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

Memories from Eileen Rowles

Without turning my blog into some kid of shrine for my recently departed Nan I did want to share something that was discovered as we have been clearing my Nan's house. It won't mean much to many people but for me and my family it has special significance, we assume my Nan had planned to read the following at my wedding but on the day she was very tired as she was caring for my Grandad at the time and his alzheimers was progressing fast, for whatever reason she did not read it at the time nor did she give it to me while she was alive. I want to write one more blog in tribute to my wonderful Nan but in the meantime I hope you enjoy reading this.

For Sid and Sam 6th May 2006.

My most vivid and lovely memory of Samantha is when she came to stay for a few weeks when her mother Lesley was not too well. I had promised to take her to across the field to a little general store. Overnight we had a heavy fall of snow about 4 inches which meant that Sam would have to wear wellies. However she did not have any. I thought it was a shame to disappoint her, so I came up with the idea of using 2 M and S carrier bags which were tied over her shoes with some string. The M and S carrier bags were stronger than they are now. We set across the field and returned home, the bags were still in tact and her feet were warm and hot when we removed them.

The bags looked really fashionable and were a talking point in the shop. I am sure Sam will remember that family moment. (When asked by my Uncle Graham which was my fondest memory of Nana this was the first memory I recalled)

I have since watched Samantha grow into the lovely girl she is today, credit for this must go to her mother Lesley who brought her up with family values, to be loving and kind, loving and with respect for everyone and lastly to be true to herself.

Samantha is very determined and one thing we all knew was that she would never get married. In fact marriage was almost a taboo subject. That was until Sid appeared on the scene and they announced their engagement. Both Lesley and I were more than surprised. Sid must have been a very special man to change Sam's mind, he must have endeared himself to her, in fact their love of one another is very evident.

As one of Sam's side of the family we really welcome him into our midst. It's great for me to have a new grandson-in-law, in fact my first and he is also enlarging the family.

Family is the key word and to have one in good and bad times makes such a difference. To illustrate this - Last year (2005) I was introduced to Flo, Sid's mother, on a visit to Plymouth. Shortly after I was on holiday in Blackpool with David, my husband, and Eric, my brother. On arrival I had a bad fall and ended up in hospital for an operation on my hip. Eric and David would visit me in the evenings but mornings and afternoons were awful. I knew no one, was in a different place, miles away from home. This particular day I was feeling very low and very sorry for myself when visitors started to arrive and went to various patients beds. I was quite taken aback when 2 ladies entered the ward and came over to my bed. The leading lady approached me and said "Hello Eileen, I am sure you won't recognise me?" In a flash I replied "Oh yes I do, it's Flo" I was the introduced to Leslie, her daughter, who had driven her over from Bradford.

I can only assume that Flo had been contacted by Sid and that Flo decided to visit me, Leslie of course was also involved too. So that is just a small illustration how family can be supportive in bad times.

Today is a very big family day when both family and friends have come together to witness Sid and Sam making a commitment to one another. A really important family day. It's also a proud day for me to have my 2 other granddaughters here today, Valerie from Kentucky, USA - she and Sam have always been very close - and Bethany my youngest grand daughter who is one of Sam's bridesmaids.

Finally we would like to wish Sam and Sid many happy years of marriage and I hope they reach their Diamond Wedding as their Grandmother an Grandfather have.

The family will always be there for you both, we love you both very much.

Eileen Rowles

Grandmother

6th May 2006.

Plymouth Tattoo Convention 2012

On Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th May Plymouth played host to an International Tattoo Festival and the Art of Dance Pole Dance Troupe were one of the many attractions at the event. Plymouth Tattoo Convention (PTC) in now in it's third year and it attracted over 80 Tattoo artists from across the globe, I think it is one of the first events I have attended where I have spoken to so many people from so many different countries; Mexico, Brazil, Croatia, Spain, France and the Netherlands. Whether local or not I must say what a fantastic crowd of people the PTC attracted, It was so refreshing to pole dance to such an open-minded group and to feel part of such a lovely community.

PTC is the brainchild of local Tattoo artist Dave Wooley, owner of Plymouth's Living Art Tattoo Studio, when I first spoke to Dave about the Art of Dance performing at his event I was worried that he and his crew were expecting a different sort of pole dance than we offer and that we would not be treated with the respect we feel we deserve but any worries I had were soon dispelled by Dave and we were treated like family; we had our own dressing room, the security looked after us all night (not that they needed to) and we received so much praise from all concerned throughout the weekend.

