The evolution of pole artistry is now mainstream

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Former North Carolina resident Sammy Picone (top) and Dalijah Amelia are owners of Sada, a studio space in Harlem.

Pole dancers don’t always work in clubs.  

They’re lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and mothers. Dalijah Amelia, founder of Black Girls Pole, is co-founder of Sada, a studio space opening in Harlem this fall, a pastor’s wife, and full-time mother of a 3-year-old boy who knows basic pole moves and can climb – but only when wearing his firefighter hat.

“The reason I started Black Girls Pole is because I just wanted to see more Black women falling in love with pole dancing as much as I was, to be able to celebrate them,” Amelia said. “There’s not enough representation to show that you can love this sport and not have to be in the club. It’s OK if you want to just do this because you want to get in touch with your feminine side or your sexy side or however you want explained to say it.”

Pole aerobatics was originally considered a man’s sport.

The earliest forms were Chinese Pole and Mallakhamb, which go back to the 12th century. Chinese Pole involves two poles up to 30 feet tall used to demonstrate strength, agility, and stamina. Performers would jump alternatively between the two, sometimes even dropping suddenly, before catching themselves seconds before hitting the floor. You may have witnessed this style of pole performed at circuses today.  

Poles are typically wrapped in neoprene, a rubber finish that allows for better grip but results in burns when pushing against bare skin. That’s why professional acrobats often wear full costumes.

The art of Mallakhamb (Indian for “wrestler of the pole”) was originally used to train wrestlers and ancient warriors. It includes a combination of gymnastics, yoga and martial arts traditionally using a free-standing wooden pole but sometimes cane or rope. Five categories are critiqued – catches, holds, acrobatics, mounts, and dismounts.

Many argue neither discipline is where pole dancing began.

Where did it come from?

Pole dancing was introduced in the United States during the Great Depression. Strip teases were not commercialized until the 1980s.  “I want people to think of pole more like gymnastics, or like dance as a sport,” said Roz “The Diva” Mays, ambassador of BGP.

“It’s like your gender does not matter, your age does not matter your sexuality does not matter. Your physical abilities do not matter. Once a pole dancer, always a pole dancer. I think it’s great for everyone to try at least once. Even if you hate it after that, that’s OK, but why not give it a shot. It’s a fun thing to do. Like literally, it also just comes down to it’s fun really.”  

There is a stigma surrounding pole dancing due to public perception of exotic dancers and strip clubs, yet its origin can be traced to the circus. Traveling shows would rally crowds by having “Hoochie Coochie” dancers perform on wooden tent poles to bring in more income during the global economic crisis.

The sensual dance originated in the Middle East, where it emphasizes rhythmic hip movements that resemble belly dancing. It wasn’t until the 1950s that pole dancing moved into clubs. The sexual revolution a decade later brought a lasting impact on social norms which resulted in full nudity performances in cabarets.

Middle Eastern and African women, or exotic dancers, usually closed shows. White women, who usually were openers, migrated to upscale cabarets as did their clientele and later expanded to burlesque showcases.
Racial bias still exists for dancers when their income is derived from personal dances instead of stage performance.  

“I’m dark-skinned, so I’ve seen with my own eyes people specially not working with me and then working with someone else right after I asked them if they wanted a dance and then they get a dance from somebody with fair skin right after,” said Eunika Morrison of Greensboro, who recalled a night when she walked out with just $2.

Other variables impact the bottom line, including body shape and location, some of which require a license to strip. Nevertheless, it’s quiet and slow most days except for hotspots like King of Diamonds in Miami or Magic City in Atlanta where celebrities are among the clientele. “It hasn’t been lucrative for me, but I enjoy the sexual freedom of it,” said Morrison, who hopes it will become a profitable side hustle one day. Showcases and competitions
Strippers may not be where pole started but they are responsible for its expansion.

“The history of strippers that have been around forever who’ve decided to open their own studio because they wanted to teach or get out of the clubs and are still teaching as staples in the pole community I rate highly because they are pioneers of getting housewives and basic women to try the sport, you know,” Amelia said. “I love and appreciate that so much.”  

Fawnia Dietrich, a Canadian actress, is credited with making pole dancing accessible on a large scale in the 1990s by teaching it as a means of exercise.  

“Pole has changed my life,” said Morrison, who aims to bring pole to Greensboro by opening her own studio. “I’m opening a whole studio because I would rather do nothing else but teach. I would rather do nothing else but have the freedom to dance all by myself if I wanted to.”

