A new political party for Plymouth?

For years Plymouth City Council has been run by consecutive Tory and Labour led disasters and without a new party little seems about to change. Unfortunately there is a huge amount of apathy within the voting public and many people either don't vote at all or vote tactically i.e. they vote Conservative to kick out Labour and vice versa.

Unless you have an extremely poor memory then you will no doubt be aware of the years of bad decisions which have left Plymouth as a glorified dumping ground with poor infrastructure and no real opportunity for improvement. Anyway, here is a brief summary of what I believe to be some of the horrendous decisions made by Plymouth City Council over the past few decades:

The building of an incinerator in a heavily populated area using outdated German technology when far better alternatives were available.
The closure of Plymouth Airport and the accompanying wrangling between P.C.C and Sutton Harbour Holdings (there is still reported to be large amount of money that appears unaccounted for).
The construction of the Life Centre, a gigantic monstrousity that cost the people of Plymouth £46.5 million in a time of recession.
The general failure to promote Plymouth as a tourist destination and a general neglect of our amazing waterfront.
Bretonside Bus Station (need I say more).
Failure to promote and protect the legacy of some of Plymouth's great artists Robert Lenkiwicz and Beryl Cooke.
Highways, Highways, Highways - After P.C.C awarded a 25 year contract to Amey we have seen a continuing deterioration in the quality of our roads as well as an apparent war on motorists, The numerous installation of unnecessary traffic lights and signage that bring Plymouth's roads to a standstill despite a lack of traffic (wait for the comgestion charge to be introduced!), Gdynia Way (again need I say more), bus lane camera fines, camera cars, increased parking charges which have a detrimental effect on local businesses, over-selling of residential parking permits, the list just goes on and on and oh did I mention the potholes?
The closure of Welby Residential Unit which was a big mistake in my humble opinion and there is a huge lack of services for adult learning disabilities within the city.
A poor planning approach to the city centre which has resulted in the Mall killing trade in the west end and causing traffic chaos on the main roads coming into our city.
Failure to protect the Old Palace Theatre aka the Dance Academy.
Let's not forget Vivien Pengelly's tax payer funded trip to the South Africa World Cup either.

I could go on but I think you get the general impression and for most Plymouth people they are already more than aware of the problems our city faces.

It seems that PCC, much like national government and large businesses have forgotten about customer service or looking after the people who pay them; we have seen cut after cut to frontline services but no cuts for council leaders or senior executives.

You only have to pick up the Herald newpaper and read the your say pages to realise how unsatisfied the people of Plymouth really are, so what can we do?

In 2010 I took the decision to stand for council, I had no idea what I was doing but I waded in blindly anyway. I did not get many votes but it was nice to understand a little bit more about how the system works and it has helped me draw up some conclusions.

1. Standing as an Independent for a local election on the same day as a national election is not a wise idea, there is simply too much tactical voting going on for any independent to stand a chance.

2. Standing as an Independent is really hard. I did leaflet every single house that I could access but it is seemingly impossible to get your points and views across in 1 leaflet. The few people who did answer their doors were fairly receptive but most people did not want to chat and i don;t blame them, I hate it when strangers knock on my door.

As an Independent I had no help (apart from my lovely Mum) to help me canvas and generally people are just reluctant to vote for an Independent with no previous political history. Add to this the fact that I was bad-mouthed by several  canvassers from one of the main political parties who used, and twisted, the fact that I am a pole dancing instructor to somehow sway people into the belief that I was some kind of demonic lap dancing whore.

Having tried and failed as an Independent I still feel passionately about Plymouth and don't want to see another 10-20 years of failing tory/labour councils who will continue to turn Plymouth into a bin for Britain so I propose another option:

How about a Plymouth Party where local people can be truly represented by local candidates who put the needs of Plymouth residents first and leave aside party politics and EU nonsense. Surely it is a common sense approach, who knows maybe we could even end up with Plymouth as it's own Republic!! OK, so one step at a time.

I have set up a facebook group for those interested and have a separate blog page which I can adapt for this purpose as we get more interest. If you are interested in becoming part of a new non-political party for Plymouth either as a candidate or simply as a supporter just contact me direct or join the facebook group.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

More Prejudice against Pole dancing.

For those of you who have not read my previous posts I have finally got round to responding to my exclusion from the Plymouth Dance website.  I was deeply insulted by the suggestion that my classes are in direct conflict with Plymouth Dance's child protection policy and I needed to address my concerns. Today I sent this to Clare Crannock, chair of Plymouth Dance:
Dear Clare,

Apologies for the time it has taken me to respond to your e-mail sent on 12th November 2012. I would now like to respond to some of the points you raised.

