Pole dancing entrepreneur Symone Dolai reports new instructor talent is flying tricks at her Sai Kung studio while teenage stars have emerged and an international tournament has been staged. Symone runs Pole Paradise Studio with her husband, Josef, in the centre of town near Harrod’s.
The new instructor is Maegan Cowan from the U.S. who trains children and adults on the static trapeze. This is a horizontal bar suspended from two ropes. Performers swing under the bar, over it and twist in the ropes, all most fitness enhancing.
Two Sai Kung teenagers are developing as budding stars after two years of training in dance with poles, hoops, silks and trapezes. They are Amber and Dewi, who is just 11. Amber is doing so well, Symone said, she is performing in public with aerial silks along with the adult instructors.
Pole Paradise, a Sai Kung-grown business, now has two studios, the other in Sheung Wan. It is there that Symone has hosted an international aerial tournament that attracted 56 contestants from 19 countries. Symone said she pioneered such tournaments six years ago. The overall winner was a male dancer from China called Coco. He will go on to compete in a tournament next year in Russia.
Symone said the Sai Kung studio has about 50 active students of all ages. Pole dancing has evolved into a main-stream sport. You can learn pole dancing for fitness or to be a sexy burlesque dancer. Then you can go on to fly tricks on the hoops, silks and trapezes.
Some indicative prices: Single class $290; three lessons $790; one month of 12 classes $2000; one year unlimited $15,000; private lessons at home $1000.
During Chinese new year the Sai Kung studio will stage a week-long series of courses for kids where every day they will try a new discipline.
Photos by Sammy Lee
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