Pole dance

Cross knee release on a portable pole.

A woman demonstrates a pole dance.

Pole dancing is a form of dancing/gymnastics that takes muscular endurance and coordination as well as sensuality. It involves dancing sensually with a vertical pole and is often used in strip clubs and gentlemen's clubs, although more recently artistic pole dancing (Chinese poles) is used in cabaret/circus and stage performance in a non-erotic environment. In a strip club setting, pole dancing is often performed less gymnastically and combined with striptease, and/or lap dancing between performers. The dancer(s) may simply hold the pole, or use it to perform more athletic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions.

The pole

A home version stage pole

Standard pole

The standard dance pole typically consists of a hollow steel or brass pole running from floor to ceiling. In the United States, the diameter is usually around 2 inches, allowing it to be gripped comfortably with one hand. In Asia, the diameter is usually slightly smaller at 45 mm or less.

Home versions are available which may be used for practice or aerobic exercise. Materials include polished stainless steel, chromed steel, and brass. Each material allows for different gripping ability. 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. Titanium poles are also now available, which provide more friction than even brass poles, allowing more sustained moves on the pole, including advanced "pole tricks".

Poles can be held in place by using threading to brace them against a ceiling joist. There are also poles that do not require construction and can be set up using tension. Stationary, rotating, switchable versions are available.

Show pole

There are now poles available for use in clubs that provide stunning visual effects, though they cannot support the weight of a pole dancer. These poles are made with clear plastics and contain water, glitter, and special reflective materials which provide amazing effects when used in conjunction with strobe lighting, as well as lighting hidden in their base joists.

Pole dance as exercise

Recently, pole dancing has caught on as a new and increasingly popular form of exercise, in which women (and sometimes men) use the pole as a workout prop. This form of exercise increases upper body strength (by using the body itself as resistance) while toning the body as a whole.

Pole dance competitions

Although the most common pole dance competitions are still amateur nights at strip clubs, there is a growing community who are trying to get pole dancing taken seriously as a sport and art form. Participants come from local pageants held in venues such as Australia, France, Canada, Japan and the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. More recently, amateur pole dance competitions have been held. As with Miss Pole Dance World, these are strictly non-nude and non-stripping, and focus on pole dance as an athletic and artistic form of dance and exercise. The first "Miss Pole Dance World" competition was held in November 2005, and Elena Gibson from England won the championship. [1]

Alternative versions

There are also alternative versions of pole dancing which are sometimes practiced on techno parades. One is tree dancing, where a tree trunk or branch is used as a pole. Other versions use lantern poles. These dances, which are more artistic than erotic, are more dangerous than traditional pole dancing.

A further version requires a dance pole close to the wall (optimum distance: approximately 80 centimetres, depending on size of dancer). The dancer pushes himself up the pole and presses his feet to the wall and dances on the wall. Because this kind of pole dance requires much strength, it cannot be done for a long time without break.

External links

• Pole Dancing Forum