A pole dancing studio is set to open in the space that once held Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign office in South Bend, Indiana.
Soma Pole Studio will open featuring nine poles in the Buttigieg’s former space in January 2021 upon completion of some construction work, according to an article published Monday in the South Bend Tribune.
The old campaign office for @PeteButtigieg will soon be South Bend’s first pole dancing studio! pic.twitter.com/SEb8my7GMB
— Selina Guevara (@SelinaGuevaraTV) November 23, 2020
The studio, owned by Mathilda Nassar, will open at 218 Sycamore St. Nassar first took a pole dancing class while serving in the Peace Corps in Ukraine. After moving to South Bend for graduate school, Nassar realized there is no pole studio in South Bend. (RELATED: Pete Buttigieg Announces He’s Guest Hosting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’)
“Pole is officially recognized as a sport and this will teach the sport aspects, but I can also teach the artistic aspects, like dance and sensuality and expression,” Nassar told the outlet. “People can choose what pole is to them and it’s my job to facilitate that choice.”
Nassar hopes the studio helps build community in the town.
“For me, it helped me discover my own strengths and resilience and confidence,” Nassar said. “It’s so much more than just tricks and dance, but it truly is something that is so powerful.”