Member Spotlight: Kelly

I’m delighted to bring you the latest instalment of our Member Spotlight: this month it’s Kelly!

Kelly is a proud cat lady who can be found at the studio oftentimes rocking a pair of 8inch heels but always wearing a smile. She exudes a quiet but unshakeable a ‘can do’ attitude. At almost 40 years of age, she is epitome of positivity and confident in her own body and sexuality. Read her story here…

“I first heard about pole dancing through a blogger from Malaysia, who moved to Melbourne 11 years ago, took up pole dancing as part of her fitness routine. Although I was very sporty and active back then, I always wished I can try pole dancing one day, but hadn’t had any pole dance studio back where I was from. For 2 years prior to joining IPDA, I was going through a tough phase in my life that turned my life 180 degrees; my mental and physical health deteriorated, I was constantly feeling down, unable to focus, lacking energy and motivation. I also had minor back problem which was bugging me on day-to-day basis. I tried my best to do yoga at home, but it was not good enough to help me to bounce back to normal.

I knew I had to take corrective action to get myself back on track, before more problems started to spawn. Hence during the winter of 2017, I decided to Google pole dance centres and IPDA was the first on my search result. Without thinking, I messaged IPDA for information, challenged myself and signed up for a month trial class.

Before joining, I guess I had the typical concerns, such as being self-conscious about my physical appearance and the fear of not strong enough to execute any of the moves. I also had a lack of awareness about the elements of pole dance / fitness so I wasn’t sure about what was in store for me until I attended the taster classes.

After becoming immersed in pole dance, firstly I totally learned to love myself much more than before and I (try) to stay positive 99% of the time. I am very self-conscious, so after 7 months of poling I started filming myself to see my own progress! I have also accepted that it is my own race / journey and I’ve no one to compare to, except the 12-months-ago-Kelly; how it makes me happy to see my own transformation! My motto is “never stop learning” hence I love the idea of constant learning in IPDA. Another key point that I want to highlight is that I am learning to embrace my sexuality, again, in a healthy way, which I’ve built through the exotic dance classes here which I enjoy so much. I don’t have a dance background and I am very pleased when I put on my heels and dance to choreographies taught by IPDA trainers.

IPDA presented itself as a platform of dance studio / fitness. I love that the trainers and classes are arranged months in advance, which means members like myself are able to plan way ahead what they would like to work on ranging from tricks, spins, flexibility, conditioning or exotic dance, catering from beginner to advanced level. This is what I like about IPDA; you’re accountable for your own progress and subconsciously this instills discipline. Also, IPDA trainers are the loveliest trainers, they provide support and encouragement all the time.

I am probably one of the older (new) students in IPDA and will be using #fitover40 hashtag soon enough! LOL. Most of my pole mates are much younger than I am! This is never an issue as everybody has similar goals once we step into the studio. We not only encourage each other, we also help to spot each other in classes. I also occasionally help to photographs my classmates while they execute their tricks.

Pole dance is for everybody and it’s up to your attitude towards it. “Time and tide waits for no man” is so applicable for older person like me; time passes so quickly you might lose the chance if you wait. Also, you wouldn’t want to regret later in the future for not trying out pole dancing if it ever crosses your mind! I could not think of any worse outcome from trying pole dance other than being aware of the basic elements of pole dance!”