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Bringing sexy back
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Good idea! For me, to dance sexy–for pole and in general–means to dance with fluidity, passion and musicality with a sense of abandon, vulnerability and unabashed seductiveness.
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When all the conversations about pole is this or pole is that are happening, one point is always brought up that I think really defines the point of Bringing Back Sexy week. That point is this: The pole, in and of itself is not inherently sexy just because its a pole. Its not any more sexy than a chair, or the floor. The dancer is sexy (or not! depending on what they are going for) on any, all, or none of these apparatus.
This was a week to be sensual, in the way that the dancers want to portray, and not have to apologize for it. I definitely think that sexy isn't always in pole, but thats a dancer's choice either way. It gave me a chance to let my hair down, wear a cute outfit with shoes, and be sensual in the way that I know how (and this is the crux of it all, for me, really). For once, I didn't really bother with trying to validate pole dance to the masses in a typically clean dance, with multiple trick combos. I don't care if someone sees my video and thinks… "whoa, that should never be in the Olympics." Because I don't need or want to compete in sexiness, 🙂 and I personally don't need to justify my dance by working it into the competitive sport world. One thing I loved about this week was seeing all the different and beautiful ways people dance sensually!
While the standardization is good, and competing can be really awesome in pushing the envelope for pole dance, to me personally working for pole in the Olympics feels like pushing a round peg in a square hole. However, I am in support of the pole community, and just like every other athletic pursuit, it takes all kinds. Pole can and should be influenced by different types of sports and dance because that is how it will grow and stay fresh. I don't think that because pole started in the clubs it has to stay there. And I do think, that pole can be whatever we individually want it to be, thats why I started it in the first place, and why I love it so much.
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@Vallens "your post made me really mad" Really? Mad? Because I have a different opinion? "but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and let you explain yourself" Cheers. Patronising much?
I'm saying it because I think the levels of training and commitment required to compete at top gymnastic levels are insane. That's why girls train from the age of four, for hours every day, their whole careers and still don't sometimes cut it. As beautiful, taxing and difficult as pole is it's not in the same league. I think a pro gymnast could pick up advanced pole very quickly if show the correct way, give or take some bruises, but could a pro poler pick up the tumbling passes, balance bean dismounts, vaults and uneven bar catches and releases that are demanded of Olympic standard gym without years of intensive training and supervision? Don't think so.
That's what I think from years of being a gymnastics fan and working with Olympians in my current job and listening to them talk about their training scheduals. So there you are, that's my explanation of my opinion, sorry if it makes you mad!
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While your reasoning is valid, trying to say that pole does not belong in the Olympics just because it is not as hard as gymnastics is not a valid argument. I honestly cannot think of any other Olympic sport that probably IS as difficult as gymnastics. Do you honestly think curling is difficult? What about equestrian sports?
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Ah, well that point was specific addressing the challenge to defend the idea that a top poler's stregnth is not that of a top gymnasts.
And working with athletes yes I do think curling is probably very difficult and and the amount of strenght, balance and dedication that is needed for event and show jumping is extreme.
BUT the reason I drew the comparison in the first place was because, if pole was included in the games it would have to be it's own event so to speak, but it is most like gymnastics, so I think, it would run the risk of appearing like a poor man's gymnastics and probably end up getting ridiculed for that.
Also, the difficulty level is relevant. All athletes adhere to a brutal training programme… If Olympic polers trainer from the age of four to a future Olympian's programme I think there'd simply be far too many top quality polers with no way of distinguishing between them!
Thanks for actually makinga point instead of munching my head off 🙂 Starting to wish I'd kept my gob shut to be honest!
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Schtoffen…I think I undertsand what you are saying. I don't think that pole dancing is right now something you have to train since you are four to be able to do it but if it gets in the olympics it will become that, because it will have to compete with a very high level. Of course pole dancing is incredibly difficult but when I started watching videos it wasn't…you know…completely insane. I mean, you can do pretty stuff without being a contortionist but once it is in the olympics I think that will change. I love the fact that pole dancing grows and I love watching contortionists pole dancing or pole dancers coming up with new tricks that are more and more challenging but I don't want it to become just that. I think that in the future it is possible that pole dancing splits into 2 different disciplines: the dance and the vertical bar gymnastics 😛 I just hope people give two different names to the disciplines so that both are respected instead of saying that one of them is pole dancing and the other one is nothing.
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@Schtoffen – Yes, it did make me mad to see a poler on a pole site saying that pole is not as hard as gymnastics. It's the kind of thing I expect to hear from people who don't know anything about pole, not from people who you would expect to have respect for their own sport. To say that you disagree about it being in the Olympics for some other reason is one thing, but to say it's not hard enough as a discipline….it's insulting.
