My Story: 'Pole Is Like Any Other Form Of Art, It Is Much More Than Just Showing Off Your Skin'

When I found a pole and made my first spin move for the first time, I knew from that very moment that this was the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I have been very intrigued with pole dancing since teenager as it looked pretty different from other dance forms, and it was something we Indians were not much exposed to.

Love For Pole

When I went to Australia for my studies, I went to a club with my friends one day and saw a couple of pole dancers performing. I was in awe of their moves. It looked so dangerous, yet they did it with a smile on their faces, sticking to the poles effortlessly. I was in love with the whole view and did think to learn something like this at some point in my life.

In 2017, I found a pole dancing teacher in Mumbai and decided to join her classes. My mother-in-law used to be very excited about what I learned. Every Sunday, when I would drive to Mumbai from Pune and come back, she would always ask me to perform in front of her. She would be very eager and exciting, and amazed with what I was doing. The support from my husband and mother-in-law has always given me strength throughout my journey.

Women can do what they want in today's world but added support is a big positive. My mother-in-law got my back for this, I must say.

Depressing Phase

Unfortunately, after 2-3 months of my class, I had a terrible pole injury on my right wrist. My bone had popped out from its place. I couldn't understand the gravity of the situation, but I was in crazy pain. It was a very depressing phase I went through my life because I had finally found what I wanted to do, and then this happened. I would cry every night looking at my pole. One day, I told my husband to put it down as I didn't think I could do this again.

He was like, "You're going to look at this every day and tell your mind and body that I'm going to be okay and get back to it again."

Luckily, I met a physiotherapist who assured to get me back to the pole. I spent a year getting my wrist back to its standard form, and I did a lot of strengthening and followed everything my physiotherapist asked me to do.

In October 2018, I decided to get back to it slowly, at my own pace. But, this time, I wanted to go abroad to get training from experienced teachers, and I decided to go to Dubai as it was affordable and close to India.

I felt like falling in love with the pole again when I started. Since then, there has been no looking back. I have done pole camps trained with the Dutch world champion in pole and renowned Russian teachers. It's been quite a fantastic journey and continues to be so till now.

Journey To India's Got Talent

India's Got Talent came as a surprise for me. I have never performed on stage for an audience before. I had crazy butterflies in my stomach, but at the same time, I was so nervous that my palms would sweat, which is every poler's nightmare. But once I started my performance, all the fear and nervousness went away in a second; it was just me and my pole.

I was so overwhelmed that I could finish it with all the grace that I wanted to, and the response I got from judges was incredible, which will stay with me forever. India's Got Talent was exceptional because it helped get the pole all the respect that I want for it.

Taboo Associated With Pole Dancing

There also came a phase when I was doing pole but was not confident enough to post it on social media as I was still worried about 'Log Kya Kahenge'. In India, you are always scared about what people say and that constant fear of being judged. My husband, however, motivated me, after which I started sharing videos on social media. But I was so genuinely amazed and pleasantly surprised to see how people, especially men, appreciated my talent; hardly anyone posted a cheap or nasty comment.

Most of the time, people form their own opinions because of a lack of knowledge. People should keep an open mind and try to educate themselves about what pole really is, rather than looking at just one aspect of it. Exotic dancing and stripping is a big part of the pole because strippers have made it what it is, but it is a form of art right now. There are world championships in poles where people worldwide participate and represent their country. It is way beyond just a bar dance now; it is a beautiful form of sport and excellent for fitness. I would tell people to give it a chance; it's just about acceptance and opening up your mind a little bit.

Pole dancing is done on a smooth steel pole, so there are chances you may fall and get yourself injured. It depends on friction between your skin and pole for you to be able to grip it. So, skimpy outfits and short clothes are not there to reveal the dancer's body, but skin needs to out in order to hold the pole properly.

If you too have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com