Episode 16 Danielle G
On this episode of YAS Podcast, AM Davies (they/them) sits down with Danielle G (she/her), pole studio owner, performer, and former stripper, for an unexpectedly layered and revealing conversation about transformation, sex work, and self-worth.
What begins as an interview between two strangers quickly unfolds into a shared history: both AM and Danielle danced at Spearmint Rhino in downtown Los Angeles in the early 2000s. From there, the episode explores Danielle’s journey from stripping in Phoenix and Los Angeles to stepping away from the industry, experiencing weight gain and depression, and ultimately reclaiming her body and confidence through pole dancing.
Danielle shares how purchasing The Vertitude studio in Canoga Park, despite feeling unqualified and terrified, became a pivotal moment in her life. She discusses how pole dancing shifted her relationship with her body from appearance-based validation to celebrating strength and capability. AM and Danielle also unpack the tension between stripper culture and mainstream pole dance spaces, addressing stigma, internalized shame, and the importance of transparency, consent, and sex worker solidarity.
The conversation moves fluidly between humor, vulnerability, and critical analysis of industry systems—from club politics to full-service stigma to how society conditions women to measure their worth by external approval.
At its core, this episode is about reclaiming power: in your body, in your work, and in your choices.
Read the full transcript