Morrison started stripping in 2017 but it’s been her aspiration since she was 15. Dancing was always a passion although Morrison never took classes. She found her first pole studio in Charlotte at PoleFit Carolina, where her instructor helped guide her to fulfilling her dream. That knowledge put her foot in many, but not all, doors.

“That’s when I started learning the craft and realized it was more than just stripping. It was a sisterhood at these pole studios, and we would have showcases and my grandma came and my mom,” said Morrison, who earned her instructor certification at Pole Body & Arts in Charlotte and uses the stage name Alex when she strips and Kokoa Gold for competition. “It was a family function. It was amazing.

“It’s nothing but constantly being reshared and cheered on like YAS and it’s so much visible obvious and almost obnoxious encouragement.”  Morrison was moved after attending her first show as a spectator, especially after a performer danced to “It’s only” by ODESZA featuring Zyra.

The thought of dancing to music other than trap or R&B ballads piqued Morrison’s interest in competitions, as she grew up favoring alternative music. Her first was to “And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman” by Dance Gavin Dance, a rock band. She recalled the crowd – which included her husband, mother and grandmother – cheering when she hoisted her body into the air with her bare hands and proceeded to walk on air.  

“With pole you’re always going to be at the forefront of everything because you are the star but if you’re doing backup dance, you’re always going to be behind somebody and I’ve booked more things with pole dancing than I did with dancing,” Amelia said.

Business and communities

Amelia was dedicated to fitness as a trainer prior to pole dancing. She signed up for her first class at Crunch Gym in Harlem after moving to New York upon graduation from Ohio State University with a degree in nutrition and exercise science.

“Movement is my mediation,” said Amelia, who started classical training at age 2. After tiring of commercial dance, she discovered pole dancing’s many styles.

She was hesitant to step into the pole community but was pushed by a friend who quit almost instantly. For Amelia, it was “love at first spin” and led to a business venture she estimates will be a million-dollar company within three years.

“It has surpassed what I thought it was going to be,” said Amelia, whose business’ Instagram (@blackgirlspole) has gone from 200 followers to more than 150,000.

She’s also compiled a list of Black-owned studios, including six in North Carolina. Half are in Charlotte: Inner Diva, Pole Dance Charlotte Fun & Fitness Dance Studio and Pole Body & Arts, which Morrison considers her second home. She looks to build that same atmosphere within her own studio when she brings pole dancing to Greensboro.  

Anybody with a body

“Who is pole for? Anybody with a body. I taught my 3-year-old how to do things and I’ve taught 70-year-olds how to do things,” said Amelia. Anyone of any body size can pole dance, insists Roz the Diva, the aunt that tells it like it is in the BGP family.

“You’re not too big,” she said. “It’s going to take you longer to get some of the foundational movements, but just because it takes you longer doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”  

According to Roz, that’s due to requiring more strength to lift more weight.  

Roz, like Dalijah, went on to make a living off pole dancing starting after classes, then instructing, at Crunch gym. Stripping was never her intent when learning to pole starting in 2007.  

Roz described her experience as “love at first sight.” Pole dancing became the catalyst of her instruction of both pole and fitness. She specializes in teaching others how to work with plus-size woman like herself.

“Let me show you so you can see, people with your body types or similar body types, so you can know, baby you can do this,” Morrison tells her plus-sized students while pulling up Roz’s video.  

Morrison is passionate about teaching these women. She relates to them. In 2020, Morrison thought she would never be able to pole again after a 2-year break where she gained over 70 pounds. Suddenly, she was able to perform tricks she’s never been able to do before.

That may not always be the case. Roz recalls pole becoming even more difficult as her body changed. There are many other obstacles pole dancers, just like any other athletes, may face as their body changes with age. Amelia found challenges after having a child. She found herself having to relearn or adjust to her body’s changes. None of these women look to stop in the foreseeable future.

“I think people owe it to themselves to give it a try and you never know what you might fall in love with,” Amelia said. “I think there’s something about pole dancing that it helps you to really look at yourself and really appreciate your body and really get in touch with your body because so many people are walking around that are not in touch with all aspects of their body, whether it be sensual, whether it be physical, whether it be mental, but it really pulls everything today in that sense and it’s fun, and it’s a workout that’s not going to have you chained to a treadmill. You know, you can have fun with it.”  

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