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Lockdown Stories

Jeder empfand zu Zeiten der Pandemie Isolation komplett unterschiedlich. Manche fanden es als Bereicherung, weil man Zeit fand, um sich komplett neu zu orientieren. Andere waren beruflich mitten im Geschehen - an der Front bei den Kranken, aber fanden trotz der mentalen und physischen Ansprengung Zeit sich zu erden und entspanne.

Secret Diary of a Polegirl

'I work hard for the money' or is it rather

'I do it for my pleasure'?

When it comes to polegirls, many immediately think of strip clubs, light girls and dollar bills in their lingerie - in LasVegas or elsewhere in the dark - where things happen that are not intended for the eyes of a respectable citizen.

The reality, especially in Austria and Europe, is quite different. International pioneers from the stripper scene have developed their talents into sports and have said goodbye to the dirty image step by step. There are even attempts to make pole sport an Olympic discipline. For this you have to say goodbye to the wicked reputation, among other things, to become 'family-friendly'.

Today secretaries, doctors, kindergarten teachers and saleswomen dance for fun and recreational reasons on the pole, aerial hoop, hammock or silks - it may be sexy though too, but nobody puts the bills in your panties and hopes for even more. That is left to the 'professional' ladies who hard for their money in the entertainment business.

Altough, it is of course still very physical, expressive and sweaty, but the wicked flavour has changed and the intention to do it is crucial. Unless you want to surprise your loved one at home with a lap dance, or dance for fun at a club, you just do it for yourself - maybe alone, intimate and undisturbed - listening to your muse.

Pole dancing is as versatile as the dancers themselves. It can of course be sexy and lascivious, as people imagine it to be - to make money or just as hobby. Fact is: until you get your poses, moves and flows right, it is exhausting, painful, demanding but fun. The focus is actually on strength training, stretching, dance, creativity, building self-confidence and developing a feeling for your body. It also helps you overcome your personal limits, it's a change from everyday life at work or at university, it enriches your life with a hint of sexy and you find new friends and kindred-spirits.

Bruises, strains and various injuries may not be absent - but the result is definitely worth it. It is indeed a great feeling, if you can hang upside down in the splits and other great poses - simply because you can! You decide for yourself how you want to push yourself and how you want to feel. It's great walking - sometimes in 8-inch highheels - on the edge of being physically fit, vital and strong and sexy for your own sake - not for somebody elses. You do it for your pleasure and your well being. Body and soul are brought into harmony with music and training and you grow beyond yourself. That is the real spirit of aerial sports.

Lisa Lager, owner of Aerialistic Body & Soul e.U., has achieved exactly that in her studio. She founded her own business in 2018 in the 3rd district of Vienna. During the days Lisa is also currently studying physiotherapy full-time. Courses and workshops are held in the evenings and weekends.

For her an holistic approach, body awareness and health are in the foreground. Which doesn't mean that you can't be sexy too - on the contrary. What is good for the body, is also good for the soul.

Corona time has paralyzed things - public events, parties and shows are still not possible at the moment - but that does not slow down this motivated woman. The studio has survived, courses are possible again. Lisa reacts flexibly to current corona rules - the studio is alternating between on-site studio operation and online classes. She makes a virtue out of necessity and keeps a positive attitude - the creative people just rule the world.

(Lisa Lagler, BA MA, www.aerialistic.at)

'STRONG AS A BEAR

LIGHT AS A FEATHER

AND GRACEFUL...' - Lisa

What inspires you about aerial sport?

Ironically, one pool of inspiration was social media - we only had a few videos on YouTube back then to learn about new tricks, moves and poses. Facebook was later added as a source of information and exchange between other dancers.

One interesting point is the fascination of the possibilities, away from the everyday routine. As soon as you enter a training room, the outside world is a little quieter and the inside world is allowed to speak without using words. The body becomes an instrument of the emotional world and is considered the threshold for crossing over the possible. You get to know your own limits - to trust yourself and to believe in yourself... and you grow beyond yourself. It's more than just a sport, it's an attitude and a way of expressing yourself.

What are the downsides of this sport?

In addition to the questionable narrative about pole dance ('Mallakhamb') and the negation of exotic dancers inside the historiography of some people, the physical demands of some poses are not too present for some performers. In other words, some are simply not aware that the body definitely needs specific exercises beforehand for some routines so that the practitioners are well prepared and the risk of injury is kept to a minimum -keyword: warm-up, strength, flexibility, mobility or stability.

There is also the influence of social media, where hobby-dancer watch short videos, imitate them and are sometimes not aware of the correct technique, which preparatory exercises are needed beforehand and most importantly how to safely get in and out of a figure.

Pole dancing as a contemporary phenomenon has also changed thanks to Instagram. On the one hand, many pole dancer can network even faster and better with each other, but on the other hand, this fast pace has also changed the individual learning process immensely ('faster and faster, better and better, more and more') - regardless of losses.

What do you think of the persistent 'dirty' image?

Fortunately, it is being accepted more and more as a hobby, popular sport and as a dance form - more than it was the case as we started practicing. Back then, nobody in Central Europe knew about pole dance as a 'new form of movement for everyone'. It has indeed evolved from a somewhat dazzling profession through a small niche, that only a few dancers practice, to a mainstream sport everyone might do.

Unfortunately for some people there is still a need for clarification and discourse with regard to the history, transformation and development of contemporary pole dance.

Personally, I say 'pole dance' and define it as a form of movement and exercise. Since it is possible to set priorities such as dance, sport, art and entertainment - that mix makes it so special.