Pole dancing morphs into athletic sport

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 Sun Jian performs at a pole dancing competition.



Life is full of surprises. And so it was with 22-year-old Sun Jian, who quit school six years ago and left his hometown of Yibin in Sichuan Province to seek construction work in the bustling city of Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong Province.

He never dreamed he would one day become a national champion of pole dancing.

Sun today is a professional, with a slew of titles to his name, a position as coach of the national team and the founder of a pole dancing training school.

"Many people would think that construction work is a normal job, but pole dancing is not," says Sun. "They might think, ‘Hey, there's something wrong with this guy who likes pole dancing.' But I believe that I and other pole dancers in China are making a history."

Surprises often start with coincidences. And so it was with Sun. He toiled away on tedious construction sites, exhausted at the end of every day and seeking relaxation from watching videos on the Internet. One evening, he saw a pole dancing performance online.

Sun was fascinated as he watched a dancer in a professional competition.

"His moves were a combination of power and beauty, and I'd never seen anything more beautiful," says Sun.

It occurred to him that he should try to replicate some of the moves he had seen on the video. Surprisingly, it was much easier than he thought.

"I never learned dancing or anything like that before," says Sun. "Perhaps it was innate talent that suddenly came to life when I did pole dancing."

He bought a proper pole from an online store and installed it in his dormitory. Online videos were still his only teacher.

"My co-workers told me I was indulging myself too much," Sun says. "They told me not to spend my time on ‘meaningless things.' I never listened."

Sun, who never frequented bars or nightclubs, had no idea that pole dancing to many people means an obscene activity practiced in strip joints and sleazy bars. He just viewed it as a form of acrobatics.

He kept practicing and practicing, and in 2012, when he saw information about a national pole dancing competition in Tianjin, he immediately signed himself up. The competition proved disheartening. Sun came in last and never made it to the final round.

"I watched the final and saw the gap between me and the other dancers," Sun says. "They were so skillful and so professional. So I asked them for contact details, and when I went back to Guangzhou, they became my long-distance coaches."

Even more discouraging than the Tianjin competition result was the wrath of Sun's father when he heard what his son was doing.

"My father watched me practicing on a social media site after a friend alerted him to the video clip," Sun says. "The friend said to my father, ‘See how far your son has fallen'?"

His father phoned him and required him to leave Guangzhou and come home immediately, or he would be disowned.

But nothing could drag Sun away from pole dancing. He resolved to practice harder than ever.

"I had to repeat a move hundreds or even thousands of times before I could nail it," he says. "It was very hard on my ligaments. Stretching could be very painful."

Determination can lead to success. And so it was with Sun. In 2013, he was selected as a member of the Chinese national pole dancing team and attended an international competition in London. He made it to the semifinal and won the Best Male Performance individual award.

Though it's called a national team, members don't have any official or commercial sponsorship. They have to pay for training and competitions out of their own pockets.

"Going abroad to attend competitions is really expensive," says Sun. "I remember the team once living on instant noodles for the whole of the Spring Festival holiday to save up money."

In 2014, Sun reached a pinnacle in his career. He won the championship at the 4th National Pole Dancing Tournament.

"I once thought I would jump out of my skin if that happened," he says. "But when it did happen, I was remarkably calm and very grateful that all the physical and emotional pain that I endured to get to that moment had paid off."

Championships often bring wealth. Not for Sun though. To make a living, he has had to give commercial performances — not pornographic, he stresses, though that titillating prospect may be what attracts some audiences.

Pole dancing just hasn't attained widespread respectability yet, he says.

"Many people still don't understand that pole dancing doesn't have to be obscene to be fascinating to watch," Sun explains. "It can actually be very artistic. I am trying to help change public perceptions."

Sun opened his own pole dancing school in Guangzhou, with some financial help from a friend. He says he longs for the day when pole dancing will be treated in the same way as other sports events, like gymnastics.

Indeed, the art of pole dancing is rapidly gaining popularity as a form of fitness and mainstream entertainment, practiced in gyms and dance studios around the world. Amateur and professional competitions are now held in many countries.

Pole dancing requires significant strength, flexibility and endurance, involving athletic moves such as climbs, spins and body inversions.

Sun draws some comfort from the fact that his parents have finally come to accept his career choice.

"After they saw one of my performances, they said that I was doing the right thing," he says. "They call me from time to time, telling me to take care of myself, not push myself too hard and get enough sleep."

Sun says pole dancing has given him a sense of personal values. Gone is the arrogance of his youth, when he strutted around as if he were the center of the universe. His self-confidence now is humble but strong.

"I feel proud of myself," he says. "A sense of personal achievement is my greatest reward."

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