They give pole dancing a good name

cgeraldk@sph.com.sg

Think pole dancing and the image is often that of scantily-clad dancers performing seductive routines around a pole.

Watch the dancers at the China Pole Dance Sports & Training Centre (CPDSTC) and you realise that nothing could be further from the truth.

Theirs is a punishing routine that comes closer to sport than seduction.

They have elevated pole dancing to a sport and an art and some, like team captain Meng Yifan, 30, have dedicated their lives to perfecting their moves.

The 16-member Chinese national pole dancing team was formed in October 2012 amid criticism that pole dancing was obscene and low-class.

The girls were selected from China's annual pole dance championships to go toe-to-toe with more experienced nations in international competitions.

Located in the heart of the port city of Tianjin, the CPDSTC's girls put in a hard shift every day and night, for up to four months to prepare for major competitions.

Miss He Bi, a member of the team, told China's Xinhua news agency: "Every day before training, we have to do warm-up exercises for more than one hour."

CLOTHES

She said: "We cannot wear too many clothes and sometimes in order to increase the friction, we have to spray water on our body and the poles. It's freezing cold to practise in winter."

Pole dancing made its foray into theatre in Tianjin in May last year to much fanfare.

The team have mostly succeeded in their goal to dispel pole dancing's "stripper" image and promote the beauty of their sport.

Ultimately, their main aim is to make an impact in international competitions, although, said Ms Meng, "it will take time".