In total I think we performed 8 sets throughout the weekend opting for a pole jam style demonstration where 2-4 dancers did 10-15 minute sets, the idea was to keep the acts fresh and vibrant and to allow us all to perform our best moves without having to choreography a whole routine. Each set had a theme and costume although I think all the photos were taken during our classic rock/leopard print sets. By the end of the weekend we were all bruised and battered but it was well worth it. We were also able to dance to some amazing tunes - here is our playlist from the event:

Disturbed - down with the sickness, Korn - Coming Undone, Metallica - Enter Sandman, Gun's n Roses - Sweet Child O Mine, Creed - Six Feet Under, Metallica - Nothing Else Matters, Mt Eden vs Prodigy - Omen and Prodigy - Smack my bitch up (proved to be a great finale song).

On Sunday our very own Burlesque Artiste Georgina Gale AKA Sue Manser (pictured below)  charmed the crowd with some traditional 1940's inspired burlesque. Sue really does have a way of making striptease beautiful, her stage presence is just phenomenal and anyone who thinks burlesque is simply a matter of taking your clothes off will have their opinion challenged by Sue's art.

Some memorable moments for me included adjusting to the constant buzzing of the more modern methods of Tattooing and seeing Japanese Tattoo Artist Hori Kei/Tomoya Akitsu using traditional methods of Tattoing to create beautiful designs. Aside from the Tattooists there were some great bands, clothing and jewellery stalls, piercers, the Demon Drone and a fabulous display of hot rods and motorbikes. The weekend was a perfect mixture of sights and sounds to stimulate the senses and the glorious May weather meant you could enjoy the delights of the convention whether inside or outside.

I should add that the PTC is held in one of my favourite buildings, the Plymouth Guildhall, this place holds such special memories for me; it was the place where my school speech days were held, it is a place I have performed at on numerous occasions such as International Women's Day and the Women's Health Fair but more importantly it is the place where I got married and thanks to my husband and I we managed to get a licence for the Guildhall so that now anyone can get married in this charming building in the heart of Plymouth. I really think Plymouth's Guildhall is a much over-looked venue with so much potential.

Vicki Terry from Vix's Pole Fitness and Megan Hookins from The Art of Dance. Make-up by Lucy Gaskell.

All in all I can highly recommend the Plymouth Tattoo Convention to anyone, with a weekend ticket costing just £25 you can entertain yourself throughout and mingle with some truly lovely people. Before I sign off for today I would like to thank a few people; Cuz  Cussen for looking after us so well and ensure the running order went without any hitches, Andy Howard for being the best MC ever and for getting the crowd rocking, Ossie Glover for some fabulous photography and Lucy Gaskell, our new resident make-up artist, for making us all look beautiful. Lastly a massive thank you to Dave Woolley for organising the event, we are already looking forward to Plymouth Tattoo Convention 2013 which promises to be even bigger and better.

You can read more about the PTC event at Plymouth Buzz.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Pole Dancing is an art form

My last blog was about prejudice towards fitness pole dancers and I was hoping to blog about a different topic today, that was until I received a phone from Plymouth Dance explaining why I wasn't listed on their website. Here is a copy of the letter I have just sent to them:

"I am writing in reference to your decision not to promote my fitness pole dancing classes via the Plymouth Dance website. I am deeply disappointed that my art is not recognised by your organisation and I feel that your decision not to promote my classes simply reinforces the negative stereotypes I have been fighting since 2004.

Whilst I do not deny that fitness pole dancing has some origins linked to strip clubs and exotic dancing, fitness pole dancing is completely different to the dancing that takes place in clubs as a pre-cursor to a sexual act. I would argue that Belly Dancing has far more inappropriate origins yet you are happy to promote that as an activity on your website. We teach a mixture of different pole dancing techniques including aspects of Chinese Pole and Mallakhamb. Our classes start with a warm up followed by some high impact pole dancing, strength training and then a cool down focusing on improving the flexibility of our students.

Modern fitness pole dancing is a cross between dance and gymnastics and to pole dance at a professional level takes extreme strength and flexibility. We use pole dancing as a way to boost the mental and physical health of our students. We teach both males and females from 12 years and over.

I wonder if you have seen the recent Sky Got To Dance series where a pole dancer reached the semi-finals of the competition demonstrating the modern fitness phenomenon of pole dancing and its incredible athleticism.

Would you be interested in visiting my studio and watching a lesson so that you can make an informed choice about my dance form?

I am more than happy to discuss any concerns that you may have to try to alleviate any misconceptions. Please take the time to consider your response as this is a subject that I am passionate about and I am finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the extreme prejudice I am facing from many organisations and individuals."

I will let you know what response I get and hope that in the meantime you enjoy my beautiful new pictures courtesy of the lovely Tamar Preston. To see all our new and old images just visit the Art of Dance Gallery.

Stay Healthy,


Sam x

Pole Dancing Prejudice?

