Pole dancing parties for eight year olds - starting a bit young?

[nemoni]

So, whilst trawling the internet for a suitable party venue for one of my children I was fairly surprised to see pole dancing parties listed under 'children's party venues in Manchester' on the local netmums page www.netmums.com/manchester/local/view/parties/venues/pole-dance-and-beauty-party

So, 'Caters for adults and children's parties from 8+' - pole dancing parties for eight year olds? Am I missing something??!! Or, am I being unreasonable in my assertions that this is a bit inappropriate and perhaps takes girl's make-over parties to a whole new level? Surprised to see it advertised as a children's party venue, even more surprised to it it on said website.

Over to you fellow mumsnetters...

But where else would they get to wear their playboy t-shirts?

And a big round of applause for Moominsarehippos.

Betty do you not make any connections with clubs that men go to to watch women spread their legs while dancing around a pole

Wikipedia says its a form of performance art with its roots in erotic clubs. So is burlesque, so I'm told! Funny it's always girls in bikinis.

Nope, I shan't be taking it seriously until it becomes an Olympic Sport.

Urgh.

I know a few people who do the "pole for fitness" type things, but whenever they share pictures I still think it looks seedy.

I have memories of, when I was working in a school, a mum coming in and proudly showing us "my girl doing sexy moves using a broom as a pole". She was copying some things she had seen on music videos.

It was awful.

That wasn't aimed at you btw Betty. I'm just sick of the pornification of society. Are we supposed to see pole dancing as 'good clean fun'? Appropriate for kids?

I strongly disagree with it. It's conditioning little kids to find pole dancing normal. But when they become adults there may well be the odd male gymnast getting respect from his peers for his grace - but pole dancing will still mainly be about the objectification of women, seeing women's sexuality as something to be bought and sold.

It is not a positive thing.

I am going to email the company direct - I urge all posters here to do the same.

Freddian - I have done this conversation to death to be honest. Actually, I dont do pole dancing, I do pole fitness, a whole different thing altogether.

Mimsy I can assure you my pictures do not look seedy at all.

Yes, all this arse wiggling, tits rubbing up and down the pole, now that is seedy and I have no interest in at all. I go to a proper studio where it is seen as a fitness class, no different to a gym class.

I wouldn't dismiss a pole party put of hand but I would want to check a few things....who is intructing, are they qualified....and no, I wouldnt want make up and photos done for kids either. That just heightens the bad reputation and ignorance some people have towards pole, putting it back years and years.

Good idea Donnie

This is bloody awful

Betty: just in case you didn't realise - men DO NOT go to strip clubs to see GYMNASTS. Men DO go to strip clubs to see POLE DANCERS.Gymnastics and Plle dancing are DIFFERENT.

Generally people learn gymnastics in a GYM with a GYM INSTRUCTOR. My dds both do gymnastics and weirdly enough have never set foot in a strip club for any of their lessons - who knew?

[bangs head against already weakened wall)

Ok so I You Tubed it and watched some championship Polers. Eeeeeewwwww. I love gymnastic and dance, absolutely. Also martial arts - anything where someone is strong and controlled. Sadly Pole Dancing, although can show strength, dexterity and control is, with all the sexy writing, bikinis and bum-jutting, a bit... Not for me.

I would just judge the parents who would think that a party like this for any age would be suitable.

Did feminism ever actually happen?

FFS!

Pole dancing is depressing enough when grown woman participate.

Pole dancing remains very much part of strip clubs, despite a mainstream sector offering it in a different form it's still marketed as sport for women or entaertainment for men really...except this guy, Edouard Doye,bloody amazing

Writing....doh writhing!

Don't bang your head against the wall, it will hurt!!

I fail to see how anyone partaking in a fitness class has any connection with men seeing strippers.

I am learning with a fully trained dance instructor actually, I have never set foot inside a strip club for lessons....why would I need to?? I go to a proper studio where she teaches pole and also aerial hoop. Why would I need to go into a strip club for a lesson??

Ah right, so the problem with pole dancing is just its bad reputation. Nothing to do with the fact that it features in strip clubs then?

Nemoni - that is the sort of thing we learn....that is the sort of thing most people in pole fitness strive for. He is not an exception to be honest! He is fantastic though but there are many brilliant polers like him out there, guys and girls.

I found of kids pole dancing with their mum. It looks like they're having loads of fun and anyone who sees anything sexual in it is probably beyond hope.

I think the problem is, Betty, that for the majority of people, men and women, pole dancing is about women dancing provocatively and men watching to become sexually aroused.

The fact that some people do it as a serious exercise form does not detract from the fact that this is not what the majority of people associate it with.

And given that the party element involves a make over and nails etc, rather than floor gymnastics or trampolining, suggests that the party organisers are making the same link that the majority of people will.

There are probably youtube videos of kids playing innocently with vibrators as well. Doesn't mean that it's even slightly appropriate. It's hardly fucking Thomas the Tank, is it?

yes, I think the 'party' and glamorisation element seals its fate really. If the party package also contained blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol checks maybe I would be a little less skeptical...

Betty I think adult pole dancers can be amazing when they do it well, but some adult friends who do it still end up doing competitions in their underwear and so while I don't have any truck with adult women going to pole dancing classes (as a physio I watch people like Edouard with an appreciative eye for coordination, strength, control etc) I don't think it's a great choice for an eight year old, and def not as the package promoted with manicures, make up etc!
No matter how many examples of sporty, dignified pole dancing you find on youtube there will still be thousands of women doing a different kind of dance in dark seedy night clubs to an audience of guys who may well be paying to do more than just watch. Is that empowerment? An adult can probabaly appreciate the difference, can an child?

And given that the party element involves a make over and nails etc, rather than floor gymnastics or trampolining, suggests that the party organisers are making the same link that the majority of people will

Yes Folk I totally agree with you here...the fact that they want to do a make over etc just adds that seedy element to it...a shame really because it would put most people off. One of the girls I go to pole with went along one day and had to take her little girl with her and she had a go and loved it. She told the instructor she should start a kids class but I told her that it would be a massive headache, she would get loads of bad publicity and bascially it would cause an uproar. It is fine for my DS to have a go at home but I think with regards pole fitness it needs to be accepted first before we let kids do it.

yes Betty I know what pole fitness is it did it years ago I get that you need strength and to be fit to do it well

I also know what most people connect pole dancing with and that is not the same as what they connect gymnastics with simply because pole dancing is a big part of the sex industry

Especially dreadful for children, but any age really!