Dancing Is Top Hobby

I recently came across a lifestyle article in msn.com titled "The top 10 hobbies that make people fancy you". The article reported: What do you find attractive in the opposite sex? Good looks? Charm? Wit? Have you ever watched David Beckham playing football and wondered why it was making you weak in the knees? Or seen a surfer on the beach and watched in admiration at his bravery?

Research by sports and hobby website www.clubbz.com might hold the answers they recently took of a poll of 1,392 Brits to find out which hobbies are the most attractive to the opposite sex. The study revealed that nearly half of men and just over two-thirds of women would be more likely to find someone desirable if they had a number of different hobbies, as it made them seem more exciting and interesting. See which ones made it into the top 10.

1. Dancing

2. Yoga

3. Swimming

4. Cooking

5. Pole Dancing

6. Football

7. Surfing

8. Photography

9. Rock climbing

10. Whitewater rafting

I am not surprised that (social) dancing and pole dancing made it to the numbers 1 and 5 spots respectively. This is what was written about these two hobbies. Dancing - It probably won't come as a surprise to you ladies that men rated dancing as the most attractive hobby for a woman to have. A whopping 89% of those questioned said they'd be more interested in ladies who knew their fancy footwork. Time to get your groove on, girls! Pole dancing - Pole dancing has become a popular activity in recent years and not just with women. Nearly half of all the men who took part in the study said they find the hobby appealing in the opposite sex.

Pole Dancing Finesse

Pole dancing to the music of a 20-piece live orchestra, including violins? Yes, says one Philippine pole dance troupe that seeks respect for its art and athleticism. Against the background of women around the world turning to pole dancing as a form of exercise, the Manila-based group Polecats proved at a recent week-end show that the performances are no longer only for strip clubs and sleazy bars - or just for women, either.

As the orchestra played classical-style arrangements of modern songs, dancers of both genders swung and climbed gracefully up 4m poles, combining flexibility, strength, and moves bordering on acrobatics, with sensuality. "You don't go to Cirque du Soleil to get turned on, although maybe you will, but I just want people to see that we're really good at what we do, and not just hot," said Christina Dy, the Polecat's director.

"Routines involving swings and twirls require balance, concentration and a high level of technical skills, and that is what audiences should appreciate," she added. "The group has gathered male performers, as well as male viewers, by focusing on the athletic aspects of performing," said Job Bautista, the first man to become a regular Polecats member. "Now here in the Philippines we're trying to promote the more acrobatic type of pole dancing, which we Polecats think is more suited to men," he said. (Reuters)

Pole Star - Malaysia Pole Championship 2011

The finals of the Pole Star - Malaysia Pole Championship 2011, organised by Viva Vertical was held at the Black Box Theatre in Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur on June 12. A total of 14 finalists - 12 ladies and 2 guys, competed in the Exotic Pole, Fit Pole, Duo Pole and Ultimate Pole categories. The competitors who came from various pole dance schools in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Klang were judged on their performances based on technical ability, artistic interpretation and presentation.

The exotic pole title was won by Amy Lim Mei Wei. The 29 year old Amy, who is a sales manager with EC Management Sdn Bhd in Petaling Jaya, said "I have been learning and practising pole dance for ten months." The fit pole crown went to Yong Ye Yee, 18, a former student of SMJK Hwang Hwa, Klang. Ye Yee said "I have been dancing since I was 14 and was the Asia Pacific Champion in the hip hop solo event held at the Shangrila Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in 2009."

Lim Xiu Yen (pic) captured three titles - one with crowd favourite Adam Tan in the ultimate pole, another in the duo category with Kitt Goh, and was also named "Most Popular Dancer" of the meet. The 28 year old Xiu Yen who was sporting a spiky Mohican style hairdo performs professionally in the Klang Valley. She started learning jazz, hip hop and Latin American dances when she was 20 and only picked up pole dancing fifteen months ago.

