From the stripper pole to the Olympic podium? Proponents of "pole fitness" want more respect, and perhaps a gold medal would help. In an interview with Marie Claire, dance instructor Collette Kakuk, cofounder of the Pole Fitness Association, makes a case for pole dancing as an Olympic sport.
Poles aren't just for strippers anymore. There are stripping-based fitness classes, sport poles, and even national pole-dancing competitions. The moves require no small amount of strength, flexibility, control, and balance. Kakuk argues:
But if you look at rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating, so many of the movements are similar to what we do on the pole. We have to shatter the taboo. The pole is just another fitness apparatus, like a vertical balance beam.
I don't doubt that you have to be incredibly fit to pole dance. But I can't help but think the pole dancers might be a bit overeager for Olympic glory. As Kakuk points out, "we need to unify the sport. We don't even have common names for our moves." Well, at least they have a readymade soundtrack!
D.E.P.T
Jaeger
Brand Alley
Yikes...what's next? Pleas for an Olympic lap dancing team?
1Haha, I don't doubt that it takes a lot of muscle and skill to master the pole, but the Olympics? Really?
2Ditto Pistil
3They're kidding, right?? Pole dancing?? I think maybe the Olympics ought to get womens' softball back in before they think about pole dancers!!
4This is not an olympic sport. If cheerleading doesn't qualify then this isn't qualifying.
Comparing it to figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics, those at least still have technical skills that need to be demonstrated. And the key is the technical skills, most figure skaters can't land a triple lutz and only the most skilled at the technical skills that can combine it with artistic flair make it to the olympics. However I'm sure most pole dancers can do what each other are doing. Where's the technical skill (not artistic skill) that separates the extraordinary from the ordinary in the pole dancing arena?
If this makes it to the olympics, then I want yoga, zumba and any other fitness program found at the local gym in too!
5if ping pong and trampoline are olympic sports, why not pole humping
6From what I've heard from the strippers I know, it can be challenging, or at least it's hard to be good at it (ie anyone can do a cartwheel, but can anyone do a complete Olympic-quality floor routine in rhythmic gymnastics?). Try holding your body out completely horizontally from the pole, or upside down without breaking your neck... I've never pole danced, but some of those tricks look really hard and like they'd involve a lot of upper body strenght and muscle control... and others would certainly require a lot of flexibility.
I think it needs to earn more respect (granted, I think strippers need more respect than we, as a culture, generally give them), however, I don't think it'd qualify for an olympic sport, at least, not until we add break dancing and cheerleading.
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