Presented without comment:
OLD TOWN SPRING, TX (KTRK) — Women in the Houston area are pole dancing once a month … for Jesus. Yes, the dance moves once reserved for strip clubs are being embraced by devout, church-going women.
In the quaint turn-of-the-century community called Old Town Spring, where Victorian style shops line the streets, one business stands out — pole fitness for Jesus. There’s no preaching, just teaching.
Set to Christian music, church-going women spin and slither around poles. But the instructor and the students say it’s not about sex.
“This is my second class,” student Tiffany Booth said.
For them, this is about getting closer to God.
“God gives us these bodies and they are suppose to be our temples and we are suppose to take care of them and that’s what we are doing,” instructor Crystal Dean said.
Booth was raised in church. Now, the pole is her temple.
“I do feel a spiritual connection whenever you have the music on and it’s singing about lifting you up and being closer to God. You do feel that,” she said.
Getting classes off the ground hasn’t been easy for Dean.
“Some guy came up with his Bible and we were in class and he thumped on the door and was waving his Bible,” Dean said. “People who want to sit there and judge it, you know, like well that is sacrilegious or you know. That doesn’t make you a good Christian when you judge other people.”
There are those who just can’t get past the stigma.
“In Gods eyes, it wouldn’t be attractive,” said 19-year-old Eric Purgason.
Purgason’s family runs Lord and Nature, a Christian gift shop neighboring the Christian pole dancers.
“We have to watch those boundaries that we cross over and not allow the enemy to take it in another direction,” said Dee Bovati with Lord and Nature.
We found women who said the classes clear their moral compass.
“If someone wants to swing on a pole on Sundays then that’s their preference,” class supporter Penny Primeaux said.
And there are those who straddle the subject.
“Are you doing it in front of men? Are you doing it as for sex in exchange for money? What are you doing it for?” said Allison Hogan, who’s skeptical of the classes.
But for these women, there is room for both the Bible and a little body roll in the town that touts its old fashioned ways.
“They’re going to church and worshiping God and it was just a way for them to continue that,” Dean said.
Best Shape of your Life holds Pole Fitness for Jesus classes on the second Sunday of each month, for ladies who take in their church pamphlets. The classes are free. The instructor’s reason? She doesn’t want to make a profit on God’s day. [source]
Like I said… presented without comment. Feel free to leave yours, though.
Actually, scratch that. I’ve got ONE comment. “The classes are free.”
I’ll spin around MY pole one time for that! I like free!
17 comments
*FAINTS*
Many aspire to remove the stigma of pole dancing from its associated culture and this measure is the absolute epitome of that. I actually love that this motivation to pole is picking up. I’ve been a fan of Tavon “JungleCat” Hargett who was another pioneer of the ‘poling for Jesus’ phenomenon and I think it rocks!
Being raised in a Pentecostal church (COGIC), I KNOW this would absolutely not fly in many congregations. But there was a time when “Saints” held their noses up at miming, liturgical dance or even gospel rap, in the sanctuary – now they’re on display every Sunday.
Artistic and emotional expression can present themselves in many forms. If your heart, mind and soul are in a holy space – who am I to chastise your extended butterfly to the tune of some Yolanda Adams?
It’s highly possible to pole dance, without raunchy or suggestive moves. Actually, my favorite “pole-models” do just that on the regular.
Amen.
~ Sister “Cocoa”
LOVE IT! I would totally do this. I understand that you should probably be doing this for your husband, since it’s church and all, but why are people so suspicious?
Can’t view the video, but based on the text……
I’m agnostic, but I’m still confused by this. I know pole dancing IS a great way to get fit – I’m just not sure what connection to Jesus it has. I mean, if you want to travel that path, there’s a lot of things you can twist into “doing it for Jesus.”
So, just so I’m clear on this. Pole dancing in a club or for men’s pleasure = not okay. Pole dancing for Jesus = treating your body as a temple. Even though the body derives the same physical benefits. Alrighty then.
I think there are other ways to be closer to Jesus, but hey, to each his own. I bet church will be packed Sunday morning with the collection plates already full
So, not many people realize this, but there is actually a (East) Indian martial art (the earliest known recordings of the art form is in the 1100s AD) called mallakhamb, practiced by both men and women, that involves, well, what we call pole dancing. There’s an even more advanced form of it that involves doing the same movements using a rope instead of a pole. It’s considered a martial art due to the amount of conditioning it takes to be able to perform the moves on the pole or rope. There’s a youtube video that depicts this art form (in fact there are several); I’ve attached it below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRXzbPzGwZA
In short, we tend to oversexualize everything.
Wow….
I love it! I do think maybe they should educate the town a bit better, because I’m sure there are a lot of people with questions like Allison Hogan – explain that there’s nothing wrong with doing a little pole dancing for your husband (well, personally I see nothing wrong with doing a little pole dancing for whoever you darn well please, but I get a church not getting behind that), but that really it’s about doing something beautiful and amazing with your strong body!
And I loled at this – “In Gods eyes, it wouldn’t be attractive,” said 19-year-old Eric Purgason.” What do you know about what’s attractive in God’s eyes – you’re 19! 😀
I will kick someone in the face!!! Please stop the madness!!! I know the bible says thos do everything to the glory of God but really????
We’re out here kicking folks in the face because they don’t praise the way we do?
No thank u to each his own! Have at it!
what i DON’T understand is why people wanna put Jesus all in the middle of some foolishness!! wanna work the pole for your hubby? FINE, do it. but don’t be puttin Jesus all up in it!! i seriously doubt Jesus is lookin for the POLE to be another venue for worship. idk, maybe i’m just a prude
I’m pretty sure that the bible doesn’t discriminate against forms of worship. Maybe you see pole as inherently sexual… but it’s not. It’s not about being a prude, but it IS about knowing that people perform platonic routines every day. Just sayin’.
Honestly these women could potentially be saving marriages.. God knows married people need all the help they can get. God has mysterious ways! LOL
I’m sayin, though. LMAO
My initial thought was, Jesus didn’t ask yall to pole dance for him. LOL. Everybody is on this pole dancing fad now.
I think its an awesome concept and I would pay to go…and currently I don’t even have it to give…I mean people need to separate religion from an intimate relationship with God…I mean when you really worship during that time you can be brought to tears by song alone I couldnt imagine incorporating my body in those positions, when my body was stretched to the limit to reside in him and to be reminded that my physical strength comes from him alone….2nd point, I think its awesome to have this Christian alternative because song has influence,so I’m trying to get my work out on and Im listening to something that is completely sexual you don’t think my mind is going to wander ….and that can definitely throw you off whatever path you on…some secular music should only be reserved for married people only cause they will take you there…I know Yall know what I’m talking about….and if you are on weightloss journey you may even choose to be celibate so what some of you suggested is that individual ,if they choose to poll dance is subject to a certain genre of music because they dare not throw Jesus in the mix in an attempt to focus on something other than our sex filled culture…and I also agree with Erika that poll dancing has never been sexual in my opinion you can twist it up to be that, I mean that’s how its been marketed but to me its just a very femine way of strength training I am amazed at what these people can do and to be able to express yourself like that….I applaud them….ok so I’m on a rant right now but my point is that sometimes you have to incorporate Jesus into an arena just to try to avoid sin….and I thank this lady for being a trailblazer ….thank you for giving me an alternative because if I’m going to learn how to pole dance I rather learn in and praise and worship environment than in an environment that could open up another door that could cause me to really loose my religion….and it creates a boundary maybe they may just teach certain moves and leave the booty clapping for the strip club….what Yall think….lol
Comments are closed.