Hong Kong Pole Dance

“We have run very successful female classes for a while now,” she said. “But girls in the class kept coming up to me and saying that their boyfriend, or brother or cousin wanted to take part.

“We decided to try out some men’s classes and the response has been great.”

An hour of pole dancing burns 400 calories – the equivalent of two Mars bars – and flattens and tones abs as well as building up arm and thigh muscles.

Daniel claims her clientele at the St Vincent Street dance studio is a mixture of straight and gay men. “Increasingly it is guys in their late 20s and early 30s who are looking to keep their bodies toned. Some people see it as a novelty and a bit of fun, but most of them take it very seriously.”

“In reality it is great way to work out. We are based in a purpose-built dance studio not a seedy nightclub.”

Hollywood star Jude Law revealed that he transformed his physique by pole dancing as he prepared to star in the blockbuster Closer.

Female stars Madonna, Kate Hudson and Daryl Hannah all use pole dancing as part of their fitness regimes.

Ref: Scotman.com News

Pole dancing classes have been available in Philippines for longer time than it’s in Hong Kong. It was firstly introduced as pole fitness in a studio called Stomp, by its famous male instructor Aniel. The media started promoting the well-being of the exercise ever since then. I found an interview of Aniel by Inquirer.net (an online news platform for Filipinos) pretty interesting. He, indeed defined pole fitness from some different angles especially it’s from a guy’s perspective. He focuses more on the how pole dancing increases fitness strength of one’s body, as well as the positive psychological effects behind. Besides teaching adults, Aniel also teaches children pole dancing -but minus the sexy moves.

“This is an excellent fitness routine because it works out the entire body. It is also among the few exercises where people actually laugh—not at each other, but because they’re having so much fun,” said Ed Aniel, president and founder of the Pole Dance Fitness Association of the Philippines and pole-dancing instructor at Movement Dance Studio.

Aniel, a former member of the dance group Adrenaline, specialized in jazz before combining the dance routine with a pole in 1997. He has never looked back.

With books and videos on pole dancing, the self-taught Aniel put in hours of training and practice before “forcing” his jazz buddies to enroll in his class in 2004. Today, his students range from beauty queens to movie stars to socialites.

Superhuman strength

The trip to Fantasy Land, however, with the slippery pole as your ally as you gyrate, climb, spin or drop, does require incredible strength. Superhuman strength, in fact, especially when you have to rely on leg and core strength to support your entire body while suspended on air.

Pole dancing increases muscle definition without necessarily putting on loads of muscle mass; tones the arms, thighs and buttocks; and improves core strength and flexibility. It is about muscle control, maintaining that stability, balance and posture throughout the routine—with a smile on your face. This is, after all, still a sexy dance class.

Don’t be intimidated. Aniel has seen several students go from complete sedentary lifestyle to learning to climb the pole—and reaching the ceiling. Some, he said, had even been at least 30 pounds overweight. (They have since lost weight.)

“Size doesn’t matter. If on the first day in class you can only hold a position for a second, the next session will see you holding the same position for two seconds—guaranteed. I have seen that happen all the time,” Aniel said.

It is the ordinary everyday Jane achieving something physically extraordinary that hooks women everywhere into pole dancing. It’s amazing, said Aniel, what the human body can achieve. And he is very patient, too, never giving up on his students until they have mastered the basic spin, for instance.

Psychological effect

Like sipping slowly a love potion, pole dancing also has a powerful psychological effect. While all forms of exercise ups the self-esteem, pole dancing goes even further by making the ladies feel very, very sexy as they let go of their inhibitions.

“Because feeling sexy needs to be internalized in class—you cannot pull off a sexy move without first feeling you’re the hottest girl in town—my students go home thinking and believing they are at their sexiest,” he said.

The only risk involved is if you fall off the pole, and that almost never happens, he said. It is instinctive to hold on to the pole for dear life that the risk of looking stiff as a board is greater than falling on the floor. Bruises and friction burns can occur, too, from doing those climbs and spins, depending on the skin’s sensitivity.

Find pole dancing schools in Manila:

Movement

3rd Floor Promenade Bldg.,

Wilson cor.P.Guevarra Sts.,

San Juan.

Tel: 721 7711

Stomp Dance Studio

President’s Avenue

Parañaque City

Tel: 850 9029

Ed Aniel’s pole dancing has been fitured on TV too.

