User reviews

This is a documentary about S-Factor, which is a franchise that teaches sensual movement and pole dancing. I'm familiar with it because my girlfriend teaches at an S-Factor studio. So I sort of know what S-Factor is about and have a general understanding of some of the hostility towards the film.

The movie follows a beginner class taught by actress Sheila Kelley. It focusses on students who are looking not just for an interesting form of exercise (it takes a lot of strength to do pole tricks) but also to get in touch with their femininity/sexiness/whatnot. Many students have serious traumas and the movie shows them working through those traumas in pole dancing. They also spend time in what are essentially group therapy sessions, with Sheila pushing students to open up.

The movie also shows us some interesting people outside of the Sheila Kelley world who are more part of the competitive pole world.

The stories are genuinely touching. A recently-widowed middle-aged woman, a gymnast who was one of Larry Nassar's victims. We see women relaxing into movement, we see them tearing up, we see them processing their trauma as movement.

S-Factor and the movie have a message of pole dancing as empowerment, in which women take back the feminine power and sensuality men are co-opting or closing down. Some people find it ridiculous, but some find it very powerful.

SDRU is an entertaining movie, but the few user reviews here as I write this are mainly hostile. There seem to be a couple of reasons for that.

One complaint you see is it doesn't represent the world of pole dance accurately. This is probably true, but it's really not a movie about pole dancing in general. It's almost entirely focused on S-Factor, which is as much about "sensuous movement" (a bunch of crawling around in sexy clothes) as actual pole dancing. The appeal, as I understand it, is the way it creates a community of women of all ages/body types who go on a journey of exploration of their femininity together. My girlfriend's studio eschews mirrors so women don't get self conscious, so it's perhaps more of a "safe space" than some other pole studios. If you want to see a movie about athletic pole dancers perfecting tricks and competing, you will be disappointed, although it does have those and some of what the advanced pole dancers do is wildly impressive.

Also, not everyone is a fan of Kelley's pushing women to deal with trauma. She's not a therapist, and from what I hear, while some women pretty much worship her, others have found her approach upsetting.

None of this is dealt with in the movie, which focusses on the empowerment angle and the idea of rising up. It's not a deep exploration, which is why it's been accused of seeming a bit like an informercial.

It's not a movie I would have watched if not for my girlfriend, but I did quite enjoy it.

I'm all about female empowerment and pole dancing. It is a fun and strength building exercise!!

And while I can understand and relate to a lot of what these women were going through and the healing they received from Pole Dancing, this was way too heavy on the trauma for me!

I started pole dancing because I was bored with my other workouts and stuck with it because it's hella fun ;) and other positive reasons. A cool place to hang out with other women. All that trauma would kill the buzz for me!

But super happy the women in the documentary found peace.

If there's a 0 or -99 for me to select, I will. Not sure did the producer or production team ever done any research about pole dancing or just stumble upon a random support group that looks like some weird cult and decided to make the show.

Pole dancing is nothing like that.

It's really uncomfortable for me to watch.

Glad that if the cult did help those traumatized women but pole dancing community is a cheerful, supportive and optimistic sport.

As a professional pole dancer myself, I found this boring, one sided (Jennyne Butterfly was the only sane and real person in this entire documentary) and purely "American" (drama and a lot of truly hard emotional stories but the way they directed it seemed to be just for the show and only for the viewer to FEEL something). The whole documentary was nothing but a commercial for the studio of Sheila. Waste of time , doesnt portray the real world of pole dancing by any means.

Im really not sure why other reviews say "this isnt a real portrayal of pole dancing".... Um, it's not supposed to? Its a documentary, and i think it is worth watching. As a woman who sees a therapist...from this viewpoint: the classes werent just about the dance, but freeing. if i took a class like this a number of yrs ago & there was a group that would provide emotional support, i would have looked into therapy a lot sooner. I think it gives an interesting point of view of women empowerment through dance.

In understand that some may have issues with why the people here started their own journey into pole dancing. I understand that the theme throughout may feel or be a bit of a downer overall speaking. Of course there is the light at the end of the tunnel, that this helped a lot of people overcome judgement, fear and other social anxiety/norms and made them better or happier persons.

And that is what the documentary is about. It may not speak directly to you, but it shows what healing effect a bit of self love can have. And I am all about positive messages (even if I am also a cynic at heart - I balance those two things out). You don't have to love everyone involved here, you may not find everything beautiful that this movie delivers. But hopefully you at least can cheer on, with how some managed to put a spin on their life - and there is my daily dose of pun delivered! You're welcome.

