Pole Dancing Overview
Pole dancing is a performing art combining dance, gymnastics, and acrobatics around a vertically mounted pole. Though known for it's roots in more nefarious venues, pole dancing is becoming "legitimized" in recent years as a source of popular fitness and dance regimen in both gyms and in dance stuidos. There are even professional and amateur competitions held all across the globe!
Pole Dancing as an Exercise
In recent years, pole dancing has gained popularity in the mainstream as a viable form of physical fitness.
Due to the extreme strength and virility necessary to negotiate pole dancing, it has gained acceptance as an art rather than a fecund act reduced only to the seediest of establishments. Across the globe, there has been an insurgence of organizations which teach pole dancing to men and women as a form of getting in shape due to the extreme importance of core strength necessary to pole dance. In learning how to pole dance, at the beginning of the training regimen, the student will be required to enhance their core strength by doing dance based moves, squats, pushups, situps and other forms of strength development.
Pole Dancing Competitions
There are a diverse number and form of competitions throughout the world these days. These are completely "non-erotic" in nature and focus purely on the artistic and athletic elements of the dance. There were even a group of pole dance supporters who attempted to incorporate pole dance into the 2012 Olympics as a trial sport. However, due to the lack of standardization in how to score and judge the event it did not make it in time.
About the Poles
Standard Pole/Show Pole: Before the advent of sturdy plastics and polymers, the standard dance pole is commonly comprised of a metal steel or brass pole affixed from the floor to the ceiling. In some cases, you might find a spinning pole. The spinning pole is linked by bearings on either end which allows it to rotate freely as the dancer performs. Some fancier venues might incorporate a plastic, acrylic glass, or other sort of firm polymer which allows visual elements to be placed inside. Elements such as lights, glitter, water, or other reflective or irridescent materials. These are not as "dancer friendly" though, as they tend to flex more than is optimal, and do not allow for sliding down the pole with any sort of speed due to excessive friction.