Why your pole needs cleaning

The short answer is it’s because of you – we shed and regrow our outer skin cells every 27 days, and some of this skin will inevitably end up coating your pole. You’ll also transfer a share of the grease and grime you’ve picked up during the day, along with creams, moisturisers and other beauty products. All of this combines to form a dirty and slippery residue on your pole.

How often should you clean your pole?

This depends heavily on how intensively you’re using it, but usually I’d suggest cleaning the pole once before you start, again mid-workout, and finally giving it a good wipe down at the end of your session. In my school I typically wipe down the poles every 20 minutes, but quite a few students carry their own towels too if they are working on challenging new moves.

Stop your pole getting mucky

There are a few things you can do to help keep your pole cleaner for longer, though most of the answers aren’t quick fixes unfortunately.

• Practice makes perfect – If you’re just starting to pole dance you will probably leave quite a bit more residue behind because of over-gripping the pole. This is a perfectly normal response, and as you become more comfortable and confident with your pole dancing your grip will naturally loosen.
• Don’t sweat it – Sweating can make the pole mucky and slippery more quickly, as the day’s grease and grime released by your pores sticks to the pole. And if you get sweaty hands at the same time this will just compound the problem. There’s no perfect answer, but the best advice is often to take a short break before coming back relaxed and ready to nail that move!
• Grip products – Some pole grip aids work by coating your hands with sticky wax layer.
• You can leave your boots on – Less skin contact usually means less dirt on your pole. Wearing a nice pair of boots will not only keep your pole cleaner for longer, but also give you some useful extra grip too.

Keeping your pole clean 

For a quick clean, just grab an old tea towel, towel or even t-shirt and rub the pole down. Anything made of cotton or a synthetic mix usually works well, though try to avoid fabric that’s too fluffy as this often leaves a residue of its own on the pole.

Quite a few people use special polishing cloths give their poles that special showroom shine. Personally I’ve always felt that this buffing time could be better spent spinning round my pole, but if you do decide to get one make sure it’s not impregnated with wax or polish.

Cleaning products for your pole

After an intensive pole dancing session, you may find that your pole needs a little more attention to restore it to its former shiny, grippy self. There are a number of cleaning products that can help, though do make sure they won’t damage your pole first. I’ve used most of these without any problems on my poles, but Vertical Leisure, for instance, advise against using acetone on their X-Poles

• Water – Water is always a safe option, and usually pretty effective too. Dampen part of a cloth and wipe firmly down and around the pole. Dry the pole off again and you’re good to go!
• Acetone – When my poles are in high demand during busy classes I often use acetone (nail polish remover) to help clean the poles. Because it’s a solvent, acetone is usually a lot more effective than water for cleaning a greasy pole. (It’s also great for removing grease and creams from the body – I normally use a small amount to dry my hands at the start of a session, and some of my students have even used it to clean moisturiser off their inner thighs!). As with water, apply a small amount to a cloth and rub your pole down. Make sure you give the pole a quick wipe to remove any excess acetone before jumping back on again.
• Alcohol – You can use alcohol on your pole in exactly the same way as acetone, though some people prefer it as it evaporates more quickly. Of course if your pole manufacturer recommends you don’t use acetone this may simplify your choice…
• Baby Wipes – Quick, clean and supplied in handy packs, baby wipes are great for getting grime off your pole. Baby wipes contain alcohol, which is what actually does the hard work of cleaning your pole. Do check they don’t contain moisturiser, or you’ll end up with a much more slippery pole than when you started!
• Glass cleaner – Some students swear by this to clean their poles. I’ve never used it myself though – do leave a comment if you have to let me know how you got on.

If you have any other options that are proven effective for cleaning dance pole, please leave a message and let us know.

Ref: Pole Exercise

It was so a BLAST!

Min was probably the most successful lady pimp of the year. She actually brought over hundreds of people together to her birthday party as well as a crazy pole dancing party at Zinc, Lan Kwai Fong. The 3 show girls, Ania, Rona and me arrived at about 10:30pm with minimal rehearshal and there we went - showtime!

