Jennifer Lopez, 50, praised by professional pole dancers after she shows off moves in new video

Kerry Justich
·Reporter
Updated

Days before Jennifer Lopez’s anticipated movie Hustlers hits the big screen, the 50-year-old triple threat is showing audiences just how she mastered pole dancing in order to portray a stripper. Now, professionals in the industry are praising her for the training she put in to the role and the recognition she’s given to the art form and athletic feat.

J.Lo released a YouTube video on Thursday where she gave her 11 million subscribers a look into the months of training that went into her conquering the pole. And although she makes it all look effortless, the video shares her many admissions to the difficulty of the skill.

“I mean, this is just as hard as anything I’ve ever learned. It might be one of the hardest,” Lopez said while pointing out marks down her legs and inner thighs. “I’ve gotten cuts and bruises and stuff from movies, but I’ve never been bruised like this for anything I’ve done.”

London-based pole dancer and blogger who goes by Blogger on Pole tells Yahoo Lifestyle that those bruises are normal for anybody spending time on a pole.

“The bruises, the initial awkwardness while connecting movement, the need for an instructor or friend to spot you are something most pole dancers feel on a daily basis,” the professional shared.

Still, she was “really impressed” with Lopez’s skill, and how quickly she picked it up.

“I have been pole dancing for just over three years and it took me a long time to go upside down unspotted without fearing for my life – Jennifer Lopez has had a crash course and it's pretty cool to see her doing so well,” the blogger said. “What shines through from her practice videos is her general dance training.”

While Blogger on Pole expressed her gratitude toward Lopez for portraying a stripper and paying tribute to the strip clubs where pole dancing originated, at least one person in the community still felt there is work to be done.

Annemarie Davies of United Pole Artists, a community company responsible for disseminating information amongst pole dancers globally, expressed her disappointment about the way that the A-lister pole dancing content is being promoted, while professional pole dancers are being silenced on social media.

“These celebrities and this movie are trending and hot topics, yet the industries that this movie represents are being silenced,” Davies says. “So, true skill here would be to stand up for these two industries.”

Davies did, however, acknowledge that J.Lo “looks great on the pole” and is doing her part to give dancers a spotlight.

“It's so important that celebrities, who have the visibility, do right by our years of work and represent us well,” Davies continued. “Her technique is great and her enthusiasm to be true to pole and stripping is great to see.”

Lopez also posted a clip of her rehearsals to her Instagram, where she wrote, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone...”

Now, Lopez’s fans are continuing to praise her moves and feeling inspired to try the pole themselves.

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