KBIA News

Muse Pole Fitness builds a ‘zero judgment’ community

KBIA | By Bailey Stover

Published February 28, 2024 at 1:23 PM CST

Studio owner Jordan Mazur de Vries sets up a pole before the start of the Muse Pole Fitness 12th Anniversary Student Showcase on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. “I think that the range of arts that there is in Columbia and the overall openness that the city itself has has really helped foster such a great community that's led to this business thriving,” Mazur de Vries said. “We have multiple genders on stage, and I love being able to showcase that to show how accessible it can be for anybody.”

Muse Pole Fitness recently hosted its 12th Anniversary Student Showcase at the Blue Note in Columbia. Throughout the afternoon, crew members set up trussing and installed poles, ensuring every piece of equipment was safe and secure.

People stretched in hallways and on couches backstage before the venue opened its doors. They trimmed their bangs, retouched their makeup and shook out their pre-performance jitters.

Among those getting ready was Jordan Mazur de Vries, the owner of Muse Pole Fitness. She said the studio began with just two poles in her apartment living room.

Since 2012, Muse has grown into a thriving business, and Mazur de Vries emphasized how she and the rest of the staff work to keep it a safe space for people of all ages, races, body types, genders and sexualities.

“One of my biggest things through classes and philosophies for the business is having zero judgment or expectation about what you're going through or where you're at or where you're starting,” Mazur de Vries said.

Mazur de Vries said the showcase is the culmination of months of hard work. Students and instructors carefully selected show music, choreographed routines and spent countless hours practicing.

Madison Thompson, left, Tess Killmade, mirror, Kaitlyn Genereux, center, and Amanda Griffin, right, talk backstage before the student showcase begins on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. “Just getting to see them, like, bring what their vision is to life is just always really awesome,” Genereux, an instructor at Muse Pole Fitness, said.

And as the lights dimmed and the final audience members trickled in, the show began. Leah Franklin, an instructor and studio manager at Muse Pole Fitness, served as the evening’s host.

She began by welcoming the audience and encouraging them to cheer and clap enthusiastically during performances to show their support.

Ruth Simpson performs a solo pole routine in hyena makeup to “Lovely” by Brondo on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. Her piece was a tribute to her late father, whose favorite animal was a hyena. “I’m very glad that I got a chance to do it,” Simpson said. “My mom’s actually in the audience, so she saw it, and I’m happy.”

One performer, Lilly Williams, started her “pole fitness journey” a year and a half ago and said it is a nice alternative to a traditional gym.

“I'm 33, so finding a new hobby was kind of crazy at my age,” Williams said. “But if you've ever kind of wanted to be a part of a community that is just 110% accepting of you, of who you want to be and who you are, poll is definitely the way to go.”

Williams was part of the show's closing group number.

She also danced in a Hades and Persephone piece with one of her best friends. Williams and her dance partner climbed side-by-side poles, twirling and tumbling before ending their act in an intimate embrace.

Caitlin Cunningham, left, and Anna Porter spin and dance on stage on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. The duo’s performance name, “She/They,” is a combination of Cunningham’s pronouns, they/them, and Porter’s pronouns, she/her. “We are good friends and have an ability to throw ideas for choreography and themes around without getting competitive or stubborn,” Cunningham said. “[Anna’s] movements are more controlled and she is more experienced than I am with pole dancing, so working with her challenges me to access parts of my style I don’t normally express.” — Jesse Perue dances to “PING PONG” by HyunA&DAWN on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. Perue said they pulled inspiration for their routine and costume from the original song. “It's my first time in like five years performing, so it's kind of exciting for me,” Perue said.

“It's an amazing way to be able to express feelings and emotions that you have that you can't normally maybe express in your everyday life,” Williams said.

Throughout the showcase, students’ performances covered a wide array of topics. Sexy and sultry acts found a home alongside pieces dealing with heavy emotions.

Some performances focused on processing grief or expressing loss while others centered on body positivity and finding self-love.

One audience member, Mallory Robért, traveled from north central Kansas to Columbia to watch her college roommate perform. She said she was blown away by the event.

“There's a lot of time that goes into training for this type of fitness level,” Robért said. “I also recognize the skill that is required to perform these types of movements both beautifully, safely, but also the strength that it takes to do this type of work.”

Robért said the showcase was a great way for people of all body types, energy levels and skill sets to perform together on the same stage.

“The audience loves it,” Robért said. “It's loud. It's encouraging. It's a really really good event.”

Lyra instructor Kaitlyn Genereux performed in the showcase and choreographed a group piece. Also known as aerial hoop, Lyra requires dancers to swing on a steel metal hoop hanging from the ceiling.

Genereux said pole is something that brings people of all backgrounds, passions and skill levels together as one.

Muse Pole Fitness owner Jordan Mazur de Vries hangs from an aerial hoop during her solo performance on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at The Blue Note in Columbia. “I think we all owe pretty much everything in our whole careers to Jordan. She is the pole mama for sure,” said Christina Scott, a Muse Pole Fitness student. “She's so sweet and so supportive, incredibly talented. Like if you watch her dance it’s, like, mesmerizing, and almost unbelievable.”

“Every showcase feels different, and this one feels like just the most supportive environment I've ever seen,” Genereux said.

Genereux said she was excited to see students bring their visions to life on the stage and noted that everyone at Muse — instructors and students alike — wants every performer to succeed.

At the end of the night, Genereux told her dancers she was certain that there was at least one person in the crowd who teared up.

She said Muse is a space where students can get in touch with their emotions while still creating sexy, sparkly and sensational pole and lyra routines.

“Pole doesn't always get a good rap in the community,” Genereux said. “So I do really also hope that people take away that while stripping is a career and sex work is work, there are other ways to do poll, and all of those are valid. And if somebody wants to try this, there's no shame or no harm. And it's just a really good supportive environment.”

For audience member Mallory Robért, the feeling of support and acceptance extended into the audience. She could hardly keep herself from smiling while watching the performances, what she called displays of creativity, self-expression, strength and beauty.

“It's not the negative stereotypes that I think tends to go along with pole dancing,” Robért said. “It's absolutely a self-love, if you will. It's been great.”

Robért said she hopes to come back next year.