Everything of my lil show was just wrong wrong wrong! Rona was supposed to be the first one to pole dance, somehow they made me went up to the stage first! The bouncer lifted me up with one hand just like that and Tada~ I was on the spot! The crowd was so excited to just see anyone up there and dance. They screamed, whistled, got high! But the music was wrong and the DJ didn’t get me at all, the pole was extremely greasy too but I had to dance! So I downed half glass of Jack & Daniel Coke, just followed the whatever music and danced. God, I was so overwhelmed and dizzy up there! My first pole dancing show, with $200 tips from my friend and the birthday girl as if I was a stripper. LOL. Don’t forget that those audiences were actually my cowokers! I had so mucy fun though.

Rona and Ania danced after me. They were simply amazing on the stage as usual. I would say that their performance was actually the highlight of the party. Everyone seemed to enjoy it a lot! I am glad that it went smoothly. Preparing and performing a show is so different from attending classes and training. Your skills of working on the crowd, interacting with the audience, dealing with unexpected accident like wrong music, people interrupting your dancing are just as important as your dancing.  I ended up didn’t do some tricks I planned to because the pole didn’t seem to be safe enough. One thing that I always bear in mind is, pole dancing is extreme sport that you can’t just make fun with.

Above are some of the pictures of we pole dancing in the party. If you by chance want a pole dancing performance to spice up your party or company event by us. Please leave me a comment or msg.

Have you been craving for the next Pole Dancing Party? Dying to enjoy the real performance from professional pole dancers? Here comes the must-attend one for you: Angels & Demons Party to be held at Zinc Bar, LanKwaiFong on 26th Jul 2008.

No entrance fee needed but you’re suggested to follow the party’s dress code. Be an angel, a demon, or a mixture of both as long as you look hot!

Don’t miss the hottest pole party of the summer. Click here to RSVP via Facebook Invitation.

Dear pole addicts,

First of all sorry for not updating the website for quite a long while due to family emergencies. I’m back, so is Hong Kong Pole Dance site. During my absence, there was a few questions received regarding the x-pole i bought last month. Some girls enquired about the price of x-pole, some asked me how it works at home. As I’m also green to x-pole, I am going to summarize a list of FAQs with information I gathered online and combine them with my own knowledge.

Q - What is the pole made of?

The X-POLE is finished in high-grade electroplated chrome, not stainless steel. The chrome finish really is the ideal finish for a removable pole, as it’s not as slippery as stainless steel, but it’s not sticky like lacquered poles. 

Q - Does the X-POLE spin?

X-POLE has been designed to be everything you could want in a pole. It’s fully removable, height adjustable, its spinning and stationary in one! Just lock and unlock the pole in seconds.

Q - What height can I go up to?

X-POLE is fully portable and you can adjust the height to many different heights from the box - 2235mm (7′4″) to 2745mm (9′). This means you can always take your pole to a friend’s house or to a hotel without any hassle! The extra wide ceiling dome ensures that even if you do have more flex in the pole (owing to a higher ceiling).

Q – What are the most important things I need to know when I’m setting up my pole?

The most important things are:

1. start from the base with the smallest extension and work your way up to the larger extensions.

2. assemble each piece with the base flat on the floor. With higher ceilings, sometimes people try and lie the pole sideways to assemble it. Please don’t do it this way as the threads may not sit flush when you screw them sideways and this will increase the ‘flex’ in the pole once it is up!

3. make sure the ceiling dome is 100% flat on the ceiling (all the way around) before and after you tighten up the adjuster rod. This will stop the pole from falling over. The only pole’s we’ve ever heard of slipping were when the ceiling dome was on an angle to the roof and people tried to use them!

4. once you have it all tight, try turning the pole left to right. It may move slightly - even if in a stationary/locked/static setting. If this happens, please check if the ‘turning’ happens all the way down to the base? If it is it means the pole is tight enough, but the spin/static lock needs to be tightened. If the bottom of the pole stays still, and an upper piece moves, it means that one of the extensions or upper parts of the pole needs to be tightened up.

Q - Will the pole fall over?

X-POLE has been engineered to withstand the pressures of professional pole dancing. It has been designed with safety as the number 1 priority. The extra wide support dome, angular stability lock and the non-slip rubber lip and base are some of the many features used to secure your pole. Remember that the X-POLE is designed to be removable i.e. not permanently fixed to the ceiling. X-POLE is therefore obviously not designed for heavy guys to rugby tackle!!

