In  my continued adventures to discover the history of pole dance studios  around the world, I recently interviewed Bobbi and Ness of Bobbi's Pole Studio Australia. They also have studios located in Malaysia and Singapore.  Today we meet Maple of Bobbi's Pole Studio Malaysia.
You  have an extensive dance background.  Excluding pole dance, what is your  favorite genre of dance? 
My favorite has gotta be street dance. I love  hip hop and can totally relate to street dancers best as I myself have  never had any formal dance training. Pole dancing is really the only  formal training I've ever received!
When did you first start  pole dancing? 
Started 2008. I discovered it while watching The May Lee  Show on tv one morning and immediately knew it was the ultimate thing I  was gonna do moving on from my the local dance scene (Malaysia). I I was  also getting fat and miserable (hahahaha) since my dance career took  the back seat when my restaurants/resorts business started to expand.  Hence desperately needed an outlet.... Something I could do on my own,  in my own time and at home.
 What brought you to Australia to  train with Bobbi's Pole Studio? 
I've always been a huge fan of  Bobbi.....She's the 'Madonna' in the pole world! From the moment I  watched Bobbi on youtube I wished I had found her years earlier. And  when I finally met her, I wasn't just pole-struck by her amazingly  beautiful talent but I had alot of respect for her humility - she was  very warm and had a great sense of humor. You see, when I first met  Bobbi in Sydney with my training team (now Bobbi's Spore), I never  thought I'd end up teaching seriously. In fact it was never something I  pictured myself ever doing! I'm not the most patient human being, always  preferred to only work with professional dancers and the stage was  always my place not the classroom. But then pole is special. Pole  dancing is a lifestyle. Everything changed when the golden opportunity  came.... More than anything I just wanted to be a part of Bobbi's  legacy.
When did you open Bobbi's Pole Studio in Malaysia? 
March 2010. Despite the fast pace, the way things are moving with the  studio since we opened, I still sometimes sit in my office in utter  disbelief that Bobbi has chosen me to represent her in Malaysia... What  an honor.
Do you participate in competitions? 
No I don't like competitions but I love doing shows.
What  kind of fitness routine do you follow on and off the pole? 
I love Zumba  and Dance-type classes at the gym (I really miss the sort of dancing I  used to do over the last 20 years so this is the best I can get these  days with my schedule). And I do compound exercises for the extra  strength-training once a week or whenever I travel and dont get to pole,  just so I keep the power:)
Do you prefer to dance barefoot  or in shoes? 
Oh gosh I don't think I can dance anymore without heels!  And this is also the result of the Bobbi-fication hahahaha
What do you use to help you stick to the pole? 
Shaving gel and tite grip!
 What trick is your nemesis?
I guess it'll have to be this combo - from static V to brass monkey
Tell  us something people would be surprised to hear? 
That I'm a Tae-kwon Do  black belt with 7 years of training, and a mega fan of martial arts  movies. And my only ambition in life was to be a vet.
What  does 2012 hold for you?
Bundling more business trips to Perth and Sydney  so that i can go train with Bobbi and Kim more often;) Showdown 2012  (3rd season of the street dance reality tv competition in Malaysia which  I'm judge); another hotel to open in Singapore; possibly a vacation in  Vegas + LA!; very likely a few more doggies!
This blog blossomed in 2010 to chronicle my adventures in pole dance after weight loss surgery. Although I am pole dancing less these days, I still hike and do yoga. I sometimes still have to remind myself that the size of my body doesn't dictate my worth. I believe living a life full of gratitude and joy helps lead to a true mind, body and spirit connection. You have the power to manifest your best life!
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