Video: Mumbai based pole dancer shatters stereotypes about the dance form

Mumbai: Women are constantly judged in our society and a woman who pursues and teaches pole dancing is bound to ruffle some feathers as the dance form itself appeals to a number of regressive notions in the society.

In a society with such prejudices about women, being a Muslim woman who wears skimpy clothing and performs as well as teaches pole dancing is no joke, and Aarifa Bhinderwala is someone who is shattering negative stereotypes associated with it.

When people think of pole dancing, the idea of women gyrating to lure men comes to mind, but for Aarifa it’s something that allows her to connect with her body, enjoy her strength as a woman and feel empowered and confident in her skin.

Coming from a conservative family, Aarifa’s sister wears a hijab and so pole dancing was out of the question for her. But she came in touch with pole dancing classes on a trip to Australia and that changed everything.

Aarifa urges people to talk about many taboos including sexuality and says that it’s not necessary that someone who’s fully covered is conservative and someone in skimpy clothes is broad minded.

In this video, she talks about how pole dancing made her feel better about herself and her body, as she seeks to share her experience and inspire more women.