My rookie era: in a period of heartbreak, learning to pole dance gave me structure

My rookie era: in a period of heartbreak, learning to pole dance gave me structure I disliked my first encounter with pole, but two years later my experience with the sport has made me appreciate my body and my self-determination Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email W hen my friend Bea took up pole dancing she enthusiastically tried to convert everyone she knew to it – a common trope, I’d later find out. As a childhood gymnast and dancefloor enthusiast, I was scouted as a potential recruit, so along with my sister, in 2023 we joined her for a class. The class was packed and the studio felt overly commercialised. The friction of the metal pole against my skin was straight-up painful and spinning around made me so dizzy I had to sit down to reorientate myself several times. Also, I kind of sucked at it. And if I’m being honest, that bruised my fragile ex-gymnast ego. Fast forward to 2025, several months after the end of a decade-long relationship. As one does when catapulted into singledom, I was trying new things and “putting myself out there”. After attending a burlesque show, I set my sights on striptease classes – a way to connect with my femininity, build confidence, and maybe one day perform on stage in full glitz and glamour. A little research led me to a Sydney pole studio that also offered striptease. When I learned that striptease wasn’t running that term, the owner suggested a trial pole class instead. At first I wasn’t sold. But for $15 and the chance to do something different, I figured, why the hell not? Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Luckily, my second class couldn’t have been more different from my first. Natural light streaked through the studio’s windows, giving it a warm, homey feel. The owner and instructor, Luci, greeted me with a wide smile and a laugh that immediately put me at ease. Unlike my crowded first class, here I was the only pole student. I sp...