INTERVIEW | Pole Dancer Lily Deakin Talks About Her Experience as a Professional

Japan is home to a diverse array of talented individuals. However, pole dancing may not be the first craft that comes to mind. In an exclusive interview, JAPAN Forward explores the growing community in Japan with Lily Yurika Deakin. The Tokyo-based pole dancer and instructor at Pole Dance Studio Transform explains her field — from its challenges to its newfound popularity.

Love at First Spin

When was your first encounter with a pole?

I started pole dancing about three and a half years ago. It was a COVID hobby that took off. A lot of meeting places were closed, so many of my girlfriends were going. It was something that I felt quite intimidated to try because I had a strong preconception of what pole dancing was supposed to look like. And I just couldn't see myself doing those hyper-sexual moves.

So, I kind of let my hair get pulled by my friends a little bit to just have one fun girls' night and call it quits.

It ended up being the perfect fit for me, hanging out with my girlfriends and doing something cathartic. Pole is great because it's time-efficient. With a regular dance, there's choreography, which I don't have time to memorize. But the good thing about pole is you're just trying to figure out how to do this one move or combination. So it gave me the flexibility to go after work.

I regularly went to the studio to practice on my own. Eventually, one of the instructors pulled me aside and asked me to fill in a lesson slot. She thought it was a great idea because I have a more Western approach, and I'm bilingual. I could bring in students from the international community.

*Lily Deakin at Pole Dance Studio Transform (2023) (©Josh Taylor)*

Life in Dance

What are the challenges that you face as a professional pole dancer?

Because it's a relatively new sport, there aren't many venues where you can perform, which is a really fun challenge. There are a few legal issues that come into consideration. When placing a pole in a venue, it can be considered a nightclub. (Therefore, there aren't very many places.) So, I transport a portable pole to venues to perform. It weighs 75 kilograms.

The bottleneck for pole [dancing] is that you do have to stick to the pole. That is why pole dancers wear such minimal clothing. That keeps away sponsorships and bigger brands that are trying to support the purpose of your project. So, I've invested in poles that have a coating, which allows for the dancer to be slightly more modest.

There is, of course, the hyper-sexual connotation of pole dancing. However, it allows me to think of how I can educate people.

When the road is already paved, there are so many more participants and more people ahead of you. But sometimes, when you have a community that is not as accepted, people work harder to master their craft because they're proving themselves. I think that's why a lot of globally recognizable pole dancers are Japanese.

I like the roadblocks because they force me to be creative.

What is your life's routine like as a dancer?

Most people expect me to just drink protein shakes. But I'm super healthy. I eat a lot because I burn so many calories.

Also, I probably spend more time conditioning off the pole than on it. So I think when you're on the pole, because you're only working one side of your body, it can be pretty unbalanced. To stay balanced, I try to go to the gym regularly and stretch at home regularly, just to keep my body in check.

People assume that because I'm a pole dancer, I party a lot. However, I drink less because my lessons are on Sunday mornings. The last thing I want to do is spin hungover. It's also so important for me to be in the best condition for my students. They're doing so well, and it makes me have to level up, too.

I'm so aware of all the little muscles in my body now. Weird things will start hurting. I've done so many MRIs. So it's definitely made me more health conscious.

*Lily Deakin at a Photo Studio (2024) (©Josh Taylor)*

Is there anything you do to prepare for a performance?

I try to make all my costumes. Actually, I've always loved sewing. I just never had a reason to prioritize it. Now that I do pole, I can.

For a long time, I felt like carbs [carbohydrates] were bad for me. But to move, you need to eat carbs. I'm getting better at mapping out my eating habits. Of course, it's for the aesthetics, but also for understanding [your own] physical body.

It's not just about the moves you can do ー it's about how to blend it with music as well. So I make sure to practice and map out my speed. Then, before getting up on stage, I do a lot of meditation. Is there anything scarier than being nervous or wearing very little clothes? I try to remember why I'm doing this. And stay calm, stay present.

Was there perhaps some hesitation when you chose this career path?

It's wonderful that everybody has been so accepting. On my Instagram, over 60% of my followers are women. They're coming to see the performances, and they want to try. Even if they don't want to try, they want to support.

I think, in a way, I feel more comfortable in this community because when I go up on stage, it's my choice. When I worked in a corporate environment, particularly a male-dominated one, when unwanted sexual attention came up, it was incredibly jarring. That's why [pole] is so powerful to me. I can perform with control over the lighting, the music, and the choreography. It's an exercise of my autonomy.

Dance Community

What is the global pole dance community like?

In the United States, I find that the popular style is very athletic, whereas in Russia, it's more seductive and sultry. Then, in places like Japan and South Korea, it's more girly and focuses on soft femininity, almost ballerina-esque.

Right now, our pole studio is in this anime boom. It's because of an anime that came out recently called Pole Princess. My mentor, Kaori, participated in consulting with the animation process.

Whenever I travel, I always try to stop by a pole studio. And I know at least one person or instructor from a studio in any city I go to.

Pole dancers on Instagram go out of their way to find each other and engage with each other's content. Trying to make it so that people outside of the community can find our content.

It's because many of our (pole influencers) Instagrams are shadowbanned. With strict censorship rules, the algorithm picks up on the pole, and you can lose a lot of [SNS] engagement.

That's partially why my page is a bit more artistic ー because I'm actively trying to avoid getting shadowbanned.

Has the community of pole dancing changed over the years?

One thing that I have noticed is that when people have children, they're pulled out of their careers. So, a lot of people pick up [pole] later in life. When I began, I assumed that it was an activity for people in their early 20s.

But classes are kind of expensive. I think the barrier to entry is quite high. And so in Japan, I feel like a lot of the girls are in their late 20s.

I feel like the community is strong and growing. More pole competitions are happening in Japan. In the West, many girls have gone to one class just to try it.

In Japan, most people know one person who has tried it. And I feel like in a couple of years, it'll become a thing where most girls have at least one [pole dance] experience.

*Lily Deakin performs at The 27 Club Entertainment Show Lounge (2024) (©Josh Taylor)*

New Beginnings

What would you say to someone nervous about trying out a pole dancing class?

There's a beauty in just having fun with [pole]. You don't have to [learn it] seriously.

That's how I got into it, as well. Even if I hadn't taken it seriously, it could have been just a fun night out with friends. You don't have to make it your hobby. It's a nice bonding experience. I think that people put too much pressure on [themselves].

Pole dancing can be a way you learn to be yourself. A lot of the girls are good at spatial awareness, so they don't get confused when they're upside down. Many of them would've never discovered that if they hadn't tried.

Author: Natasha Takahashi