Member Spotlight: Asimina

I’m delighted to bring you our latest Member Spotlight: this month it’s Asimina!

Asimina joined us initially with the goal of strengthening her body and overcoming back and shoulder pain caused by working at her desk. She very quickly saw great progress in her physical self and since then has continued onwards and upwards! We decided to feature Asimina because she has a great view of the world and her place in it; she always works hard not only on her pole dancing but to be inclusive and compassionate to those around her whilst at the studio. In other words, she is an extremely sound human and badass feminist!

“When I first started thinking about pole dancing it was a moment in my life in which I was really disappointed with gyms and other physical activities that didn’t feel right for me. I was already living in Dublin for 4 years and trying to find something to do on my free time, something outside of work and the stressed environment, something that I could do for myself to feel good with my body as I had a really bad experience with injuries and back pains.

It took me a while to decide and to take the first step towards joining IPDA as I searched for a new activity which could motivate and inspire me while keeping me interested. I read on the internet and watched videos about pole dancing and it seemed really interesting and& challenging, so I decided to take a leap and try it out; it didn’t take long to realize that it was much more than a physical activity…. It became a passion.

This is important because it’s the only moment of my day in which I am doing something just for myself, it helped me find my own balance of body and mind as well as a safe place to express myself with no judgement or criticism and to be part of this awesome community with people that share the same interests and passion.

Before I joined I was afraid about my injuries and pain, as well as being afraid of disappointing myself and dropping out after a month. Pole dance seems the right thing for me, I feel stronger, sexier, and empowered, it proves me that you can do anything if you really want to. I feel so happy with my progress as I started with no strength or flexibility and was scared to try anything out of my comfort zone!

After 11 months I can see myself getting more a powerful body and soul, I am no longer afraid to try new things and failure. Pole dance taught me that you have to fail to get up and try again, you have to know your limits and don’t push too much otherwise you will get injured, to be patient and the progress will come, to not compare yourself with others as this is not a competition, as everybody is unique and can’t be compared with anyone else. Don’t try to fit with other people but just create your own space and style because this is you and only you, you don’t have to prove anything to no one else.

My future goal is to keep improving myself and get stronger and flexible as much as to find my own place and style as a pole dancer.

My favourite thing about IPDA is that it’s a great place to start learning about pole dance; all the teachers know exactly how to introduce pole dance to beginners as well as making sure that every individual member progresses and reaches their goals. It’s a great place to try advanced tricks as well as to be inspired and motivated to keep going and finding your own style.

I will never forget when I struggled with learning how to do body rolls and Arlene simply sent me a video to get some nice tips and exercises for my next lesson; this personal advice showed me how much the IPDA cares about everyone and how supportive they are.

I will never forget Leanne pushed me out of my comfort zone to try a new pole trick because she knew before me that I could do it… Sometimes you just need someone to believe in you more than you believe in yourself.

Jillian can explain the same exercise in so many different ways with games and tips that can help everybody to adopt it and move on to the next level, her techniques helped me with my progress.

I originally heard about IPDA when I searched online for a nice place to start pole dance in Dublin and every article and comment led me to IPDA where teachers know what they are doing. I checked the website and I found the answer to most of my questions I got such as: is pole dancing suitable for someone with no background of any similar activity etc., the possibility of enrolling for a month and taking a taste of pole dancing as well as to see the results after such a short period of time was what pushed me to take the step. I don’t regret it at all 🙂

To anyone thinking about trying pole dancing, don’t be scared to try new things, it’s safe, it’s for everybody it’s for you. There is no specific shape or age and gender or time to start pole dance, it’s not only a dance it’s an art, it’s a hobby, it’s a passion; yes you will have bruises but trust me you will have a fucking ass as well! XD”