"Our ethical decision to exclude promotion of these classes is to protect children and that decision is fully at our discretion."

I am still unsure as to how you can call your extreme prejudice towards my art ethical and I will go on to detail why I do not accept that either my website or my classes conflict with your child protection policy?

"I am afraid that I find it difficult to argue that pole dancing is not linked to dance in a sexual sense at all, when I have a knowledge of the history and background of this dance form. I also note in the history section of your website there is a direct web link to the Windmill Club, we do not feel it is appropriate to promote a link to this venue, that children and young people may have access to. I have additional concerns that your website also promotes the hire of striptease acts (which I am sure are very discrete and tasteful), however these pages are also accessible to children and young people and demonstrate the close relationship between pole dancing and other forms of professional striptease acts."

I have never stated that pole dancing does not have links to the lap dancing industry, and I am sure you are fully aware that most dance forms have a sexual origin yet you seem happy to promote them, you regularly promote belly dancing, morris dancing and salsa which have clear historic links to sex and fertility so I fail to understand what makes my dance genre so different.  It is also clear on my website that our burlesque and chair dancing classes are strictly for over 18's.

Yes, I agree there is one link to a strip club on my website which clearly states it is a historical link and nothing more. Any child logging onto the internet and accessing my website is unlikely to be coaxed into the adult entertainment industry and I am sure most children access for more extreme content on a daily basis by merely watching TV and music videos.

If you feel so strongly that you want to protect children then why have you considered the following activities to be appropriate to promote and endorse:

On the 30th November 2012 you sent a bulk e-mail to promote Purestar Promotions whom according to the flyer teach 8 year old's how to dance like the stars of MTV, Purestar claim to have worked with Madonna, J-Lo and Kylie. Surely most parents would not want to encourage their 8 year old's to dance like any of the artists promoted on MTV and I would argue that this sort of mainstream activity is far more damaging to today's children than any class I have ever offered.

Also if you want to exclude the promotion of any group with has adult content or links then I suggest you stop promoting anything to do with the Theatre Royal; On the day you decided to exclude me from your website the Theatre Royal had the following content displayed within its pages "Peccadillo Circus - Directed by Leisa Rea Drum Theatre -

Revealing the fetishes and naughtiest secrets of real people in their own words, acclaimed character comedian and actress Lizzie Roper delves into the nation’s views on sex. Characters as varied as an adulterous accountant and an internet sex addict inhabit the stage in this brilliant one-woman show, which wowed audiences and critics alike at the Edinburgh festival, and enjoyed a sell-out run in the West End earlier this year.

I still believe that your vague arguments merely highlight your own personal prejudice and I find it extremely insulting that a company that  seeks to, and I quote direct from your website, "facilitate and co-ordinate the delivery of an innovative and dynamic programme of dance......joins up the existing dots to celebrate the variety of dance in the city"" would feel it appropriate to distance itself from, in my opinion, one of the most exciting and athletic new dance forms of our time.

Of course you are not the first person to show extreme prejudice and ignorance towards fitness pole dancing and the following article is just one example of the problems that myself and other pole dancing instructors face on a daily basis. 

http://www.poledancecommunity.com/magazine/510-prejudice-against-pole-dancers

In response to your comments about my 'inappropriate logo' which is barely visible to the naked eye again I return to your promotion of Purestar entertainments, if it is OK for kids to dance like Madonna or Kylie then they will probably want to dress like Madonna or Kylie? If you had researched my classes you would understand that the minimum outfit required for my fitness pole dancing is shorts and a crop top and the kids classes I carried out last year involved children wearing tracksuits (or similar attire).

Apologies if this e-mail comes across as rude but I consider it to be an appropriate response to your original, crudely argued e-mail which has not only caused myself, my team of instructors and my students great insult but has also reinforced my belief that you are merely prejudiced towards a specific art from to which you have no real knowledge.

I do not wish to change my website as I do not feel that will alter your perception and you will merely find another way to dismiss the hard work that I do. I am one of the few dance genres in Plymouth that does not receive any form of funding (this is due to the fact that I have received the same prejudice from Companies house, South Asian Society, Plymouth Soroptomists and Plymouth City Council to name but a few). I work with many individuals (men, women and children) to promote physical and mental well-being and I can quote many success stories from students who have gained the confidence to positively improve their lives as a direct result of my classes.

