by Andrada, Romania
Located in the London suburbs, the International Pole Sports Federation is trying to disembarrass "pole sports" from its association with strip clubs and find a way to include it in the Olympics. This is not surprising to happen because a similar attempt was made in 2012 but it has not been successful.
What makes pole dancing currently so controversial is its unavoidable dimly lit undertones, in spite of the fact that they banned pole dancing staples such as removing pieces of clothing. Other steps taken towards being taken seriously as a sport include giving technical code names for moves and specifying strict scoring rules based on their difficulty. Although some dancers may argue that regimentation has gone to the point of taking the fun out of it, people are still reluctant to the idea of it becoming an Olympic sport.
Its origins, however, are not what you might expect. Swinging around vertical poles and ropes has been around since the 12th century when Mallakhamb was introduced in India as an exercise for male wrestlers. Surely enough pole dancing is still regarded as a form of exercise, as it requires strength, flexibility and endurance. In addition to improving physical fitness, pole dancing is also used by women to build up confidence.
Undoubtedly, pole dancing is becoming more and more popular. With appearances in films such as Desperate Housewives and The View, increasingly more celebrities (Jessica Alba, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, to name a few) practice it on a daily basis. Pole dancing, after all, is no longer a show for men as it is a way for women to achieve something for themselves. Only time will tell if it’ll succeed becoming an Olympic game.
