Pole Dance Fitness – Musicality, Improvisation and Personal Expression
In spirit of our Pole Dance Circuit class here at FitRec, instructor Liz Roncka shared the story of her journey with pole dance fitness with us:
“In January 1997, I graduated from Boston University with a BS in Health Sciences and an MS in Physical Therapy. Who knew that 20 years later I would be teaching a Pole Dance Circuit class at the FitRec Center?
I have been a lifelong dancer, having taken my first dance class at age 5. My early training focused on classical ballet and then expanded in college to include modern dance, contemporary dance and improvisation. Sometime in the late 1990s, I discovered Contact Improvisation. This form is an often athletic, improvised form of partnering. I was intrigued by the seemingly effortless lifts and spins in the air that were possible with practice and good listening. My appreciation for spinning and being upside-down led me to dabble in aerial work on ropes and combining it with Contact Improvisation. However, due to the difficulty of accessing space to work on aerial work at that time, I did not pursue my interest in aerial dance, although my curiosity remained.
In 2014, a fellow dancer showed me a video of Jenyne Butterfly, champion pole dancer and performer with Cirque du Soleil. I was truly blown away by the aerial work that was possible on a pole and in seconds all of my preconceived notions about pole dance were shattered. I wanted to try this!! Within a week, I found a studio in Boston and began training. I was hooked.
Pole is the perfect blend of dance and fitness! It is a combination of strength and flexibility training with everything I love about dance: musicality, improvisation and personal expression…both on the ground and in the air!
Pole dance fitness classes offer me one of the most challenging workouts of my life. As a trained PT, a certified Pilates instructor, professional dancer, hobbyist triathlete and long-time gym member, I have experienced many types of physical training. The amount of flexibility and strength developed with pole training far exceeds anything I had every experienced. After four years of pole, I am in the best shape of my life. Pole always offers a challenge as well as the satisfaction of mastering a new move.
As a dancer and performance artist, the pole has provided me with limitless possibilities for movement both on the floor and in the air. The momentum generated with spinning, the shapes possible in the air, both upright and inverted, have expanded my palette of personal expression. While pole dance has a broad vocabulary, dancers are encouraged to create new movements and signature versions of established vocabulary.
Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of pole is that we train in community and with an emphasis on individuality. We work together to meet our individual goals be they physical or artistic ones. We respect each person’s current fitness level and support his or her personal goals. Pole Dance Fitness is for everyone. I’m thrilled with the opportunity to share my love of pole with the Boston University FitRec community.”
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Sample or register for our Pole Dance Circuit class!
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