Sunday, April 06, 2008
Life, Health + Fitness

Strip tease

Exotic dancing—it’s a great way to make money, but is it a great way to get in shape? There’s only one way to find out

CREDIT:Courtesy of Polelateaz
Polelateaz classes can help you release your inner sexpot—and look good doing it.

WHAT: Polelateaz, an exotic dance school
WHERE: 2148 Hills Ave., Suite H2, Atlanta, 30318
HOW MUCH? $195 for an 8-week class
CONTACT INFO: 404-399-3358. www.polelateaz.com.
FITNESS FACTOR: 3 stars
FUN FACTOR: 4 stars

By Colleen Oakley

One of the biggest fights my fiancé Fred and I ever got into was over the time he went to a strip club with his boys. Looking back, I admit I overreacted. I was insanely jealous at the thought of other women (who have much better bodies than I do) dancing provocatively for my man.

And even though he assured me that he only has eyes for me (that’s a very sweet lie, honey), I really wanted to turn him on as much as they do.
So this week I called up Angela, owner of Polelateaz, a company that teaches exotic dancing to regular women like me. Angela, a ballerina-cum-nurse-cum-exotic dance teacher (she’s never actually been a stripper) promised that she could help me “release my inner sexpot.”
Now, I’ve never exactly been a wallflower in the bedroom (sorry, Mom). I think my inner sexpot was released quite some time ago, and I’ve had trouble caging her back in. What I really wanted to know was how to do all those fancy stripper moves that seem to turn men into slack-jawed, bug-eyed walking hormones.
“I can do that, too,” she assured me.

I grabbed my two closest friends (because what fun is it making a fool of yourself without witnesses?) and headed to the Polelateaz studio for a Saturday workshop. Angela, a petite 31-year-old woman with glasses, doesn’t look like someone who can climb to the top of a stripper pole using her thighs and hands, flip upside down and then sexily slither her way back to the ground (wearing only a pink lacy bra, panties and clear plastic heels, nonetheless). But she can. She showed us.
I was amazed. It was sexy, yes, but also one of the most athletic feats I’ve ever seen in person. I not only wanted to strut around with the sexiness and confidence that Angela had, but I wanted to be that strong.

In the hour-and-a-half class, we learned a sexy floor routine, a chair dance and tried some shadow dancing. I was worried about feeling self-conscious in front of the other women. (It’s not every day that you touch yourself and gyrate your hips in a room full of strangers, unless, well, you’re a stripper.) But the lights were dimmed and the music beats blaring, so I really was able to let myself get into the sensuality of it all. (Except for the time we had to slowly trace our leg with our hand. I hadn’t shaved in three days, and let me tell you, it was not sexy. Ew.)
But my favorite part was when we got to the pole. We learned the fireman spin where you jump up on to the pole and slide down it slowly spinning around to the floor. The first few tries, I promptly fell butt down and looked a little like a crazed woman hanging onto a pole as if it were my last earthly possession and couldn’t bear to part with it. But I actually started to get the hang of it toward the end of class and was quite proud of my stripper-esque-ness (no doubt, my mother is also beaming with pride).

In all, while I won’t get head-hunted for the Cheetah any time soon, I am going to sign up for an 8-week pole-dancing class. It’s a great workout, and I can’t wait to get as strong as Angela. That way if Fred ever goes to a strip club again, I can crush his head with my thighs. SP
Colleen Oakley is a freelance writer in Atlanta and the former editor of Women’s Health & Fitness magazine. She’s no triathlete, but she enjoys being active and adventurous. Got a fitness challenge for her? E-mail her at colleen@sundaypaper.com.