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Thursday, July 19, 2012

How long will it take for pole dancing to go mainstream?

Sure, we are well on our way to pole dancing being accepted as a "legitimate" form of exercise (to those in the pole industry, it already is a legitimate form of dance and exercise).  So if I used my own Facebook page as an indicator, it definitely IS considered mainstream.  I realize that I have A LOT of pole friends.  When I'm out in the real world, I do still encounter "the look" when I tell people that I pole dance. 

That got me thinking...how long will it take for the rest of the world to accept us?  Sure, most of us don't care if we ever get accepted.  But, for our industry to thrive, we really do need mainstream corporate sponsors to start throwing money into our competitions.  We need studios to build strong competitors.  No, we don't ALL need to compete.  The majority of us can remain secret pole dancers.  But our industry does need competitions to survive. 

Here's my theory:  It will take about a generation.  As the children of today grow up watching their moms pole dance and be strong, it will become more accepted to pole dance for fun, fitness or any other reason.  Stripping will always be part of the history of pole dance.  You can't make that go away.  But as this generation grows up not being told that anyone who pole dances should be ashamed of themselves, the public in general will be able to accept us. 

Now, what's your theory?  How long do you think it will be before the general public stops giving us the once over when we tell them we pole dance?  Sure some people will never come around, but the balance has to shift at some point, right?

2 comments:

  1. I think it depends on the type of pole, I think "Pole Fitness" will become mainstream before "Pole Dancing" .
    Mainly because "Pole Fitness" (IMO) is more focused on tricks and strength etc and will be easier for the general public to accept as it's taken away the affronting sexy side of pole.
    "Pole Dancing" I think will take a bit longer, mainly, because when you say "Pole Dancing" most people, who know nothing about what we do, automatically go to "Stripper".
    I'm all about Pole Dancing, I love the sensual side of pole and how much confidence it's given me. I would love to become more mainstream, I wold love more women to take it up and discover how amazing it is, how much confidence it can give you and how much it can change your life, but at the end of the day I'm not to worried if it doesn't I love that it's still a little bit taboo to be a pole dancer.
    But in the end I think you're right it will take another generation.

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  2. Great post. I think it will take a lot longer for it to become mainstream and then I question that as well. I don't want to see the artistic side disappear in a quest to make it conform to rules on what a perfect move looks like.

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