[PHOTOS] Saudi women pole dance in defiance of prejudice

RYAD | When Nada started “pole dancing” a few years ago, her entourage in Saudi Arabia reacted strongly, but she is determined to change mindsets in this conservative Gulf monarchy.

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In the capital, Riyadh, the 28-year-old yoga teacher remembers being told by family and friends that the sport was “not good at all,” much associated abroad with strip clubs and other burlesque cabarets.

Nada was undeterred, taking classes at the gym to eradicate some of the prejudice, with some success, at least in her circle of friends, she believes.

“At first they said it was incorrect and it was a mistake. Now they told me: “We want to try””, laughs Nada, refusing to reveal his surname.

For many years, restrictions on what Saudi women wear or wear have severely limited their opportunities for physical activity.

However, in recent years, despite intense political repression, especially targeting feminist activists, the authorities have tried to open up society more to soften its image with the world and its own youth.

Last month, the Saudi women’s national football team played their first home game against Bhutan, and the Women’s Premier League is set to kick off soon.

Officials are aiming to get more women involved in golf, a traditionally male-dominated sport that is gaining popularity in the oil-rich state.

As part of these changes, at least three gyms in Saudi Arabia offer “pole dancing” classes.

“Good in their own skin”

“I think there’s more interest in pole dancing because it’s something new that girls like to try,” said May Al-Yousef Sports, owner of a venue in Riyadh.

For “pole dancing” fans, the fact that alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia and there are no strip clubs is no excuse for the sport’s bad reputation.

One of the members of the “pole dancing” course at the Rad assured that there is “no real shame” in indulging in it.

“This is my personality, I would say. I’m not ashamed to imagine my sensuality, my femininity. I’m not ashamed of anything as long as I don’t hurt anyone,” she explains, asking to remain anonymous.

The only reason she quit was because pole dancing was more physically demanding than she expected, a much more difficult activity than it appeared on screen.

“I realized it’s not my thing. It takes a lot of muscle, a lot of strength to do it,” she said.

May Al-Yousef, a gym owner, hopes the physical demands of ‘pole dancing’ shine through in the photos and videos she posts on Instagram.

Another asset of this sport, according to her, is the well-being and relationship clients have with their body: “Over time, they start to like their body more” and “to feel good in their skin,” she says.