Her Campus girlies and I have the opportunity to take a pole dancing class at Vertical Fusion, in Boulder, and I am so excited. Vertical Fusion is an aerial and pole dance studio that offer classes at reasonable prices, ranging from $15 for an open studio and the highest package being $280. I will be writing my thoughts before and after I take this class!
Before:
When Her Campus brought up this opportunity, and I was able to go, I told everyone I knew, including my mom. I was genuinely expecting her reaction to be: “No, don’t go! That’s not something someone like yourself should be doing.”
But she surprised me with her reply: “Omg! Where? I want to take those classes too!”
It reminded me of who gave me my open-mindness and the attitude to go through these experiences with the mindset I have today. Pole dancing is a different type of dancing and something that requires a lot of strength, which I’m pretty sure I don’t have. I’ve only just started going to the gym this year, and it’s been a very slow process, especially since I don’t eat the way I’m supposed to in order to get stronger. So, I’m a little concerned about the ability to carry my body. My main question is, what kinds of moves will we be doing? I obviously know that we won’t be going upside down on the pole, but still. I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt with black widow socks, so I’m hoping that is a good outfit for the class. I’m mainly nervous because I will be around the HCCU girls for the first time in a public and open setting, and I’ve been very awkward around them, but nevertheless I’m definitely excited for the class!
After: That was amazing! I feel so blessed to have taken on this opportunity, and it was such a fun experience. Entering the studio, I felt like I was properly dressed and the staff was very accommodating. They had knee pads, yoga mats, and thick mats that fit around the pole. The instructor, Seattle, was incredibly helpful and even reassured us that if we’re doing something different then that’s okay, the only time she stopped us was when she felt like we would hurt ourselves.
As a first timer, the moves felt awkward and also really hurt sliding down the pole. I always thought that when pole dancers danced, the pole itself spun with them. I quickly learned that is not the case. In a way, the sweat from their hands makes them spin and that is really, really impressive. I knew it was hard before, but this gave me a whole new perspective on people who do this for a living.
To address my previous concerns, I was really impressed with how much my body had changed since going to the gym. I think a year ago, if I were asked to do this, I would be much more sore than I am right now. Seattle said that pole dancing requires a lot of shoulder strength, which I didn’t think I had, but to be able to hold myself on the pole to avoid getting hurt and not feel so fatigued is proof my hard work has not gone to waste. Currently, the only body part that feels sore are my arms, so I still have a long way to go.
As for the HCCU girls, I had a fun time with them; they’re all so gorgeous and it’s amazing what our bodies can do. The main moves we did were spinning around the pole and some floor work. Seattle explained how to perform those moves beautifully and her constructive criticism and praise towards the girls really made us feel confident and most importantly, sexy!