Pole to Pole: a Film by Shaienne Knox

Pole to Pole follows an Atlanta pole dancing instructor and her longtime student as they recount their pole journeys thus far and consider what pole really means to them during a transitional stage in both of their lives.

Pole dancing as we know it today is typically more of an “adult” genre of dancing, but the very start can be traced back at least 800 years to the Indian sport of Mallakham, which focuses on strength and endurance training. The poles themselves differ physically from modern pole fitness poles by being much wider. This sport was male-dominated, which differs from the feminine view society has of pole dancing today. Mallakham athletes perform leaps from the top of their poles to the ground, gymnastic poses, and “flagpole” moves that require them to stick straight out horizontally from the side of the pole. They wear very little clothing to stick to the pole better. From approximately 1870 to 1930, pole dancing in the USA was known as a sideshow act performed by Ghawazi dancers from Egypt. Following its combination with burlesque shows in the 1920s, pole dancing shifted from simple striptease to a dance form that incorporates more athletic and acrobatic moves and physical strength, much like its predecessors in ancient cultures. 

The 1980s became the time for signature “stripper heels” and “floss” or revealing pole wear. By the 1990s, pole classes became a more mainstream way to work out. Today’s star seller for stripper heels, Pleaser, was founded in 1990 by Ben Hsu, further pushing the hype for stripper-related attire in mainstream fashion. However, most notably popularizing the idea of pole fitness was Fawnia Mondely. A Canadian exotic dancer, Mondely established the first exotic dance school in 1994. She was also the first to produce a pole workout DVD. In 2000, Shelia Kelley opened the first of several pole dance studios known as S Factor in Los Angeles, California, bringing pole fitness more popularity with the general public. As she prepared for her role as a stripper in the film “Dancing at the Blue Iguana”, she began to connect personally with pole dance, helping her escape anorexia and self-harm. Her mission, then and now, is to help women connect to their inner selves and release trauma related to body image and sexuality. Eventually, she expanded to Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and New York. The popularity has exploded from the mid-2000s on, and even popular musicians such as SZA and Lil Nas X have featured themselves pole dancing in recent music videos. 

Currently, pole dancing is on its way to being recognized as an Olympic sport.  The International Pole Sports Federation is the governing body of pole and aerial sports, and they have been working towards their Olympic status goal since 2009. One positive step towards this goal was pole being officially recognized as an observer status sport by the Global Association of International Sports Federations. “Pole Sports is a performance sport combining dance and acrobatics on a vertical pole,” GAISF explains on its website. “Pole Sports require great physical and mental exertion, strength and endurance are required to lift, hold and spin the body. A high degree of flexibility is needed to contort, pose, demonstrate lines and execute techniques.” With this achievement, pole’s future as a serious sport is bright. As far as current Competitions, the IPSF holds its World Pole Championships annually, selecting top pole athletes from more than 40 countries. The World Pole Weekend is another competition avenue, and it consists of over 25 competitions and 5,000 pole athletes. Categories include both men and women from ages 10 to over 50.

            The film addresses how the pole dancing journey has affected women personally, physically, and even mentally as they navigate obstacles both on and off the pole, exploring how these women experience day to day life and the sometimes-conflicting roles they play outside of pole dancing.

This story is important because it sheds light on an encouraging and accepting fitness community while emphasizing the dualities of its subjects. Fitness, especially for women, is an area where people often feel out of their comfort zone due to social media’s portrayal of gym culture. Pole fitness in Atlanta is an environment unlike any other. I started pole myself to find a new way to work out that was less regimented than my current training for the United States Coast Guard’s Officer Candidate School. I found myself unable to perform under the pressure of the program’s high standards, and I needed an escape that was more expressive. Pole dancing brought me a place to connect not only with my body but with my own sexuality. I have never felt shamed for not understanding or being able to perform certain moves, and the energy in the studios is incredibly electrifying as all different types of women come together to embrace their sensuality through fitness.  This has been extremely liberating to me, and I think more people need an appreciation for this sport.