A core part of our mission at Ascendance is to help students build self-esteem through pole dance and aerial arts. Our work in the world runs against the grain of the broader culture we exist in, a culture shaped by interlocking systems of oppression that undermine the way we esteem and love our bodies. These intersecting factors include ableism, racism, sexism, fatphobia, transphobia, and ageism; they surround us and become deeply internalized in the way we relate to our bodies and the bodies of others.

Undoubtedly, learning to pole dance can bring up painful emotions related to the body; simultaneously it can also help us to transform that pain into freedom, joy, and community. This workshop will be a chance for students to reflect on all of this in a supportive container through a combination of journaling, sharing, and (of course!) dancing.

This 90 minute workshop combines prompted freestyle flow exercises, journaling prompts, and space to share reflections in pairs/as a whole group, for anyone who seeking to reflect on the struggles and joys of getting to know your body as you learn pole dance in a group setting.

This workshop is open to pole dancers of all-levels.