From clubs to elite competitions, pole dancing is a long-established craft and has garnered quite a following since moving into the mainstream. Combining rhythm, strength and beauty, Pole Icon 2023 showcases the 20 best performers in the country at the Big Top, Luna Park on Saturday 24 June.

Founded by Chilli Rox, one of the first pole instructors in the world, the event invites the crème de la  crème of the industry to take the stage in hopes of taking home the crown and $10,000 prize money. Last year’s inaugural event drew a sell-out, 1,500-strong crowd with 2,600 also tuning in from home. The hit event saw Ru Paul’s Drag Race alumnus, Alyssa Edwards, as a guest judge.

Returning for the second year, Canberra’s Katy Eve, owner of The Brass Room, hopes to impress the judges with her signature sexy style of dancing.

“What they would call classic-style pole because it comes from strippers … I’m very strong, controlled, fluid, I like a slower, more mesmerising style routine. I like to use big props like rose petals or feathers or something that sort of creates an atmosphere on stage,” she says.

Recovering from a shoulder industry, Katy has been working hard on her routine for the competition. While there are no checklists to follow, she says the judging criteria falls into costume, theme, pole skills; technique and difficulty, and then there is floor work dance, musicality and the X factor.

“You need to get your concept together. So, what your show is going to look like and what elements you’re going to have; costume, music, you might want video projection as well. Then the training as well; the choreography, what pole work you’re actually going to do.”

Around 12 years ago, Katy’s friend who had recently given birth wanted to get fit and suggested the pair try pole dancing. She remembers it was still regarded as taboo, and not wanting to tell anyone, she even changed her name on Facebook to avoid being identified. While there’s still some taboo, it’s nowhere near what it was.

“I think it’s always going to have that stigma and think that that’s good. I think we need to be real, like it did comes from strippers and there’s nothing wrong with that and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be sexy or dancing in that style.

“There’s a lot of people in the pole industry that are trying to distance themselves from that, they’re like, ‘oh, no, it came from circus’ and it’s just not the case. Where pole came from in Australia was from strippers and it still is from strippers, and that’s okay. We’ve developed it into more of, I guess, a sport and an art form than maybe you would see in a strip club,” says Katy.

She says the sport is freeing, and she found at some point you stop thinking of what your body looks like and appreciate what it can do. While people think pole dancing is sexy because of the outfits, there is a practicality to them.

“I think the thing with pole that sort of makes it sexy without you even realizing it is because we need our bodies to grip to the pole. So, you’re often in very little clothing and I think that sort of keeps the stigma alive.”

Although open to all genders, Katy believes around 70 per cent of competitors are women but there’s a good mix of men and nonbinary dancers in there, too. She says men tend to be stronger than women and can bring something different to the pole.

“You get a really good range. You get like your commercial dancers, you get people with ballet backgrounds, and then some people will have gymnastics backgrounds.”

Curious about trying pole dancing but worried you aren’t fit enough? Katy says the biggest misconception is that you have to be in shape to start, but you don’t need to be a dancer or especially fit to take the first step.

“Everyone in beginners is a beginner, like they’re doing it for the first time. So you won’t be in a class with people that are really good, you’ll just be with everyone else that’s exactly like you and you will realise really quickly that yeah, it’s not as scary as maybe you might think it is and it’s a heap of fun.”

To find out more about Pole Icon 2023 at Big Top Luna Park, Sydney on Saturday 24 June 6pm, visit poleclass.com.au

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