Lately, pole dancing in the 2012 Summer Olympics has been a hot topic. Of course, my friends know that I am ALL about pole fitness, so everyone has been asking my opinion. I've been busy with work so, although I have glanced at some articles and blogs, I really haven't paid a lot of attention to them -- just quick glances through. Nor have I had the chance to think about my actual opinion on the subject (any time someone sends me a link on Facebook, my response has basically been: "HELL YEAH, PUT POLE DANCING IN THE OLYMPICS!").
Tonight, Rita sent me a link to a blog asking for people IN the pole industry to weigh in on the subject. So, here goes!
When the posts about a petition to get pole dancing in the Olympics first started flying around Facebook, I (superficially) supported it wholeheartedly (see over-exaggerated response above). Of course I believe that the athleticism required to be a pole dancer is so much greater than some of the sports I just saw in the Winter Olympics (hellooooooo, what the hell is CURLING and does it require ANY athletic skill?!). Why wouldn't I support pole dancing in the Olympics?! I do love the "what's the difference" photo comparing vertical pole to the uneven bars.
However, the more I think about it, the more I don't really care. It's not that I don't care about pole dancing. It's just that I don't care about the Olympics. In my 33 years, I can't say I've EVER sat down to watch the Olympics (other than short recaps on the news each morning). I didn't watch the Winter Olympics, which I believe ended yesterday. And I probably won't watch the Summer Olympics in two years. (I don't have a problem with the Olympics -- I just don't get into "events" on TV. I don't watch shows like the Oscars either, if that makes everyone feel better.)
I do remember scanning one of the blogs...and someone mentioned something about standardizing the names of the twirls. No thanks. That's the artistic beauty of pole dance. I want people to be able to express themselves through their dance without someone telling them what they have to call their moves. So, while I would love to see pole dancing and pole fitness become more accepted, I don't want it to become so trendy that associations need to come in and make a bunch of rules, which would take all of the fun out of it.
Yep, That is what I thought you would say. Too funny. Agreed, Olympics, yeah sure. But that is not why I tried to do the d*&% chair spin today. (A little bit better, but my hands are not gripping right. More practice tomorrow:)
ReplyDeleteLori, thanks for adding to our discussion on this topic. I most definitely agree that standardizing trick names might be an impossible and unwanted task too. I don't want to sacrifice the artistic beauty of pole for trendy BS either. :)
ReplyDeleteWell put, Lori. The older I get, the less I care about watching the Olympics or any televised sporting event. Much better to be doing an athletic activity of your own! :-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can hand out medals for couch jockey of the year! hehe!!
ReplyDeleteI agree pole dancing should be in the Olympics as that is a quality sign to the world that this is fitness. As a pole dance instructor I dearly miss a common vocabulary so that schools around the world could communicate better. And I wish for my students that if they attend a class in another city, that they don't have to learn new names for the same moves all over again. Looking forward to the day we have a vocabulary parallell to what classical ballet has. That will bring more knowledge, clarity, class and art to pole dancing.
ReplyDelete-Hege, Oslo, Norway.
interesting discussion girls.. i am glad that pole dancing will become an olympic sport.. it will add class to the sport and people will realise that not only strippers do pole dance..
ReplyDeleteI come from Cyprus..a small greek island and its a shame that the only places in here you will see poles are in the cheap cabarets, and the poor foreign girls who uses them will be speechless if they see what a proper pole dancer can do on that pole.. it makes me sad to admit that there is not even one strip club in this island in which the girls are only dacners and not prostitudes..
im a freestyle dancer and i have passion for pole dance and the idea of getting my own pole was like a dream too far away from reality because of the norrow minded people of this place..pole dancer means prostitude to them.. but i've decided to get my one xpole till the end of may and i wont be bothered with people opinions.. my bf likes the idea as well LOL.. who knows? with lots of hours of practise i might go to the olympics some day!!! I aggred with u though.. No rules would fit on this sport..
great blog girl!! im glad i share my thoughts with u xx
Norway and Greece!! I'm so excited to hear from you both! I do believe that you should be able to dance and not worry about people judging you. I've written a couple of other blogs about that. Enjoy your new pole!! ;-)
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