Seattle Pole Dancing with Robert S Orr III

Soon I am on a trip thru Seattle and onto New York and Boston. It got me thinking of my last trip into Seattle and the delightful Pole dancing session I had at Free Movement Zone . It is about time I shared the experience.

SO I make it a habit to check out the pole dancing classes when I travel. Each instructor is so different in what they focus on. Pole dancing has not yet evolved to a standardized structure. Unlike Salsa, or swing, there is no right way to do it and certainly not a standard in teaching. Instructors for the most part are self-taught, although this has evolved into a business around instruction and certification these days. More about this in a future blog.

I want to highlight the instruction of Robert S. Orr III of Seattle. University Street studio is the most unique I have witnessed. Yes that's right a male dance instructor teaching pole dance. I was privileged to have Robert open up the studio for me while visiting that weekend. I guess he was interested meeting a traveling Pole dancing student, as I was to hear about a co-ed class.

In Robert's small, bright and high ceilings studio I found 4 poles, two sizes 1.5" and 2" both in static and spinning, and a rope that he states he used to help build strength for inversions.

It fascinated me that Robert has his students rotate between each pole type through his classes, becoming comfortable with all equally. The clothing you would find are sweats, not the short shorts and micro tanks of other classes. His focus is getting men and women to recognize that this is dance no different then ballet or jazz. It is artful and athletic. He is right. I did not have the opportunity to meet his students, and I would have loved to. I had him demonstrate a beginner routine and something more advanced. As expected with the lack of skin area, the focus was arms and fluid movements of legs positions. He focuses on the spinning pole and watching I could imagine underwater ballet as he scaled up and down the pole s in one fluid motion.

If you have not tried a spinning pole it is not for the faint of heart. With the speed you feel quite out of control. Robert had me spin as fast as I felt comfortable, to get me over the fear. To my surprise the centripetal force actually made holds easier. It was thrilling like a coaster ride, but as you might expect I prefer the static and familier 2" brass.

I did not have the privilege of taking part in a class, timing being what it was but I did notice a few style differences. Robert came from a background of ballet and it shows in his methods. His lack of individual broken down spins fascinates me. It was all about combining movements. I imagine his classes are about getting comfortable with the pole and letting creativity take over. It is on the opposite spectrum of the Vancouver based Tantra Fitness, where structure and technique are the base on which to build your creativity. I felt a bit sad that Robert, being a man up against the female dominated industry of pole dancing, will not have the opportunity to learn from many instructors. Unlike myself he must work harder to find the community of fellow pole dancers many not be introduced to several class styles to further his skills. We all learn and benefit from new instruction styles.

I really appreciate the time that Robert gave me that rainy Saturday. He has a welcoming spirit, with a love of dance, and I feel enriched having spoken to him. I learned allot about pole dancing and allot about pole politics, which I look forward to speaking about in a future blog. I welcome all comments.

2008 Free Movement Zone, LLC
4556 University Way NE Suite 222
Seattle, WA 98015
Phone: 206-755-9275
info@freemovementzone.com