Adam is a 20 year old, second year Diploma in ICT student at International Inti College in Subang Jaya who has a passion for dance, gymnastics and pole acrobatics. The delighted youngster said, "I discovered my love of dance with hip hop four years ago and in 2008 was introduced to pole dancing in my local studio." At the International Pole Dance Fitness Championship 2010 held recently on 9 December in Tokyo, Adam took home a championship title in the Pole Art men's category.

The tall and slim Kitt Goh performed a flexible routine in the duo pole with Lim Xiu Yen which enthralled the spectators. Kitt, who was a former Perak state high jump champion, showed tremendous strength, stamina and agility which complemented well with Xiu Yen's flexibility and grace. Chief judge Anna Przeplasko who was impressed with the women's performance, instantly awarded a wild card for the pair to compete in the qualifiers at next year's International Pole Championship.

Adam Tan Wins International Pole Dance Championship

Adam Tan (pic) 19, has done Malaysia proud by winning the championship title in the Pole Art Men's Category in the International Pole Dance Fitness Championships held in Tokyo, Japan on December 9. Two other Malaysians, namely Samantha Yee and Emily Tan also took part in this competition. Adam, who is also an accomplished hip hop dancer and gymnast, took up pole dancing in 2008 and has been hooked since.

The Pole Art category recognizes originality and creativity in movement to music on the vertical pole. Other categories in in the Tokyo Championship were Pole Fit that recognise technique & skill of pole acrobatics and the Ultimate Pole Champion that demonstrated the best of art & fitness. The Tokyo meet was the world's first international pole dance fitness championship with a men's and disabled category.

RESULTS

POLE ART

Champion (Men): Adam Tan, Malaysia

Runner-up: Derick Pierson, USA

Champion (Women): Zoraya Judd, USA

Runner-up: Giulia Piolanti, Italy

POLE FIT

Champion (Men): Chris Measday, Australia

Runner-up: Loic Lebret, France

Champion (Women): Rafaela Montanaro, Brazil

Runner-up: Michelle Hafner, Australia

ULTIMATE POLE CHAMPION

Men: Duncan West, Australia

Women: Mai Sato, Japan

Disabled: Eri Kamimoto, Japan

Viva Vertical Launches Pole Stars Talent Showcase

Pole dancing is a form of dancing cum gymnastics that requires muscular endurance, co-ordination and acrobatic feats of strength involving movements with a vertical pole. It also involves sensual dance moves executed with the polish of a performer. Pole dance is regarded by many as an art form and is now performed in various places such as theatres, cabarets and clubs. Celebrities who pole dance include Madonna, Paris Hilton, Jolin Tsai, The Pussycat Dolls and The Spice Girls.

Pole dance which was introduced to Malaysia in 2007 seems to have garnered quite a following here. Not only is it popular with the girls, but the guys seem to have taken a fancy to this art form too. There are a number of dance studios and fitness centres in the Klang Valley and elsewhere which conduct pole dance classes. Several pole dance competitions, workshops and performances have also been organized in the past.

For the third year running, Viva Vertical, a leading pole dance academy and troupe in South East Asia is organizing the Pole Stars Talent Showcase Malaysia 2010. This online reality and fan based pole dance competition is open to guys and girls aged 18 and above. This year sees the addition of a 'Professional' category alongside the previous year's 'Fit Pole' and 'Exotic Pole' categories.

The semi-finals of the Pole Stars Talent Showcase Malaysia 2010 will be held on April 24 at Autumn Quattro in Avenue K, Kuala Lumpur while the grand finals on May 22 will take place at The Opera in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya. Prizes totalling RM5,000 are up for grabs and the champions will get the chance to represent the country at the International Pole Dance Fitness Championships 2010 to be held in Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit www.mypolsestars.com.

Pole Dance In 2012 London Olympics?

