A flexible 5-foot-1 inch, 100-pound female twirls upside down on a pole, with her long brown hair sweeping the floor, her 6-inch heels almost scrape the ceiling, before straddling the air and then sliding down onto all fours.
Rowdy or disconsolate men dishing dollar bills don't surround her. Here, there are only cheers from supportive females, waiting their turn.
French Addiction, 819 W. University Ave., has offered pole dancing classes since September.
Mary Jane Brunel, owner of French Addiction, attends the class on Wednesday nights.
"It's a wonderful way to drop into your femininity," she said. "Sometimes we'll begin classes with wine or chocolate, so we all can get in the mood."
Rebecca Butler, 22, teaches the class on Wednesdays and Sundays. "It's the best job I've ever had," she said. "I get to shake my booty and have an impact on the lives of the women I teach."
One pupil started the class after she noticed her sexual energy drained from caring for her three kids. After a month of lessons, during a 'check-out' session - the girl talk portion that concludes every pole dancing class - the woman explained how the steel pole and 6-inch heels were the strap-on confidence she was missing.
"It almost made me cry," Butler said. "This class is about being yourself. We wear masks every day for our teachers, our bosses, our children, our friends. But here, everyone accepts you for who you are."
Pole dancing is also a great workout - an hour of pole dancing burns 250 calories, tones arm muscles and increases flexibility.
Classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, and cost $60 for a four-week package.
