Pole Dance Helped Megan Halicek Release Trauma and Shame After Sexual Abuse
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You can hear it in her voice. Megan Halicek speaks of pole dance with undeniable fervor because, well, it changed her life. She is among the group of women highlighted in
Strip Down, Rise Up, a Netflix documentary by Michèle Ohayon out Feb. 5 that showcases the world of pole in all its forms: fitness, artistry, competition, empowerment. Her six-month journey in 2018 with the pole-dance program at S Factor, founded by Sheila Kelley, consisted of technical training where she learned pole basics, but it also helped her heal from past trauma. Halicek, as seen in the film, was one of the hundreds of survivors sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor Larry Nassar.