From Figure Skating to Pole Dance
Sarah has been dancing around the pole for what feels like forever – since about 2014/2015. Before that, she was a figure skater until back issues forced her to stop. After a two-year break, she went looking for a new sport. A friend mentioned pole dancing in Rapperswil. Too shy to go alone, she convinced her cousin to join her for a trial class. She was hooked instantly. From then on, she went to pole class once a week, like others went to Zumba. Not super ambitious – just happy to move again.
Finding Her Place at Gravity Arts
In 2016, she moved to Zurich and started looking for a new studio. Jazzy, who had once subbed in Rapperswil, led her to Gravity Arts. In September 2016, Sarah officially became part of the Gravity family. With a broader offering, her training picked up – multiple classes per week, and her first ventures into dancing in heels (gently encouraged by Jazzy). In 2017, her first heels video appeared on her Instagram – and she still chuckles when she sees it. From the beginning, people like Jazzy, Marion, Fatima, and Sheila have been constant companions on her pole journey.
Competitions, Pain, and a Diagnosis
In 2018, she competed in her first PSO – back then still without heels. More competitions followed, sometimes up to three a year. While studying and working, she trained up to four times a week – something she can’t quite believe herself today. But the intensity came at a price: shoulder, hip, and elbow issues started piling up. After nearly two years of medical investigations, the diagnosis was clear: psoriatic arthritis – a form of rheumatism that causes recurring inflammation in the joints.
Learning to Train Differently
Today, Sarah has her condition under control. With the right medication and a training rhythm that suits her body, she’s been stable and pain-free for years. The key? At least one rest day between training sessions, weekly physio-based cross-training for her shoulders and hips – and a shift in how she approaches competition. Now she only participates in comps judged on artistic score sheets, which focus on technique, execution, and flow – less on power tricks.
Highlights and New Perspectives
A standout moment was her participation in Exotic Generation UK. From the training to the London trip and the whole competition vibe – she loved every second.
Pole dance and Gravity Arts have been with her since her early 20s – now she’s six months pregnant, still dancing, just in a different way. She’s grateful for how safe and supported she feels at Gravity Arts. She told Rachel about her pregnancy early on, and everything has been easy and open since. She knows she can keep going as long as it feels good – and adapt the level as needed. That freedom is something she deeply values. She’ll keep dancing as long as she can – even up to the hospital bed, she jokes – and she’s already excited to return after.
Embracing Individuality Over Perfection
What she’s learned from the instructors at Gravity Arts – especially Marion, Jazzy, Fatima and Sheila, who have accompanied her from the start: no two bodies are the same. There’s no one right way to move. Individuality is celebrated. That’s something she never experienced in figure skating, where the focus was always on an ideal – like a perfect oversplit. In pole dance, she discovered freedom. And that lesson stays with her – even now in pregnancy – filling her with gratitude, strength, and a smile.
