As a lifestyle journalist, I’ve written all sorts of articles on a rather wide range of topics: food, technology, youth issues, fashion, beauty, etc. There were instances when I knew absolutely nothing about the topic I had to write about; one time, I hied off to Singapore to cover the first F1 night race, something that I had zero knowledge of or interest in. Of course, it didn’t sit well with my Alpha male friends, who would’ve gladly donned a wig, floaty pink dress and heels to be in my place (“You, covering the F1 race?” a friend moaned and buried his head in his hands. “There is no justice in this world.”)
Occasionally, I do get to write about stuff that I really am interested in (food, in particular) and the articles seem effortless because they were more fun to do. Today’s article on pole dancing was one of those; I interviewed CD and Mirell of GirlVSGirl, one of Manila’s pole dancing acts.
I started pole dancing back in 2008, for–surprise, surprise–an article I was working on for Metro (I’ve had to do many dubious things for the sake of an article). After one session, I knew I was hooked. It was a year and a half later than I found myself in a gold Bond girl costume, performing all sorts of tricks that I didn’t know I was capable of on a pole for a recital. I also didn’t know I had the confidence to show my bare midriff to the world (it took a few days without rice to muster up the courage to do it). I wrote another article about it last December for Metro’s body issue as a full-circle kind of thing. Here ya go!
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“You—do—what?”
“Pole dancing,” I repeated to a friend, whose jaw had dropped to the floor. “I go pole dancing every week.”
“So I guess the journalism thing didn’t work out, eh?” he said, smirking.
“I do it for exercise, knucklehead. Apparently, it burns up to 400 calories a class, and you don’t look sweaty and gross while doing it—which is more than I can say for your regular basketball sessions.”
“What do you guys wear to your classes?” he asked, eyes widening.
“Hot pants, tank tops. High heels, if we want to,” I replied. “One time, we had a burlesque dancing workshop and people came in with feather boas and vintage hats. We actually have a mirror ball in the studio.”
“Um, d’you think I could sit in for the next class?”
With Ed Aniel
I swatted him on the head and ignored him. His reaction was a common one, especially among full-blooded males whose encounters with pole dancing were of the questionable sort. I admittedly wasn’t comfortable with broadcasting what I referred to as my “porn star workout” at first, telling people that I was just attending a “modern dance workshop” every Monday night. But the weekly classes turned into twice-weekly sessions, and before I knew it, I was addicted to pole dancing.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that prior to trying out pole dancing, I had the rhythm and flexibility of well, a pole. My sister told me that I often looked like a ruler trying to dance, and I had never been able to do a cartwheel my entire life. The only splits I liked were on bananas. Heck, it took me three minutes to arrange my legs in the basic lotus position.
So when I found myself capable of twisting my body in an upside-down position and holding on to the pole with only one leg (look ma, no arms!), it was a high unlike any other. Of course, it took several months of sore muscles and fresh bruises obtained on a weekly basis before I could pull off the complicated stunts that characterize gymnastic pole dancing.
GirlVSGirl
Sexy, not skanky
The moves taught by Ed Aniel (dubbed the “pole master” by worshipful students) are unlike the sleazy grind-and-gyrate variety often seen at houses of ill repute. Sure, you’ll learn how to swing your hips suggestively and do spins around a pole (with Aniel constantly reminding you to look seductive), but as you’ll learn, there’s a big difference between skanky and sexy. What Aniel wants his students to do is to bring out their subtly sexy side—while getting abs, legs and arms to die for.
Graceful on a pole
“There are three aspects that will be developed from pole dancing,” he says. “First, the emotional aspect: it helps you develop self-confidence and makes you learn how to feel good about yourself, regardless of your size and shape. Secondly, there’s the physical aspect—pole dancing tones every part of your body. It’s a cardio and toning workout in one. Lastly, the psychological aspect of pole dancing makes my students feel like they’re the sexiest women on earth when they step out of the studio.”
It takes some time before all these aspects are developed, of course. My first pole dancing class was characterized by nervous giggles as Aniel urged me to make moony eyes while spinning around the pole. And of course, there was my unsuccessful first climb on the pole.
You know how in some provinces, kids nimbly clamber up a greased pole to get a pot of money on top? After trying to climb up the pole for the first time, my respect for palo sebo greatly increased. It wasn’t a matter of “nimbly clambering up the pole” as it was “valiantly struggling to hold on to the pole, one foot off the ground.” It didn’t help that around me were students doing all sorts of graceful tricks, which they gave perky names such as “Barbie,” “Survivor,” “Superman” and “Gemini.”
But I learned, although it took a sprained toe and dozens of bruises (you get them from clamping your legs tightly to the pole) to get there. A few months into pole dancing, I got up the nerve to do more complicated stunts that involved immense amounts of flexibility I never knew I had. A year later, I found myself dressed in gold shorts, a toy gun strapped to my thigh, doing spins and stunts set to James Bond theme music for our recital.
And oh, I lost about 5-8 pounds and gained toned arms, abs and legs in the process. (Others have lost 10-30, depending on how much weight you need to lose in the first place). But more than the weight loss, it was the heightened sense of self-confidence made me look forward to my pole dancing classes. That, and the awed look on my friends’ faces when I tell them that I can hold on—upside down—with one leg.
This looks nice! Workout for the body plus total confidence after! Haha! I’d love to try this, but we don’t have these kinds of classes here in Baguio.
I am quite near a sedentary life and a quarter-lifer!
Pole dancing sounds very interesting indeed. WOuld you mind sharing where you took the classes? I assume the classes are in Manila? I can’t seem to find any online.
Thank you!
Hi!
I’m super interested with the pole class. However, I work at night and only available during morning after work. Where can I find a pole class here in Ortigas?
Thanks!
Hey Mae! Try the Movement dance studio in Unionbank across Metrowalk
Hi, would you happen to know if Ed holds classes in Makati? I’d like to try pole dancing, seems like a great workout
I’m an ex-airline crew and very interested to learn pole dancing.
It’s an awesome workout! Your really should try it
Ed holds classes in Makati now, at Arts in the City at The Fort
visit http://www.poleacademyphilippines.com
Pole dancing…I love being a spectator for it thrills…yummy flesh all over…reckless moves and mouth-watering coils
Hi I’m interested in pole dancing:) Would you know of a place in manila or qc (around banawe-araneta ave.) which holds such classes? thanks a lot:)
I’m lance 28y/o. I really want to learn pole dancing but i don’t know where in manila that offers male pole dancing classes. Please help me.
very interesting!!! can anyone tell me where i can enroll this pole dancing?
Oh yes! What started as an exercise just to lose weight became an addiction. And that porn-star-exercise, the comment I always get from my dad with raised eyebrows whenever he sees my fresh bruises, mainly from gemini to scorpio. Pole Dancing is addicting. It became my break up buddy and it did made me feel damn sexy and pretty-descriptions you’d want to hear after a break-up! HAHAHAHA!
Do you know any place here in Baguio City teaching Pole Dancing?