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...

I'd hazard a guess at pole fitness...?

Out of interest those who don't mind circus classes but mind these classes; would you stipulate to the tutors that your child had to sit out of that part of the day but let them continue with ariel hoop/poi/trapeze etc?

I understand the settings are very different but the setting appears to count for diddly squat to most people here... x

The setting is all important!

PolePerf - it is even more alarming that you are entering into this rather oblivious to what sort of images are sexual, how these images can be interpreted. With children you have certain responsibilities. Everything you have said so far indicates that you just haven't given it the depth of thought required. Being a parent yourself does not automatically make all of your decisions sound. I'm wondering do you have a CRB check? Are parents allowed to stay and watch? If they are... euugh! If they're not you may come into "working with children" type regulations. I don't know much about this, but they are questions you will hopefully have looked into.

Also, think about this from a business point of view - little Jordan books her pole dancing party and sends out the invites- what percentage of parents are likely to let their girls go to the pole dancing party? And funny enough I can imagine the dads objecting most! No-one in my social or family groups would think this is ok. Seriously, not one. It's just a really bad idea.

Well done Pole Perfection for coming on here.

To the posters saying 'what if the dads come to have a watch hmm great view of dads you have there. Seriously get a grip. Pole fitness and exercise classes are not strip clubs. This is a fact that many of you can't seem to grasp.

And saying that it's like grooming and you hope the police look at their computers!!!! That comment is wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start.

This is one of those threads when you would really like the people who are responsible, to come on the thread and explain their thinking,

I would really love to know how they reasoned this out, it's so wrong, I just can't imagine how they square this with themselves,

So if you are reading this thread, before you destroy anymore lives, explain why you think it a good idea to train children for the sex industry?

pinky look at her website she does not just promote pole fitness

unless I have got it all wrong and boudoir package is good old family fun something tells me it is not the picture maybe

her website is all wrong it is sexual with a bit of fitness and lets make a bit more money lets do children's parties too

I will cease to have a problem with this when men participate in it 50/50 and when strip clubs no longer exist.

I know a few people who go to "pole fitness" - every time I've asked if there were any men there. Every time they've gone "no, of course not."

If it's so gymnastic and athletic and nothing to do with stripping, why aren't there loads of big burly blokes doing it?

I will cease to have a problem with this when men participate in it 50/50 and when strip clubs no longer exist

You can't really bring the arguement about men into it....men do not do aerobics, zumba, body combat etc etc

Men do do poling but I can't see it will ever be 50% but then you will never go to a standard class and see 50% of men there!

It is gymnastic and athletic and has nothing to do with stripping, well certainly not at the studio where I go anyway.

Strip clubs will always exist!

I just did bring the argument about men into it. And like I said, it will no longer be a problem for me when men also do it.

It has everything to do with stripping and honestly, if you can't see that you're blind.

Why do men need to do it though?? You get male strippers too so it's not as if stripping is strictly down to females.

Plus, I think that is you cant see that pole fitness is nothing to do with stripping then you are blind....and narrow minded.

betty men are not getting bought in from poor countries to perform for men here in the uk at strip clubs

that is not to say men are not exploited in the sex industry but male strippers and female strippers tend to have very different experiences

and again pole perfection is certainly aiming their business to those that associate pole dancing with the sex industry not just those interested in pole fitness

I don't consider myself particularly narrow-minded. I just find it impossible to square something that is done exclusively for the sexual entertainment of men with exercise.

Do you really think male strippers are the same as female? I really don't. You don't tend to get 4/5/6/7 strip clubs featuring men in an average sized town, and you don't tend to get men grinding their penises in women's faces. The women don't tend to go there in order to be sexually aroused. I could go on, but really, I think we all know it's not the same thing.

Can I ask the people who do "pole fitness";

would you say the moves you do in class are "sexy" moves? e.g., legs spread, bum jutting, shimmy etc

would the moves you do in class be totally different from the moves executed in pole dancing clubs?

do the instructors every say "look sexy" or "think sexy thoughts" or "your bf will like this one ladies?"

