Sean Baker may have filmed “Anora” at a real-life strip club (and also held its NYC premiere party there) but now “Anora” audiences can learn to work the pole like its titular character.
Neon has announced that New York City-based “Anora” theatergoers will receive a free pole-dancing class at Everybody’s Nimble studio.
“NYC — you’re getting the VIP treatment,” the official Neon Twitter page posted. “From now until November 3, see ‘Anora’ and sign up for a free pole class! Go to http://everybodysnimble.com, choose your ‘Intro to Pole’ class & use code ‘ANORA’ at checkout. Ticket stubs must be shown for class entry.”
The tickets are valid for one use per person only on the “Intro to Pole” classes. Ticket stubs, either digital or physical, must be shown upon arrival for class entry. The promotion takes place from October 18 through November 3.
“Anora” stars “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Scream” breakout Mikey Madison as exotic dancer Anora AKA “Ani” who marries the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2024, and joins Neon’s slate of past winners “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” which all went on to be Oscar-nominated.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich described “Anora” as being a blend of “Uncut Gems” and “Pretty Woman,” while writer/director Baker told IndieWire that he didn’t even realize the “Pretty Woman” parallel until midway through production.
Actress Madison also revealed to IndieWire that she spent months training for a “quick 20-second scene on a pole” to bring an authenticity to her character.
“I really wanted her to seem like a very seasoned dancer that had been dancing for at least a couple of years,” she said. “And then learned Russian. It was a lot of preparation, but I loved it.”
Madison later told Rolling Stone that playing Ani was the “hardest thing” she’s ever had to do as an actress due to the pole scenes.
“The dancing, physically, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It changed the way I moved and felt in my body,” Madison said. “I had a sensuality I didn’t feel before.”
And now, apparently, any “Anora” ticket buyer can too.
Read the full IndieWire review for “Anora,” which is now in theaters in New York and Los Angeles.