I was under the impression that people were starting to realise that pole dancing is a great fitness activity as well as a beautiful performing art but it seems that certain groups within Plymouth aren't quite that educated.

I start with the South Asian Society who I have blogged about before. Every year they organise an event called 'Integration through culture:Dance, Dance, Dance' - the event is describe as follows; "The unique and very successful Dance Dance Dance show is back again this year to enchant and excite the audience with extravagant dances from around the world.

Our aim is to raise funds for the Cancer Research UK charity with Integration Through Culture - Dance, Dance, Dance and to lavish the audience with a unique sense of diversified dances. The event aims to create an awareness of integration in the multicultural society we live today through dance, to realise the full potential of our co-existence and to promote racial and cultural harmony among different communities. Up to 20 dance styles including: Belly; Salsa; African; Morris; Cornish; Classical; Ballet; Bollywood; Western; Chinese; Folk; Nepali and Djing will delight the audience."

This event to promote integration and diversity has prevented me from performing for the last 5 years and this year they even failed to acknowledge any of my e-mails. I am so disappointed at the sheer prejudice displayed by organiser Sanjay Sharma and his colleagues. Despite my sadness at my 5th year of exclusion another group has disappointed me even further...

In 2011 I was invited to perform at the Attik Dance Community platform  and was delighted at the opportunity, unfortunate I managed to injure my knee (Grade 2 medial collateral ligament tear) just a few days before the planned performance, I was gutted but was looking forward to this years event. I sent in my 2012 application but heard nothing back, I e-mailed again, still no response. I then called and spoke to Attik's new artistic director Ben Dunks who told me that they had received my application and that they would get back to me. To date I have had no response so I assume they have also decided to exclude pole dancing from their event without even having the courtesy to tell me why. 

It seems it is easier to ignore me than to formulate an argument as to why pole dancing should not be part of a community dance event. But these are not the only rejections I have encountered; Plymouth City Council are looking for performers for their Lord Mayor's Day event (Quote from P.C.C. "This year’s theme will be ‘Nations of the World’ and anyone can get involved – from individual people to community groups, clubs and organisations.) so I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase my skills and educate people about what I do, again no reply to my initial e-mail so a follow up e-mail might have more success? I did get an e-mail on the 24th February stating that someone would get back to me, I am still waiting and am not holding my breath for a response let alone a positive one.


2 years ago I was invited to perform for the Plymouth Soroptomists, I even risk assessed the function room and met with Soroptomist members only to be told later that some group members had decided that pole dancing was not appropriate, I was offered no apology and was surprised that a group of women who are supposedly very open-minded could be so judgemental.

I should thank those people who have invited me to perform recently. I had the pleasure of being one of the guest performers at the University of Exeter Pole Dancing Showcase on Wednesday 29th February. The audience were fabulous and it was so lovely to hear friends and families of the performers talking about pole dancing and how their perceptions had changed after watching the showcase. And there you have it, if people watch a pole dancing performance (not an erotic or lap dance) they can understand the incredible strength, flexibility and cardiovascular capacity required to perform high impact pole for a 4 minute performance. However if pole dancing is excluded from events the negative stereotypes are further re-inforced.

picture above courtesy of Paul Garniss of me and the Exeter University Pole Dancers.

I do want to say a big thank you to Art of Dance student Claire Stanton who invited me to perform at her 50th Birthday party last night, she wanted to show her friends and family that pole dancing is not something to be sneered at and I hope my performance did the job, I certainly had some great compliments from audience members about the strength I displayed. Not sure how my choreography went as the DJ played a completely different version of the song I was expecting, I was crouched on the floor waiting for the instrumental intro when a rap by Kanye West started, hope I managed to wing it anyway. Thanks again to Claire for allowing me to perform :)

So just one more pending performance this week, on Tuesday I am guest performing alongside fellow Art of Dance Instructor Emma Thorpe and Rose Biggin from Exeter University at the University of Plymouth Pole Dancing Club. It should be a great night and I just hope we get a good turnout. Pics and videos to follow.

To those groups who don't want me pole dancing at their events don't be too surprised if a podium pole dancing unit suddenly turns up outside your venue, you can bury your heads in the sand all you like but it won't make me go away, in fact quite the opposite :)

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Kids Pole Dancing - The debate continues

The pathetic ignorance of those who do not understand what I teach rears its ugly head again; In a recent article 'Trending with toddlers: pole dancing' the author attacks my pole dance classes and has even been watching my facebook activity. I am still horrified at the sheer lack of research that goes into such writing but I am used to the criticism. However I am disgusted that the author has used the label 'paedophilia' as one of her blog search terms.

Here is the article - Trending with toddlers - feel free to comment!

Stay Healthy,

Sam x