Saturday, 25 June 2011

Hyperactive at the Pole Dance Championship

Hello, Friends!

Pole dancing is awesome, honestly. I wouldn't dare call the "sport" lewd or vulgar. The girls who competed at the recent HK - China Pole Dancing Championship were so strong, they could beat the crap out of me.

I do love figure skating and gymnastics, so it's just a small leap of imagination to grasp the idea that pole dancing demands a similar level of discipline and artistry.

All the contestants were technically skilled - otherwise, they wouldn't be in any sort of championship. But two girls were seriously outstanding. Foxy transplant Nataliia Bikmuulina and local super gal, Tessa Yung.

I can't assume to speak for the judges, but from my Front Row, Centre seat (big thanks to the sizzling Ms. Emma Hammonds and Pure Energy, one of the event's biggest sponsors), I realized that there's just one thing that separates the successful performances from the fails: Face. Sell me your goodies using your face. A pole dancer needs to tell a story - a compelling narrative with a proper beginning, middle and end. Otherwise, we're just watching a dizzying poke-your-eyes-out display of propeller legs spinning madly around a pole. The "athletes" need to consistently display a cohesive marriage of technical precision and artistry in order for this infant "sport" to receive wider mainstream recognition.

Photobucket

My dear friend, Emma, hosted the show. She looked like a Roman goddess; she cracked jokes like a seasoned bar maid. Emma kept me entertained, honestly. And when I found my attention drifting off, I perved the capoeira dancers...

Photobucket






...and one of the photographers, who had more arms than Arnold...

Photobucket


So this is Tessa Yung:

Photobucket

Holy Hyperactive smokes. Her performance had a high level of difficulty, had fluid transitions, and was thoroughly entertaining. She won the entire thing, and girlfriend totally deserved it.



With Affection,
James



PS
Boys are sooo ALLOWED to pole dance - as long as they look like this:

Photobucket
He goes by the alias "Ah Bill."

Bill's photo courtesy of Ali G Studios

No comments: