Croatian fellowship of the pole

Petra Glinšek Aug 31 - 3 min read

The sweet 16 of pole dancing in Zagreb

In 2004, pole dancing made its way to Zagreb. It was like the smell of a new exotic spice that you just have to try. And it was delicious!

We started in small rooms, with one or two poles, unsure, a little afraid and almost hiding, but the moment we touched the cold, strong and smooth pole, it was love at first twist!

The women in Croatia have simply become addicted. The pole becomes our favourite food and boy, how we were hungry! With each passing month, the number of women wanting to learn pole dancing increased. We did not have enough instructors or pole dancers, so we had to wait a few months to get into a class! We tried to find some Youtube videos just for inspiration, but back then it was a closed community and the only videos were from bars and strip clubs.

And then we started talking about it, without shame, without fear, without caring what other people will think. And it became big. You could not resist the spice. Slowly, but steadily, we began to grow as a community.

Pole dancing became not just a sport, but a new life experience and philosophy.
Today we have many pole dance studios in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Pula, Zadar...in all major cities of Croatia. We have women who have poles in their homes. Almost every reputable gym offers some kind of pole dancing class. We have men attending classes. We have famous pole dancers coming to Croatia, we have pole events, pole workshops, pole camps, pole retreats, pole championships...

And why has he become so great?
Because the Pole does not judge, the Pole accepts us as we are, the Pole is always there and you can count on him. Whether you are short or tall, skinny or a renaissance type, student or grandma, shift worker or housewife - we are all the same in front of the Pole. All "naked" in our fears, hopes, and body language. But we all have this love for it. Love of dancing, love of music, love of movement and hunger for the spice in our lives.

And we share it all - new moves, tips and tricks, knowledge, experiences, emotions, laughter and tears, sweat and bruises. The community is open to everyone and is full of support, motivation, and heart-to-heart conversations. We work out because we love our bodies, not because we hate them.

And what will the future hold?
Well, it's limitless.

Pole dancing is a great way to exercise, and like any other sport or art form, it comes with many benefits: emotional, physical, and social. You can be a pole ninja doing tricks on the pole that make your heart stop, or you can have endurance, flexibility, and tremendous strength. You can dress up in crazy high heels and a sexy outfit and play with the pole. You can dance alone or with your pole sisters. You can choose your pole dance style or invent your own. You can dance to the beat or dance to your own rhythm. You can dance choreography or improvise. You can do anything you want.

But you can also just be yourself. < 3

Jelena

Pole instructor at pole dance fitness studio Zagreb.
Photo credit: Pole Philosophy
STUDIO ZAGREB / SPLIT: Pole Dance Fitness - Pole Philosophy
JELENA BOLANČA
Mob: +385 91 3340 400