PDC Syllabus Book - Our Cover Star - Sophie Herrmann.

A huge congratulations to the winner of our cover star competition for the brand new PDC Syllabus book. The winning entry was selected from nearly one hundred images submitted by our fabulous PDC approved pole dancing instructors. 

We were looking for an image that portrayed fitness pole dancing as a normal activity, accessible to all.

The winning image was submitted by PDC approved pole dancing instructor Sophie Herrmann from Ascendance Dance/University of Cardiff and photographed by Harry Sutton.  It shows Sophie using a 50mm titanium X-pole and performing a lateral stretch. The Lateral Stretch is a great move from the PDC syllabus that is attainable for all.

We want to thank everyone who submitted images for the competition and we have selected 10 runner up images to show you the quality of the beautiful pictures we received.

Here are our 10 runners up:

Kirstie Tancock - proving the health benefits of pole dancing.

Many of you will have seen Kirstie's amazing story on the recent BBC3 documentary 'Love on the transplant list' or in the news but for those of you who haven't here is the low-down; Kirstie is a CF (cystic fibrosis) sufferer and last year her lungs finally failed her. Kirstie was lucky enough to receive a last minute transplant that saved her life.

I spoke to Kirstie to find out how pole dancing has helped her and to see how she is adapting to life back on the pole:

Hi Kirstie, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Can you tell us a little bit about CF (CF Trust)

CF is a genetic disease, my parents did not have it themselves but passed on 2 faulty genes to me, meaning I have Cystic Fibrosis, I was diagnosed with CF at 6weeks old after being born with miconium ileuis and having emergency surgery hours after being born, this was a symptom of CF so I was then tested. Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. This makes it hard to breathe and digest food.

The Great Midwest Pole Dancing Competition - an interview with Level 3 pole dancing instructor Mary-Ellyn Weissmann.

2012 will see the welcome return of the Great Midwest Pole Dancing Competition, one of the most renowned American pole dancing competitions. The Midwest comp is a PDC approved event. We spoke to the event organiser Mary-Ellyn Weismann from ETED dance about the competition and its evolution.

What made you set up the Great Midwest Competition?

I was approached by several dancers in the community who felt that I was good at organizing and planning pole events and successful in bringing the community together for such things and was convinced to give it a try. Personally I thought it was a bunch of flattery as they figured if they could talk anyone into doing something like this it would be me!

Featured new PDC approved Pole Dancing Instructor Sophie Logan from the University of Wessex.

Sophie Logan has just joined the Pole Dance Community as an approved pole dancing instructor, we spoke to her to find out more about her and her passion for pole dancing:

"I have been polling since I was 16, but when I moved to Colchester to study management and marketing at the University of Essex in 2010, I began to take it a lot more seriously. I found ‘Little Sapphires pole players’ at my local venue and attended weekly sessions taught by PDC approved instructor Catherine Dachtler. I was very disappointed when I came to University to find that there wasn’t already a pole dancing club, so I decided to set one up!

PDC approved Level 2 pole dancing instructor Robyn Roooke wins the advanced section of the Bristol Pole Championships 2011.

360° Pole Dancing, Bristol's leading pole dancing school is proud to announce the success of principle and owner Robyn Rooke at this year's Bristol Pole Championships BPC). In a repeat of last year's result Robyn once again won the Advanced/Professional category beating other top pole dancers from the region.

Held earlier this month at Bristol's Bierkeller and attracting an audience of around 200 the Bristol Pole Championships is an annual competition where pole dancers from the region's pole schools are judged on pole dance routines featuring tricks and holds all performed to music.

Around 30 pole dancers from across the West battled it out at the competing in four categories – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced/Professional and new to this year 'Performer' (a category open to all levels where entrants are judged on their theme based routine).

Pole Dance Wear by Candy and Chrome.

Candy and Chrome has designed a range of pole dance wear which has been inspired by YOU and designed for YOU.

We looked to design a range of ‘Pole Couture’ which could be worn in AND OUT of the classroom, by all, which was specific to the aerial arts enthusiasts but generic enough to be suitable for anyone – any school, any rank, students, instructors and Pro’s.