The Hanging Garden in collaboration with NEO Global Tapas & Luxe Lounge, Time-Out Magazine and Expatriate Lifestyle Magazine is organizing the Pole Idol pole dance competition. Further details is as follows:-

Venue: NEO Global Tapas & Luxe Lounge,
19 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
(Opposite TGIF, next to Wisma KFC)

Dates: October 9 (Friday) & October 10 (Saturday) 2009 - Auditions
October 24 (Saturday) 2009 - Finals

Time: 9.00 pm

Participation: Open to men and ladies

Prizes: Champion - RM3000 and a chance to attend a workshop by world renowned instructor Bobbi of Bobbi's Pole Studio, Australia at the Asian Pole Summit 2009 in Singapore, plus other exciting prizes
1st Runner up: RM1500 plus other exciting prizes
2nd Runner up: RM1000 plus other exciting prizes

No application is necessary. Just turn up at the venue on October 9 or 10 and be prepared to be judged by a special panel of 'experts'. Or you can follow the action at www.youtube.com/user/KLpoleidol. Entrance to watch the competition is free. For more information please contact Maple Loo, the principal of The Hanging Garden at 012-2326482 or mapleloo@gmail.com. You can also check out her website at www.mapleloo.blogspot.com.

Pole dancing is getting very popular around the world and there are efforts to make pole dance an Olympic event. According to a recent Newslite report, a campaign has been launched to make pole dancing an Olympic sport in time for the London 2012 Games. British pole dance instructor K T Coates thinks the discipline should be on a par with rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating. As such, the 32-year old has started an online petition for people who want to see pole dancing or vertical pole recognized as a competitive sport.

More than 2500 people have already signed up and K T hopes her initiative will help remove the stigma attached to pole dance. Speaking about the petition, K T said "Many of us have decided its about time pole fitness is recognised as a competition sport and what better way for recognition than to be part of the 2012 Games. We believe that like rhythmic gymnastics, the horizontal bar and figure skating, pole dance is acrobatic, gymnastic, technical and takes a great deal of physical skill and strength to master, earning it a place in the greatest sporting event in the world."

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> Pole Dance Workshop "The Asian Pole Summit" .....

Pole Dancers Perform For Charity

Viva Vertical (www.vivavertical.com) recently organized a pole dance competition called "Pole Stars", to promote pole dancing and at the same time raise funds for the Women's Aid Organization and World Wildlife Fund. The organizers of this competition which is open to both female and male pole dancers, hoped to showcase the two popular styles of pole dancing - Fit Pole and Exotic Pole. Preliminary judging was based on video entries submitted online. Of some 50 entries received, 10 contestants - 9 girls and 1 guy were eventually chosen for the finals.

The finals of the competition was held on June 6 at Saigon Bar in One Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. The finalists were required to perform a solo self-choreographed routine. In the Fit Pole category, the champion was Curtney Wee Hooi Shee (picture) who won a RM2000 cash prize plus other prizes worth RM3000. Wee, who hails from Kuala Trengganu has a background in ballet and contemporary Chinese and Malay contemporary dances and took up pole dancing only 3 months ago. The runner up was John Ti Yi Hong who has been pole dancing since July last year.

Kerry Ann Khoo, a professional dancer with Puteri Gunung Ledang - The Musical was adjudged the winner in the Exotic Pole Category. Khoo said she never took any formal pole dance lessons and had to learn to choreograph the routine herself. Second place went to Monique Milan who started pole dancing in February. The guest performer at the event was Fiona-Jane Gomez who was one of the judges of the competition. Gomez, a dance instructor as well as a director of Talent Hub, mesmerized the crowd with her dazzling pole dance performance.

Last year, Clorets organized the 1st Malaysia Amateur Pole Dance Competition. The competition attracted a remarkable 75 entries, out of which 15 contestants: 13 ladies and 2 guys were selected for the finals. Dance instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin emerged as the eventual winner at the finals which was held at Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur on September 15. She bagged a RM5000 cash prize and a one-year gym membership with Celebrity Fitness. It seems there won't be a 2nd Malaysia Amateur Pole Dance Competition this year. Which is such a pity really!

