Pole dance
Encyclopedia
Pole dance is a form of performing art, a combination of dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. It involves dancing and performing acrobatic tricks with a vertical pole and is an increasingly popular form of fitness and dance, practised by many enthusiasts in gyms or dedicated dance studios. A wide range of amateur and professional competitions are held in many countries around the world.
Before the mid 2000s, pole dance mainly took place in strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
s. Since then, promoters of pole dance fitness competitions have been trying to change peoples’ perception of pole dance and to promote it as a legitimate form of dance and acrobatics. Pole dance has furthermore been influenced by Chinese pole
Chinese pole
Chinese poles are vertical poles of aluminium on which circus performers climb, slide down and hold poses. The poles are generally between 3 and 9 metres in height and approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Some poles have a slightly larger pole that rotates around the static central pole...
, a form of acrobatics that is performed in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
/circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
and stage performances in a non-erotic environment. Pole dance in competitions is increasingly performed in a non-erotic way and is combined with a range of dance styles or gymnastics.
Pole dance requires significant strength, flexibility and endurance. In a strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
setting, pole dance is often performed less gymnastically and striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
, Go-Go
Go-Go dancing
Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at a discotheque. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s when women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City began to get up on tables and dance the twist...
, and/or lap dancing is a part of the performance. The pole dancer(s) may simply hold the pole or move around it without performing acrobatic tricks. Proper pole dance involves athletic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions. Upper body and core strength are required in order to attain proficiency, and rigorous training is necessary.
Pole dance is now regarded as a recognized form of exercise and can be used as both an aerobic
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
and anaerobic
Anaerobic exercise
Anaerobic exercise is exercise intense enough to trigger anaerobic metabolism. It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power and by body builders to build muscle mass...
workout. Recognized schools and qualifications are now common.
History
Chinese pole
Chinese poles are vertical poles of aluminium on which circus performers climb, slide down and hold poses. The poles are generally between 3 and 9 metres in height and approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Some poles have a slightly larger pole that rotates around the static central pole...
s is unclear, Chinese troupes performed in Barnum and Bailey's Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
from 1914 but they did not perform on poles. Pole dancing gradually moved from tents to bars in the 1950s.
Standard pole
The standard dance pole typically consists of a hollow steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
or brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
pole with circular cross section, running from floor to ceiling. Affixing at the ceiling gives more stability, but is not always realized, especially at night clubs with higher ceilings or at transportable devices. In the United States, the diameter is usually around 5 cm (2 inches), allowing it to be gripped comfortably with one hand. In Asia, the diameter is usually slightly smaller at 4.5 cm or less.
Another common pole is the spinning pole; as its name suggests, it is similar to a standard dance pole but spins using ball bearings. The purpose of this pole is to create better momentum and higher rates of speed, in order to have a greater dramatic effect.
Home versions are available which may be used for practice or aerobic exercise. Materials of which poles are made include polished stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, chromed
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
steel, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
, powder coating
Powder coating
thumb|right|Aluminium extrusions being powder coatedPowder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. The main difference between a conventional liquid paint and a powder coating is that the powder coating does not require a solvent to keep the binder and filler...
, and Titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
coating. Poles can also be made of acrylic glass which allows use of "glow poles" with LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
lighting effects. Each material surface has different gripping properties. Polished steel is one of the slickest materials, which provides for a faster, more fluid dance; brass poles provide more friction, allowing for an easier hold with hands or thighs and creating a slow, sensual dance style. Products such as "Dry Hands" or "iTac" may be used to help "stick" to the pole.
Poles can be held in place by using threading
Screw thread
A screw thread, often shortened to thread, is a helical structure used to convert between rotational and linear movement or force. A screw thread is a ridge wrapped around a cylinder or cone in the form of a helix, with the former being called a straight thread and the latter called a tapered thread...
to brace them against a ceiling joist
Joist
A joist, in architecture and engineering, is one of the horizontal supporting members that run from wall to wall, wall to beam, or beam to beam to support a ceiling, roof, or floor. It may be made of wood, steel, or concrete. Typically, a beam is bigger than, and is thus distinguished from, a joist...
. There are also poles that do not require construction and can be set up using tension. Stationary, rotating, and switchable versions are available.