I will be forwarding my concerns to the Arts Council who fund you as you are clearly not fulfilling your objectives and are blatantly excluding a minority group.

Sam Remmer

I will let you know what response I get!

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Pole Class Etiquette

I have been inspired by the recent blog by Claire Griffin-Sterret entitled 'Respect for pole dance class please' in which Claire questions why students do not always have the same respect for pole dance classes as they may hold for other fitness classes. I am lucky that the majority of my students are extremely respectful and an absolute pleasure to teach but for the tiny minority who don't show respect for their pole teachers I wanted to remind you all of some basic pole etiquette.

General Class Etiquette:

Would you talk through the warm up of your Yoga or Aerobics class, or would you use your phone or carry on doing your own thing whilst an instructor demonstrates a technique? By doing this you not only show a lack of respect for the instructor but you then endanger your own  safety as you may execute a pole move without having listened to the essential advice given.

Please listen to your instructors they say things for a reason e.g. "We are going to start with some 2 handed back hook spins"  OK so most of my students can do one handed Back Hook Spins but I am asking you to do two handed for a reason, not because I want to stall your progress but because you have just finished warming up and the poles may still feel cold and I want to ease you into practice and ensure your shoulders are fully warmed up and mobilised before you try more challenging spins.


When does a class start and when does it finish?

My classes are always structured with a warm up, pole element and cool down to try to ensure a safe, balanced workout so please do not use the poles either before we have warmed up or after we have cooled down. I have seen too many injuries from those who want to show offf their latest move by leaping onto the pole into an extreme position when their body is not ready to do so.

Keeping the right temperature:

It is essential that the studio is kept at a nice temperature for training and I would much rather the studio is to hot rather than too cold. Training in the heat may seem much harder and much more painful on the skin but it is far safer than a cold room, the poles and your skin are grippier when warm and your muscles are better for stretching and moving. So there is a reason why I may decline your request to open the windows during a class, remember that we not only need to keep the temperature right for your class but also for other classes. To the students who take it upon themselves to ignore a request to leave the windows shut  and who open the windows anyway releasing all the heat in the room please be prepared to stay on for the following class to apologise to the later students for the freezing cold room.

One of my students has found an interesting way to get round the issue of opening the windows, she secretly turned off the radiators so not only did it go cold for the next session but the studio was then so cold when students arrived the following day that we had to cancel the classes, I can't believe someone could feel it is OK to act in such a selfish way.
Pole Class Costs:

We all know that professional pole classes are not necessarily cheap but that is not because pole instructors are rolling in money, quite the opposite. Compare your pole class to other classes. At The Art of Dance we take only 12 people maximum per class and many classes have less than 12 people in them.  We aim to give all students a little bit of one to one time during class so you will never be 'hidden' as is some large aerobics classes. Our insurance is higher than many other fitness forms and you are paying for years of experience as well, we don't take on instructors who have walked off the street, all our instructors have at least 3 years experience and at least 6 months teacher training, this all costs but I think that our prices are actually incredibly good value at £10 drop-in, £8 members, £7 students, £6 beginners and £3-£5 for practice sessions).
So why do people feel so comfortable asking me to knock money off the price of classes? Please be assured that at The Art of Dance we give you the cheapest prices we can possibly afford and we could not lower those prices with going bankrupt which would be a huge loss for all our students.

Sharing a pole:

A common winge is when students have to share a pole, OK so we would all rather have a pole to ourselves but how many of you use the pole constantly when you do have a pole to yourself? It is usually the case in quieter classes when students do have their own pole that I have to constantly encourage them to use their poles and to stop resting. For those of you who are adamant that they want their own pole and do not want to share that is no problem, you simply pay for 2 spaces and I will guarantee you your very own pole! Alternatively you could find a cheaper pole school and enjoy 5 plus people per pole (yes some schools do not limit numbers per pole!)

Arriving on time:

We all have those days when we end up running late and generally I have no problems with people turning up late on the odd occasion but I get really wound up by the students who seem to think it is OK to turn up late every week. By repeatedly turning up late you ruin the warm up for the students who have managed to get their on time. So if you do arrive late please kindly wait outside until we have finished the warm up and do not think it is OK to ring the doorbell repeatedly until someone lets you in.

