Pole dance is sensual and acrobatic. There is no place for moralizing here, because sensuality is a human characteristic and attractiveness is inborn in every human being and everybody is looking for beauty. Art is attractive in itself. And sports are the link between physical activity and fun. In this sense, pole dance is a sport as well as an art form. Looking from a sports perspective, it could be defined as a competitive sport, on the other hand, from a theatre point of view, it’s a performance, an act, a sensual pleasure. Strength, grace and elegance are important in pole dancing.
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The first pole dance ever was performed in Mugwumps strip club in Oregon in 1968. Elena Gibson was disqualified from the first international Miss Pole Dance championship in Amsterdam in 2005 for stripping…Pole dance found its place in night clubs at first, but it also grew increasingly famous in the movies, such as Striptease. In time, it developed into a sports discipline with rules and championships; it became popular with thousands of people on every continent. Fans of the discipline hope it will become part of the Olympics one day, but prejudice represents too great of an obstacle for the time being. Sweat, calloused hands, bruises, magnesium, and the sharp smell of ethanol are all part of this dance.
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There is no glitter or 12-inch heels, men’s shirts or thongs, as it was depicted in Striptease, where Demi Moore played the lead in 1996, or in Strip Girls by Paul Verhoeven. It’s a sports discipline that has an increasing following all around the world, even though the afore mentioned paraphernalia is an important part of it all. Pole dance has bloomed in the past 15 years. It originates in Northern America, where more than half a million people train. Even China is not immune to the allure of this sport and some estimates say that more than a hundred thousand people dance it. The pleasure that stems from this attractive dance can be frightening, whether you dance for your personal pleasure or professionally. Many women don’t feel like they’re in charge of their own body and many women who use their bodies as an instrument of work feel as though they have no control over their own decisions. In this sense, the sport does wonders, because it brings all social layers together.
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Pole dancing definitely has health benefits and rids you of issues that years of psychoanalysis may not help you with, such as people accepting you for who you are. Pole dance began in night clubs and ended up in sports halls as an acrobatic discipline, which amazes the spectators. Learning the skill is far from simple: 140 figures need to be mastered, which requires a lot of work, dedication and a good physical condition, strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. Lots of calories are burnt during this workout while helping to strengthen the entire body, which starts reshaping quickly. The first results are visible within three months of exercise, especially in the upper body. Shoulders, back and arms grow stronger as you get rid of the arm flaps very soon. Abs become stronger. The legs and thighs are very active, because they help you climb and hang. The body becomes sculpted, while at the same time we gain strength and build more resistance.
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People often mix pole dancing with lap dancing, but the difference couldn’t be bigger. There is no body contact in pole dance, while it’s a necessary component of a lap dance. A woman can be good at both. There is definitely a vast difference between the two, as if you claimed that football and volleyball are both the same sport, because they both involve a ball.
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5 thoughts on “Pole dance: an increasingly popular sport”
In order to perform more advanced moves, we must have the proper amount of skin exposure. Most pole dancers do not have an issue with this at all, since our focus turns away from what our bodies look like and onto what they can do.
These are the serious athletes performing death-defying tricks and displaying unfathomable muscular strength. Then there are also those who embrace the artistic side pole has to offer. The simplicity of a vertical apparatus is appealing in that so much can be created and so many stories can be told. Many of these dancers perform barefoot and have been known to incorporate modern dance, props and costumes into their routines. Finally the sexy side of pole is still practiced by many. These dancers usually wear heels. And although there is some debate within the community about which direction pole is heading, all three forms flourish, and many pole dancers enjoy all styles. There is something for everyone.
When most people think of “pole dancing,” they tend to think of the kind performed in strip clubs. While the sexy side is still very present, there are actually three main branches of pole dancing: sport, art, and sexy.
Pole dancing is a full-body workout. It is resistance training and cardio in one. Flexibility is improved as well. Pole dancers perform acrobatic tricks either suspending their weight or propelling it around a metal pole. The simple act of climbing a pole is an incredible display of strength. It is no surprise, then, that most pole dancers insist they have never looked or felt better.
I started pole dancing after I saw it at a live event in New York City. The women mystified me with their grace, strength and sensuality. I wanted to learn how to move like them. I was convinced it wouldn’t be too difficult to learn since I was in relatively good shape. I was proven wrong after my first class, however. Every muscle in my body ached for days.