Pole Dancing is a fitness craze that is sweeping the world. Pole dancing as we know it today involves dancing around a vertical pole. Pole dancing provides a display of acrobatics and strength, combined with a combination of sensual, flowing, feminine dance movements to form the art of pole dancing we now know and recognize. Once a seedy activity that enticed men to gentleman’s clubs it is now accepted publically and occurs anywhere from sports centres to PE lessons at school.
If you mentioned to your granny or your dad that you were pole dancing they may pull a funny face at you and change the conversation very quickly or even call you a whore. However that opinion would be very wrong and modern pole dancing has many similarities with gymnastics. My very vocal and open minded father in law was lost for words for about an hour after finding out I was taking and addicted to pole dancing lessons. ‘Laugh out loud’… he has got over the shock now and often has random conversations about it with me. Since the year 2000 pole dancing has become more acceptable by the general public.
The art remains the fundamentally same but the way we think about it has changed; the art in its sport format is extremely hard work requiring strength, determination and agility.
The origin of pole dancing can be traced back to exotic performance dance arts. However there is a stigma attached which may explain why the dance appears to have been ‘underground’ for many years and why little history is documented.
Pole dancing may have originated from either dance pole tents or the maypole.
Dance pole tents – In the early 1900s the strip tease dance was added to burlesques shows to entice men to return. These featured famous strippers including Gypsy Lee Rose. Travelling tent shows had strip tease acts. The smaller tent dancers started to use the pole in the tent’s centre to dance around. These tents became known as the dance pole tents.
Maypole – This Pagan ritual was seen by some as a phallic symbol which may explain why some link it to the pole dancing we know now.
Today’s pole dancing craze is believed to have started in Canada in the 1980′s in exotic table dancing and lap dance clubs. Fawnia Mondey, started working as exotic dancer in Oct 1994, wanting to learn how to perform the amazing moves on the pole she found out that dancers just learned while on stage. In December 1994 Fawnia opened the world’s first Exotic Dance School and produced an instructional DVD. Fawnia went onto become the worlds first pole dancing champions and pioneered pole dancing that is today.
Pole dancing quickly spread to the US followed by the rest of the world. Pole dancing is recognized throughout the world including Europe, Australia and parts of China.
The demand for pole dancing lessons is still growing. There are pole fitness companies being established in every country. Companies selling Pole fitness wear and pole fitness equipment are cropping up everywhere. This new sport is occurring in bars, cafes, sports centres and private establishments. People are even learning at home.
To participate in this sport you don’t need very much. All you need is a pole, a pair of shorts and a vest top. If you wish, a pair of pole dancing shoes although they are not essential.
Pole dancing shoes do make it easy when you are learning as they help you stick to the pole and give you extra momentum when spinning.
If you are buying your own pole dancing pole don’t buy one that costs less than £110 pounds. If you buy anything cheaper you will find that you are buying a pole that is for gyrating around and not performing tricks on. You wouldn’t want to end up with the pole bending under you now. You could find yourself in a heap on the floor.
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