Introduction
Strip Down, Rise Up is a documentary released in America in 2021. It was directed by an Oscar-nominated filmmaker Michèle Ohayon. The film is an evocative deep-dive into how women reclaim their bodies, identities, and power in society through pole dancing. It offers a therapeutic angle to women’s struggles and serves as a celebration of womanhood, strength, and resilience by exploring the psychological, emotional, and societal issues that women encounter.
This documentary does not view pole dancing as a lattice work of performance art or sport. It centers around the wellness journey of women from various backgrounds attempting to shed shame, trauma, and reconnect with themselves. At its core, the film captures raw and honest expressions of vulnerability, transformation, and solidarity.
Synopsis
With Strip Down, Rise Up, we follow a group of women that go through a six month program at S Factor, a movement studio in Los Angeles founded by actress and bailar Sheila Kelley. The participants range from in their twenties to their sixties and encapsulate a vast array of cultural, racial, and social class diversity. The reason almost all of them have signed up is not as a means of exercise but to face some of the most difficult challenges in their lives, including body dysmorphia and sexual trauma, low self esteem, and stigmas associated with aging.
The women are seen participating in pole dancing and other forms of sensual movement which they do for the sake of therapy rather than performative purposes. In private, emotionally charged sessions, they teach each other how to appreciate their bodies, communicate pain through movement, and tell each other their life stories. The studio transforms into a sanctuary — a place where social judgments are removed, and what remains is pure vulnerability.
Weaving into the principal group’s experience are highlights of other women, including instructors and skilled dancers, who engage with pole fitness and sensual movement. One such story is about Amy Bond, an ex-competitive pole dancer and instructor who now runs her own teaching studio called San Francisco Pole and Dance. The documentary also features professional dancer Jenyne Butterfly, showcasing her work in pole dancing as a deeply disciplined and artistic endeavor.
The broad storyline empowers and heals, howeveth, the documentary does incorporate some emotionally heavy elements. Participants experience emotional breakdowns, confront histories laden with abuse, consider insecurities, and undergo, both physically and emotionally, journeying towards self-acceptance.
Cast and Crew
Director and Producer:
Michèle Ohayon – Award winning filmmaker has been interested in addressing social issues with great delicacy and insight.
Featured Participants and Instructors:
Sheila Kelley – Known for launching the S Factor studio, she is also one of the main characters in the documentary and the primary guide in its therapeutic movement.
Amy Bond – Described as a former pole dancer, she fights for the recognition of pole dancing as a means of self-definition and self-strength.
Jenyne Butterfly – Internationally recognized pole artist brought to the documentary for her superb performance illustrating pole dancing as an art and sport.
Megan Halicek, Evelyn Oshita, Megan Gamble, Genellyn Driver, Elizabeth Mihelich, Alariza Nevarez, and Ruby Kelley – Women who express their struggles bracingly throughout the course of the film.
Cinematographers:
A group of cinematographers are credited with the visual layering of the film’s intimate and dynamic style, including:
Sam Ameen
Leah Anova
Denise Brassard
Sandra Chandler
Svetlana Cvetko
Bryan Donnell
Shaughn Hull
Laela Kilbourn
Moira Morel
Martina Radwan
Theo van de Sande
Emily Topper
Editor:
Edward Osei-Gyimah
Music Composer:
Lili Haydn – Whose score augments the tone of the film emotionally and connects the viewer to the film’s subject matter.
Reception and Controversy
Strip Down, Rise Up has received both sets of criticism and praise from critics and audiences alike. While a number of people appreciated the film, claiming its emotional storytelling and depth was its core feature, others brought concern to how the documentary portrayed the pole dance community and neglected to mention the roots of this form of art as sex work.
Critics commended the film for the empathy it extended and the candid manner infused into deeply personal subjects. The participant’s emotions and vulnerability gifted them transparent access into the healing process and director’s effort to let these stories breathe is what gave the documentary its emotional weight.Such viewers alongside professional pole dancers took issue with the film’s attempt to sanitize pole dancing and its presentation in a “mainstream-friendly” way. They highlighted the disregard for the roots of pole dancing, especially for the contributions that sex work and strippers have had in transforming the art into what it is. This sparked controversy concerning erasure, privilege, and who has the authority to empower others and tell their stories.
Regardless of the controversy, the film was effective in creating discourse around trauma, empowerment, and the narrative around women’s autonomy in reclaiming their bodies and sexuality.
Themes and Impact
Strip Down, Rise Up examines healing from trauma, reclaiming self-worth, and experiencing embodiment as collective movement. The film challenges audiences to reflect upon their assumptions on sensuality, the process of aging, the concept of shame, and the female form.
Aside from the aforementioned themes, the documentary highlights the sheer power that lies within vulnerability. As women start to shed their emotional defense mechanisms, there is a shift towards deeper connections with self and others. It is through touch, movement, and unspoken words that they learn to embrace the feeling of safety within their own skin.
Most noteworthy, Strip Down, Rise Up belongs to a new genre of trauma media that approaches the subject matter with empathy, embodiment and creativity rather than clinical detachment. The film posits that the process of healing is not a straightforward one; it is often chaotic, physical, and uncomfortable—but possible, especially when experienced in community.
Conclusion
Strip Down, Rise Up is a documentary of profound emotional depth and stunning visuals that explores the ways in which sensual movement can serve as an instrument of healing and empowerment. The film is a powerful showcase of the courageous women who heal from pain, shame, and try to rise into strength, beautifully told by Michèle Ohayon, who directed the film with empathy and vision.
Strip Down, Rise Up succeeds in portraying the tears and triumphs of the human spirit, yet it is not without criticism—especially pole dancing’s historical context. For those interested in the exploration of movement and emotion, identity and politics, don’t miss this remarkable documentary.
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