She was also unhappy with how little screentime actual stripping gets in the film. A spokesperson for S Factor told BuzzFeed News that "discussion of stripping as a profession is appreciated, honored, and woven" into their business, but they "cannot confirm" whether stripping was specifically discussed during the classes in the film. But I think, having brought pole into it, that they had a responsibility to address that,” she said. “I think it being an empowerment class, it doesn't necessarily have to speak directly to sex work. During the course, stripping and sex work were not addressed at all, she said, although the participants were taught pole tricks and go to a store in LA where strippers shop to purchase Pleaser heels. The intimacy of the interviews and the newfound empowerment in the women have been lauded in reviews.Īparicio said the class’s lack of discussion about where pole work came from also bothered her. Their stories are heartbreaking and compelling, including a survivor of abuse from Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually abusing dozens of young athletes. That was the thing that felt off for me,” Aparicio told BuzzFeed News of her experience in the class.Įarly in the film, the S Factor participants open up about their own traumas they want to find healing from. “We started talking about pole as a tool for empowerment, but there is not really, like, context around it. She is seen in the background of the documentary but is not featured as a speaker. She signed up to be part of the S Factor class for the documentary in 2018 but ended up discontinuing classes halfway through filming because she was frustrated with the lack of stripper representation (although she did not discuss this in class). That sounded interesting to Alyssa Aparicio, 31, a former stripper who now works as a pussy empowerment coach, helping women to embrace their bodies and sexuality. This is all done without mirrors and without the presence of the male gaze, so participants can find eroticism on their own terms. Those who sign up learn to do pole tricks and are encouraged to wear outfits that make them feel sexy, as well as the platform heels typically worn by strippers. Created by Sheila Kelley, S Factor is a studio class where women are encouraged to use erotic movement to connect with their feminity and empower themselves. The documentary speaks to several women who engage with pole dance for different reasons but centers on a group who signed up for S Factor. However, the strippers feel the lack of representation of their work is indicative of a larger issue of stigmatization of their work within those who pole dance, the hobby rather than the profession. It is simply a different focus on the pole community,” she said. “This in no way minimizes or excludes the experiences of strippers. In response to the criticism, director Michèle Ohayon said the film was meant to show how some women use pole dancing for empowerment and transformation, rather than examine the industry at large. But current and former strippers, including one who can be seen in the film, told BuzzFeed News they felt their profession was erased from the Netflix documentary. Strip Down, Rise Up follows both newbies and diehards who pull tricks on poles, sometimes for fitness, sometimes for competition, or in the case of the main group of students, as a raw journey of healing from trauma. A new, emotional documentary on Netflix delves into the world of pole dancing, but some women who dance as a profession rather than a hobby or sport are taking issue with it.
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