Lovespin's Leah and Polly achieve PDC approved Level 2 pole dancing instructor status!

Leah Campbell and Polly Ainsworth received their Level 2 references from Pole Dance Community instructors Stacey Snedden and Emma Colsey-Nicholls. Leah said "Myself and Polly are joint partners in LoveSpin, we have worked extremely hard to get where we are today and also to get what we still want to achieve, we have a massive passion for the Pole Dance Industry and work very hard to stick to all guidelines, insurances, consent forms, risk assessments.....our hard work has and still is paying off, we have a regular 80 - 100 students on a weekly basis then even more on our weekend workshops and other classes we like to offer. We pride ourselves on teaching excellent technique and continue to push ourselves to keep our classes fun and of course safe."

We spoke to Leah and Polly to find out a little bit more about them:

Featured new member PDC approved pole dancing instructor Emma Addison.

Emma is the Director of Polenastics Lincolnshire and has been pole dancing since 2007 and clearly remembers walking up the stairs, a bag of nerves, for her first pole fitness class. Emma was quickly put at ease by her friendly instructor and encouraging “class mates”. Emma started with one class a week, but soon this was not enough and she was doing 3 a week.

“I immediately fell in love with pole dancing, I loved the sense of achievement every time I went to class, the satisfaction of finally getting “that” move and the fun that came with the workout”

PDC approved event UKPPC 2011 - Semi Final Results!!

The eagerly awaited results of semi finals of UKPCC are now out!!

PROFESSIONAL POLE DANCER CATEGORY RESULTS

The professionals that will be going forward to the Final on the 11th of December in Birmingham are:

Branding for your business is important, and there’s nothing that says more about you and your company than your business logo.It should stand out, inspire, 

spark interest, and be remembered.  It must represent you and what you do.

I love my logo – it’s not the easiest of things to print (didn’t think about that!) but it’s just uniquely ME! I get asked about it a lot, but sadly – even more often,
people don’t ask at all and assume that because it appears in Google images, that anyone can use it for anything, which simply isn’t true, in fact it’s very illegal!

Because this happens to me on a weekly basis now as more and more schools crop up all over the world, I would like to spread awareness by telling you all a little bit about my logo, where it comes from and why it is unique to ME......

Pole Essentials Book Review by PDC approved instructor Sam Remmer.

Pole Essentials is a new pole dancing resource written and compiled by PDC approved instructor Goddess Star Monroe. The book is a great A4 style paperback featuring a catalogue of 100 pages with over 70 moves accompanied by beautiful black and white pictures and guidelines for safe execution of each move. There is also space to write notes next to each move to aid your pole dancing progress.

In addition to the moves there are a whole host of resources such as pole dancing websites, quotes from accomplished pole dancers and some inspiring words of wisdom, from GSM herself, to motivate you and inspire you.

Featured new member PDC approved pole dancing instructor Rose Wallace from Pole Devils in Glasgow.

The Pole Dance Community is proud to welcome Rose Wallace, principal instructor and proprietor of Pole Devils in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. We spoke to Rose to find out more about her and her passion for pole dancing:

Featured new member - PDC approved pole dancing instructor Natasha Williams runs Body and Mind Pole Studios in South Africa.

Natasha Williams started teaching Pole Dancing in South Africa in 2005. With 13 years of pole dancing experience, she is passionate about her work/hobby. Empowering women is her goal, and she has helped hundreds of women in the last few years to find their self-confidence, sensuality and grace.

Natasha is also the organiser of Miss Pole Dance SA TM since 2006, which has helped the sport gain public acceptance and recognition. She currently she runs 3 studios of her own, has franchised a further 5, and has taught over 30 pole dancing instructors in the country.

PDC approved pole dancing instructor Ally O'Reilly from Polelatis achieves Level 2 status.

Ally O'Reilly is the proprietor and principal instructor of Polelatis in Bridport, Devon, UK. Ally received references for her Level 2 status from fellow PDC approved instructors Karen Currie from Princess K and Jenni Gooch from South Pole AKademy.