Show pole
There are now poles available for use in clubs that provide visual effects. These poles are made with clear plasticPlastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s and contain water, glitter, and special reflective materials which stand out when used in conjunction with strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
ing, as well as lighting hidden in their base joists. However, these poles are not favorable to a dancer wanting to achieve better pole tricks, as they bend slightly and have a tendency to create a friction burn when slid down with any sort of speed.
Pole dance as exercise
Pole dancing has gained popularity as a form of exercise, with increased awareness of the benefits to general strength and fitness. This form of exercise increases core and general body strength by using the body itself as resistance, while toning the body as a whole. It is also generally reported by pole dancing schools to be empowering for women and to build confidence.Pole dancing as an exercise is very similar to Mallakhamb
Mallakhamb
Mallakhamb or Malkhamb is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs feats and poses in concert with a vertical wooden pole or rope. Mallakhamb also refers to the pole used in the sport....
, an Indian men's sport with no erotic component, but there is no evidence of a link.
A growing number of men are incorporating pole dancing into their fitness programmes. In Australia, the UK and the US, dance studios are beginning to offer classes just for men. And in China, 2007's National Pole Dancing competition was won by a man. Dance instructor Zhang Peng, 23, beat a host of women dancers to the top prize.
Pole dance competitions
A wide range of amateur and professional competitions are held in many countries around the world. They are strictly non-nude and focus on pole dance as an athletic and artistic form of dance and fitness. The first "Miss Pole Dance World" competition was held in November 2005 in Amsterdam and Elena Gibson from the UK won the championship. The following day Elena was disqualified by the organizer John Benner amongst much controversy and the title went to the runner up Reiko Suemunehttp://reikoint.com/ from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
A group of advocates are even pushing for pole dance to be represented as a test event in the 2012 London Olympics. But because this is a relatively new trend, scoring for competitions is not standardised, while names of the techniques vary among different clubs in different regions.
In Australia, "Miss Pole Dance Australia" was started in 2005. Felix Cane took home the first prize in the latest 2010 (named miss pole dance 2011- for the coming year) competition http://www.worldpoledance.com/, . The first US Pole Dance Federation (USPDF) Championship was held on March 19, 2009, first place was taken by Jenyne Butterfly. The 2010 winner of "Miss Pole Dance Canada" was Crystal Lai, who went on to win the People's Choice Award at the worlds. Miss Pole Dance World 2009, which was held in Jamaica and opened to all nationalities, was won by Australian Felix Cane
Felix Cane
Felix Cane is an Australian professional dancer and world champion pole dancer.Felix won her first title, Miss Pole Dance Australia 2006 after only 8 months of Pole Dancing...
. Miss Pole Dance World 2010 which took place in Switzerland and was opened to all nationalities, was again won by Australian Felix Cane
Felix Cane
Felix Cane is an Australian professional dancer and world champion pole dancer.Felix won her first title, Miss Pole Dance Australia 2006 after only 8 months of Pole Dancing...
.
Pole dance in the media
Like other trends, pole dancing has its share of celebrity following. Actress Sheila KelleySheila Kelley (American actress)
Sheila Kelley is an American television actress. She is best known for her roles as Gwen Taylor on L.A. Law and as Dr. Charlotte "Charley" Bennett Hayes on Sisters.-Early life:...
was so taken with the sport, which she learned while preparing for her role in Dancing at the Blue Iguana
Dancing at the Blue Iguana
Dancing at the Blue Iguana is an American drama film, released in 2000, directed by Michael Radford about the lives of strippers in an adult club...
, that she launched her own pole-based exercise programme.
Rima Fakih
Rima Fakih
Rima Fakih is an American beauty pageant contestant, and winner of the 2010 Miss USA title, and is also training to be a professional wrestler in WWE as a WWE Diva. She represented the state of Michigan in the Miss USA 2010 pageant, having previously won the 2010 Miss Michigan USA competition...
's victory at Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010, the 59th edition of the Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the...
, including the fact that she had won a pole-dancing competition three years earlier, attracted media attention.
Pole dance has its own media, the magazines Free Spin and Vertical.
External links
- Miss pole dance World
- Miss Pole Dance Australia: Finals! - slideshow by Life magazine
- Mundo Pole - Brazilian Pole Dance Fitness Blog (www.mundopole.com.br)