FROM the time she was a gangly teen, Yazliana Mohammad was hooked on pole dancing after watching it on telly. She scouted high and low for classes but there was none being offered then.
"I saw it being
performed in the
clubs and there
was something
about it that --
attracted me to it.
It didn't look easy
but seemed
challenging, and I
badly wanted to
try it even though
I'm not an avid
exerciser," the 24-
year-old reveals.
Finally, the classes became available last year and she eagerly enrolled. After the first class; she was pooped. Unless you have a flair for climbing trees, climbing up the pole is tough. Her arms ached and she had cramps that lasted several days! What's more, she was wearing stilettos.
"Oh my God! I just couldn't do any of the
exercises. It was strenuous but I stuck on
and managed to improve over time. There
are certain stunts I still cannot do but I
always have fun during the classes," says the
Singaporean who teaches English and Maths
to young children.
 Girl in Pole dance class (Liang Peimin and Virginia Lim) |
Injuries are common and in her quest to better herself, she overdid a backward bend and threw out her back. Luckily, it was just a minor injury and she recovered speedily. Yazliana's best stunt is the Ballerina man oeuvre where she climbs up the pole, swings one leg around and swivels down to the floor. She can manage four to five full circles on a good day.
"So far, I've not fallen from the pole and that's great! I've seen women fall off quite often and this can be dangerous." The classes have boosted her confidence level and she has become a little more extroverted these days.
Speaking to the demure Liang Peimin, one
can easily tell she is a shy individual. Soft-
spoken and sweet natured, her boyfriend
signed
her up for classes to build her confidence.
"I agreed to go only because I know it would be good for me. My family is very conservative and they still don't know about me pole dancing although some of my friends know," Liang confesses.
As a primary school teacher, she faces the
usual stress and releases it in these classes.
She is still a kitten but after nine months,
she has reached performance level. Before,
Liang says she had no waist but now, the
curves are appearing and her muscles are
getting more toned.
What does her boyfriend think?
"Well, he
hasn't seen me in
private," she
squeals, "but he
has watched
some of my public
performances and
he says there is
room for
improvement."
Virginia Lim, 21, had low self esteem before she discovered pole dancing.
"Peimin and I are
both blogger and I happened to read
her experience on pole dancing. It
provided a refreshing insight and so I contacted
her to find out how I
could take the classes
too,' says the college student.
That Started their
friendship and a love
affair with the dance.
Lim prefers activities
that are slow and
private as opposed to
the heart-pumping
aerobic classes. She has learnt how to flaunt
her assets, accentuate her curves and sees
herself as a "real" woman.
"I started off with exotic classes first and
my mother was very supportive of me. Of
course, my dad said if possible, please do not
perform in public!" she says, laughing.
Pole dancing is not as sleazy as people think but it is a fun way to get fit. Within a short period of time, Lim has honed her skills and now performs whenever there is an opportunity.
 Yazliana doing a Ballerina |
Pole dancing makes you feel liberated - don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?