Pole classes latest fitness craze

Studio Open offers classes in alternative exercise

There are gyms in town that immediately indicate the level of exertion required. The signs are unmistakable -- iron barbells clanging, grunts of effort and air so thick with testosterone there should be a warning sign about a choking hazard.

Studio Open, 5115 S. Industrial Road, Suite 107, is not one of those places.

Its entry has faux zebra pillows, wispy silk curtains, even a white fur rug haphazardly tossed across a brocade sofa. Incense fills the air. A sign gently asks visitors to leave their shoes behind.

Studio Open (www.studio open.com) was conceived as a yoga and dance place, but it's the brass pole aspect that has women lining up to learn the newest workout fad -- pole dancing.

Sure, it's the mainstay of what some call "gentlemen's clubs," but it's also a way to get muscles in shape and, hey, it's fun, to boot.

"As a dance form, it used to be seen as taboo," said Jada Fire, co-owner and instructor. "It was seen as a naughty thing to do. Now it's an exciting alternative. It's a healthy way for women to reclaim their essence."

The classes began in early November when 30 women attended a comprehensive exotic dance seminar. The pole dancing part was so well received, Fire and her partner, Anna Thea, added it to their lineup.

Two classes are now taught, both on Sunday evenings. The earlier class is for novices, the later one for intermediate pole dancers.

Kellie Sparkman, 44, a midwife, took up yoga and dance about eight months ago. When she saw pole dancing was available she signed up for that, too.

"I've lost 12 pounds," she said. "I feel better than I've ever felt my entire life."

Sparkman said women in today's society need more places where a positive body image is promoted.

Classes are limited to 12 and fill up fast. They last an hour and a half and at least half that time is spent swinging around the poles. The rest of class time deals with stretching, dance moves and technique.

The general age of the students runs from 22 to 45. But two women who took instruction were in their 60s. Both, reportedly, were in "incredible shape."

When it comes to a work out, pole dancing requires strong upper-body muscles.

"Some women in our first workshop didn't return the next week," Fire said. "They said they got too sore. You get to use muscles you don't often use."

There's more than exercise involved. Knowledge of pole dancing, it seems, has an effect on people's personal relationships. The studio owners suggested it was an art form that could make women more "intriguing" to their mate.

The two brass poles are in one corner of the rectangular dance studio, which is dimly lit. The room is divided in half with a hardwood floor on one end and a carpeted floor on the other.

There is also a trapezelike apparatus hanging from the high ceiling and, rolled against one wall, a metal scaffolding like that seen in production studios.

No Tarzan and Jane antics can be credited to the scaffolding, though. It is used as a retreat of sorts, with plush pillows and more fur on which to sit under its cavernous structure.

Swags of wispy material hang from its frame. Nearby are candles and incense and the sound system.

On the wall opposite the scaffolding is a long full-length mirror. It's hard to tell the space was once a transmission shop.

Fire, 24, and Thea, 42, met at a yoga studio about two years ago and immediately hit it off, finding many similarities in their lives.

Fire hails from Long Island, N.Y., and holds a degree in art education from the State University of New York, New Paltz. She also studied in Australia, where she learned exotic types of dance including fire dancing.

Her training as a gymnast led her to teach the sport, as well as trapeze artistry, for 14 years. She said she also has a background in performing arts. She moved to Las Vegas two years ago and lives near Durango Drive and U.S. Highway 95.

Thea grew up in the San Francisco area and got her bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University as a dietitian. She uses her degree to speak on nutrition and also teaches yoga. Being a former gymnast, she shares Fire's enthusiasm for keeping in shape through dance. Thea owns her own computer company and lives near Ann Road and U.S. Highway 95.

Studio Open also offers Middle Eastern dance, modern improvisational dance and belly dancing. The Middle Eastern dance class is taught by Cirque du Soleil dancer Arthur Gulkarov.

"There's more to pole dancing than just dancing," Fire said. "It has to do with letting go. When you swing on the pole, it's like letting your body fall. It frees women of their self inhibitions."


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