Meet Gemma Rose Pole. She’s a qualified pole dance teacher, as well as a stripper and a sex work activist. One of her main goals is to unite the pole dance world with the stripper world- two communities that have become polarised due to society’s internalised prejudice towards sex workers.
When Sensuali chat with Gemma over video call on a late September Wednesday, she’s full of infectious positive energy. However, once we get talking, she makes sure to not only focus on the highs of her experiences, but to address the lows also. Below you can read our refreshingly honest conversation touching on Gemma’s work within the two worlds of pole dance and stripping.
How did you get into the scene?
I started pole dance before I started sex work. I began pole in 2015. I had just quit ballet, and I wanted to try something that was still dance but less rigid in discipline. The place where I started training at was very anti-sex work. They always reiterated that pole dance was about fitness and distanced themselves from strippers and so believe it or not, I was actually anti-stripper when I started out.
Then I went to university and trained at a different studio. Their outlook was very pro-stripper and sex worker-positive. They acknowledged that the roots of pole dance comes from strippers, and understood that we owe all of what we learn to them. This completely changed my perspective, I did a complete 180- so much so that I actually started stripping myself.
I became a stripper in 2018 and I also did some content creation- I was just exploring the sex work arena. It was actually my mum who suggested that I try being a stripper. I was working as a cleaner at McDonalds to support myself through university, and my mum sort of said ‘Gemma- you’re beautiful and you’re a pole dancer, why don’t you start stripping?’
I’m trying to unite the pole dance and stripper communities and demand that the pole dance world acknowledge and respect where the origins of pole came from.
I quickly learnt that the job of a stripper wasn’t anything to do with pole dance, it was all about lap dancing, but I loved it nonetheless. I decided that I didn’t want a normal civilian job after university and that I wanted to do this as my career. I felt so angry at the divide between the pole community and the stripper community. I wanted to do something about it, so I started PDSM (Pole Dance Stripper Movement).
I also teach pole dance classes in Sheffield. The teaching can be very demanding but it’s absolutely worth it because it’s so rewarding and I feel so lucky that I get to help people tap into the sensual part of themselves and make them feel sexy, rather than ashamed of their sexiness. My life is basically me trying to sexually liberate people through a multitude of facets!
I’m never ashamed of saying that I was originally anti-sex work and anti-stripper because it shows how capable we are of change and that inspires me to bring about that change in other people.
Do you have a mission?
With PDSM I’m trying to unite the pole dance and stripper communities and demand that the pole dance world acknowledge and respect where the origins of pole came from. I just want to help shift that internal bias towards sex workers that society has ingrained in us over years and years. I’m never ashamed of saying that I was originally anti-sex work and anti-stripper because it shows how capable we are of change and that inspires me to bring about that change in other people.
I’m in a position that many other sex workers aren’t, because I’m open about what I do. Many sex workers can’t speak about their job because they might not want family or friends to find out, they might have another job that they could risk being fired from. Therefore, I feel it’s my duty to use my voice and my freedom to speak candidly and to educate, de-stigmatise and sexually liberate!
Being a stripper isn’t a dancing job, it’s a sales job. You don’t earn the money from the pole dancing or even from getting naked, you earn your money from talking to the men so that they pay for a private dance. So my goal every time is to get customers into the private room.
What were your expectations of stripper life?
It was completely different to the truth. Educating people on the reality of stripper life is another aim of mine. There’s so much media that glamourises what the work is.
Before I became a stripper, I had this American movie scene image of me dancing on the pole being beautiful and men throwing money at me. This couldn’t be further from the reality. Being a stripper isn’t a dancing job, it’s a sales job. You don’t earn the money from the pole dancing or even from getting naked, you earn your money from talking to the men so that they pay for a private dance.
I was also incredibly shocked by the widespread and normalised exploitation of strippers. As a stripper, you have to pay the club a house fee for every shift just to be there and dance in the club…sometimes you go home with minus meaning that you’ve actually lost money from working.
I was also incredibly shocked by the widespread and normalised exploitation of strippers. As a stripper, you have to pay the club a house fee for every shift just to be there and dance in the club. The house fee varies- some places will charge £20 per night others will charge £300 per night. In London it’s normally £90 to work. It’s a lot of money to put upfront without knowing if you’re going to make that money back in the night, or for that matter, just break even. So sometimes you go home with minus meaning that you’ve actually lost money from working.
What I find beautiful about private dances is that it’s just me and one other person in a room together and we’re both just there for each other and nothing else in that moment.
How would you compare pole dance and being a stripper?
What the two have in common is the power you feel from the dancing. The way that you connect to divine sensual energy and feel very in touch with your body. And both pole dance and stripping mean dancing to an audience meaning it’s also about how you communicate that energy to them.
