Favorite Things: Ny’keria Blocker and her pole

Ny’keria Blocker, 23, loves the art of the pole, whether it’s for fitness, dancing or any other form of artistic expression. Naturally, her favorite thing is very own pole that she keeps in her bedroom. 

My favorite thing is my pole, which I have had for three years now — maybe four. I think pole dancing is a beautiful art form. A lot of people when they think of poles, they think of dancing or strippers. It’s actually so much more than that. Pole is actually a sport, there are women earning medals for pole sports. I used to watch a lot of videos about that and I loved it. 

One day I decided to drop into a pole studio in Holt called Polistic Fitness. I took a class and I initially thought to myself, “Wow, I can’t do this.” That first class was really hard, but I really liked the environment. It was a studio for women. It was just women of all colors. It was very welcoming and empowering. It was a safe space. And that’s where I really began to learn the art. 

After that first class, I realized I loved it and I wanted to do it and get stronger. I spent the following three years dancing in the studio and taking a lot of classes. There are different styles of pole you can learn. I dabbled in all of them. Yes there are stripper styles, there’s also sport pole and classic, which is more of a burlesque style — different things like that. 

I did progressive levels, there were six of them at the time and I made it to level three. I got stronger and learned all sorts of tricks. Eventually, I thought it was worth having my own. So, I talked to my instructor about buying my own pole, and I purchased it online. I got a professional one to make sure I don’t bust my ass at home. 

Fitness-wise, it made me stronger and healthier. It’s a really fun workout; it’s so much more fun than going to the gym. You work on your flexibility; I love the confidence it gave me. My style is like exotic and sport. Sport pole is more tricks; you do flips and things like that. Exotic is more slow and intimate. I like both of them. 

Pole is a by-myself kind of thing. But in the studio we would perform for each other and hype each other up. There are showcases you can enter, but I’ve never done one. Once I get stronger, I want to compete in sport pole. 

Interview edited and condensed by Skyler Ashley. If you have a suggestion for Favorite Things, please email Skyler@lansingcitypulse.com