Dance can be healing. Studio founder Christie knows this better than anyone, having turned to sensual dance as an outlet after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her newfound practice not only set her on a healthier path, it also made her feel more confident and feminine as well. She was hooked, and opened Express MiE to share that same feeling with other women.

Today, Christie and her staff start each of Express MiE’s sultry fitness classes with a guided meditation. That’s because the studio prioritizes finding and trusting inner beauty over learning snazzy pole tricks. And while the moves are certainly sensual, they’re inspired less by the promiscuity of romance novels or flirtatious barbershop poles than by techniques from ballet, ballroom, and belly dancing. This winning combination led the Phoenix New Times to name the studio Best Place to Learn to Pole Dance in 2010, noting that the instructors “are serious about developing core strength and six-pack abs by wrapping and gyrating around poles and cheering each other on.”