Learning to pole dance gave me structure during heartbreak

When my friend Bea took up pole dancing she tried to convert everyone she knew. As a childhood gymnast and a dancefloor enthusiast, I was scouted as a potential recruit, so my sister and I joined her for a class in 2023. The studio was packed and felt overly commercialised; the metal pole rubbed painfully against my skin and the spinning made me so dizzy I had to sit down.

I kind of sucked at it, which bruised my fragile ex‑gymnast ego. Fast forward to 2025, several months after the end of a decade‑long relationship, and I was trying new things. After a burlesque show I wanted striptease classes to connect with my femininity and build confidence, but the Sydney studio I found wasn’t running striptease that term.

The owner suggested a trial pole class for $15, so I went. The second class was completely different: natural light, a warm, homey feel and Luci, the owner and instructor, greeting me with a wide smile.

Australia, Sydney

pole dancing, pole class, pole studio, striptease, burlesque, sydney, ex gymnast, spinning, heartbreak, confidence