We have a pole dancing studio in town, and the owner contacted me asking if I would teach a class for her. Even though she wanted to keep it 'belly dancing" (and there is no way I would teach anything but), I said NO THANKS!

I would be too afraid that
1) people would start to make the connection that pole dancing = belly dancing since they are taught together and
b) the other troupes would massacre me if I "sullied" the reputation of dance by teaching it there

Nothing wrong with pole dancing or exotic dancing, just needs to be kept separate from belly dancing !

The lady who asked Joyce has a point, because pole and bellydance actually go along well. Pole dancers could definitely benefit from bellydance movements, because, let´s face it, those can be damn seductive if you choose to use them in that way.

There is, however, a social stigma attached to pole dancing, and belly dancers (who have fought hard to disassociate themselves from a similar stigma ever since the dance jumped the border to Europe and America) are afraid to come in contact, because they fear it may rub off on them.

My favorite Belly Dance teacher is also a certified pole dance instructor. Man, does that girl have some serious core strength! I wish i had her muscle control. (I also get a kick out of the "pole hole" that now resides in her studio ceiling from putting up a removable pole).