We recently connected with Mala Mía and have shared our conversation below.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Currently, I am a pole dancer, pole instructor, studio manager and producer of a monthly pole show called Pole Night, hosted at Chicago Provocateur. I have been a dancer my whole life. I have tried many different dance styles throughout my life, and even went to college to receive a BA in dance. Upon graduation, I continued working professionally by dancing for different local Chicago dance companies, choreographing both for dance and theater companies, and even co-creating a dance company called LOUD BODIES. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020, my dance career took a toll, as many other performing artists’ careers did. This career challenge surprisingly gifted me the time for me to explore something new. I had always been curious about pole dance and what it had to offer when it came to sensuality, body autonomy and freedom. I started pole dancing in 2020 and have not looked back since. Throughout these 4 years, I have been able to create a pole dance career for myself. I am currently a pole instructor at two different studios, and I manage one of them. I also started producing a monthly pole show in May of 2023, which I’m excited to be celebrating the 1 year anniversary soon! Currently, I enjoy being able to get creative with the acts that I develop and perform at different shows. I also truly enjoy teaching pole dance to other people. It is an honor to be a part of someone else’s dance journey. Pole dance can be many things, but most times it allows people to find a new loving relationship with their bodies, and allows them to tap into their sensuality and strength.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My advice to anyone trying to find or create their path, is to focus on themselves. Don’t focus on what others think you should do, or how you should do it, but rather look inward. Try your best to block external forces or opinions and ask yourself what is it that you truly want, and go for it. If you find yourself not knowing how or where to start, look for people that are doing what you wish to do. Ask to meet with them, and offer to pay for their time, advice and knowledge. However, don’t forget that just because they are doing what you wish to do, you need to follow their exact path or advice. Everyone’s path is different and what works for others might not work for you. Lastly, don’t let fear of failure get in your way. Sometimes our own fear, of the unknown, failure or hardships, gets in the way of our own potential, abilities and possibilities.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that I have power over the situation. I have to remind myself of the power that I have to change my circumstances or remove myself from a situation. I used to struggle heavily with anxiety and feeling overwhelmed about my career as a freelance artist. The pressure of wanting to exceed artistically but also be financially stable as a freelancer used to consume me a few years ago. I realized that I was continuing to work in ways that weren’t supporting my mental health. However, the fear of losing jobs made me think I couldn’t do anything about it. With the help of therapy, I was able to realize that I had more power than I thought. We always have more power than what we think. We can always set new boundaries, change patterns, find new pathways, and let go of jobs or people that are not positively impacting our lives. Now, anytime I feel overwhelmed or stressed about something, I ask myself: what can I do to change this or prevent it from happening again? I think it is inevitable to feel overwhelmed, but knowing we can always do something about it allows us to regain power in the situation.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @malamia.pole
Image Credits
All images are by Michelle Reid @mreidphotog on instagram Only the one of the studio isn’t hers and that one was taken by me on my phone so no need to give credit