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> Dance Instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin Wins Clorets Amateur Pole Dance Competition 2008

Pole Dance With Maple Loo

Pole dance seems to be making inroads and getting popular in Malaysia. During the middle of this year, Clorets organized the inaugural Malaysia Amateur Pole Dancing Competition 2008, in which contestants had to submit videos online of them pole dancing. 15 finalists (13 girls and 2 guys) out of 75 contestants were chosen for the grand final which was held at Zouk Club in Kuala Lumpur on September 5. The finalists combined pole dance with various styles of dance ranging from ballroom to Latin American, ballet, broadway and hip hop, to a wildly enthusiastic crowd. The winner of the competition was dance instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin who impressed the judges with her beautiful dance routine and graceful style.

As pole dance is a total body workout involving dance steps and aerobics, the health benefits are immense. The benefits include upper body strength, toning of back, shoulders, arms, midriff and legs. In addition you gain overall flexibility, balance and co-ordination. An average hour long session of pole dancing will help you to burn about 400 calories. Compare this to 210 for dancing the waltz or fox trot, 315 for line dancing and 330 for jazz or tap dancing. Pole dancing is also fun and sensual at the same time. However as pole dancing is quite strenuous and if you intend to take up pole dance, it is advisable to consult your doctor if you have not exercised for a long time.

There are quite a number of dance schools and fitness centres in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor which are conducting pole dance classes. One of these is The Hanging Garden, a pole dance school located at Linda Jasmine Performing Arts Studio in Ampang Point in Ampang, Selangor. The principal of The Hanging Garden is the gorgeous looking Maple Loo, a freelance dancer, choreographer and performer for more than a decade. Students of pole dance are expected to learn the basic movements like the Chair and the Pencil before progressing to the more advanced manoeuvres like the Serpent, Scorpio and Bird's Nest.

The Hanging Garden will be hosting the first ever Asian Pole Summit in Malaysia. To be held on December 6 & 7 2008, the event will bring pole dancing to the forefront as an aesthetic art form that is technically challenging and artistically creative. A lineup of professional pole and dance instructors including world renowned pole fitness instructor, KT Coates from the United Kingdom will be in town to teach pole dancing, women styling, special dance techniques, flexibility, core strengthening as well as exotic dances. For more information on this workshop, contact Maple Loo at 012-2326482 or check out her website at www.mapleloo.blogspot.com.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Dance Instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin Wins Clorets Amateur Pole Dance Competition 2008

Fifteen finalists battled it out for the title of Malaysian pole dance champion at the Clorets Amateur Pole Dance Competition which was held on September 5 2008 at Zouk Club, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. The finalists - 13 girls and 2 guys, performed various genres of dances ranging from ballroom, Latin American, ballet, broadway, hip hop and even martial arts to the cheers of the raucous crowd.

Judging was based on clarity, technique and artistic value. The grand winner was Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin, 29, who impressed the judges with her beautiful dance routine and graceful style. She bagged a RM5000 cash prize and a Celebrity Fitness one-year gym membership. Lilli who is a dance instructor said she only learned pole dancing for a month.

First runner-up was professional dancer Yee Mei Er (stage name Sam), 28 who walked away with a RM3000 cash prize and a Celebrity Fitness nine-months gym membership. The second runner-up Andrew Tan (stage name Auto) 21, a digital animation student, incorporated gymnastics, hip hop and martial arts in his presentation. Andrew took home a RM2000 cash prize and a Celebrity Fitness six-months gym membership.

Pole dancing as a form of dancing and fitness is relatively new in Malaysia but interest seems to be picking up. One centre promoting pole dancing in Malaysia is Viva Vertical. For more information on classes in your area, please contact Lola at 016-2096997 or email vivavertical@gmail.com. You can also log on to their website at http://www.vivavertical.com/.

