Myths and stereotypes can partly influence our everyday life and decisions, as they are social constructions spotted everywhere around us. When it comes to aerial sports they deprive from ignorance about what aerial sports really are. They are usually expressed from people who have heard something about something from a friend or maybe they have seen something in a movie. But life, although inspires movies, is much more. And with that being said let’s go through some of these myths and stereotypes.
#Myth: Pole dancing is only danced in gentlemen’s clubs!
Pole dancing is believed to be performed for the first time in the modern world in front of audience during the 1920s by fairs travelling across the US. Since then, it has indeed been used as a form of entertainment in clubs, and this is how it started to become famous. But this is only a tiny part of it. Since the first classes for non-performers started in the 1990s more and more people have started experiencing what it means to “fly without wings”. There are many variations of pole dancing, but there are 3 main styles of pole dancing, which are flourishing and create space for everyone to tell their own story in their own way.
The athletic, the artistic and the exotic
What many people do not know is that pole dancing is considered a sport. Some tricks require a lot of strength and flexibility to be executed. Moreover, during training, and this applies to all aerial sports, the core and general body strength is being increased as you work all your muscles. Thus, some professionals are now trying to include it in Olympic sports. That is a long way from the gentlemen’s clubs.
Pole dancing, and aerial sports in general are a way of self- expression. Not everyone that practices them wants to be a dancer. A lot of people all around the world do aerial sports just for fun. The artistic side of pole dancing is the dancing at its best. It can be really creative, as you for example can wear a costume and incorporate modern dance to your dance as a way to tell your story. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?
This is why you will meet people from many different backgrounds when you start pole dancing. It can be a mother, a doctor, a student, a lawyer, your neighbor’s kid. And coming back to the myth. Yes, it can be sensual if you want it to be. This is correct, but isn’t that true for all kinds of dance styles?
#Myth: Aerial sports are only for women
This is definitely a myth. Men can do pole dance and aerial sports too. Of course! Tons of males around the world do aerial sports and pole. There are competitions where in some categories the participants are only males. Moreover, you do not have to go far to find a male pole acrobat or aerialist. Remember all these acrobats you have watched performing aerial tricks when your parents were taking you to the circus? Not all of them were women, weren’t they? And the awesome guys from Cirque du Soleil – the guys who are doing Chinese Pole? They are definitely doing some cool and strength based pole tricks!
Well, way more guys are taking classes and training just for fun in the studios. Why? Because it’s fun. Pole dance and aerial make you feel good and because they are a great way for training and boosting their confidence too. Because the aerial sports community is united and welcomes everyone whichever his or her background is.