Pole dancing could become Olympic sport
Everybody knows athletics, swimming and pole vaulting are Olympic sports - now pole dancing could be joining them.
And one instructor from Taranaki says she welcomes the idea.
Last week the Global Association of International Sports Federations granted observer status to the International Pole Sports Federation, meaning the activity is now provisionally recognised as a sport and the push is on for it to be included in the 2024 Olympic Games.
April Krijger, of New Plymouth, who has turned a curiosity about pole dancing into a business, said the recognition of it as a legitimate sport could only help increase its popularity.
‘‘I can’t imagine I would ever be pushing somebody into the Olympic arena but to see the sport recognised is fabulous.’’
Krijger was quick to explain the sport, which combines dance and acrobatics centred on a vertical pole, didn’t have its origins in seedy strip clubs but had in fact been around for hundreds of years in Chinese and Indian cultures.
She first became curious about it eight years ago and attended classes at New Plymouth’s only strip club The Crave and was immediately hooked.
‘‘I just thought it would be really fun to do - swinging around the pole and I instantly fell in love.
‘‘I wanted more and more. It’s like a high, mastering moves and achieving things you never thought you could achieve.’’
The 48-year-old said she found herself seeking further tuition and wound up sitting exams through organisations in the United Kingdom before qualifying as an instructor.
She has been teaching for four years.
Krijger, who owns Pole FX in Moturoa, now holds 10 classes a week catering for 80 students, male and female, ranging in age from 18 to well in their 60s and all levels of fitness.
‘‘Pole in general is now becoming more sports-orientated and fitness-orientated.
‘‘Pole is so intense as far as cardio, upper body and core strength goes so that can only be a good thing for people to have awareness about it.’’
She said one of her students was a personal trainer and described the sport as addictive.
‘‘She is very fitness orientated and she has just fallen in love with it as well.
‘‘She just thinks it’s an amazing activity.
‘‘It’s about pushing yourself and being surprised all of the time about what you can accomplish.’’