Monday 05-06-2017 - 18:59

Ever wondered what it'slike to try pole dancing, and why its converts love it so much? Hear from one of our own Durham University Pole Dance Society members below! You can also see DUPDS performing live at their showcase on June 18 at Missoula, with the event raising funds for Mind. You can buy ticket hereor join the Facebook event for details.

Gabriella Brining is a 3rd Year Arabic and Spanish student from Trevs and will be Vice President of DUPDS for the coming year. She is also a qualified pole instructor and will be joining the team as an instructor for beginners and flexibility classes.

Scrolling through the extensive list of societies available at my soon-to-be university, the words ‘pole dancing’ were ones I couldn’t ignore. Growing up, I had classical training in ballet, tap and modern dance, but it had been years since I’d worn a leotard or practiced for an exam. I naively assumed we would mostly be taught twerking, and made a mental note to sign up to DUPDS at the Freshers’ Fair.

In my first class, I was proven entirely wrong as our instructor began teaching us some basic spins. She explained correct posture, proper muscle engagement and managed to give us a full body workout and have us in fits of laughter throughout the class. I began to wonder whether stereotypes of pole dancers as sexual objects would be as prominent if only people could witness the training: the classes had less sex appeal and more grunting until we were able to actually get our body weight off the ground.

When class ended, I was sweating, my arms and abs were aching and I was completely sold on pole. I returned the next week, determined to master the spins we had previously been taught, and in the weeks following I could not stop telling everyone I met about how amazing the classes were. I quickly found ways to involve myself more with pole: after just a few months, I represented Durham in the IUPDC (Inter University Pole Dancing Competition), and in my second year I was DUPDS president and trained up as a pole dance instructor too.

As pole became an increasingly more important part of my life, I noticed changes in both my physical and mental health. I enjoyed gaining muscle, I valued strength over slimness and my self-esteem soared. The more people I have met through pole, the more I have realised that it has a power other sports can’t boast and other athletes can’t always relate to. It welcomes people struggling with their own lives – some who have been unable to excel in mainstream sports – into an accepting community where they can simultaneously reach peak physical fitness, develop their self-confidence and heal emotional scars. The stereotypes that pole dancers so often face are exactly what makes us so strong as a community – there is a mutual respect and unity that I haven’t yet experienced anywhere else, and that is something I could never give up.

- Gabi