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Clorets Dark Secret Amateur Pole Dance Competition 2008 Grand Finals To Be Held At Zouk Club, KL on September 5

The Clorets Amateur Pole Dance Competition Grand Finals will be held at Zouk Club, Kuala Lumpur from 6.30 pm onwards on September 5, 2008.

Fifteen finalists have been chosen to take part in the grand finals. The 15 finalists - 13 girls and 2 guys, were shortlisted from among 75 entries based on the clarity, technical and artistic value of video clips submitted.The 75 participants had each submitted a video of themselves performing one of six pre-choreographed pole dance routines as shown on the web site www.cloretspower.com.

Singer songwriter Hannah Tan and Mix FM deejay Pietro Felix have accepted the challenge of performing a pole dance routine at the grand finals.

The grand finalists stand a chance to win the following attractive prizes:-


First prize: RM5000 cash and Celebrity Fitness 1-year gym membership

Second prize: RM3000 cash and Celebrity Fitness 9-months gym membership

Third prize: RM2000 cash and Celebrity Fitness 6-months gym membership.

Pole dancing is a form of dancing/gymnastics that takes muscular endurance and co-ordination as well as sensuality, involving movements with a vertical pole, acrobatic feats of strength, with the polish of a performer. Pole dancing is regarded by many as a performing art. Celebrities who pole dance include Madonna, Paris Hilton, Jolin Tsai, The Pussycat Dolls and The Spice Girls.

Entry to the finals of the Clorets Pole Dance Amateur Competition is open to anyone over the age of 18. Just flash a pack of Clorets Mini Mints at the entrance to gain free admission.

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> Pole Dance Workshop "The Asian Pole Summit 2008" To Be Held In Malaysia On December 6 & 7

> Dance Instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin Wins Clorests Amateur Pole Dance Competition 2008

First Amateur Pole Dancing Competition In Malaysia

Clorets will be organizing the first Amateur Pole Dancing Competition in Malaysia. The preliminaries will be held from 1 July to 3 August 2008.

Pole dancing has recently caught on as an increasingly popular form of exercise and dance in which women (and sometimes men) use the pole as a prop for their workouts and dance routines. The latest fitness sensation to hit the streets of KL, pole dancing is a fun, physically demanding form of exercise that can make one feel fit and sexy at the same time. It is gaining recognition as an art form and is now performed in various places such as theatres, cabarets and clubs.

Clorets have placed a full page advertisement in The Sun yesterday and put up an easy step-by-step guide for those keen to participate. They are

Step 1- Find a pole (or a chair)

Step 2 - Wear comfortable clothes that expose your arms and legs

Step 3 - For maximum grip, do not apply body lotion.

Step 4 - Choose 1 of the 6 dance routines featured on http://www.cloretspower.com/. The 6 dance routines are Hip Hop, Ballroom, Eastern/Belly, Exotic, Sporty & Duo.

Step 5 - Create a 40-second video of yourself performing that routine

Step 6 - Submit your video via http://www.cloretspower.com/.

The competition is open to everyone (I believe that includes men) over the age of 18.

15 lucky semi-finalists will be selected and specially trained by a pole dancing instructor before competing in the Grand Finals which will be held at Ruums Bar & Club, Kuala Lumpur on September 5.

The prizes that will be up for grabs are:-

1st prize: RM5000 cash and a Celebrity Fitness 1-year gym membership worth RM3000

2nd prize: RM3000 cash and a Celebrity Fitness 9-month gym membership worth RM2500

3rd Prize: RM2000 cash and a Celebrity Fitness 6-month gym membership worth RM1500

You can catch local celebrities pole dancing at http://www.cloretspower.com/ and also obtain free pole dancing lessons by downloading your free voucher from the same website.

The sponsors of this competition are Clorets, Fitness First & Viva Vertical. To know more about pole dancing classes, contact Fitness First and Viva Vertical.

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado

Dancesport Malaysia