Q – Help! I’ve tightened up my pole too much and now I can’t get it down?

Firstly, you’ll need to unscrew your locking nut at the top of the pole. Then screw the adjuster rod down into the pole, and take the ceiling dome off. You should be able to bring the pole (gently) down to the floor. Using both the tightening rods, you can gently tap the rod (not the pole!) with a hammer until it comes loose. It helps if you leaver the other rod off the floor or get a buddy to help? Just ensure that the rods are all the way through BOTH holes on the pole, or you will damage your X-POLE.

Q - How many pieces is X-Pole?

X-Pole consists of 2 main poles to which extensions are added t increase the overall height. The X-Pole is designed to be used from 2235mm (7′ 4″” / 88″”) to 2745mm (9′ / 108″”)

Q - What height will I get in the box? Unlike other poles X-Pole does not need to be cut to height so it can be moved to different height venues. The box will allow you to construct a pole from 2235mm (7′ 4″ 0r 88″) to 2745mm (9′ or 108″). To go higher extensions are added.

Q - My ceiling is over 9′

X-Pole uses extensions to increase it’s height. Extensions are available in 100, 125, 250, 500 and 1000mm sizes. X-pole can be used up to 3650mm (12′ / 144″) in standard format above that it is advised to use additional support. X-Pole has been used at 4250mm (14′ / 168″) with no problems but safety must always be a priority. X-Pole technical support can help with poles above 3650mm (12′ / 144″).

Q - How do I know what extensions to buy?

How to select the right extensions for your height is explained on the web site and in the instruction manual there is a height chart. On the web site type in the your height and the automatic calculator will select the correct extensions for you. Using the height chart in the instructions select the pole that matched the height of your ceiling and note the size of the extensions required (if any). The box contains a 125 and 250 mm extensions. Any further extensions will need purchasing.

Q - How portable is it?

X-Pole is supplied in a carry box with a hi-density foam inner. It can be carried in the box but the box will not stand day to day use. The foam inner can be transferred to an optional nylon carry case which makes X-Pole extremely portable.

Q - Will it damage my floor?

X-Pole has a soft silicone pad around the base. This gives excellent adhesion to virtually any surface and also stops any damage. As with any pressure pole it is possible that marks may occur but these can be rubbed off.

Q - What floors can X-Pole be used on?

X-Pole can be used on virtually any floor, wood, tile, carpet etc. etc. If there is any doubt please ring our technical support department. Care needs to be taken on wooden floors which flex to make sure the pole is fully compressed.

Q - How strong is an X-Pole?

X-Pole has been designed for professional dancers. It uses hi-grade steel and has screw together joints for added strength and stability. It has been used with two people dancing on it a girl and a guy!

Q - Where can I buy one?

VerticalDance UK

X-Pole

Source: Dance4me AU

Finally, my first X-POLE arrived on the day typhoon signal 8 hit Hong Kong. X-POLE was out of stock for a long while. When I thought it could take forever, finally it came to me. Surprisingly, I’m not excited as I thought. Maybe I had been waiting for too long.

X-POLE is seriously heavy. So, thanks to Lawrence for helping carry it back home. How many girls in Hong Kong got a pole at home? Very few I would say. Not everyone is lucky to have enough space for a pole, or many of them live at their parents’ house where definitely is not the right place to show your pole moves. Come to think of it, pole dance ought to be practiced alone though. We’re not talking about attending classes to learn how to pole dance where you have classmates and instructor’s company. But to practice it and figure out how the moves are constructed, you have to be alone most of the time. It’s not basketball. It’s not playing Wii games.  Your best friend for practicing pole dance is probably the VerticalDance DVDs and Youtube. It’s pole dance, the process of getting to it is very lonely. You might need to spend 3 months to practice alone in order to get a cheer arises from the crowd when you perform. If you can’t deal with loneness, don’t learn pole dancing.

I hate to talk about my own feeling and being blue here. This blog is meant to provide you pole dancing information but not my mid-week crisis. However, I do feel as lonely as a pole these days, being ignored and forgotten at times. Even my best friend was being sarcastic to me and said “You’re not afraid to be lonely” while I was trying to complain that she doesn’t spend time with me. I know why people think I am a lonely freak though. I do enjoy alone time very much, only have few handy friends, I do pole dance which maybe only 1 out of 1000 girls like and companion is totally unnecessary. People don’t even share my happiness of getting my own pole when I tell them. They just don’t understand.

