, versus trying to figure it out on my own. I believe that it makes the journey easier, and the progress does show. Some individuals during our training season will only take their regular pole classes, the choreo sessions, and maybe strength and conditioning classes to keep themselves active and strong. Then there are others like me, who have to cross train on all apparatuses to accomplish certain pole moves. I worked with Instructor Sara for almost four months on outside leg hang between my regular pole classes and using the fabrics, because I have crooked hips. The patience that our instructors have absolutely amazes me!