Pole dancers in the club vs. Pole dancing for fitness!

Ok ladies! I know you've seen it before, either on television or first hand in a local strip club. It's the sight of women dancing around a gleaming 12 foot dance pole effortlessly shaking her legs and dropping it like its hot. She might be touching herself suggestively and maybe even climbing up the pole and dropping down into a split. The sight of men everywhere cheering, gleaming and enjoying the view, as dollar bills fly threw the air.

I imaged this very detailed scene in the back of my head on the day I was invited to attend a pole dance class with my friends. I could'nt imagine how anyone would want to act like a stripper on a pole, and It certainly wasn't my idea of a fun birthday celebration with the girls. However, on the day of the class,  I was pleasently surprised as I watched the teacher, (not an exotic dancer),  flow freely like a ballerina and do amazing gymnast-like tricks on the pole.  I was instantly reminded of a scene from cirque du soleil. It was beautiful and not what I had pictured in my mind at all. There were no hormone induced men in the room, everyone attending the class was fully clothed and dollar bills were in our pockets instead of on the floor. Leaving the studio that night I felt like I had gotten an amazing workout and I was instantly hooked. Today, almost two years later, I am toned, 30lbs slimmer and definitely more confident. I teach women of all ages, sizes and fitness levels the art of pole dancing for fitness and it feels so good!