What does it take for a plus size person to walk into their first pole dance class? And what does it take to make them come back? U.S-based pole instructor, workshop host and ambassador for fitness at all sizes Roz the Diva was kind enough to sit down with me to discuss what it’s like to be a plus size pole dancer. Roz teaches workshops including confidence building on the pole – or as she puts it, ‘self-pole-esteem’ – and how to better teach and support plus size bodies in pole classes. Several students who identify as plus size were also gracious enough to share their experiences with me over email to help provide a better understanding of what it’s like to be a plus size person in a pole dance class and how studios can be more body inclusive.

The hyper(in)visible student

“People are concerned about being the only one who looks like them in the room. With something like size, race and even gender to a certain extent, it’s obvious when there are things that are just physically different about you verse everyone else. Especially with size, some people are going to stand out. Standing out doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re standing out in a bad way, but it’s hard not to immediately go to that ‘oh, something is wrong with me’ place.” – Roz the Diva.

Plus size women in public spaces experience a phenomenon called hyper(in)visibility. This is a term coined by J. Gailey in 2014 to describe the way a plus size woman is “sometimes paid exceptional attention [to] and sometimes exceptionally overlooked”, often simultaneously. Gailey explains that plus size women are hyperinvisible because they often have their needs and concerns overlooked, while at the same time are hypervisible as their bodies are bigger and take up more space physically.

Echoing the opening words from Roz, pole student Fabiana explains her experience, “when you are socialized through the lens of plus size experience, it makes you overanalyse your body. You're hyper aware of the way you look at all times, so I worried about every little angle, every little roll, every movement. I would pole in leggings because I was so worried about how my body would look. I am also a woman and identify as such, so I've been socialized to perform femininity in a certain way. So, a lot of my fears were about not looking attractive enough while dancing.” Gailey explains that plus size women are hypervisible when exercising in public, being more likely to be victims of ‘discrimination and stigma’ than someone who is straight-sized. For this reason, plus size people particularly when starting pole dance, can hold additional concerns about how they look compared to classmates, or anxieties about being singled out due to their size.

Hyperinvisibility in the pole studio is exemplified by the fears echoed by plus size polers which are not regularly addressed by the community at large. Things like whether the pole will support their weight; not seeing anyone that looks like them in promotional material; getting pole clothing and accessories that fit right; or being spotted. Many of these concerns come from beginner polers and advocacy can be as simple as including some of this information on the studio website. Better understanding the experience of plus size pole dancers is the first step to making studios more body inclusive.

Try it another way

There is no one right way to pole dance and classes where accommodations are readily offered benefit all in attendance. Many pole dancers, not only those who are plus size, have come across a trick or move that was made more difficult (or impossible) due to part of their anatomy. Some tricks are harder with bigger boobs, thinner thighs, or wider hips. The plus size students I emailed with reported having difficulty with tricks like allegras, fold overs and inverts. As Roz put it, “some things aren’t a matter of ‘you just need to keep trying and put in more effort’ because if you’re putting your maximum amount of effort into something, but physically if your gut is in the way, if your boobs are in the way where your hands should be, then you’re not achieving something but it’s not your fault; it’s not for lack of trying”. If we want pole classes to be a space for everyone instructors need to be ready and willing to offer alternatives when something doesn’t work with someone’s body. One example of this that Roz suggested was to reverse-engineer a combo if a particular transition trick isn’t working for a student. Get creative finding new ways to help students into that trick they really want to nail. “Just because you were taught something in one way, doesn’t make that the superior way to do things,” Roz pointed out, “That’s simply one method and one way of doing stuff.”

Help speaking up

For students to feel comfortable asking for these accommodations instructors need to make it explicitly clear that they are encouraged. Many polers will have experienced the deafening silence that can follow an instructor asking a class, “any questions?” It can be daunting to put your hand up and say that you can’t do something, particularly for plus size people who already experience additional visibility and stigma in exercise environments. Roz suggests, “the thing that instructors can do [to make students more comfortable asking for accommodations] is to tell their students explicitly, multiple times, ‘if this way doesn’t work for you let me know so we can figure out something else’. Because sometimes we just assume students are going to advocate for themselves… A lot of students are nervous, they’re really nervous about advocating for themselves. So, if you … tell your students ‘Please advocate for yourself. Let me know what’s up’ then that might be the push that they needed to actually say something.”

The dreaded spot

Accommodations can be made for more than just physical deterrents. For many people being spotted can bring up anxieties about the way their body looks up close or even the worry of falling onto the spotter. To ease these concerns for her students, at the start of her classes Roz demonstrates a spot in front of everyone using a student she knows is comfortable. “That way everybody can see exactly what I’m doing,” she says, “and exactly what the student is doing. That way you know what’s coming up.” Spotting of course can also be optional if the student would rather not try the trick.

Inclusivity matters

I asked Roz why, in her words, it is important that the pole community learn more about working with plus size people. “I think it’s really important because diversity matters, inclusivity matters, representation matters. All these things matter. I can’t speak to other countries, but in America, 2/3 of all women are technically plus size. So, while we might not be rushing into every single pole class, odds are you’re going to run into somebody in a larger body, at least one or two of them, in your class. I want those students coming away feeling like, ‘you know what, that was really hard. I might not ever do it again, but it was a good experience’ and that’s ultimately what you want everybody walking away from your class saying. Nobody wants to be excluded, and especially nobody of size wants to be excluded because you as the instructor don’t have your shit together.”

“[Also], being able to work with different kinds of bodies – it’s a huge flex! Who doesn’t want to brag about that?! It makes you more confident as an instructor and it makes you feel smarter, more capable, and more well-rounded. That’s how I see that. There’s no harm in letting in diverse bodies into a space.”

References quoted:

Roz the Diva – www.rozthediva.com, @rozthediva on Instagram

J. A Gailey, The Hyper(in)visible Fat Woman: Weight and Gender Discourse in Contemporary Society, 2014

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