My friend Marissa and I were unsure what to expect as we drove across Channelside Drive, on our way to Kiss n Tale, a “pole dancing for fitness studio”. Kiss n Tale’s website promised that after attending just a few of their pole dancing classes, we would “lose body weight, tone and tighten, and increase sensual awareness and physical strength.” That description, plus boredom with my usual workout routine, convinced me to spend $15 dollars for a Groupon good for one class at Kiss n Tale. Pole dancing is a form of performance art that incorporates gymnastics into dance. It involves core strength, flexibility, and endurance, and has been a popular form of exercise since the early 2000’s.

  Kiss n Tale’s studio was located right in the heart of the Channelside district, near the Florida Aquarium, and only minutes away from HCC’s Ybor campus. We entered to an ecstatic “good morning ladiesss” from a man with a long wig, and a midriff baring, pink t shirt. We presented our Groupon voucher for one pole dancing class for two, and signed a waiver promising not to sue if we were injured or killed. (!?) And then it was time to begin. Sam, our instructor (the guy with the wig) strapped on a pair of six inch heels and explained that Marissa and I should stay barefoot because we’re beginners.

  Two other girls followed Marissa and I into a room lined with eight poles, raised about nine feet in the air. Sam told us to grip our poles like the floor was a pit of lava, and we had to hold on to our pole to survive. He hoisted his small frame a few feet up in the air, using his left arm, and wrapped his upper thigh around the pole as he deftly swung his right leg behind him. He propelled his body into a graceful twirl, ending on the floor with a deep split. He shimmied up the pole using both hands, leaned backwards, spread his legs, and somehow ended up spinning upside down to the ground. He rose up from the floor, did a few booty shakes, then bent over while standing up as he wiggled his hips a few more times, with an accomplished smirk on his face. “Allright, ladies. You ready to learn how to do that?!,” he squealed. My friend and I gave each other a “What did we get ourselves into” look, eyebrows raised, and spent the next hour attempting to follow his instructions as we jammed to Britney Spears and Kanye West. As someone who can curl with the best of em’ at the gym, and who works as a waitress lugging giant trays of food every night, I was surprised at how much trouble a piece of hollow steel gave me.

  After leaving the class bruised, sweaty, and exhausted, we joked that strippers earn every penny they make. Whenever we looked like we were about to give up on a move, Sam proclaimed “This is for ya’ man, ladies. Not for you! It’s supposed to hurt!” We practiced the Buddha spin, the butterfly, the aerial invert, the bat spin, and the avatar, before we were nearly ready to collapse on the floor.

  Pole dance began in America in the 1920’s and has been influenced by Chinese pole, a form of acrobatics that is displayed in circus and stage performances. A wide range of professional pole dancing competitions such as The US Pole Dance Federation (USPDF) Championship and Miss Pole Dance World competitions attract thousands of viewers from across the globe annually.

  Sam suggested that we come back to Kiss n Tale for more advanced pole dancing classes, as well as the “booty bootcamp”, “ab sizzler”, and “burlesque” classes. Each hour long class costs thirty dollars a person. You can become a member, and attend an unlimited number of classes for 120 dollars per month.

  Ryan Gosling’s character in the 2011 film “Crazy Stupid Love” joked that “The war between the sexes is over. And men won. We won when you started stripping ‘for exercise.’” While I don’t like the idea of doing something painful, and possibly degrading for a man’s pleasure, I will say that pole dancing was a unique workout that still has my biceps burning two days later. If you’re bored with your workout routine, and are interested in improving your agility, flexibility, and strength, pole dancing classes are worth trying.