04/01/2026
Last month, I had the honor to photograph the Pynk Portal Pole Sanctuary space owned and operated by Steph and Ava V. Marie. The pole and dance studio is barely a year old and they got classes filled to capacity most weekends.
These owners may be new to operating a full-scale business, but they are authentic to the craft of pole dancing and fostering a space for other dancers to feel at home.
Thank you to the Chicago Reader for letting me be apart of this story, always love working with the team. A special shoutout to Gretchen for her compelling narrative storytelling and genuine respect for the community. And most importantly, Steph and Ava, thank you for letting me into this space and getting to learn more about your stories❣️
⭐️: +
📸: by me for
✍🏼: this diva