In Saudi Arabia, women reject stigma and learn pole dancing 

In a deeply conservative Saudi Arabia where women were till recently not even permitted to drive a car, a woman taking up pole-dancing is sure to raise eyebrows. But in capital Riyadh women are rejecting stigma by taking pole dancing lessons to improve bodily strength and flexibility.

Nada, who news agency AFP said only wished to be known by her first name, found that her decision to take pole-dancing lessons was met with stiff resistance in her social circle.

Family and friends in the capital Riyadh told her the gruelling form of exercise –- a test of strength and coordination involving acrobatic movements on a vertical pole –- was "so wrong".

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Pole dancing carries with it, an association with seedy strip clubs and burlesque houses often depicted in Hollywood movies. In a deeply religious and orthodox country like Saudi Arabia, pole dancing is sure to meet social opposition.

Undeterred, Nada stuck with the course she enrolled in a few years ago at a local gym, in part to chip away at that very stigma.

The 28-year-old believes she has made progress, at least within her own circle of friends.

"At first, they said this is inappropriate and a mistake," she told AFP. "Now they say 'We want to try it'."

'Feeling good in my skin'

Pole dancing enthusiasts argue that because alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia, and there are no strip clubs, the activity's bad rap must come from abroad.

One pole dancing student in Riyadh claimed that she "wasn't ashamed at all" to give it a try.

"That's my personality, I would say. I'm not ashamed to embrace my sensuality, my femininity. I'm not ashamed of anything, as long as I'm not hurting other people," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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