This film was an interesting watch that tugged at the heart strings. Watching women unlock their bodies through sensual movement was so empowering. The back and forth with competitive pole dancers who do this art for sport and the beginner women who were learning S Factor for many different reasons was compelling. I was struck by HOW many women have suffered sexual abuse or trauma and the power that can be found allowing women to embody their full feminine without the male gaze. If women ever step into supporting one another the way the women in this film do, look out world. At the heart of this film are Evelyn and Megan, both unlocking their bodies that have been frozen for different reasons. I loved watching all the women in this whole movie supporting one another and lifting each other up.

An inspiring watch with lots of tears and some good laughs.

As a competitive pole dancer, this film angered me, mainly because I feel like it sets our industry back by a decade or more. The entire film was portrayed like the only reason people get into pole dance is to heal past trauma. I feel bad for the women in this film with past trauma however if the directors were going for the real world day to day pole life portrayal,v this is certainly not it. If I had to go listen to counseling every pole class I ever took I would leave depressed and definitely not sexy or happy or powerful or anything in the nature.

Sheila only touched on a specific genre of student and didn't touch anyone who loves pole just for what it is- POLE!

I wish they would have covered more about where pole originated fron,the different styles and aspects of pole and real material. This was such a disappointment for me and if I were a person who'd never done or seen pole this film would be such a turn off for me.

For heavens sakes it was a train wreck. There should be a sequel just to correct the negativity this brings to our sport.

I was deeply moved by the courage it took to face misogyny, both societal and internal, to move in a way that women have been shamed out of. It's not a documentary on the history of pole, or the strong badasses that flourish in that world, nor does it disparage those business women. It's a beautiful collection of the different ways some bodies have healed and found joy in this modality of movement. I loved it. I laughed, I cried, and it was a thousand percent better than Cats.

Get ready for a lot of sobbing, and a lot of advertising Sheila's studio. Great stuff, everybody.

Strip down, Rise Up, is an eye opener on the healing aspects of pole dancing. Not too many people think of pole that way! Director, Michele Ohayon's empathetic eye on women who have healed from all types of trauma by using the pole, is real! I cried in many places, but felt a sense of hope for these women and was thankful they found healing. They, and the Director had the courage to tell their raw and unfettered stories. Bravo to them!

If you're looking for the raw, sexy, misogynistic images of strippers empowering men, than look someplace else. This film is all about heart!

She's the face of a movement lol. Trash.... more reasons for people to segregate and clique up. People cant just coexist........SAD.

I have watched a Chinese movie about a lost soul do this kind of dancing to find her own identity. That movie is so bad for the actress who act so it didn't bring me any interests about this "sport". But this documentary brings along many real examples for people participated, just makes me know the spirit of this sport. It's about believing yourself, don't be shame. Founder of S factor really catch the people weakness to make a success. Lesson learnt how to make a business.

I learned to pole dance in a similar workshop 12 years ago influenced by the movement of s-factor. Any pole dancers posting here saying they just went to a gym/studio and took a class because wanted to learn probably started dancing later as those studios opened up and it became more trendy. But this is how it began. I found pole to be incredibly healing back then and continue to train and teach in that gym class format today. I like that it covers the competition and performance world but also real women. Pole dancing is for everyone. The mixed reviews here shows pole dancing still carries a stigma. There is healing that goes on, I am grateful for it.

A must see film about women healing. My admiration to the women portraited in this film for their bravery in facing their own personal hurt, and big Thank You to them for their bravery in allowing their very personal journeys to be presented to the rest of us on film. A truly inspirational film that will make every mature woman cry and every mature man feel a little ashamed for being a man. (For emotionally mature audiences only).

Create the emotional space to absorb all this documentary has to offer and there is a lot. It took great courage for the women in this film to reveal their truth. There is a lot trauma talk in this documentary and for those that are "professionals", are hoping to learn quick tricks to do for your partner for fun, have great bodies or no shame issues may find the content, reveals and insights boring or heavy. Sheila's ability to see a woman's truth by how she holds and moves her body coupled with her fierce yet tender insight on how to heal, restore, release and rise through movement is unparalleled. One of her best quotes to the Femme Reclaim "the biggest obstacle is the male gaze." So powerful.

Brava to the women who bravely shared their stories, and brava to director Ms. Ohayon who so sensitively documented their journeys. Healing takes many forms, and shining a light on the ability to access and heal trauma through movement is a great service. Thank you for providing a glimpse into this world!

I just watched this with my girlfriend. And to be honest, first when I read what it was about I was hesitant, I had my superstitions. Poledancing, what is this.... But now, I saw it and I was very moved, my girlfriend too. The women touched my heart telling their story and I felt ashamed to be a man. So so much abuse, there really must come balance, the female part in women and in man too must be opened up give credit too, the sensitivity, vulnerability, dare to be open, to cry to feel pain, anger, sadness. Everything is a gateway to healing. Thank you for this beautiful documentary. Thank you all the women portrayed for telling your story.