Where I started ...
I started taking pole classes back in January 2011. I was looking for ANYTHING that didn't involve me going to a stinky gym to lift weights. I had just finished my second week of ballet classes that month. Yes, ballet classes, I don't discriminate, and neither should you. So, a friend of mine told me about a pole class she had went to with her friend, and for some reason her friend backed out and she need some buddy support. I figured, "I've already tried ballet, it's not like I can't be any more adventurous," and I agreed to go.
We end up riding together to class. I was extremely nervous, and I think most of it was because I knew this wasn't going to be a co-ed type of situation. So. we arrive at the studio, with the outside dressed brightly in neon lights, and the inside filtered with red lighting everywhere. Sure enough, I'm the only male in class. I think my biggest fear was that I was going to get looks from everything in there, asking, "Why the hell is he here?" We meet our instructor, Sierra, and she greets us with a smile, and helps us get situated. I struggled! Struggled like no one's business! "This pole crap is HARD," I thought. So, by the end of class, I've found that I've sweated like I've been running a marathon, so a workout was accomplished. On the way home, my friend and I discussed our experience in class that evening, all of which were positive from both of us. We agreed that we will continue to go to class to see where this could take us.
Thankfully, I found a Groupon for that very studio the following week, and totally hooked myself up with some discount classes. It had been love since then. I tell people that my friend got me into it, but secretly, I like to joke that Groupon was the matchmaker in all this.
I continue going to this studio for a whole year. Learning new spins and eventually inverting. That was a big feat for me, as the idea of being upside down has always scared the Rice Krispies out of me. I refused to back down from this, so I just kept working hard. And, it just so happens that I found a video of my first invert attempt!
After finally inverting, I eventually moved on to other tricks. I had built such an amazing support system within the pole studio, that I felt like anything could be accomplished. The funny thing is that my friend, who introduced me to pole eventually stopped going, and I stayed. The pole studio owner, the instructors, and all the classmates seemed to be quite welcoming to a guy in class. I really feel thankful for this, because I still find that men are not getting as much consideration for showing an interest in pole. I still consider myself lucky.
And so began my pole journey ...
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