Asia Pacific Pole Dance Championships 2010

I woke up this morning with a surprise waiting for me in my inbox, an entry form for the APD Championships 2010!

You'll probably know this competition better by its former name, the Australian Pole Dance Championships. This year the APD founders have opened up the competition to the entire Asia Pacific (a list of the eligible countries can be found on the APD website) after numerous requests from overseas pole dancers to enter. Personally, I think it would have been better if the former title was kept, and the new competition was held for the winners of the country championships, but maybe that's just me trying to make the odds better for Australia. ;)

The change in name also raises the question as to whether the title holders of the APDC 2009 are able to compete this year for the new Asia Pacific title. I've yet to put this issue to APD representatives but as soon as I found out, as your trusty Agent Pole!, I'll be sure to keep you up to date!

The APD Championships is Australia's second and latest national pole competition. It was created with the objective to provide a transparent and unbiased competition, and to cater for the transformation of pole dancing, which has seen new styles evolve such as circus pole (don't confuse this style of pole with Chinese Pole despite it being the main source of inspiration). This is also the first pole competition which provides a forum for the increasingly growing number of male pole dancers to compete! Fear not ladies, you won't have to compete against the inherent strength of men, they have their own Freestyle Pole Men's division, that is unless your competing in the Open Pairs division. Last year, this division saw both men and women pole dancers compete against each other for the first time, and ladies I'm happy to say that we came out on top with SQPS instructors, Stacey and Zahra Stardust, taking out the title!

A change in name isn't the only change that's been made as the APD founders continue to teak this competition, which sees 2010 only the second time it's held. Again, the location of the competition has changed, which will remain as a changing feautre of the competition with the motivation to provide a fair and accessible competition. A few changes have also been made to the former Pure Pole division, the gymnastics styled competition for pole trixters. This division basically judges competitiors on their pole skills, tricks and technique, hence in 2009 the genre for music was set, competitiors were only allowed to wear a conversative black outfit and were prohibited from wearing stripper shoes. This year all remains the same except there is no longer an imposed set genre for music, it only needs to be instrumental, and name of the title. This division will be now known as Classic Pole, which again raises the issue of whether last year's title holder, Bailey from Pol-arise, will be able to compete. One change I hope that is made next year, is the addition to the now one static pole that competitors compete on, is a second spinning pole with a required spin combination to be judged.

The final major changes to the championships are the heats and finals process. Last year heats were held in Melbourne a day or two before the finals. This year, in response to a survey carried out by the APD, entrants will be able to submit a video entry for the heats with the finals to be held in Brisbane on the 28th of August.

The APD Championships is focused on providing a fair competition and I think the founders achieved this last year. With the changes made to this years' competition, not only will it be fair but it will also be more accessible. However, the most advantageous features of the APD Championships are the occasion to network and meet fellow pole dancers across the Asia Pacific, and the opportunity to take part in seminars and developmental workshops.

For more details on the APD Championships 2010 visit http://www.australianpoledance.com/

'So you want to become a pole dancer?' Your guide to choosing the right studio for you.

I still remember sitting in front of my computer and googling all the different pole studio's when I first decided to pole dance. It was a hard a decision to make with what, a whole THREE studio's to choose from. Yes that is sarcasm as there is now close to 30 studio's in NSW alone, making the choice at least 30 times harder.

So how do you know which studio is right for you?

This article is for all of those who want to pole dance but have no idea where to start, no idea what to look for and no idea what to ask. By the end of this article you'll have the knowledge and confidence to select the right studio for you and have the best experience of pole dancing that suit your needs.

Since I started pole dancing back in 2004 I have worked at five different studio's, each with their own style of pole dancing, culture and most importantly, experience. So don't be fooled into thinking that pole studio's are just like dance schools where you'll learn the same moves from experience dancers, the key to finding the right studio is research!

The main things that you should find out about the studio before you enrol are:

1. What style of pole dancing do they offer?

In only six years pole dancing has transformed substantially. Pole dancing is no longer the stigmatised stripping that most cynics think it is. There are now a variety of pole dancing styles available and if you don't find out what style the studio offers you may find yourself very disappointed.

Some studio's owned and operated by industry dancers have maintained the sensuality of pole dancing (without the nudity of course!), whilst other studio's focus more on the fitness side of pole dancing and therefore attention is afforded more on tricks. Circus and gymnastics has also had an immense impact on pole dance with some studio's combining these disciplines into their courses.

2. What experience do the teachers have?

If you want to learn from an experienced pole dancer and not just a former student who thinks that after taking a few courses they are now qualified to set up their own studio and teach pole dancing, it's essential that you find out what experience the teachers have.

Key questions are: Do the teachers have industry experience? Do the teachers hold fitness certifications? Do they hold any titles? What type of titles do they hold? Are they industry titles and or competition titles? Do any of the teachers perform at venues which you can see?