I’m in love with pole for the dance aspect- sure there’s fitness elements but as soon as I strapped on a pair of heels, I knew that for me pole dance is more about the emotion and connecting with myself, other people and with music. It’s the same with stripping or when I give a lap dance. I’m completely grounded in my movement and I’m sharing it with someone else. What I find beautiful about private dances is that it’s just me and one other person in a room together and we’re both just there for each other and nothing else in that moment.
I think both pole dance and being a stripper are very different in their context but at their heart, they both can really connect you with the same sort of feeling.
What makes a good pole performance is eye fuckery! Yeah, tricks are cool but if you are serving fuck face, and are clearly connected to yourself in the moment, you’ve got me. It’s all about stage presence.
What makes a good pole dance performance?
What makes a good pole performance is eye fuckery! Yeah, tricks are cool but if you are serving fuck face, and are clearly connected to yourself in the moment, you’ve got me. It’s all about stage presence. There’s nothing more delightful than watching a pole dance performer who is so wrapped up in their mood as they dance, and are just ladling their filth all over the stage, and the audience.
It’s clear that today in the UK, the strip clubs are not about stage shows as much as some American clubs. We’re more about the VIP private experience, so I think we should make use of that. There should be different private experiences that we can curate to make clubs more focused on that.
What would be your dream strip club?
One that is more worker focused- where we are treated with respect, given more stripper worker rights and more agency. It’s abhorrent that we have to pay to work and the clubs also take commission from us on top of that as well.
You should never have to go to work and come away with either less than a minimum working wage or worse, in minus! The clubs currently rely on as an income just as much as they rely on the customers which doesn’t feel right. I want there to be more ethical business practices. We should be paid a minimum working wage at least.
I also feel that clubs just aren’t utilised as well as they could be. I think UK clubs need to change to make them more conducive to British culture. It’s clear that today in the UK, the strip clubs are not about stage shows as much as some American clubs. We’re more about the VIP private experience, so I think we should make use of that.
There should be different private experiences that we can curate to make clubs more focused on that. The way that the clubs currently run don’t benefit strippers, but they also don’t benefit the management, so change would be better for everyone!
What are your favourite songs for a pole dance?
In terms of artists, I can never get enough of The Weeknd, his music feel intensely sensual to me. Rihanna as well, they are my two favourites.
My current most-loved song to dance to is Can We Kiss Forever? by Keena. It’s kind of sad but really beautiful to dance to, very slow and soft. Sad sexy is such a vibe.
What is your advice for baby strippers?
- Research: be as prepared as you can for the environment you’re about to go into.
- Go and visit the clubs you’re considering and pay for a dance there. Ask if you can see yourself in that space.
- Keep yourself in constant check with your own boundaries.
- Expect the other dancers to be cold at first. Give it time to foster relationships and they will warm up to you.
- Don’t let customers bring you down. You have to ignore the negative comments.
In regards to the last pointer, this can be one of the most challenging parts of the job. You have to be okay with rejection as a stripper. You get rejected so much more than you get accepted. And sometimes the customers will be judgemental or nasty and you just have to realise that their comments say more about themselves than they do about you. I recommend creating a sort of persona so that it’s not *you* taking those bullets. Not everyone who comes knows about strip club etiquette.
And remember that it’s okay if the stripper life isn’t for you, at least you’ve tried it. There are certain skills you need to be a stripper, it’s not easy and many people come and go in the industry.
One day further in the future, I would love to create a worker-owned strip club. We deserve so much better than what we’ve got today.
Any plans for the future?
I’m just starting a podcast, called the 6am club. It’s you joining me on my drive home after a night of work and I’m debriefing people on how the night was. It’s to give a realistic take on the stripper world in general. I don’t want to cherry pick the highlights, I want to show the lowlights too and also just the mundaneness.
I also have plenty more PDSM work in the pipelines, just trying to keep fighting the good fight!
And one day further in the future, I would love to create a worker-owned strip club. We deserve so much better than what we’ve got today.
What are your thoughts on Sensuali?
I absolutely love what I’ve seen. I really enjoyed the content you put out on social media. It covers many different aspects. I love that you are very sex worker centred. The website seems very user-friendly. It’s nice to just know that there’s a space where I’m not going to get censored!
Follow Gemma Rose Pole on Instagram.
Check out her wesbite for more information including her availability for pole dance event hire.
Join Sensuali today to discover more pole dance and stripper experiences.
Iso
Iso is a writer and filmmaker based in East London. She is passionate about all things erotic and leads a sexy, shame-free life in hope that she can inspire others to do the same. Originally from a Northern seaside town, she is naturally drawn to the best things in life: candyfloss, trashy karaoke bars and heart-shaped sunglasses.