Respecting our booking policy:

Every school has their own booking procedure and I know that sometimes our booking policy can be a bit of a nightmare, but, we have a 24 hour cancellation policy for a reason and without it the business would not survive financially. If you do cancel with less than 24 hours notice please do not think it is OK to ask for an exception to the rule and have your payment moved to next week. If I can book you in for another class in the same week I will but this is not always possible, If I change the rule for you I have to change the rule for everyone.
There is a reason why we don't take bookings without pre-payment, It is extremely unfair to those who have pre-paid if they cancel with less than 24 hours notice and lose their
money and then you cancel with less than 24 hours notice and lose nothing. I get annoyed at how many people ask for their money back and wonder if those same people would, for example, buy theatre tickets, miss the show and then ask for a refund?

Also the chances are that the people who do persuade me to book then in without paying will then text me on the day with an excuse as to why they can't make it. This is a particular problem if I have just a couple of people booked into class and then a few say they will show but don't, the class then runs at a loss and long term this could lead to the closure of the business and the loss of a great facility.

Damn right rude:

OK so some of the behaviour mentioned in this blog can be forgiven but in the last 8 years I have seen a few examples that have made my blood boil and they include leaving chewing gum on the walls, Leaving rubbish on the floor just inches from a bin,  leaving a banana skin hanging in one of the studio plant pots and my least favourite case of a student sticking a used panty liner stuck on the side of the toilet bin.

So winging aside, I have said my piece and I will reiterate that 99% of students are the best students in the world ever, they make my life special and they give me a buzz during every single class. A huge thank you to those wonderful 99%.

More blogs to follow on pole dancing prejudice so in the meantime you may enjoy this article by Kelly Dunning on the Pole Dance Community website.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Please think twice.

 Cockatiel Levi, pictured above, enjoying a cuddle.

You may have noticed that I am blogging far less frequently than in previous years, this is due to an increase in workload and less desire to write. However today I find myself with a bit of spare time as well as the motivation to pen a few lines so here goes.

Today's blog is about keeping and breeding animals. We seem to have a myth that those in the western world are kind to animals but I am not sure this is the case. You only have to pick up the Herald and look in the classified to see tons of unwanted animals and copious amounts of breeders selling off their 'goods' at overinflated prices.  To add to the problem we seem to go through spates of designers dogs with chiuahahas and French bulldogs being the fashion of the moment, for many owners their dogs will quickly go out of fashion and will soon become unwanted.  Often owners do not stop to think about the time involved in caring for animals or the cost.

I have to chuckle slightly at the current trend for cross breed pedigrees such as labradoodles and cockapoos, if you want a good strong dog then choose a lovely mongrel from a local rescue centre rather than funding greedy breeders.  You may wonder why I am so passionate about this subject and for those of you who don't know I am someone who rescues animals from local charity Woodside Sanctuary in Plympton; Woodside, like most rescue centres, is full to the brim with animals that need homes and the centres have limited funds to look after these animals leaving much of the job to volunteers such
as myself. To date I have 34 cockatiels, 2 Kakarikis, 2 Golden Mantel Rosellas, 2 Coturnix Quail, 1 Hahns Macaw and 1 cat most of which have come direct from Woodside. If I had more room I would take more rescues but at the moment the inn is full and I have to be realistic about funding these creatures, a 20kg bag of cockatiel food has risen from £13.00 to £21.75 in just a couple of years. 

A male coturnix quail pictured left inspecting the house I made for him.

Yesterday I was reminded of the issue of animal welfare when I visited Porfell Animal Park near Looe, the owners have just rescued 2 De Brazzo monkeys just days before they were due to be put to sleep, these beautiful monkeys now have a new home but many will not be so lucky.

In the last few months my husband and I have spent time visiting many of the local rescue centres and sanctuaries all of which tell the same tale, they are all struggling financially, they all rely heavily on volunteers and they are still being inundated with animals that need rehoming.

So please do one or both of the following:

1.Think twice before getting any sort of animal.

Too many people see rescue centres as an easy place to dump animals rather than them being a last resort for those with genuine change in circumstances. I have no problems picking up a cockatiel from someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and can't look after the animal anymore, those individuals are heartbroken to see their animals leave and I am honoured to be able to assure that individual that their pets will be well loved.

Cockatiel's Charles and Camilla, pictured right, enjoying some peppermint.

I have less sympathy with those who, for example, have bought a parrot from a large, commercial pet centre, had the bird for a couple of years, neglected it and then decide they don't want it anymore because it bites and screeches. To add insult to injury these people are usually the ones who not only want me to re-home the animal but would also like me to reimburse them for the cost of the animal.

