Meet Miss Lily, our 27 year old pocket-sized Pole princess working as a Team Leader by day. This dynamite doll talks about her experiences growing up in a conservative family and how dancing makes her feel empowered and encourages Self-Love.
How long have you been learning Lyra and Pole Dancing?
I’ve been learning Pole for ten months and Lyra for two months at Sky Sirens.
Did you feel nervous before your first lesson?
YES YES YES! I was super nervous but also very excited at the same time. I had no idea what to expect but I’m so glad I did it! I still remember the very first lesson being super stiff and laughing at myself for being a rolling potato.
What obstacles have you faced as a result of growing up in a conservative family? How has this impacted on your self-love and body image?
Coming from an Asian background, my parents had always been a lot more conservative than my peers from non Asian backgrounds. As conservative Asian parents are usually too proud to show affection to their children, my parents would rarely display affection. Quite the contrary, they often compared or communicated harsher comments in hope that would help me improve myself. Unfortunately that impacted me negatively by making me wary of Self-Love and made me lack a positive outlook on my body image as I used to feel like I wasn’t good enough. However, upon starting Pole and Lyra, I have changed my perception of my body image and the way I view myself. I am able to love myself because I have worked so hard to get to where I am and that's something I'm really proud of.
How does Pole Dancing and Lyra make you feel?
Dancing has made me feel physically stronger, mentally more confident and most importantly - empowered. It's especially rewarding when reflecting on my progression and hard work over the term and the adrenaline rush I get when dancing the routines at Nightcap. It really does make me feel incredible!
What do you enjoy most about coming to class?
I love the positivity that Sky Sirens radiates, be it the instructors or students. As everyone is super friendly, the positive vibes and encouragement from everyone has made my Pole and Lyra journey extremely pleasant. I always look forward to class as I have so much fun and inviting that there is never a dull moment. We often say that we have withdrawals during holiday times and that really shows how much we love these classes!
How would you define Self-Love?
Self-Love as being able to accept myself for who I am and be happy. It has taken me a long time to learn to love myself as I had never been confident. Pole and Lyra have pushed me to do things I would have never imagined doing before. Not only do I love the way it has improved my physicality but also the empowerment it's given me has definitely allowed me to change the perception of myself for the betterment.
What is your most beautiful physical feature, and why?
I would say my most beautiful feature would be my smile. That's because I've been told that my smile is worth a million dollars as it is contagious - seeing me happy makes others happy too. If that is the case, I would happily smile everyday as I would love to spread that positivity through my smile and make others happy too.
What advice would you give a Pole or Lyra virgin who was nervous about signing up?
I would honestly say just go for it! I wasn't sure what to expect at first and now it has become one of my favourite hobbies. I have never felt happier to commit to something that I absolutely adore! It's also taught me not to give up so easily as the hard work we put into ourselves will show in the end. So I would definitely recommended anyone who wants to give it a try to just go for it!