I mentioned in another post about who can pole dance. Everyone can dance, but only few of them can be professional pole dancer. Not everyone is talented. The painful progress and unlimited frustration will simply stop you from going more advanced levels. Pole dance is for people who have strong will and charateristics. Frailness cannot exist. If your legs get weak in the middle of doing an invert, you can fall and injure yourself really bad. I think I am strong enough to have continued learning pole dancing untill now and never ever thought of giving up for whatever reason.

Unfortunately, being strong is good for pole dancing but not exactly for being a girl at all times. People simply think you’ll be just fine no matter what happen on you because you seem tough. Yea, my arms and legs are pretty strong, so is my will to dance. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t need want attention and care.

So I guess what I’ve been talking over here indicates the weakness part inside of me? I’m not as strong today, I don’t even bother to unpack my X-POLE. Just not now. Maybe tomorrow, when the weather gets better and I feel army strong again.

                           (From Double HKD299.00)           (From Shanghai RMB300.00)           (From Double HKD200.00) 

Good and fit dancing boots can help get more grip as well as protecting your skin from getting scraped. Usually when pole dancers go to a more advanced level they would practice with boots. You will be amazed how much it can boost up your legs’ strength. And you will get to master more techniques you had been struggling just because the benefit of good boots. Let alone to say how fabulous you will look in it.

You may have been searching around online lingerie and dancer shoes shops, you see thousands of beautiful boots yet you still have no idea what are suitable for pole dance. Not all boots are good ones, but choosing the right ones you will benefit from significant more grip while pole dancing.

Knee high boots

I personally like knee high boots the most. It’s especially good for Asian ladies because we simply look taller and legs will seem slimmer in them. In addition, it’s perfect for climbing while your arm strengths are waning at the end of the pole dance performance. It also gives you extra help for doing invert and those pole moves that rely on feet and lower legs a lot. I bought the black ones from Shanghai. It was while I just got started pole dancing for 1 month and I bought them as soon as I saw them – Look at how fabulous they are, I just can’t help! It’s cheap too, cost me only RMB300.00.  However, they’re not the best for pole dancing. The zippers are at the inside so sometimes it gets in the way when I try to climb. Also, it’s way too high (6” inches) for beginners like me. I bought the white ones from a small boutique shop called Double in Causeway Bay (HKD299.00). The zippers of this pair are on the back so it’s perfect for me who’s more used to climb from side.

Strings High Heels

 For some reasons I really love high heels with strings tightening up to lower legs. I guess it’s because it makes my legs look longer again. But these are just for walking around and looking beautiful, definitely not good for pole dancing unless your have really strong arms and don’t plan to rely on your legs to do invert and climbing. I bought it from Double again, got a discounted price (HKD200.00) from buying the white boots.

Thigh High Boots

The so-called The Pretty Woman boot! I haven’t owned one yet but heard it’s amazing at gripping the pole while learning moves like the knees, because the padding around the knee joint makes the experience a little less painful. Its stickiness also gives you extra security while you practice.

Ankle Boots

They’re particularly good for getting some extra pole purchase while still having the option of a small heel. The added support they provide around the ankle will help you with some invert and spins. Also, they’ve added some useful padding to protect your feet from any scrape and bruises.

Choosing the Right Materials

I won’t suggest you to buy soft leather boots as they can be very slippery. Do go for the plastic or shinny boots if you want to benefit from the extra grip. It’s better that you go purchase them in person so that you can feel it and try them on. It’s hard to tell if the dancer boots are made with good materials if you’re buying from online, remember to check with the refund policies – just in case you got the not-so-good ones.

Giving Your Boots a Break

It’s easy to be obsessed with the power of dance boots. After you put them on, every pole technique seems so easy to learn all in a sudden. You just don’t want to stop. However, it’s suggested that you take your boots off once in a while. You will be surprised that how much harder it is to grip the pole with your skin. Also, many pole dance competitions don’t allow boots because of the huge advantage they give.

Pole Approved Boots / Shoes

Besides boots, you may be fond of platforms and other fabulous dancing shoes too. To prepare yourself to performance and pole dance competition, you may get a pair of pole approved shoes from now on? You may check out more from Tony boots.

