All of this week, we’re going to be sharing experiences of University of Nottingham students in various sports societies. We hope this will encourage you to #GetInvolvedAtUoN !
There are many different ways to get involved with sport at uni, with many you’d probably never even thought of! We catch up with Laura, a 3rd year student and member of Pole Society, to find out more about this more unusual sport…
When did you start pole and why?
I went to my first Pole Dance lesson in November 2015 (so a pretty long time ago!).
I joined the society after I went to a taster session as part of the University’s Body Confidence week, and had such a blast that I’ve been part of the society ever since.
Why do you like pole?
I enjoy pole dancing for so many reasons!
Firstly, there’s so much you can learn so it’s never gets boring! It always seems like there’s a new move you can learn, or a way to make a move a little more challenging.
Secondly, I love the way I feel the day after Pole Dancing (I’m one of these super weird people who doesn’t feel like they’ve achieved anything at the gym unless their muscles are super sore!). I also love pole dancing because of how supportive everyone is. Kat, our instructor, is really friendly, but when she’s busy, other people in the class have always helped me out when I’ve been confused by a new move. We’re also able to have a laugh with each other anytime someone falls!
Finally, I love Pole because of the confidence it’s given me. I’ve always had quite chubby thighs and been very conscious of them but at pole dancing everyone of all different shapes and sizes is able to come together in the same little shorts – these help us to grip the pole better – so I’m not as bothered by them anymore.
Did you do much sport before pole?
Embarrassingly, not really! I did a dance a lot when I was younger so some things, like the warm up, are pretty similar. But, again, one of the nice things about Pole is that you don’t have to be ultra-sporty as you control how much you can/want to push yourself in a class.
What is the best part about the society?
The people! Sounds super cheesy but the people were one of the major reasons I first joined the society way back after that taster session. Everyone was really friendly and so encouraging in a way that I’d not experienced before.
Oh, the socials are pretty great too! And our first social this year is Crisis! The theme is ‘Anything but Clothes’ so we were planning what to wear during our first Pole class back.
What would you say to people wanting to get involved?
I’d say go for it! Particularly as trial classes are still running for another week or 2 meaning that you can go with a bunch of other lovely people who’ve never tried pole before either.
You can find out more about UoN’s pole society by clicking here