Respect For Pole Class Please

While traditions vary among different dojos, the approach to martial arts training is generally one of respect for the space, the teacher and the practice.  This is also true of yoga studios, which frequently offer classes in exchange for seva (or service).


But, in my experience, this is not as true of pole dance studios. And personally, I think that is a shame.  Not only do I think it is a shame, I think it does a disservice to students, the teachers and to the pole industry.  Maybe I’m old-fashioned.  Maybe I take my pole dancing a little too seriously.   But I think pole dancing is not just about you – it’s about the community a studio creates.

Read more from my latest blog at Bad Kitty Exoticwear!

And don't forget to vote for my blog in the 10K Scholarship competition HERE! 
Vote for Claire!

The Pole Story Blog is up for a 10,000 Scholarship!

I'm super excited to announce that The Pole Story blog was nominated for a 10,000.00 Scholarship by CollegeScholarships.org.  But I need your help to win!!  The winner is determined by popular vote.

YOU CAN VOTE HERE FOR ME ONCE A DAY, EVERY DAY until NOVEMBER 28TH.
(Claire Griffin Sterrett)

I'm partly excited because, let's face it, Graduate School is insanely expensive.  For those of you that don't know, I'm currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work with a focus on Community Planning and Organization and a subspecialty in Military Culture at the University of Southern California.  My goal is to help veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars through somatic based therapies and through advocacy work.

Of course, The Pole Story is about women, pole dance, and politics. Which is why my secret plan is to teach pole movement to women transitioning out of the military as a way to support them through the change.

But the MAIN reason I'm excited about being a finalist in this scholarship is because it means that there is a blog on POLE DANCING that has won some mainstream academic recognition! And that is awesome for EVERYONE in our COMMUNITY! 

So please please let's show the world how strong we are as a community! 

A Vote for my blog is a Vote for the Pole World! 

photo by George Grigorian

Stop Violence Against Women

"If, as pole dancers, we truly believe in female empowerment, then we should believe that empowerment is the birthright of every woman, and seek to protect it. And if we believe that part of our responsibility – indeed our mission – is to help redefine the way our culture views women and sensuality, and to advocate on behalf of any woman’s right to dance sensually without danger of persecution, then it is also our responsibility to speak out publicly when we see these rights being violated.  And it is our responsibility to take action and put pressure on our political leaders to make changes, and pass bills that will protect our bodies, and the bodies of our sisters, our friends, our wives and our daughters."  Read more of my latest blog at Bad Kitty!

Why Pole Makes You Sexually Empowered

If we want to empower young women to make healthy sexual decisions, then it would be wise to begin teaching them to engage with their sexuality, rather than to guard their purity.  It would be wise to teach them that they can have responsible sexual experiences and that their sexuality comes from within.  Anyone who pole dances already knows this – or is learning it.  Why? Because she is getting in touch with her inner sensuality, and learning what feels good and right to her – from within.


Want to read more?  Go to my latest blog at Bad Kitty!

How to Handle Emotional Crisis in the Pole Classroom

Ever wonder what to do when your student has an emotional meltdown in class? Click HERE to read my latest post on the Bad Kitty Blog!

Yoga is to Spirituality as Pole is to ____?

What is the essence of pole to you?  Click HERE to read my latest blog at Bad Kitty!

New Blog on Bad Kitty!

New Illinois "Skin Tax" Reinforces an Outdated View of Women, Sex and Strippers

Click HERE to read the latest Pole Story Blog!