You may also read the previous post I wrote about dancer shoes and clothing.

Rona and I had a drink last night after dinner. As usual, two pole addicts’ chatting about how to improving pole techniques, getting excited for the upcoming pole events and so. We talked about how we started pole dancing and why we’re so addicted to it. Pole dance class in Hong Kong probably has the highest dropout rate among all. Those girls I met in my first class have all disappeared. People started pole dancing because they think it’s easy yet it is not. Very few people are talented in pole dance. So, if you’re serious about learning it, you are going to deal with lots of frustrations, bruises and soreness. And not everyone is ‘gifted’ to pole dance. Why do I say so? Because for people have sweaty hands, it’s really hard for them grip the pole. They need to clear the pole and wipe their hands every 5 minutes. And they need extra strengths to lift themselves up.

According to an article posted by Pole Exercise UK I read recently, over 80% of pole dancing students have suffered from sweaty or slippery hands at some point. And they provided 5 tips for dealing with it and keep you hanging on that pole!

1. Just relax!

Take a deep breath try to relax. Simple, but it works. The more relaxed your muscles are, the less stress you will feel and the drier your hands will become.

Concentrate on your breathing – slow the rate right down. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth a couple of times in a row. Focus on filling your body with oxygen and energy and then go for it!

2. Take a break

Sweaty hands are much more of a problem when people are learning new moves – this is the most common problem mentioned beginners’ classes. Even advanced students start to get sweaty hands when learning new moves.

Alternate between exercises – focus on leg moves, then arm moves – or just take a quick break.

It’s all too easy (far too easy!) to get carried away with pole work, but – as with any form of exercise – it’s important to pace yourself, particularly if you’re just starting out.

3. Practice makes perfect

When you learn a new move, you’ll start to develop a muscle memory of the most effective way to perform it. You’ll end up placing a lot less strain on your hands – and gripping better – simply because you’re moving more efficiently.

As you practice and build up your repertoire, you’ll find you learn how to grip the pole better to stop yourself sliding. Of course your hands will also get much stronger, which helps a lot too!

4. Don’t moisturize

OK, this may seem obvious, but you’d probably be amazed how often people forget because it just forms part of their daily routine. Sunscreen is also a common problem during the summer months.

So if you have used any moisturizer or creams, make sure you give your hands a good scrub with soap before jumping on a pole.

5. Keep your pole clean

A lot of people tend to over grip the pole when they first begin pole dancing. If you are just starting out, you may end up losing quite a bit of skin from your hands and legs and leaving an icky residue on the pole.

This is quite normal and, as you progress, you’ll learn to relax your grip naturally as you become more confident with your pole work.

But just make sure you keep the pole nice and clean in the meantime! A firm wipe down with a clean towel should do the trick nicely.

It was my 13th pole dancing class in Hong Kong today. I did attend some workshops back in Singapore, but none of them were serious and systematic. I pretty much like the way Ania teaches the class. She’s very experienced in teaching pole dancing techniques from beginners to advanced level. You know sometimes as an instructor, you are required to not only dance well, but also be able to deconstruct the moves and sessions into pieces and make learning easier. Ania does a very good job on this.

Besides, it’s very important that you are an encouraging person and you see the strengh in your students. I remember when I first started pole dancing. I had no clue how to do a climb and sit on the dance pole. I thought I’d give up just like that. But my instructor said so many good things about my dancing (I didn’t even realize some of them :P), I continued and kept on practicing. Now, after my 13 classes, sitting on the pole is just a piece of cake to me and I’m not afraid of doing upside-downs anymore (tho I still can’t do it freely). I’m really grateful that I’m having such a great instructor Ania.

So, we had a small and intensive class. After class dismissed, Rona and I decided to video tape a session of our pole dancing. Just to see how we pole dance overall. I had so much fun looking at my own video - my dancing still sucks! I was stiff, tensed, and honestly I had no idea how some moves ended up like that! LOL! Except for my not-so-nice demonstration, the moves I’m showing are basically what you are able to master in the intermediate class. Some of the girls can do even more upside-downs, cross knee release and so on. I am sure you will do better than me too. Enjoy!

(Special thanks for Rona doing the video taping