Vertical challenge

  • 04 October 2021
  • 3 minutes

For Eve Carcas (Psychology 2019), pole sport offers an escape and a challenge.

Eve is the Vice-President of Cambridge University Pole Sports, which is an acrobatic discipline which requires perseverance and no little strength to take on and complete moves on a vertical pole.

Most participants are new to the discipline, but Eve tried it while at school and continued it at Cambridge.

“Me and some friends went as a one-off thing while in college and just got hooked and started going every week,” Eve says.

“Originally it was a fun thing to do with friends, quite an empowering thing and it was quite different, something you just try out.

“There’s a simplistic appeal of trying to do a move, not being able to, and then working on it until you can do it.

“It’s really satisfying when you can do it. You feel really strong and capable. It’s also a nice way of bonding with other people and meeting new people.”

Eve Carcas performing acrobatics on a vertical pole

Eve, pictured, who is from Kirklees in West Yorkshire, has no gymnastics or dance background, and says the history of pole dancing in nightclubs is acknowledged by those within the sport.

“It uses muscles you didn’t realise you had. It’s a lot of core strength and a lot of upper body,” she adds.

“There is a big community in pole and that community has come from the stripping side of it. You’ve got to respect that and know we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people who started that.

“But at the same time you can express anything through it. It can be about strength, socialising, just another form of dance or art. There are so many different ways you can interpret it.

“Whenever I’ve been, especially at university, it hasn’t felt anything like what people might expect. It’s just a room full of people having a go at something and trying to get better at something, and making friends with each other.”

There are competitions, but at Cambridge the emphasis is placed on fun, and the society is open to all.

Eve says: “It would be nice to have more people who aren’t just women coming along. Everyone is welcome. Any time I’ve been in a class when people that aren’t women there, no-one has batted an eyelid.

“It really can be anything you want it to be: if you want something to distract you from your work, a way to meet new people, a way to improve your strength, or if you’re interested in dance and want a new way to express that, or if you want to feel empowered.

“Also, one element of it is the fact to physically do it you have to wear little clothing, because your skin needs to stick to the pole. That can be intimidating for some people at first, but it ends up being even more empowering. For confidence, it’s great.”

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