Ever since I saw Elvis Stojko lose artistic marks in the 1994 Olympics for his martial arts-inspired long program to a medley from Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, I have not been too keen on quantifying artistry. Most of me also feels that ranking things in order from The Best to… “not-the-best” is an exercise in futility – I’ll never know if apples are better than oranges.
However, none of this is to say that I’m not still hugely competitive – some of my favourite memories include running balls into end zones and hitting balls out of parks – but things with balls are more easily quantifiable.
Nevertheless, competitions seem to be the prevailing opportunity for mainstream pole dance performance… and I get it – taking pole dance out of the realm of strip clubs and into the realm of sports & fitness is *so* much more respectable… or at least more accessible.
Personally, I’ve been experiencing a shift in my own perception of pole dancing: in the beginning, I was adamant to note that I wasn’t stripping – I was training in circus-style pole dance with aerial acrobatics; and now I feel naΓ―ve for having so adamantly protested. The more I learn about pole dance, the more respect I have for the “strippers” who pioneered the art and the less willing I am to hang them out to dry, while I try to separate myself from these hot bitches.
So here’s where I’m at: I really want to perform entertaining pole routines, not too picky about the medium. I don’t think pole dance is pure sport, but I recognize the value of competitions: they can push you to excel in ways you might not otherwise push yourself, and most importantly for me – they impose external deadlines (I like to procrastinate).
When it came to submitting for the Canadian Pole Fitness Championships, I took my first crack at choreographing a routine for myself. I ran into trouble when I quit shoehorning in the comp’s mandatory moves, but I think I’m kinda proud of what I’ve done here… so I’d like to dedicate it to everyone I miss at Arena Pole Studio, especially Fontaine, who heavily inspires me with her choreography.
What a fucking boss. He inspires me to create more pole routines with whatever artistry I deem meritable. I’m not sure what that is yet… but feel free to join me on YouTube while I figure it out :) www.youtube.com/ajlui
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