Think not about what an animal can bring to you but what you can bring to the animal, if you start with a less selfish approach perhaps you will have more success with the animal.

Cockatiel Quagmire, pictured below, untying my shoelaces.
2. Support your local rescue centres. 

There are lots of ways you can support local sanctuaries and rescue centres. You can give money as most are registered as charities. You may have time to volunteer e.g. at Woodside they are always on the lookout for dog walkers. You may be able to donate goods, some businesses have waste products such as spare building materials that they may be able to donate or your business might be able to sponsor an animal.

Here are some local centres that I highly recommend you visit. Remember that by doing so you are supporting the local economy as well as having a great day out :)

Tamar Valley Donkey Park.
Porfell Animal Park.
Notter Bridge Animal Park.
Monkey Sanctuary.
Dartmoor Zoo Park*.

*Dartmoor Zoo is currently enjoying a more comfortable financial ride but is still a must see at some point.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Save Plymouth

Thanks to Tom Allett for this image.

So rather than actually trying to save Plymouth Airport, Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans suggests that the people of Plymouth need to write to the current Prime Minister to ask him to save the airport instead. So here is my letter:
Dear David Cameron,

I request your help to save Plymouth from a series of consecutive, failing council leaders and their accompanying parties. It seems that for too long Plymouth has been let down by either the Tory led council of former leader Vivien Pengelly or the current Labour led council run by Tudor Evans.

We have endured the same set of faces for many years each promising to inject new life into Plymouth if elected and then once elected forgetting their pledges (this must sound familiar to you David).

It seems that what the people of Plymouth want they certainly don't get. We never asked for an incinerator but we are still getting one, we never asked for the football club to be saved yet tons of money was poured into our failing club, we asked for help to save our airport but instead we see a lucrative housing deal overshadow the important issue of improving Plymouth's infrastructure.

Without an airport Plymouth is already losing business, investment and tourism. I am a frequent traveller but recently have had to turn down opportunities to represent the UK in both Poland and Croatia as the travel implications are just to difficult to make the business trips financially viable. 

This isn't just a loss for the people of Plymouth but it also means that many tourists, as well as friends and families of Plymothians may not get the chance to visit our amazing city. We have one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and we are surrounded by stunning coastline and beautiful countryside.

It is such a shame that our councils have failed us so badly and have held their own personal interests over the interests of the people they serve (again David I am sure this is all too familiar to you).

My message to you and to Plymouth City Council is to stand up for the people you are meant to be serving, the people who bothered to elect you (you may want to remind yourselves that neither your cabinet or Plymouth City Council were voted in by a majority and you certainly didn't attract record numbers of voters).

So please stop the party politics, stop hiding behind EU legislation and loop holes, stand down and let someone who really cares do the job to serve its people.

Of course I have not sent this letter as it would be merely ignored but I do feel that we need some serious change at both local and national level.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Little Spinners. The sexualization of children within the media

I am not going to comment on the documentary I about to share as I would rather allow you to make your own mind up on the subject of children pole dancing for fitness.




Well done to the team from Bournemouth University who made the documentary, were a pleasure to work with and who got great results for their hard work:

"The topical issue of sexualization of children within the media drove this documentary through our 2nd year project studying BA (Hons) Film Production and Cinematography at Bournemouth University. This documentary covers the debate around children's pole dancing classes talking with some of the most referred to individuals regarding the controversy in the press. We heard the voice of the people as well as those with a strong belief in the matter."

Director: Joey Seery
Produced by Cansen Yilmaz
Camera: James Chisholm
Assisted by Rajane Kaur and Sam Dixon


Thank you to Joey, Cansen, James, Rajane and Sam :)

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Bringing Sexy back?

At the moment there seems to be a battle going on within the pole world and it doesn't seem to be an argument that is going to be settled any time soon. As an avid fitness pole dancer and a staunch supporter of the fitness pole dancing movement I had mixed views on the current campaign by the United Pole Artists to hold a week of events called 'Bringing Sexy back', could this campaign, and similar campaigns, jeopardise the work that many of us have done to make pole dancing acceptable as a mainstream fitness or is it OK to be sexy?

If you want a good read about the current debate check out Jennifer Michelle's blog on strippers and pole dancing.

