Salsa, Ballet, Pole Dance, Pole Fitness, Chinese Pole, Tango, Flamenco, Street Dance, Break Dance, Cheer Dance, Coyote Ugly Dance, Sexy Dance.. the list goes on
What is your Style of Pole?
The Different interpretations of pole techniques and its History
Pole Dancing or Pole Fitness as it is also known as in modern times and its performance techniques have come a long way since the 1980’s in Canada where it originally started and was documented.
Still today many people fear pole dancing techniques as some way of alluring gentleman and by stripping their clothes off into a gentleman’s wallet!! Some still confuse pole dancing and pole fitness with stripping, in fact in many modern UK pole schools and across the world, the new age polers are far from that image and certainly do not have the same mindset of those dancers of the early era.
The complexity of pole technique now described as an ‘art form’, can be interpreted in many ways.
Over the most recent years since 2006 when pole fitness was first documented and the introductions of qualifications such as REP’s (Register of Exercise Professionals), Accredited and certified pole instructor courses by Pole Passion, one of the UK’s, most respected and leading training providers all in a quest to educated and document unified, safe and effective movements and techniques around the vertical bar. Many new styles have been created and as you read through this article you may recognise some of the styles incorporated into your style of preference.
Sexy Glamour Style Pole incorporating costume removal during the performance
This style is the most well known by the general public and of course this style originated from strip clubs. For many this was a taboo subject and today is very profound in many students minds as they first embark on pole techniques, with many students still not being able to tell work colleagues, family and friends of their new style of dance and exercise of their fear of being wrongly judged.
For many this style is very empowering for a woman or man to do as it boosts self confidence not to mention help with developing elegance too, which many feel the benefits transpire into every day life.
With this style, women tend to wear high platform shoes to lengthen their legs and will remove some costume too, as part of their presentations and to perhaps as a way to allure their audience.
In this day and age in a pole performance the dancer will on occasion remove some clothing, but still covering the vital parts.
This style is not to be underestimated and it takes a lot of skill to make the trickiest of spins and poses to look sexy, fluid and seamless.
The Current World Pole Dance Champion Felix Cane, although she is originally classically trained she is very well known for being a glamorous pole dancer with high heels, sexy fluid moves but with technical creativity and perfection and grace too.
Pole Fitness
This style of Pole is becoming very well known all over the world with the explosion of Pole schools being massive since 2005 when it was introduced in the UK as a form of fitness. Pole Passion conducted an independent analysis in 2006 and was told by a top fitness consultant that it would never be accepted in the UK main stream gyms but despite being told that with the ethical and unprejudiced beliefs, Pole Passion proved the statement as being wrong. Pole is being taught professionally in many gyms not only in the UK but across the world.
Pantera Blacksmith is a fine example for this category as she is very physically strong and into her fitness with pole being her prop, but she will also sometimes where heels and do a more sexy glamorous routine.
Pole Dance (Trained Dancers)
This style has a lot of different styles mixed into it, as Pole Dancing is growing the level of interest of trained dancer’s from around the world is growing too.
Pole Dancing is great for dancers as they can bring their own style to it, whether it is ballet, jazz, zumba, Irish, salsa, hip hop or maybe tap, who knows – the styles are endless and this is the versatility the pole can bring.
As most dancer’s are disciplined in to having good lines, flexibility and pick up choreography more quickly, they will be focusing more on building the muscle strength and memory for pole and therefore can advance at a quicker pace.
The 2005 Miss Pole Dance UK Champion Elena Gibson uses her highly skilled ballet training to combine with her pole dancing as she incorporates her point work skill too.
Pole Gymnastics/ Chinese Pole
This style of Pole technique is very similar to Pole Fitness as however it is mainly based on tricks and holds on and around the pole.
Students learning pole techniques that come from a gymnastics background tend to pick it up very quickly also as they have very good muscle memory and they are not as phased about swinging upside down either!
They maybe more adventurous too and not s phased as trying more daring moves such as drops and even flips.
If the women or men have trained in circus as well they may well have trained in Chinese pole.
In Chinese Pole it is very different to Pole Dancing, as the texture of the pole is rubber, all skin must be covered as other wise it can cause nasty skin burns, where as in pole dancing you need as much skin in contact on the pole which will enable a good grip the stainless steel (R-polefitness.com) creates a good gripping property or powder coated metal poles, creating a very good gripping property.
Tricks on the Chinese Pole consist of a lot drops, holds and jumpy moves also combining fluid movements that you would also see on a pole dance pole.
Some of these skills from Chinese Pole, students may wish to bring to Pole Dancing too.
Male Pole Dance
Over the last couple of years male pole dancing is becoming bigger and stronger.
With the expansion of pole dancing for women the men are not as fearful to give it a go also.
Again this has lots of different styles with in it, you may get a dance trained male combining his classical training, a strong weight training male looking for a new challenge or even a guy who has been trained by his pole dancing girlfriend for a bit of fun!
Like women some males get into to help keep themselves in shape and as it is such a physical workout most people find pole a better workout than the gym and far more fun challenging and exciting.
Pole dancing with Props and gimmicks
This style of Pole Dance is for people who love to have a certain theme to their dance and creating it into an act.
They may use big costumes, props such as chairs, hats or even lights, as this helps them tell their story.
Sometimes it may be a case of the pole is not actually the main focus on the stage but a side part to it, which they use to link everything together.
The Australian Champion Miss Suzie Q is well renowned for her gimmicks and costumes not to mention her amazing skill on the pole too.
Other styles of pole dance
Ballet pole - Elena Gibson
Tango & Salsa pole - Mariana luz ranked number 2 in the World Pole Dance champion 2010
Burlesque pole – Emma Mitchel & Kay Penney
Fitness pole – Rafaela Montanaro ranked number three in the Worl Pole Dance championships, Pantera Blacksmith
Dance pole – Felix Cane
Chinese pole – Eduardo French pole dance champion 2010
So why do so many choose to take pole dancing lessons?
• The can add their own style and creativity to the techniques
• It’s a great way to exercise, learn body coordination, flexibility and timing
• It builds core body strength and burns fat
• A full body work out tones your upper body, abdomen and legs
• Allows women to feel more sensual and confident expressing themselves boosting their self esteem.
Wwwpolepassion.com leading the way in pole fitness and dance, world wide since 2005
Proud founders of Miss Pole Dance & World Pole Dance 2004
