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The art of pole Marianna Leishman speaks to one of Sydney’s most renowned Pole Dancers. Bobbi describes her profession as “a naked art.”
As we sit on the fluffy hot-pink couch in her pole studio she speaks fluidly of her profession as a skilful gymnast, detailing the lines of the body and dynamics of performance. A photo shoot is being conducted in the next room, and if you stick your head through the chiffon curtain, a pretty blonde leans her messy curls against a pole underneath the light of cameras. Spaced out around a podium and a wall of mirrors, 15 poles cater to a variety of women enrolled in Fantasy Striptease, Advanced Pole or Conditioning classes. We put our scarves down on a zebra rug and admire Bobbi’s Pole Grooves DVD and calendar on the wall. The dictaphone is sitting by a freestanding pole that doubles as a coffee table “for when Grandma comes over.” Bobbi compares the dedication and practice required in her occupation to that of a professional sportsperson. Spending 12 to 15 contact hours each week on the pole, teaching, performing, and rehearsing, in addition to running the business with her business partner Vanessa- Bobbi is proof of the physical upper body strength and fitness required to work the pole. Beginning jazz ballet at age 5, Bobbi has now been dancing professionally for 20 years but never expected it to be a career path. After securing a contract in an overseas show at 19, she explains the dance industry in Australia was very competitive and it was difficult to find work. She subsequently moved to the pole in what she describes as “a last resort.” Quickly establishing a name for herself, Bobbi became renowned “not for having big boobs or blonde hair but for [her] pole skills.” Another instructor Sassy, a trained Ballet, Tap and Jazz Dancer, later mentions to me that when she first saw Bobbi perform she thought, “She must have been born in the air.” Bobbi -her stage name- answers our questions with ease and comfort in a husky suave voice and describes her pole as the prop in her routine. As a solo, duo, and group performer, choreographing performances can be difficult where everyone’s skills are slightly different. The speed of the pole, the speed at which they land, and the point to which they climb must be synchronised and identical to be effective. While most girls chose to perform solo, Bobbi claims when you can get it together “it blows your mind.” While Bobbi has a Cabaret/Showgirl background, she claims she adapted quickly to pole, which is inherently better suited to the kinds of strength training found in gymnastics and ballet, where athletes are consciously aware of the “lines” of their body. While many kinds of exotic dance allow the performer to assume a character behind stage-names, costumes and masks, Bobbi maintains that pole work is incredibly minimalist. She has been asked to perform as an act within Burlesque performances, yet the nature of the pole requires minimal clothing for maximum body contact: “We need our thighs, our lower legs, our chest, our back, we need to grip with every part of our body.” When we ask about how the profession is received in the community, about whether what was once taboo has now become fashionable, or if there remains a stigma, Bobbi describes how the term “pole dancer” has helped in finding a middle ground between the labels of “dancer” or “stripper.” While her occupation has been an admission increasingly easy to make, she claims her family has consistently been supportive- her mum now owns a quarter interest in her Perth studio and her dad builds the portable poles for sale. With gigs now all over Sydney, Bobbi describes how pole dancers are becoming more visible at cocktails parties, functions, and restaurants as an acrobatic and classy entertainment. Shelly, the fiery red head on reception with a background in costume and make-up design, calls to Bobbi across the room, ‘I’m gonna have them at my wedding- I want you at my wedding!’ Bobbi smiles and nods when we bring up the familiar debate about whether stripping is an empowering or disempowering experience for women. In responding to the argument that dancing portrays women as a sexualised idealised body, objectified and stripped of articulation outside the male gaze. She concludes ultimately that the girls are here because they want to be, and no one is in a position to judge any of the women on stage. Moreover she finds that men are often intimidated by the sexual confidence the dancers exude in their own space and that the experience of performing is “wonderful for women” in generating self-esteem. Women wander in and out around us discussing catalogues of PVC boots, outfits and pole routines. While the thigh-high seven-inch steel reinforced boots are fabulous to grip with on the pole, their weight can be difficult for newbies who lack the necessary strength training. Bobbi swears by push-ups and chin-ups for advanced pole moves, and claims serious pole dancers should watch their diet and drink carefully. Having performed extensively overseas, Bobbi notes that while in the United States she receives a “fabulous, beautiful” response and in Japan she performs for a predominantly non-responsive crowd. She finds Australia still relatively unfamiliar with the genre and audiences are often unsure how to react. But with moves like “the Kate Moss” and various “pole climbs” the studio attracts many hens nights were women arrive dressed in corsets and fishnets, champagne in hand. When establishing the studio Bobbi expected a specific target audience for her classes, yet she has found no trend in the women that attend the studio. As most begin for fitness and exercise, she claims a large amount realise that as they improve, become more confident, and establish routines they have the potential to get gigs. Portable poles have been designed for women that rent to allow them to practice at home, and many perform in amateur pole nights or Miss Pole Dance Australia. Sassy and confident, Bobbi embodies all the aesthetics of acrobatics, gymnastics and ballet all at once. While any music is generally appropriate for the pole, these days she is into R n B, and business is better than ever. Find out more at www.bobbispolestudio.com.au |