The fact is, if pole were in the Olympics, it would take the same amount of training as gymnastics. In fact, it would take a lot of the same exact training. If you doubt that, look into what it takes to get into, say, Cirque du Soleil, doing pole. Those people train from childhood, often first in gymnastics and dance, and then in acrobatics.
At the end of the day, pole is nothing more than an apparatus, like horizontal bars, or rings, or pommel horse, or trapeze, or silks, or any apparatus. If you want to work it at an Olympic level- not just at what studios refer to as an 'advanced' level- you need all of the same skills that gymnasts, acrobats, and dancers need, and then you also need the skills germane to the pole itself. That's a lot of skills, and a lot of training. Of course it's true that someone who already has some of this training would pick up pole faster than others; that hardly says anything about the difficulty of the disciple as a whole.
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I think pole dancing in an olympic level would require the same training or the same difficulty as the other disciplines but most of them have years and years of evolution while pole dancing doesn't. Maybe I'm wrong but pole dancing has gotten more acrobatic in the last 10 years?? and other olympic disciplines have been evolving for so much more time that it could make pole dancing look simpler or less complete perhaps?? I don't think Schtoffen meant to be offensive.
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Ultimately, I do think that if pole made it to the Olympics, it would essentially become yet another gymnastic apparatus of sorts. Not that it would be included within the specific gymnastics competition, but that it would be another apparatus event in itself that gymnasts would be able to utilize to qualify for the Olympics. They are with their training and specific athletic abilities most likely going to be the athletes best able to translate their current skills to this potential new discipline. I think the only reason the question of difficulty comes up is because vertical pole will likely be compared to gymnastics, as Schtoffen mentioned, even if the initial competitors aren't Olympic-grade gymnasts crossing over. If pole gets established in global sports, either polers will train like gymnasts or gymnasts will cross over to pole and in the end, its the same thing anyways.
For me, I end up thinking that pole in the Olympics could be great for some, but not how I would come to appreciation for this crazy fun awesome phenomenon we call pole dance. To some, I think an Olympic bid would provide justification for what we do. In the end, even if pole is in the Olympics, it won't be showing pole for pole as we see it: the diverse DANCE form with sensuality, athleticism, raw emotion, power, no real rules, etc. People outside of our community will likely only see gymnastics on a pole. And events like the Bringing Back Sexy week will still be fringe activities, as I am pretty sure the sensuality will not be hitching a ride to the Olympics.
Maybe I overthink it, and these are just my thoughts. I guess what I would love to see for pole today is the realization that its ok for women to be sensual and to not be demeaned for it etc. To me, this is important. Maybe an Olympic bid is the way to get it in the conciousness of people who aren't already in the pole community. But I am not sure that it is a step on the way to women being celebrated for being strong enough to be sensual and unapologetic for it. That's why I feel kind of lukewarm about pole in the Olympics.
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My views on pole in the Olympics are torn…
I think pole being in the Olympics would be a way to show people that pole doesn’t just mean taking you clothes off. It would show how pole takes strength, balance, and athleticism. It would be great to get appreciation for blood, sweat, and tears we put in to this sport that we love.
But then on the other side I feel in love with pole because of the dance and because of the uniqueness of each dancer. I feel that if pole goes omlypic then we may loose that uniqueness and that ability to incorporate your own style and use expression of dance. I don’t see how the pole dancing that I feelin love with could be judged in the Olympics because each dancer is so unique. Yeah I loved the amazing tricks but what was even better was seeing how each dancer could be so fluid and sexy and add their own touch of flare to each move. How can that be judged in a competition like the Olympics?
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It's funny, I never hear about other aerial artists (ie. silks, lyra, trapeze) or professional dancers clambering to be represented in the Olympics. I could be totally wrong but it seems that this is more about erasing the stigma and becoming validated and recognized as a viable sport.
I guess I'm pretty neutral on this topic, though. I support the athletic pole tricksters with Olympic aspirations as much as I support the polers that wanna keep it sexy. This sensual and athletic artform can evolve in so many directions, creating competitive and performance opportunities for anyone interested.
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HA! I just scrolled up to the original thread and realized it had absolutely nothing to do with the Olympics. Oh well, so I added my insignificant 2 cents about pole in the Olympics.
As for Bringing Sexy Back… I've LOVED watching all the videos! Ain't nothin' better than seeing women own, honor and embrace their sensuality.
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Whoops, I helped derail it.
I definitely loved these videos. Can't say it enough. 🙂
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Equestrian sports not hard?!!? Pardon?! 😐
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MissMeliss, I did not state that they were not hard, the original statement was that pole is not as hard as gymnastics so it did not deserve to be in the Olympics. My rebuttal was that neither are curling nor equestrian events. EVERY sport has a level of dedication however I do not see people train for most of them the way that they do for gymnastics.
Schtoffen, it is all good.
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