Despite my concerns about the UPA campaign I decided to submit my own picture to the 'Bringing sexy back week' project to challenge my own perceptions and feelings. Above is my photo entry - photography courtesy of Global Eye Photography (AKA Chris Trent) - I question what, if anything, is wrong with this picture? Would you be concerned if your children saw this picture? Would this be an inappropriate images to advertise my adult pole classes? For the purposes of this debate please note I am not wearing heels and I am not wearing lingerie. Having viewed some of the other entrants there are some stunning pictures that display the amazing bodies that pole dancers have, these bodies do not come from quick fixes but from hours of training and performing, from eating well, from staying hydrated and from sheer guts and determination. If you haven't ever tried doing a 4 and a half minute pole dance I suggest you make to one of those things you should do before you die although if you are generally unfit or have a medical condition this might be the last thing you do before you die!


In some ways I am sat on the fence in the sense that I fully appreciate that the modern fitness pole dancing trend has evolved directly from the strip clubs and lap dancing clubs although we now teach a blend of exotic dancing, pole fitness, Mallakhamb and Chinese pole. However I do feel we need a way to separate the genres so that individuals can pick the niche that is right for them as an individual and to be able to have equal respect for all genres. Just because I choose the fitness pole dancing route as my main genre it does not mean I have any disrespect for those in the adult industry.The problem I have is that some people whom I teach do not want to called a stripper just as a doctor would not want to be confused with a dentist, we want respect for what we have learned without being wrongly stereotyped.

There are definitely differences in what we teach and how we teach it. I teach children to pole dance but would never encourage children to try to be more sexy whereas I might teach body rolls to adults within my classes and I reserve the right to be able to switch between the genres depending on my clientèle.

The big problem for me is how quick people are to judge me and my chosen activity and I wanted to share a few examples with you that I hope will outline my concerns:

I choose to dance in bare feet and all my classes are taught in bare feet (with the exception of some of our pole portrait sessions) but I see nothing wrong with dancing in heels and I fail to understand why dancing in heels on a pole is so wrong when other accepted dance forms encourage the use of heels; have you even seen Strictly come dancing carried out in bare feet? I once attracted criticism from a lady who commented on a picture of me where I was wearing heels, she said "that's why people don't accept what you are doing is fitness based, the heels just make it look sleazy", I looked down and noticed that the lady herself was wearing heels and asked her if she felt sleazy "it's different" she replied. Well for me it is not different just because I don't like glass stripper heels does not mean I should go around slating those that do choose to wear such items.


Why is pole dancing still so controversial when compared to other activities, as I type there is an event going on in Plymouth City Centre that promotes inclusion and and promotes many dance genres including Salsa and Belly dancing - these activities are accepted by the public so why not pole? 

Stripping vs burlesque:

When is stripping OK, the answer is when it's burlesque. Burlesque is the new socially acceptable form of stripping where it seems Dita Von teese and other stars can undress with dignity - take your clothes off anywhere else and you get labelled as a whore.

For the big critics of pole dancing and in particular those that critisise my children's pole dancing lessons I would like to put the following point up for discussion. Who would you rather your kids aspired to - a pole dancer or a pop star? No one seems to mind children watching pop music videos with images of anorexic celebrities and fame seeking reality TV stars yet show them an image of a pole dancer and suddenly the child is doomed to a world of destitution!

Compare the following 2 images:

Former Celebrity singer Amy Winehouse - pictured above and International Gymnast Oona Kivela - pictured below.

Which image is a better role model for your child? Do you want your child to be healthy, want to eat well, work hard, respect themselves and have great body image - then pick the pole dancer!

Pole dancing vs Pole fitness:

Is there a difference? - yes, of course there is as I explained when I mentioned that I teach pole dancing to children, the course content is different to what I might teach to a hen party or adult class. 

Pole dancing has evolved into different categories and there is a place for each whether it's pure pole fitness (check out the JW method), pole dancing, exotic pole dancing/stripper style, exotic floor-work (this seems to be a fast growing activity), and Extreme Pole (pole dancing now seems to have developed an edge where everyone wants to be doing the most extreme tricks, there is a worrying trend for pole dancers to want to do all the big tricks before their bodies are ready - I expect to see a lot more injuries within the pole world over the next year or so!).

I am not going to summarise as I want to leave the debate open to encourage more discussion and to try to find solutions to some of the problems we face as pole dancer but not just as pole dancers but as women, is part of the problem that there is still inequality for women, if a guy says he pole dances does he get the same reaction that a women does?

Your thoughts please?

Stay Healthy,

Sam x