Portrait of a pole dancer in Oman elegantly celebrates the strength of women

In a sunlit portrait of pole dancing instructor Nusaiba Al Maskari, UK-born Omani photographer Eman Ali creates a visual comparison between the strength of Al Maskari’s body and the Hajar Mountains in the background. Extending gracefully horizontally from her pole, she aligns with the peaks above Muscat, a single flowing line across the image plane.

Ali, who currently works between Oman and Bahrain, started pole dancing while living in London years ago. She wanted to meet and photograph Al Maskari privately after hearing about the instructor’s private studio, Rock & Rhythm.

“I’m attracted to like-minded women who aren’t afraid to be themselves,” Ali said.

While pole dancing has become a popular form of fitness around the world over the last two decades, having such a studio in the Persian Gulf country – with countries with a majority Muslim population – is “highly unusual”, Ali explained. .

“I admire her bravery in bringing a sport that celebrates female sensuality into a more conservative environment and am inspired by how she helps women feel confident and empowered by their bodies.”

The stunning portrait is part of Ali’s meditative series on life in Oman, “The Earth Would Die if the Sun Stopped Kissing It”, part of a global project by the NFT Obscura platform, in which nearly 140 photographers have documented contemporary life during the same month.

Ali’s contribution, which she also exhibited at the international Paris Photo fair last fall, is a love letter to the land and people of Oman, “highlighting the beauty, imperfections and strength” that bind us together, she explained.

In other images, she plays with the poetic qualities of light, projecting stars onto a portrait of a man whose eyes are closed in reverie and setting another portrait of a woman against the deep purple hues of a sunset.

Some of Ali’s fondest memories of Oman are of time spent in nature — from “magical” childhood camps in the country’s wadis, or oases, to scuba diving in the Gulf of Oman, she said.

So instead of having Al Maskari’s portrait taken in his studio, she asked if they could meet outside at the Bousher Sand Dunes. Known locally as Urooq, the dunes rise above buildings in southeast Muscat but are “slowly disappearing” due to urban growth, she explained.

The morning she met Al Maskari and her husband was sweltering, giving them little time to photograph before Al Maskari’s portable pole became too hot to touch. There she only had time for a handful of shots as Al Maskari struck the poses she had planned, but was quickly drawn to this image for its symmetry; the “harmony between the female body and nature itself,” described Ali.

Al Masakari used the photograph on his studio’s Instagram page to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, calling it “such a beautiful picture”.

Ali plans to attend one of Al Maskari’s classes the next time she returns to Muscat and praises the instructor for her dedication to the sport.

“She is providing a safe and fun space for women,” said Ali. “She is also promoting body positivity… as well as helping to create a sense of community among her students. I think it’s really great how she’s helping to normalize pole dancing as a legitimate form of exercise and an art form.”