Dancing To Fitness

This week, we welcome our new weekly guest writer, Renee from the Groove Dance Studio. The sultry Exotic & Pole instructor will give our female readers weekly tips in fitness and dance.

We sat down with Renee to find out what keeps her spinning!

When did you first started dancing?
I started from Chinese Dance when I was 5 years old. Since then I have always been passionate about dancing.

When did you first take interest in pole dancing?
That was about more than 5 years ago when I chance upon it on the internet talking about pole dancing for fitness overseas. Ever since, I have never looked back. Pole dancing is the way to go.

What attracted you to it?
Its sexy! Looks extremely challenging and awesome! There is nothing else as exciting then being upside down 6 feet in the air. In the beginning, it really seems impossible but after time and practice it became a reality for me and it's not as difficult as you would think it to be. It's all in the mind.

Was it difficult to pick up?
Well, it was tough at the beginning but determination conquers it all. It's all about practice. There will be bruises when you are starting to get the grip of the pole. Through time you eventually get used to is and it will become 2nd nature. It's not just a physical sport, it's challenges the mind too. It helps build up the confidence level of a person in general.

Were you attached back then when you first decided to take up pole dancing? If so, how did your partner take to the idea?
Yes I was attached. He was pretty excited about it, and knows it's a form of extreme sport. However being a sports buff previously, he warned me of the danger and told me to be careful. He even bought medication for the bruises I get from pole dancing. And soon after, I bought my own pole and fixed it up in my house. He even helped me get some pole tricks done.

Pole dancers take falls all the time, have you ever slipped up during a performance? Any embarrassing accidents? Wardrobe mishaps?
Slipped but managed to grip back in time. Especially during my first few performances I did in the past. No embarrassing accidents or wardrobe mishaps had happened to me, but to my fellow performers. We all learn from experience. Fortunately the team that I was with have experience many performances and am proud to say that we are the best in this industry here in Singapore.

How many hours do you practice on the pole a day?
You can say I practice every day as I teach almost every day nowadays. Other than teaching, I will always try to sneak in an hour every alternate day to train myself on new dance moves. However our performance team goes through tough training twice weekly.

Would you define pole dancing as an art, sport or a hobby?
Its more than just an art, sport and hobby. Its an addiction! You will never get enough of it once you start.

Is pole dancing for everyone?
Absolutely! Its a great workout. Everyone can do it, and should do it. I will talk more about the benefits and dance moves in the next article.