A Pole Journey: How 2020 Has Empowered Me and My Mini
My Background and My Why (for myself and my mini)
I began taking pole classes in December of 2015 to get back into shape after having my youngest. I tried going to the gym but I was looking for something more challenging and exciting. I didn't grow up taking dance classes or playing sports and never considered myself a dancer or an athlete. I have never invested much time in shaming my body and knew it was vital not to project any ideas of shame onto my daughter. I know what I want her to see: Her mother developing into an empowered dancer and athlete that she can be, too. I want to defy stereotypes of what a dancer and athlete looks like, what their sport is or "should be.". When I hear her say "Pole is my favorite sport" , I understand the impact my practice and love for it has had on her. I have been living in the realization that it's never too late to start or try a new sport. This will be the norm for my daughter. I'm proud to say she'll never know anything different.
What This Year has Taught and Brought Me..
I got a second pole a couple years ago with the intention of selling my first one but I changed my mind. I saw the opportunity to bond with my daughter. She has been in gymnastics for two years and I always admired how gleefully she spun and climbed on my pole. To be truthful, as the quarantine descended upon us and the playgrounds closed, we both needed the release.
One of the things that supported my mental health during the quarantine was the Black Girls Pole Jam hosted every week in April. I didn't miss one. It gave me the sense of community that I sorely missed since studios were closed. It also helped to be poling with and taught by people that look like me.
The other thing that kept me motivated during this time was knowing I was part of building a dream. A few months ago, a few of my friends decided to open a new studio, Pole Body and Arts, where I am the studio manager and an instructor. It's become more about knowing I was a part of not only birthing this dream but a culture where students will be lifted up in a Black and LGBTQ+ owned and operated space. I had never been taught by someone who looked like me. Now I am on a team where representation of race, body type, gender and the value of an instructor's background and expertise will undoubtedly be present and accounted for.
There's been a couple of unexpected gifts to come from this experience. I have been teaching virtually which recently transitioned to in-person for Pole Body and Arts. Teaching has given me the gift of perspective. I was blessed to be a student first which gave me the patience and the knowledge of how to approach modifications and students who did not have a dance background like me. I also am proud of making a difference and challenging myself to push past fear when I wonder how a class is going to flow.
The other unexpected gift: My daughter has become my pole buddy. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am excited about my future at Pole Body and Arts, the sport, how my daughter embraces it and the culture I am part of--Black women living in all of their magic, powerfully and unapologetically loving their bodies and the joy that pole brings them.