Unexpected Black-and-White Portraits of Pole Dancers in Domestic Settings

By Alison Nastasi

Dec. 5, 2015

We’ve come a long way, but there are still many misconceptions about women who pole dance. What most naysayers don’t realize is that pole dancing has been traced back to ancient sports, gymnastics, and ‘20s sideshows. Pole dancing studios like Bobbi’s in Sydney (part of a 3,000-strong community in the city) are full of women whose families do support their interests in pole dancing for fun, fitness, and personal expression.

Photographer Tomasz Gudzowaty captured the dancers with their families in domestic settings, humanizing them for the closed-minded. The black-and-white format confronts the issue of prejudice and allows the viewer to focus on the person behind the pole. Take a closer look at the tight-knit community in our gallery.

Photo credit: Tomasz Gudzowaty