Level 2 references:

"Ally is well respected along the south coast as a Pole Fit Instructor combining her extensive knowledge of both Pole Fitness and Pilates; bringing her own fun style to her classes and enabling students to build their fitness whilst promoting core stability.
As a trained dancer, she makes Pole Fit moves flow beautiful together when combined into a routine and it is lovely to watch her perform.
Ally is a great ambassador for Pole Fitness as a physically strong, flexible and confident instructor whose interest in furthering her students’ ability is clearly her main focus.

Featured new member - PDC approved pole dancing instructor Bridie Gallagher from Benefit Pole Fitness in Doncaster.

We spoke to Bridie Gallagher  from Benefit Pole Fitness Doncaster about being PDC approved and about her pole dancing history and future.

Bridie said "I am very proud to now become an approved Level 1 instructor and I am looking forward to taking my students on their passport (AAP)  journey. I have lived and breathed dancing from a very young age, I have gained a great deal of knowledge and experience through my career in dance being ballet, tap and modern dance.

I have been teaching pole fitness now for over 5 years after attending a master-class with Pantera I had the bug. I set up Benefit Pole Fitness in Doncaster over 2 years ago.

PDC approved pole dancing instructor Stacey Snedden from Stacey Pole achieves Level 2 status!

Stacey received references for her application from fellow Level 2 instructors Kate Johnstone and Tracy Huckfield.

Stacey started Pole Fitness in  February  2005 as a student of Vertical Dance Hertfordshire, after 6 months of poling Stacey soon lost weight and became an instructor for Vertical Dance, working on many events and teaching in various venues across Hertfordshire. In December 2008 Stacey ventured on her own to start Stacey Pole and now has 5 instructors across 4  venues in and around Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage and Hitchin.

The Pole Dance Community USA is here!

After the huge success of the Pole Dance Community in the UK we have officially launched in the USA with a head office in Illinois. 

We are actively recruiting new USA instructors.

PDC USA is the America specific offshoot of the original PDC (Pole Dance Community) which was founded in May 2009 and has been working with dancers and instructors within the community to develop a self-regulating organization to set and uphold standards of safe teaching practices.

By this self regulation, the PDC sets standards within the industry creating a safe training environment for all pole dance students.

Elite but not elitist, anyone can join us - providing they make the grade:

PDC approved pole dance school Emily's Pole Fitness expands!

Emily's Pole Fitness is run by our Level 2 approved pole dancing instructor Emily Smith and is supported by PDC approved Level 1 instructor Leila White who also teaches at Emily's Pole Fitness (EPF). EPF has now upgraded to a bigger and better new pole dance studio!

Emily has been teaching pole dancing classes for around 4 and a half years and decided to set up her own school in April 2010. Emily started in a pub function room and after only 10 weeks moved to her first studio with 3 poles. As Emily’s classes are so popular she decided it was time to upgrade and open a bigger and better pole dance studio which she has successfully achieved and is now based in BSS House in Cheney Manor Industrial Estate in Swindon. Emily’s new studio has 8 X-poles in total, 6 of them are 12ft high poles fixed to the ceiling and the floor, the other 2 poles are X-stage poles.

Candy & Chrome Charity abseil for Wrexham Special Care Baby Unit.

On 26th June 2011 Amy Butterworth aka Tiny took a selection of Candy and Chrome pole dancing students on a 150 foot abseil down the aptly named Devil's Gorge.

We spoke to Tiny to find out what on earth possessed her and her students to throw themselves down a solid stone cliff face!

Featured new member PDC approved pole dancing instructor Jennifer Wilkins fom Pole Expression.

Jennifer Wilkins has been instructing pole fitness for over 6 years. Over the years her program has evolved into an entirely new way to get pole fit. She has been involved in fitness her entire life and developed a love for the pole at age 19. There were no pole schools at the time so Jennifer began teaching herself. Within 4 months she teamed up with Jessie’s Lingerie and together they started one of Utah’s first Pole dancing studios.