POLE DANCE IS MORE THAN A DANCE IS A SPORT

Shanyn Pollard, Miss Pole Dance Canada 2011

Pole dancing has been around for quite some time. It’s a type of dance that most of the time gets compared to strip clubs. However, people like Shanyn Pollard have been working hard to raise the popularity of this dance as more of a fitness exercise than anything else.

Shanyn was Miss Pole Dance Canada 2011. She started five years ago right in her living room, as there were no pole dance studios near where she lived.

Shanyn performing in her Sass Studio

“I didn’t see the sensual aspect, I saw the athleticism behind it and I was really intrigued and I wanted to try it and just tangle myself all around the pole and do these crazy postures.”

“I started in my living room in Fort Erie, there were no pole dance studios around me. I trained about 4 or 5 months before I purchased a pole. I watched a lot of YouTube videos to teach myself the theory of it because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to injure myself and that I understood what I was going to apply to the pole,” said Shanyn.

After training for some time, Shanyn received the opportunity to work for Circus Studio located on Barton Street and Fruitland Road. She worked there for a while until she was able to open her own studio next door in May 2011.

Shanyn doing one of her favorite rutines

Sass Studio is one of the most popular pole dance fitness studios there are in Ontario but is also one of a few that focuses more on the strength and fitness side of pole dancing rather than the sensual part of it.

She has been an example of those who want people to understand the real meaning of this form of dancing.

“Each year we see more people become more accepting of what we do as opposed to judgemental. I very rarely come across people that would give me that striper look like they did before.”

“In my kids’ school, which is a Catholic school they posted pictures of me in the newspaper when I came back after I had won nationals. All my pictures were in their hallway and that’s a huge accomplishment,” describes Shanyn as she recalls one of her proudest moments.

Shanyn at Nationals in Vancouver

At the Miss Pole Dance Canada competition she not only won the tittle but was also awarded ‘best costume’, ‘best entertainer’, and ‘best pole tricks’. After taking the title home, she was set to go to Budapest, Hungary to represent the country at the Miss World Pole Dance competition.

“It was an experience,” recalls Shanyn.  “I went there by myself and just being there alone took away from the competition for me because I had so much anxiety about just being there. I did alright, however I think I would have done better if I had personal support, but I was there and it was a fantastic experience.”

After being the best Pole Dancer in Canada, her opportunities have expanded. She describes how it has brought more attention to the sport as people really like the title, that now she gets students from all over the province even from Buffalo, New York signing up for her classes.


Watch a short interview of Shanyn and her accomplishments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23sSYxUMYBM&feature=youtu.be