More men in Singapore turning to pole dancing for fitness despite stigma
While it’s common to see women in Singapore trying out pole dancing as a means to keep fit, more men have been picking up the sensual fitness activity, too.
Singaporean Louis Sue is one of the many male pole dancers in the country who have not only mastered the art but is also breaking the two stigmas surrounding pole dancing. One, that pole dancing is often perceived as promiscuous and commonly associated with sleazy bars. Two, that it is a sport suitable only for women.
Sue, 24, who has competed in the Asia Pole Championship 2017 and emerged as champion in the SG Pole Challenge 2016, doesn’t see anything wrong with men taking up the sport.
Sue said, “People think it’s not normal and that pole dancing is slutty or a dirty activity.”
He continued, “It might look very sexy and elegant, but people don’t realise that it takes a lot of core strength and training to execute. It’s physically demanding, and I think that makes men more receptive to doing pole dancing.”
The fitness activity has also made Samuel Hsu, 23, and Thura Nyo, 22, feel more comfortable about their masculinity.
Hsu said, “I was screaming through the majority of my one-hour classes initially, because the pain [of the friction between the pole and bare skin] was too much. It’s like being hit by a metal rod over and over again – the pain is really out of this world – but I got used to it and eventually toughened up.”
Nyo said, “The physical demands of pole dancing have made me a lot more comfortable in my own skin – I feel a lot better about my body.”
According to Sue, the stigma could also be the result of the lack of clothes associated with pole dancing.
“Because of the need for skin contact [against the pole when dancing], most pole dancers show quite a bit of skin. Female pole dancers usually wear a tank top and short shorts, and male dancers might go topless, which leads to the misconception that pole dancing is sleazy. We have to wear less clothes or risk falling off the pole,” he said.
Not a ‘sissy’ for taking up pole dancing
All three pole dancers whom Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore spoke to have experienced struggles with gaining social acceptance for their choice of fitness activity.
“I didn’t want to inconvenience myself by having to explain to my friends why I took up pole dancing. There’s still a misconception that pole dancing is ‘sissy’. I only told my friends after I became more comfortable and understood more about the sport,” said Hsu, who only told his friends several months after picking up pole dancing.
Nyo, who has been pole dancing for eight months, said that he was reluctant to tell his friends and family for the same reason.
“I kept my pole dancing classes secret initially, because many people think it is a feminine activity. I didn’t tell them until I was more comfortable with pole dancing, and even then most of my friends were shocked because it’s not a conventional thing that men do,” said Nyo.
Meanwhile, Sue – whose girlfriend runs poleLAB studio – finds it common for people to associate his pole dancing with homosexuality. “It’s a common reaction. I’ve had people ask me outright if I’m gay once they find out that I do pole dancing, because they don’t think it is a masculine activity,” he said.
More men picking up pole dancing despite stigma
Despite the stigma and stereotypes revolving pole dancing, the trio noted that there has been a significant increase in the number of men venturing into pole dancing as compared to three years ago.
Hsu said, “Sometimes you even see more guys than women in a mixed-gender class, which is something that you wouldn’t see two years ago. There are definitely more guys picking up pole dancing these days.”
Nyo said, “The divide between male and female pole dancers is definitely improving. Younger people don’t tend to draw a line between what men and women should do, which is one reason why we see more men picking up pole dancing. ”
A handful of these men have also upped the ante on pole dancing by practicing in sky-high stilettos.
“There’s nothing wrong with men wearing heels to dance. In fact, wearing heels actually increases the difficulty of the dance,” said Sue.
Related story: Get to know Singapore’s only male professional pole dancer Daniel Kok
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