3. What is the culture of the studio?

Despite becoming a reputable form of dance pole dancing can still be intimidating, along with the culture of some studio's. If you don't feel comfortable scantly dressed in a bikini and would prefer to gain your confidence (which pole dancing is guaranteed to give you!) in shorts and a top, go to the actual studio! See what the students are wearing, talk to students and the teachers, and find out what demographic the studio is aimed at.

The culture of the studio is the main determinate of whether you'll enjoy your experience of pole dancing and be hooked, or whether you'll come away mortified and wishing you never went.

4. Is the studio actively involved in the pole community?

As modern pole dancing is a new form of dance that is continuing to develop, it's important that the studio maintains current with new moves and techniques. A great way for studio's to achieve this is by being actively involved in the pole community through events such as Pole Jam 2010.

Also, if you find yourself a natural pole dancer or are just plain obsessed, you might find that you've missed out on many opportunities to perform or compete if the studio isn't in touch with the pole community. For this reason, ask whether any of their teachers or students are involved in any of the numerous events or competitions that are usually held by other pole studios.

Pole dancing is one of the most confidence building and exciting forms of dance out there. Make sure that you get to experience this by researching the studio before you sign up!

Pole Jam 2010

The reason why I chose to enrol into a pole dance class as opposed to a ballet class was for the same reason I quit dancing when I was a girl, the elitism, egotism, and downright bitchiness. The motivation behind Pole Jam 2010 is to maintain pole dancing's appeal, it's accessibility to every person.

Pole Jam 2010 is a monthly event where teachers are able to come together to network, socialize and collaborate. Each month a different studio hosts the pole jam to ensure that as many teachers are able to participate regardless of location.

Pole Jam 2010 kicked off at Suzie Q Pole Studio in Parramatta on February 6. I would like to thank Suzie Q for providing her studio and all the teachers that were able to come. It was a great success and a lot of fun, even if the majority of it was spent talking.

If you are a pole instructor and would like to participate in the next Pole Jam 2010, please join our facebook group or email me at luxeletoile@gmail.com.

Boogie Bop Dames Photo Shoot

Today I had a blast going back to the 1950s for my photo shoot at Boogie Bop Dames (BBD) with a few SQPS dolls. The day started at an early 8am (trust me, you need the whole day) where Zahra, Bailey, Sam and I were greeted with the iconic smiling red lips of Pixie, our host, photographer and owner of BBD. We were quickly escorted into the beauty parlour to get our hair set in the true 50s way with rollers and a pink plastic cap hair dryer, no GHD's here! We painted our nails (red of course), had our makeup done, sipped tea and gossiped just like the house wives of the 1950s. Four hours later... with our hair, makeup and nails finally done, we all looked like the picturesque and perfectly manicured women of the 1950s, not a hair out of place! Now I should explain that generally it only takes a little over an hour to have your hair set, however if you happen to have hair as long as Bailey, get comfortable.

After picking out our outfits we were ready to shoot our first classic 1950s scene! BBD offers a number of different scenes to select from including "gangster", "burlesque stage" and "lounge room". With so many scenes to choose from, we finally decided on "bathroom", "kitchen", "coke diner" and "service station". Our first scene was the bathroom, it was like I stepped into my great aunties' bathroom with the pink pastel basin and tub, frilly dolly toilet cover, and pink shower curtain. In the bathroom you have the option to get a little cheeky and daring like Zahra with photos on the toilet, or if you’re a tad shy like moi, you can stick to the shaver and show off those pins. My timidness didn't last for long though, Pixie is an excellent photographer providing direction, sensitivity and humour, which result in the most flattering and unique photos. After blowing some bubbles in the tub with my gals (Pixie ensures that all the bubbles are in the right place so that you remain oh so lady like of course) we changed into our outfits for the kitchen. Again every detail of right down to the tea set, resembles the 1950s, it was very surreal and very easy to get into character with numerous props to work with.

With all the fun of dressing up and playing house, we were famished and it was time for lunch. Pixie provides all the delicious food and refreshments for the day, including creaming soda from vintage glass bottles, like I said, Pixie lives the 50s. Feeling a little stuffed (those chicken wraps were just too good to put down!) it was time to work off lunch waitressing in the coke diner. Pixie provides all the costumes on the day for all sizes and all scenes, however you can bring in your own outfits but I can assure you that you'll easily find something in Pixe's endless collection.

After serving up some great pic's in the diner the day was nearly over. We finished off by getting a little dirty in the service station and showing what women of the 50s were made of. The "service station" scene is one of BBD most popular and it's easier to see why, every pin up girl oozes sex appeal greased up in overalls, cut-offs or a leather jacket.

Theme and animation is the key to getting some hip, cool, killer pic's at BBD. If you’re expecting the same typical 'glamour photos' with cheesy smiles, you’re in for a big shock as every BBD photograph is unique, full of character, and simply beautiful. Pixie has a wealth of experience in knowing how to shoot the female body and how to accentuate your curves in the most flattering ways. She is able to capture every person's individual style and take the most amazing photo's that you couldn't even imagined of.

For further details see BBD website www.boogiebopdames.com