SM: Right, but not necessarily “let-me-please-my-husband” sexy. It felt personal. Why is it so hard to embrace sexuality?
Sheila: Because everything in our culture is geared toward the male eye. That’s what happened to you, you came into class thinking “Looking from a man’s eye, I’m not a sexpot” [and] you came out going “I feel like I’m looking at it though a woman’s eyes now.” You are a sensual being. Every woman on the planet is gifted with sensuality. Every woman on the planet is gifted with some curve or other in her body. We should really embrace what is female about you.

SM: Bringing back a man’s point of view, what did your husband say when you were like “Honey, we’re putting a pole in your office?”
Sheila: Oh, he was very upset at first because I had to put the pole between his workout machine and the football game. But he could still see around the pole, the touchdowns and all that stuff. And then he started to see me a little bit. And then he wasn’t watching the game anymore. He’d be working out, watching me on the pole and be like “God, you’re the hottest woman in the world.”

SM: That’s nice.
Sheila: It’s incredible. I love men, I love everything about them. I don’t love that all of us women have had to ascribe to their world, but I love them just the way they are. I love that they love our bodies, I love that they love the way we move, I love that they have the bodies they have. As for using my gift, it’s like “Watch me please myself up there and you’re going to have the trip of your life.” All you have to do, if you were ever to dance for anybody, is do it for yourself first. It’s going to cause a great amount of traffic accidents.