Numerous gyms and salons, including Sheila Kelley’s S Factor, are offering the Lil' Mynx dance pole to their students to continue their practice at home. Many celebrities are involved in this new arena as well, including Teri Hatcher, Natalie Portman, Carmen Electra, Sheila Kelley, Daryl Hannah, and even Oprah, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russel, and countless more are rumored to have stripper poles in their homes.
Sheila Kelley is another woman who believes motherhood and sexiness are not mutually exclusive. Her husband, Richard Schiff, of the TV show "The West Wing," was not at all surprised when his actress-wife became fascinated with pole dancing while prepping for a movie role.
"I looked up on to the stage and it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen in my life, and I thought, 'Wow! I really want to learn how to do that!' " she said. Kelley installed a pole at home — much to the chagrin of her husband. But dancing around a pole apparently isn't just sexy, it's strenuous work. Working out on the strip pole helped her drop 55 pounds in just three months, after giving birth to her second child. "It's really amazing how many muscles you use. It wasn't until I was 35 that I could do actual pull-ups on the pole. I mean … I'm buff! … You just get incredibly strong," she said.
Kelley's friends began to notice and then began begging her to teach them. Her husband recalled how his wife's friends reacted. "Friends of hers would come by, take over my office in the back. I got kicked out again. And over the course of six to eight weeks, all of a sudden they had a glow. They all of a sudden were beautiful," he said.
Soon students were lining
up. Kelley was booked on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The View." Today, her
business, The S factor, is thriving. Kelley is selling books, DVDs, and has
studios opening in four cities.
