Dance craze that's poles apart from any sleaze
When it comes to the growing popularity of pole dancing in Northern Ireland, it’s probably best to leave your preconceptions at the door.
Images of scantily clad babes in some seedy strip joint is, according to those involved, about as far from the truth as Demi Moore’s portrayal in Striptease was from your average sex worker.
Primarily, the activity has been taken up as a sport — enthusiasts say it’s a brilliant way of toning up that has more in common with dance, gymnastics and athletics than anything you might see in a lap-dancing club.
Like belly dancing before it, pole dancing still has some image problems to work through, but in other parts of the world, most notably Australia, going to a pole class is as normal as taking up aerobics.
Certainly, classes are booming here — there are now dedicated studios in Belfast, Londonderry, Omagh and Banbridge, and many gyms offer sessions.
Eilionior Fegan (31) was the woman who first introduced the art of the pole to Ulster, back in 2005. Like many converts, she became hooked while travelling in Australia and “just had to share it with the women back home”.
As the founder of Polercise, Eilionior has trained a new generation of instructors and counts many international competitors among her students.
Why does she thinking it’s catching on? “It’s such a fun way to keep fit. It gives you an overall body workout, using parts of your body that you didn't know even you had.
“It also gives you a confidence within yourself that’s hard to explain.
“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but you have to try these things at least once before you jump to any conclusion,” she added.
The All-Ireland Pole Dance Competition took place Friday 3rd June at the Precious nightclub in the Odyssey in Belfast and — for the first time —was open to male competitors (although men and women compete in separate categories).
We spoke to some of the competitors hoping to scale new heights ...
‘I genuinely believe it’s empowering for women’
Jo Robinson (31) is the reigning Irish champion and No 2 in Britain. She lives in Larne with her children, Nikita (11), Sacha (10) and Kaden (7). She says:
I went through a terrible divorce a few years ago and my confidence was at an all-time low. I was anorexic, I had no friends. I tried counselling, I tried everything, but the one thing that turned things around for me was pole dancing.
Belly Dancing Male - News
Primarily, the activity has been taken up as a sport — enthusiasts say it's a brilliant way of toning up that has more in common with dance, gymnastics and athletics than anything you might see in a lap-dancing club. Like belly dancing before it,
Celebrity belly dancer Antonella will be swinging her hips into Toronto this June. Billed as the only out trans performer of the Arabic world, she spent years as a male with an intersexed body in Lebanon before finally discovering her feminine identity
The lawn of the historical Livingston County Courthouse served as the site of many of this year's attractions, including belly dancers, singers, a 50/50 raffle and a dunk tank. A new attraction this year was the newly popular Flash Mob Dance.
When you think of Britney Spears, certain adjectives and iconic images immediately come to mind -- the sexy, seductive, fierce star, belly-bared and draped in a giant boa, adorned in diamonds, clad in a red cat suit or provocatively strutting in a
Or is it sitting down with these rats and asking how they can rip the baby out of your belly? by MarineVet64 June 17, 2011 6:56 AM EDT You sit down with them and figure out how long it will take you to starve when you can't afford medical care for your
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In Turkish, belly dance is commonly known as cifetelli, in the Bulkans and Greece it is often known as tsiftetelli. There are 2 kinds of belly-dancing, the 1st being raqs baladi and the second being raqs sharqui. Save the Date marriage magnets became a fundamental piece of todays marriages. Why Is That Crucial ? Compared with fifty years back, the approach to life we live today is terrifically busy. Work, college, and all of the associated activities take up much of our free time. Its extremely hard to adjust schedules on short notice, so when they get a Save the Date marriage magnet ahead, they can begin making agreements so that they can attend. How are you able to Get Them? Most Save the Date magnets are acquired online. Only a few brick-and-mortar stores exist that sell the things, so plan on visiting a website for your purchase. Most men do not pay that much attention to it. Raqs baladi is usually preformed for fun at marriages and other social events. Raqs sharqui is the more dramatic version and is highly regarded form for Westerners The traditional art of bellydancing is taught in the conventional cultural methodology.
male nerds all around are waiting for the belly dancing especially if your dressing up as princess Leia..
I was thinking of the male version of shakira belly dancing :D
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Numa'ir professional male belly dancer in the San Francisco Bay Area