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CO-ED classes
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Last year I shared a whole ton of thoughts on this on my blog, but the gist was “hell yes.” http://ascendingslowly.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/men-in-pole/
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I’m on the fence. It wouldn’t bother me to have a male in my pole class in the aspect that I wouldn’t feel awkward or weird. BUT part of the reason I go is to connect with 4 other women for an hour where no one judges and we all talk girly stuff.
Bottom line, if the studio owner put a guy in our class I wouldn’t complain or quit going. He’d just have to listen to a lot of “girl talk”
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David Owen actually took one of my signature sexy classes a few years ago when I was teaching at a studio. It never even occurred to me that it might be weird since I’ve k own him for awhile. Even though the class was sexy he went right a long with it and performed all the slow rolls and grinds. I think because he was into the workout none of the girls were bothered by it and I think a few enjoyed seeing him struggle a bit with body waves but were impressed with his movement and flexibility.
Personally, I think don’t feel like its right to only allow men to take privates, especially because they are more expensive but I do think there should be clearly labeled classe that allow men and clearly labeled classes that don’t. I think it’s important to provide a safe environment for everyone so I think providing both types of classes is important. Some women use pole as an escape so no matter how cool the guy is they kind of want a girl zone and that’s ok and should be provided but men also have the right to take this journey so long as they follow the class guidelines. Trust me, no guy is really going to enroll in pole class to ogle women, not when they themselves are expected to pole dance mostly you will get sincere male students.
I also don’t think sexual identification matters much either, I know many straight males who like to take a go in heels and get their grind on and conversely some gay men who would never, ever wear heels. We also reserve the right to refuse service to any student regardless of gender who is disrupting class. I think it’s about clear marketing and providing a wide range of product and labeling them. Some groups really embrace men and enjoy having them even in a sexy class others won’t but if you create space for everyone there’s room for everyone 🙂
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At Defiance we offer co-ed classes but only at the intermediate and advanced levels. All beginner classes are same sex. We have one male-only class per week that they can come to to work up to the level to be integrated with the ladies. I find that it weeds out anyone just coming in to be pervy and it lets the women get comfortable with themselves before having to be scantily clad around the guys. However, our open pole times are co-ed as well.
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I have been pole dancing for over five years now. When I started taking classes here in Denver I took privates for a month. After that I was moved into an mid-level all female class and have never looked back. I was the only male dancing in the studio. After I left my original studio I was invited to dance with Sasha Viers at her studio, Boulder Spirals. A month after that Melanie Piek at Vertical Fusion started an Acropole series for men and I started dancing coed there too. Things got crazier a couple of months later when I danced for the first time in coed classes offered by Jen Kaminsky at Tease. Studio 3sixT and L’RU also have coed classes and I can’t wait to dance with Jen West and Missie Johnson. I have already danced with Leesi at L’RU. If you are a guy and you want to pole dance I can tell you that Denver is the place to do it and the women will welcome you with open arms. I come from a family of three boys. I never had a sister. Now I have sisters all over Denver, Boulder, Longmont, and Ft. Collins. It took courage for everyone of the studio owners to open their studios to men. If anyone has question about bringing men into pole I would suggest they contact the studio owners I have mentioned. They rock!
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At the studio I go to, there are two men who are regulars in the classes. One is competition winning (Ricky Pang) and the other is also an advanced student. Both are straight. Between the two of them, they join into almost every class there is – from the flexibility classes to exotic floor work to partner pole and all the pole variations offered at the studio. Honestly, having them in the classes is absolutely wonderful – also, having them in open studio is fantastic as you can get different perspectives on engagement for pole moves. Not only do they approach pole in different ways (having different types of strength), but they also are just as much a part of our pole family as anyone else. We still all talk the same stuff, wear the same ridiculously revealing clothing, and connect with each other – it is just they are included. Pole, at our studio, is sexy – but it isn’t sex based. We all sweat, shoulder mount, twirl, hand spring and twerk together. 🙂
Trust me… doing a sexy floor work class with a guy, who is not watching – but participating – working his butt off to learn just as all the girls are – is one of the most enjoyable and entertaining moments.
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At the studio (Bobibis) I go to we have two guys (that I know of – there may be others in other classes) As you know, Bobbi’s focuses on the sensual dance-y aspect of pole. The guys aren’t regarded any differently because of their gender. For myself, I just figure that they won’t see anything they wouldn’t see on the beach as far as clothing (or lack of!) is concerned. We have had a few men’s workshops at the studio too.
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Hazi411: I thought that the classes at Bobbi’s were “women only”, but obviously not :)!
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I absolutely love all of the comments being posted here! I have a guy that I have given privates to before along with his fiancé and just two weeks ago he asked if he could take the Thursday night class. I asked the ladies in that class if they would mind and they all said “no’. Devin joined us for class and when it came time for “sexy dance time”, I gave the ladies again the option to either ask him to leave the room or stay…they said let him stay! Devin now wants to know when is the next time he can come to class!!! hahahaha…as long as my students don’t have an issue with him being there, he is more than welcome (although he should come to the intermediate class because he is able to invert and do some amazing power moves). What I love the most, his finance didn’t have a problem with him being in there with all of the other sexy ladies because like Devin, she is secure in herself. My only issue with having a guy in class, is trying to keep the sexiness at bay while instructing because in my studio, the sexiness absolutely needs to come out!!!
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