Early this summer, I had the opportunity to photograph an event here in Boise called Pole-A-Palooza. Pole fitness, aerial yoga, aerial silks, poi and hula hoop are very popular everywhere! I have a good friend who regularly attends pole fitness classes  – and even competes in regional competitions! When most people hear about pole dancing, they have a particular image in their mind.  I can promise you, Ophidia will bust through those preconceptions. And this was my first experience seeing aerial yoga. As a yogi… that was really cool to see! All that said, there are some revealing costumes. IF YOU ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE, I invite you to close this window and come back on my next blog post. No harm done!

All of dancers are amazingly strong. They are talented and fun to be around. I loved hearing the stories about the blossoming self-confidence that comes from feeling better about themselves physically. Not only did they have an improved self image, but their bodies became more fit simply because of the class demands. That was inspiring!!

I probably don’t have SuChen’s (the owner) words exactly right but she talked about how empowering Ophidia is for so many women. It was very cool to be a part of that! I saw and felt the difference in myself. There is something significantly beautiful about accepting our own bodies and celebrating them exactly as they are. Yes, I am giving myself a talking to here. More on that in another post.

Here is a  small sampling of some of the images. If you check out Ophidia’s page on Facebook, SuChen will be loading a complete album there eventually. That album will include some of the other cool acts from Pole-A-Palooza like the pole fitness, burlesque show, the booty camp dancers, and more!