A Douglas pole dancing club is angry after it was stopped from performing at a nightclub in Douglas due to licensing laws.
Savina’s Secret in Glen Falcon Road, Douglas, is run by Savina Thomas, and was due to give a pole dance fitness showcase at The Crescent on October 19.
Savina said: ‘We were all set to go on the 19th and The Crescent phoned saying “we’ve got a problem, you’re now classed as exotic dancers so we need a licence for you to perform”.
‘It was just a private function for family and friends, we were going to hold it upstairs so no members of the public could just wander in,’ said Savina.
‘Initially when one thinks of pole dancing it may conjure up images of dancers in strip clubs, but pole dancing has been gaining popularity in the form of a physically demanding fitness trend.
‘Anyway, they’re calling us exotic dancers, but we’re not. The Crescent shouldn’t really need a licence because we’re a fitness class and a fitness studio,’ she said.
‘The girls have been building up confidence, they haven’t performed in front of people before so this was just a chance to build confidence that little bit more by just doing a private performance in front of friends and family.
‘Pole dancing, or pole fitness as it’s now often called, is a total body workout that includes strength training, fat burning and flexibility training,’ said Savina.
‘I have to say, with 20 years in the fitness industry, pole dancing reminds me of artistic gymnastics. Both require an incredible amount of core and upper-body strength, both can involve equipment such as rings, a balance beam, bar, or pole.
‘We teach pole fitness to people from all walks of life, we have lawyers and nurses, people train weekly to get fit and have fun and then to show off this hard work,’ she said.
Male strippers The Dream Boys recently appeared at The Crescent and Savina says: ‘That probably didn’t help our situation, but we’re nothing like that, we don’t take off clothes.’
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