Or is it just the setting that's different?

betty men are not getting bought in from poor countries to perform for men here in the uk at strip clubs

Freudian - but how has the fact that I do pole fitness in a proper studio got anything to do with the above??? If no one ever attended a pole fitness class again is it going to change??? No, of course it isn't. What pecentage of women working in strip clubs would you say are there totally against there will??

I really fail to see the connection.....and no, I am not blind before you suggest it.

Cat - I suppose some moves could be classed maybe as sexy moves if you really look at them but no more than say a balldancing move or something.

From what I have seen in lap dancing clubs they lean against the pole, wiggle against it, rub up and down it etc etc

No god forbid my instructor would never say stuff like that....or I wouldnt go. Think sexy thoughts?? What whilst you are literally holding onto the pole by one knee....she is saying grip grip!!!!! Nope, she has never said my DH would like that one. She is a pole instructor, not a stripper instructor and would be grossly offended if anyone suggested otherwise.

I just watched a video from the pole championships. I'm sure it takes a lot of strength and skill, I'm not denying that. But is there really any need to spread your legs every five seconds? I just can't see it as a legitimate form of exercise.

She is probably doing the splits...not spreading her legs as you so elequently put it.

Don't bother watching videos, I am sure you could find something negative about all of them if you want to.

Betty thank you for that

I can see how this would be a "fun" way to keep fit for some people and that there is a lot of skill involved to do it well, but I can't separate it from the fact that it does come from the sex industry and is a sexualised form of dance

For that reason, I really don't believe it is suitable for children and a circus skills workshop or gymnastics workshop is a much more appropriate party

How convenient that one must regularly "do the splits" in order to do pole "fitness". In the audience's face. In a tiny pair of pants.

How odd that this respectable form of athleticism is not part of the Olympics. How odd that men are not all gagging to "do the splits" while sliding up and down a pole.

you pointed out that you get male strippers too

I replied by saying you do but the experiences that they go through tend to be different from women. I know through work and friends and the huge amount of research that is about

go to classes I have been myself I found it all a bit cringy but you enjoy it what I object to is the aiming it at children as fun as the connections with the sex industry is known to all and that is what most associate pole dancing with. the sex industry is being normalized far too much this just adds to it when you are aiming it at children

I have so little time for all the pro pole-fitness arguments. If you want a fitness class there's zillions of things you can do that don't have their (very thinly veiled) origins in female subjugation. It's not liberating or empowering or any of that total bull, it has everything to do with stripping ffs, and the only thing it acheives is to normalise the strip-club end of pole dancing by pretending it can ever be anything other than what it is - abusive, misogynistic, and demeaning.

And inviting an 8 year old to do it is frankly perverted.

The problem I have with all this stuff is the rampant defence of it, the claims that it's not sexualised, it's nothing to do with stripping.

I wear make-up, I wear heels, I wear short skirts and I wear tight tops. The difference is I KNOW those things are sexualised. I do not try to pretend otherwise. And I damn well don't encourage eight year olds to participate in it.

Betty, you are an adult and free to exercise in anyway you see fit .

The issue here is CHILDREN being encouraged by this kind of activity, not only the pole dancing party as mentioned in the OP, but also pamper parties in general and inappropriate clothing, the music industry etc all pushing our CHILDREN to feel they have to behave in a certain way and look a certain to be acceptable or normal.

I find it really worrying that many parents of young children are completely ok with this - somebody must be buying all those vile t-shits with "future WAG" and worse printed on them . Sexualisation of children (both boys and girls), is so widespread these days many people think its "normal" and "cute".

Agree, mechanical. It makes the resultant arguments somewhat trying because you can't argue with something that illogical and subjective. Just because someone doesn't personally feel it's got much to do with stripping doesn't mean it has nothing to do with stripping. Factually it does, end of.

I also get fed up with the implication (not on this thread necessarily, although haven't read it all, but generally), that people who think it does are just old fashioned / prudish / judgy / angry hairy first wave feminists etc and that it's somehow more enlightened to think its fine. Yeah, if enlightened equates to no longer caring about the objectification of women, the sexualisation of children and the crass insidious creep of abusive imagery into the mainstream.