Gemma Rose is a Pole Dance Instructor, Sex Worker and Activist.

Gemma started her pole journey back in 2015 and then found her way into the sex work industry 3 years later. She began teaching pole dance and sexy dance in 2019 at Off The Ground Pole Dance Sheffield and has completed a number of formal qualifications with Spin City and Xpert. Drawing from her performance background and stripping experience, Gemma is most passionate about helping students connect with their own sexuality through empowering techniques. Even though Gemma’s niche is ‘Sensual Stripper Seduction’, her formal training is in classical dance, having studied: Ballet, Contemporary and Latin Dance. Gemma has been teaching her expertly crafted workshops since 2020 and loves spreading her sexy magic far and wide!

Gemma has competed in several national and international pole competitions, including IPAAT, PSUK and The Authentic Pole Dance. She won the Pole2Pole Cup and Essex Pole Dance Championship in 2017. Since 2021, Gemma has compered and guest performed at pole competitions, such as You Filthy Amateur. She has also had the honour of judging pole competitions, including UKPPC 2021 & 2022, Dance Filthy 2022 and Eden video rounds. Gemma has been a part of heading a new wave on the competition scene by founding the PDSM Competition (Pole Dance Stripper Movement), The world’s most libertine pole competition which is entirely stripper-centric. You can find out more here.

As well as being a performer and instructor, Gemma is also a sex worker rights activist. Her goal is to help educate and reform the pole world, mobilising allies to respect and support the founders of the industry. Gemma started to run her ‘Why You Should Give a Fuck About Strippers’ seminar in 2020, aiming to inform polers about the reality of the work, debunking narratives around sex work and exploring the gentrification, alienation, othering, stigmatisation and glamourisation of stripping in the pole industry. She also works with several national organisations to help advocate for better working conditions for sex workers and to stop UK strip club closures. Gemma is a proud union member of Sex Workers United.