Brandon’s most conspicuous sex shop is now offering lessons in one of the trendiest fitness crazes around: pole dancing! The class, held on March 2 at 8 p.m., will feature a trained instructor from Fantasy Pole Dancing in Winnipeg, a routine and a pole to dance on.

Pole dancing is one of the fastest-growing fitness crazes around. Celebrities like Britney Spears, Eva Longoria, Demi Moore and even Ellen Degeneres have straddled a dance pole to get strong and feel sexy. “Pole dancing is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of fitness today because it gives you motivation and quick results,” explains Tahea, an instructor at Fantasy Pole Dancing in Winnipeg. “When someone sets a goal to, let’s say, lose weight or tone or just live a healthier life style in general, [they] fail . . . it’s not because they changed their mind. It’s just simply because regular fitness [routines] can get boring.”

But pole dancing is anything but boring. Each dance features a mixture of sultry and challenging moves that you must practice to perfect. Then, once you get the hang of that routine, there are plenty of new ones to learn to keep you challenged. “There is always room for improvement in pole dancing,” says Tahea. “There are thousands of different combinations. The possibilities are endless and the accomplishments are very rewarding. Pole dancing does not just focus on improving one area on your body; you are forced to work on every muscle in your body -- even muscle you may not have been able to get to working in the gym. The best part is that you are so focused on your goal or enjoying your accomplishment that you do not even realize you’re working out – until the next morning, anyways,” she laughs.

This isn’t the first time Smitten has offered this sexy and unique type of dance class. “These types of classes have been offered at Smitten for a couple of years now,” says Nicole, who manages the store. “The response from attendees has always been positive. They always leave feeling as though they have learned something new, feeling good about themselves and excited to show off their moves to their partner or friends.”

Tahea assures beginners that pole dancing isn’t hard; it’s simply a matter of learning a few basics and going from there. “At the beginner level, we primarily focus on teaching our students on how to dance with a pole. Most people, including myself when I first started, forget how to walk when they touch a pole, let alone dance with it.” But technique and practice are all you need to get in touch with your inner Goddess and master the basics. “We focus on walking with the pole and making it look graceful and work on moves and spins that teach proper hand-arm techniques that will help them with the next levels,” says Tahea.

Anyone interested in continuing their pole dance studies once the class is over are welcome to purchase a $300-400 pole of their very own to bring home (some assembly required.) “Lots of people can be intimidated in even trying the beginner-level pole because they think it will be too hard,” says Tahea. “We know that feeling good will help you learn, so we intend on making you feel accomplished when you leave our classes!”

For more information about this new, hot fitness class, contact Nicole at 204-727-2446.