Studio Offers “Mommy and Me” Pole Dancing Classes and the Internet Is Disgusted
Published Jan. 12 2024, 5:50 p.m. ET
No matter your age, adding exercise to your daily routine can result in various physical and mental health benefits. Any doctor will probably tell you that just 25-30 minutes of movement reduces the risk of illness and can help with anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Since exercise has many positives, it’s understandable that adults want children to get in on the action while young enough to fit movement into their schedules.
Some kids might prefer swimming lessons, football, or even gymnastics. And then, well, the children want to join Mommy at her pole dancing class.
In January 2024, a pole dancing studio in Atlanta, Ga., went viral after posting their “Mommy and Me” pole dancing classes. Suffice it to say social media users weren’t happy to see the class in action.
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A pole dancing studio plans to “break stigmas” by having classes available for moms and their kids.
While some people may think of films like The Players Club or TV shows like P-Valley when a visual of a pole comes up, pole dancing has stretched beyond the adult industry. Each year, more people turn to pole dancing to lose weight or boost muscle.
As our forever First Lady Michelle Obama tried to instill in Americans’ brains during former President Barack Obama’s run, childhood obesity is running rampant, and kids must find ways to get more active through exercise, sports, etc. So, after three years of inquiries, Pink Pole Studios found a way to ensure moms and their babies can work out at their studio.
On Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, Pink Pole, which has two locations in Georgia, posted a video of one of their Mommy and Me Workshop groups. The footage showed several moms with their kids spinning around on the pole. One mom turned around the pole at one point as her son sat on her lap.
During each scene from the video, the moms and their kids beamed for the camera as they showed off their flexibility on the pole. The video also included a caption from the studio addressing any pushback from people who don’t think pole dancing suits children.
“Exciting news!” the studio wrote on Instagram. “After three years of anticipation, it's finally happening. We are here to break stigmas and set the bar. Remember that—it's here to stay.”
Many social media users didn’t appreciate the pole dancing studio’s “Mommy and Me” class.
Although Pink Pole Studios suggested in its caption of the “Mommy and Me” workshops that the classes would ruffle a few feathers. The company also removed the ability for those watching the video to comment, proving it didn’t want any negativity. Unfortunately, those offended by the classes found other avenues to express disgust.
While those upset by the Mommy and Me pole classes couldn’t comment on the video, they had plenty to say under another one on the studio’s gallery. Underneath a post from July 2022 of Reginae Carter and TI and Tiny Harris’s daughter, Zonnique Pullins, filming a video after a class, several commenters condemned the studio for offering their pole dancing classes to kids.
“You all for real teaching kids how to pole dance???” one commenter wrote. “Ppl like you all are the problem and deserve whatever destruction is coming. Trifling. I hope somebody comes with gasoline and a match. This is disturbingly close to pedophilia.”
The conversations about the class continued onto other social media platforms, including X. However, in between comments asking why kid pole dancing classes are “a thing,” some users reminded others that pole dancing isn’t exclusive to exotic dancers and doesn’t have to promote sexual behaviors.
“They have competitions for kids doing pole dancing,” one user mentioned. “Wear the same outfits as gymnastics. It doesn't have to be sexual. It just depends on how you introduce them to it and why.”
Let kids be kids.
After seeing both sides of the Mommy and Me pole dancing workshop arguments, my “final thought” is to let kids enjoy themselves however they see fit. While I must admit seeing the kids swing around a pole with their moms gave me major Kendall and Kylie in Season 1 of Keeping Up vibes, I don’t think the studio was trying to promote anything sexual to the kids.
Pole dancing has many healthy benefits, including burning calories, improving flexibility, relieving stress, and building confidence. With kids today struggling with their self-esteem and societal pressures now more than ever, it couldn’t hurt to allow them to have something that brings them some ease. Even if it’s not by playing a game of “Red Rover, Red Rover.”
However, while I’m all for the lessons, Pink Pole could’ve gone without showing the video on its public accounts. Doing this allows everyone, not just those who don’t sexualize pole dancing, to share their opinion, good or bad.
