US Pole Dance Federation Competition

Anna and Wendy of the US Pole Dance Federation tell us all the details – west coast competition on Saturday, October 24!

How did the US Pole Dance Federation competition get started?

The US Pole Dance Federation were founded by two passionate pole dancers who wanted to see pole dancing grow as a competitive spot. There was no set structure or standards in the industry to determine what makes the ultimate pole dancer. With lots of research, networking, and hard work, we started by creating the US Pole Dance Championships in March 2009, to begin to build up a pro division of elite athletes to compete in our competitions.

There are several regional competitions leading to the USPDF. Can you give us the details on how that works?

We have two regional competitions for 2009 to try and qualify to compete at Nationals next year in 2010. Next year we expect to have more regional competitions through the USA. At Nationals last year, we had only a novice category, since it was our first competition. In 2010, we will have a pro division and an amateur division. All Regional competitions will be pro qualifiers, for girls to try and get placed as one of the finalists to be eligible to compete in our pro category competitions.

Our first competition was in NYC in March 2009. That qualified our champion, Jenyne Butterfly, to compete in the World pole dance fitness competition in April 2009.

How would someone go about entering the USPDF Competition?

Lots of training, discipline, and hard work! Any woman over the age of 18 can submit a video to enter any of the regional competitions or National amateur competitions we have throughout the year.

How do people get tickets to watch the competitions?

You can always find a link to any of our competitions, to purchase tickets by going to USPDF.com.

How did you get into pole dancing?

Wendy worked in strip clubs in the early 90s, which was her first exposure to pole dancing. She continued after that by installing a pole in her home and continued to train and improve over the years. She then opened up her first pole dance studio in 2005, and has opened two others since then.

Anna found her love for pole dancing at a bachelorette party and continued to pursue pole dancing lessons at New York Pole Dancing. Once Wendy saw Anna and her natural raw talent with pole dancing, Wendy asked Anna to become an instructor. Anna has been working for NYPD for three years now as a rock star pole dance instructor.

Favorite makeup tip:

Wendy: Mac Gel eyeliner … it stays on forever!!!!! No smudging, no smearing!
Anna: I’m pretty boring. I rarely wear makeup.

Barefoot, sneakers, or platform heels?

Wendy: Oh my goodness, I wouldn’t be caught dead pole dancing without my “magic slippers” – 6″ heels! We believe wearing high heels is just another wonderful thing about pole dancing and just makes everything look that much better!

Anna: Yes, we’re a bit picky about the aesthetic of pole dance.

Favorite grip enhancer:

Wendy sells Mighty Grip at the studio.

Pole dance move that made you proudest to learn:

Wendy: I am proud of all the moves I do. I feel even the tiniest little detail can be exciting to learn or perform. I guess my biggest accomplishment would be doing the Jamilla split into a cradle drop. That is fun!

Anna: I can’t pick one! I get super excited when I learn a new thing, which sometimes takes me months. But the first time I inverted from a climb was a pretty big moment for me. I got so excited I thought I was gonna fall down.

Pole dance pet peeves:

Wendy: Pelvic tucking, hyper-extending knees, rounding of the lower spine, girls who don’t put the heels on!

Anna: Agree. Dancers who don’t straighten legs and point their feet. And when dancers rush through tricks without fully following through.

Favorite treatment for bruises and sore muscles:

Wendy: Bragging about them! They never seem to stay long enough! LOL
Anna: Is there such treatment? Who knew …

Who would you most like to have in the audience at the USPDF Competition? Who would you most like to have compete?

Wendy: I would love to see Lian Tal compete again. She is a great performer! But I would like to see several women grow into wanting to compete. I just was hoping Lian would this year again. We are thrilled to have the athletes compete in the competitions that we currently have/ had! They all have been wonderful to deal with and a joy to watch! We have already been very lucky to have the athletes that we have already had compete in our shows!

Anna: Yes, Lian is great. I think we are very lucky with our competitors so far. They’re all amazing! I know she doesn’t compete but I wouldn’t mind having Bobbi from Australia come and give a performance at one of our competitions one day.

Who is your hero or role model?

Wendy: Bobbi from Australia … as a business woman and pole dancer! She rocks!

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

Anna: I tell my students for challenging moves they just have to try it over, and one day it will click. I think that goes for both beginners and advanced, since we all work to get better and there are times we get stuck. For those who are curious about taking a class I would just say go for it: dance and have fun!

Favorite pizza toppings:

Wendy: Cheese.
Anna: Cheese and pepperoni.

Cupcakes or ice cream?

Wendy: Cupcakes.
Anna: Ice cream! I’m addicted.

Anything else you’d like to share:

Don’t miss our competitions in October!

The west coast competition is this Saturday, October 24! Get the details at USPDF.com or uspoledance.com. You can also email Anna or Wendy for details.

22nd October, 2009 - Posted by PoleSkivvies - 3 Comments
Filed under: Pole Dance Competitions