According to an article on my local ISP home page pole dancing is not sex. It’s a sport. This weekend the European pole dance championship took place in Amsterdam.
“Everything which we do requires so much strength. You train your legs and your muscles. It has nothing to do with eroticism. You have no time to think of that!” said Jeannine Wikering, the 26-year-old competitor for Germany who came third.
Here’s the link to the Reuters’ story. Pole Dancing Championships
I must admit I was curious so I googled pole dancing. Who knew there were so many people who participated in pole dancing and so many contests for the best pole dancer? I sense a story brewing…
What do you think? Sport or sex?
In promo news I’m participating in the Coffee Time Romance Alphabet Authors promotion. Come over to the forum, enter my contests, enter the contests for the other authors. Author friends – both published and unpublished please feel free to post an excerpt in the Guest: Presidential Suite/Visiting authors thread. You need to register for the forum but it’s free and a great way to promo. Mention my name when you register and I get brownie points 
or let me know and I’ll send you an invitation. Use the register link to get started if you’re not already a member.
Here’s the link to the forum: Coffee Time
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September 15th, 2008 at 7:12 pm · Link
Sex!
For heaven’s sake… gyrating around a phallic symbol is not a sport. Neh-eh.
Hmmm…. has me rethinking pole vault.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:35 am · Link
In the article it said they wore sports-like clothes rather than sexy bits of nothing. I suppose it depends on where said pole dancing takes place as to what category it would fall in…
September 16th, 2008 at 6:32 am · Link
I’ve actually always wanted to try it, but I am way too uncordinated and giant for that.
Send me a link for the Coffee Time!
September 16th, 2008 at 8:24 am · Link
It totally depends on:
Who you’re doing it for
Who’s watching (or not watching)
what the desired result is
What you want to get out of it.
There’s actually a place near here fighting this fight: the woman wants to open a pole dancing for exercise studio, but people think she’s selling sex. Okay, I agree that the lap dancing lessons are a bit much, but pole dancing?
Dude, if my gym offered it, I’d be there!
(btw, Coffee Time would want a renegade like me?)
September 16th, 2008 at 8:45 am · Link
Pole dancing began in burlesque shows and have stripper connotations, but today it’s moving into new territory: women claiming their own sexuality for themselves.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:46 pm · Link
Amy – I’m not so great on the coordination either but I figure I couldn’t fall off a pole!!
I thought it sounded interesting. I’ve heard of overseas gyms offering classes. I must investigate to see if they give classes here because I’m sure I could use the experience in a book.
I’ve sent you an invitation to Coffee Time.
Susan – of course they’d want you! I’ve sent you an invitation as well.
I thought pole dancing would be an interesting way to bring something different to a marriage. Even the lap dancing thing could work.
Julia, that’s interesting. To be honest I was fascinated to see exactly how many links I found when I googled.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:11 pm · Link
The local spa/gym in my neighborhood offers bellydancing and pole dancing classes. I can’t even coordinate myself in a yoga class, so you won’t find me there. They say anything that raises the pulse rate can be a sport. And that, well, the labido increases after you exercise. So maybe sports of anykind are a type of foreplay *g*
I’ll try the link but if my techno challenged mind can’t figure it out, I might be pestering you for an invite.
Hugs
Mari
September 16th, 2008 at 4:02 pm · Link
Hi Mari – they say bellydancing is really good for you. Yoga isn’t a good look for me. I’m terribly uncoordinated and felt really stupid at the class I went to, although the teacher was very nice and patient. It was my only class!!
Let me know if you need an invite.
September 19th, 2008 at 8:04 pm · Link
I say sport no matter when or where it is. Well maybe more athletic than actual sport in some places. But the same goes for belly dancing which is now an accepted form of exercise. Have you ever tried to hold your self up on a pole for any length of time? Now try it upside down using just your legs. Nuff said I think.
And Shelley, it’d make a lovely book!
Glad you’re back!
Hugs,
-Amy W.