Collette Kakuk Wants to Make Pole Dancing an Olympic Sport

Pole Dancers Reach For Olympic Gold

August 10, 2009

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!

Source: Getty

8 Comments

3 years 6 weeks

This is an incredibly challenging & physically demanding activity! .....but, the biggest challenge will be to change the general public's skewed perception of what it is stereotyped as. There are many reasons why this is a perfect addition to the Olympic rotation. Compare it to any of the current events, men's or women's: Horizontal Bar, Parallel Bars, Uneven Parallel Bars, etc. Now imagine the world's top athletes (men and women) incorporating many of the same type of complex maneuvers we've all seen in these events. Add another Vertical Bar next to it and you have an even more complex scenario with the possibility of release and transition maneuvers. With the sport evolving and the eventual standardization of techniques and requirements it really is just a matter of time. Be prepared to amazed :) For those skeptics and critics who are poopooing the evolution of the Vertical Bar, try it some time (in a gym setting) you'll quickly realize just how difficult it is to hoist your fast food laden body even 1 foot off the ground. You'll soon change your perception and gain respect for those taking on the challenge of evolving a sport.

staple salad 3 years 40 weeks

From 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.

lickety split 3 years 40 weeks

if ping pong and trampoline are olympic sports, why not pole humping :rotfl:

Yogaforlife 3 years 40 weeks

This 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!