From BusinessWorld (where else?)
Vol. XXI, No. 41
Friday-Saturday, September 21-22, 2007 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Focus
BY ANNA BARBARA L. LORENZO, Reporter
Pole position
Like the other women, Grace (not her real name) could only describe her first time with one word — painful.
Her awkward movements were a tell-tale sign that she had not done anything like it before. While she tried to look sensual, she could not help but wince in distress at the pressure on her limbs as she tried pull her body up and to put her legs in the proper position.
In the end, the creamy white skin on her arms and inner thighs had turned red and felt sore. Her white fitted top had sweat marks.
It was a good workout.
And like her friends in the same dance class, Grace is no longer a pole dancing virgin.
Pole dancing in the Philippines
Initially too shy to be interviewed, Grace immediately left the room after the pole dancing class. When she finally did agree to answer a few questions, she requested anonymity and asked the photographer not take pictures of her.
"My colleagues may lose their respect for me," she said after knowing that the story would come out in a business paper that is widely circulated in Makati, where she works.
It is a pretty common belief that pole dancing is nothing but a sleazy act that is to be confined to strip bars, particularly in a largely conservative country like the Philippines.
This misconception turned dance professional Ed Aniel into a reluctant pole dance instructor. A former member of the Adrenaline Dancers, Mr. Aniel received an offer from a film director to learn how to pole dance and eventually give lessons.
"Filipinos are super conservative. Why would I go into a career that’s half-baked? I decided to introduce it as a fitness program to show that this may be sexy but it is also a form of exercise," Mr. Aniel said.
Instructor Ed Aniel shows advanced pole moves
The popularity of pole dancing is on the rise. Mr. Aniel initially offered the program in Stomps Dance Studio (850-9029) in BF Homes Parañaque. Today, he also holds classes in Movement Studio (721-7711 or 0917-8845227) in San Juan. From a class of just five students for a thrice a week program, Mr. Aniel already had to double the number of classes as the number of students grows.
The basics
Mr. Aniel said Grace’s discomfort during her first attempt at pole dancing is normal but noted that her grip was strong for a first-timer. The instructor said everybody goes through the awkward phase.
"It’s really the biggest challenge. Students are always shy the first time. That’s why I designed a 15-minute warm-up that helps one start building confidence," Mr. Aniel said.
The warm-up is composed of the usual stretches to loosen up the muscles in the shoulders, arms, hips, and legs — done in a more sensual way. It ends with students turning towards the mirror and giving themselves a naughty slap on the butt.
Among the basic steps is the lift, which is done while one is on tiptoes with arms stretched upwards and hands gripping the pole tightly. One then pulls her body up, folds her legs and keeps the position for as long as she can. This works the muscles in the arms while at the same time tightening the muscles in the abdomen.
"From that basic step, one can already explore different poses like the split," Mr. Aniel said.
Another fundamental move is the side stretch where one supports herself by holding the pole with one hand and keeping both feet at the base of the pole while letting the body fall sideways. This prepares one for a spin around the pole.
Mr. Aniel also teaches students how to defy gravity through leg- and foot-locking. The facility at Movement allows one to go up 10 feet off the floor. Mr. Aniel himself once performed with a 30-foot pole during a show.
"The less clothes [you wear], the better. It’s not really the grip that supports you but the friction created between the pole and the skin," Mr. Aniel said.
Skin on pole contact is what keeps a dancer suspended
The belles of the pole
Contrary to the notion that pole dancing is for performers in sleazy bars, the activity has actually attracted women in different careers.
Grace, for instance, is an information technology consultant. The friend who introduced her to pole dancing, Norma Ramos, is a ballet teacher.
"It’s really interesting because you can interpret the music in many ways. You need to be graceful, strong, and yet sexy at the same time," said Ms. Ramos, who just finished her second session during the interview.
She said she was inspired by the improvements she saw in another friend, Dr. Maria Socorro Antonette Magadia.
Dr. Magadia is with the dental team of Beverly Hills 6750 Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Institute.
"All the clothes I wore on my first week were tight-fitting, but now they’re a little loose. I have been pole dancing for only two months and my abs are already toned. I used to get size 30 pairs but now I’ve started buying in size 26," Ms. Magadia said.
She added that she has also lost 10 pounds since she started pole dancing.
Beyond body sculpting, businesswoman Judy Gutierrez found that pole dancing is a way for her to fulfill one of the the verses in the Bible on how a woman can be a good wife to her husband.
"Our pastor said one should strive to be a better wife. Sometimes when a woman has kids, she just focuses on being a mother and forgets that she is still a wife. We are taught to be creative as wives. We can do this [pole dancing], or invest in lingerie, use whips or uniforms — and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it is done in the confines of marriage," Ms. Gutierrez said.
Pia Casequin agrees, saying that her husband loves the fact that she is taking up pole dancing. She might even have a pole installed in their house soon.
"It really boosts confidence," she said, adding that even her doctor is surprised that she is burning fat twice as fast as the other patients who had liposuction at the same time that she had the procedure done on her.
Ladies who do the pole may receive criticism from their friends or even attacks from the conservatives, but no one will stop them from climbing new heights for the sake of fitness and fun.
