Tell us a bit about yourself :)
27 years old guy living in beautiful Mount Maunganui, New Zealand with a passion for pole dance, fitness and anything movement based. I have been pole dancing for 6 years now and that also led me to the gym to cross train which led me to studying my certificate in fitness and becoming a personal trainer too and I've never looked back since.
How did you get introduced to your pole dancing ?
I was introduced to pole dancing by going along to a free intro class suggested by a friend for a bit of laugh but it turns out it was no laughing matter! Laughing at how bad we were maybe.
When did pole dancing get “serious” ?
The obsession started pretty early out after you realise what your body is capable of and start nailing some tricks you're hooked! After a couple of months of falling in love with pole dancing my teacher asked me to perform in a wee show at a local bar and with only a few moves under my belt and seriously not being a good pole dancer at all haha I thought bugger it why not.
Getting up on a stage and dancing infront of people is the scariest thing you'll ever do but at the same time it's so freeing and makes you feel alive.
Can you share your biggest challenges?
Honestly the biggest challenge I've faced is myself. We all as human beings get those awful feelings of not being good enough and what will everyone think of me, but pole dancing actually teaches you to let go and love yourself and love what your body is capable of rather than what it looks like and that's the beauty in it.
How do you handle pressure ?
I used to feel so much pressure and anxiety about performing and being in tip top shape but over the last year I've really had quite a transformation with my attitude cause you finally realise all the pressure and anxiety you feel is all done to yourself by yourself and you really just have to be the best human being you can be and give everything your 100% and that's absolutely good enough!
Can you share your thoughts on self consciousness ?
Of course I'm still nervous to perform. We have nationals coming up in under a month and thinking about it just gives me sweaty palms haha. Over time it definitely has gotten better though and you just gotta go out there and fake it til you make it!
What was your most embarrassing moment (in regards to pole dancing of course ;)
One year at nationals I hadn't tried on the bottoms (a very tiny pair of white undies) that I had someone make me til before I was about to go on stage and I was a bit horrified to see the person had sewn them so there was a very obvious very pointy tip on the end of them so it looked like I had a KKK penis. It was very distracting I could even hear people in the audience having a chuckle when I came out.
How did your passion influence your life in other ways ?
Pole dancing has truly helped me love myself and accept me for who I am and not to worry about what anyone else thinks.
What does your daily routine look like?
I train 5-6 days a week for a couple of hours and it's either at the gym doing a mix of bodyweight and weight training or at the studio doing pole training. I don't have a tight schedule as I find it gets boring and repetitive so I like to mix days up and train according to how my body is feeling at the time.
And what about your flexibility training? Where does that fit in?
My flexibility has been a real hit and miss journey over the years mainly because I lack really good discipline when it comes to stretching. I had a coach when I was living in Wellington and she really helped me have a few break throughs and it was all because I wasn't letting go. For me I really have to give up the fight and relax when I stretch and really tap into the mind muscle connection.
What keeps you motivated?
For me when I hit a bit of a plateau or get stuck in a rut I forget about trying to master new tricks or get stronger etc and just dance. Put some music on and just feel the music and let go of everything and dance.
What are your future plans/goals/dreams?
Gosh one day I would love to compete in an international competition and take 1st place! I'd also love to travel all over the world and teach workshops and met lots of new friends :) .
Any tips for passionate pole dancers starting out?
- Leave your ego at the door
- Persistence is the key to pole dancing you're never gonna get things straight away so you have to keep coming back and slowly chipping away at things
Anything else?
If you haven't tried a pole dancing class but already have an opinion on it I DEMAND you take a class ASAP.
Anything you’d like to share?
27 year old guy living in beautiful Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.
Instagram: @andrecorey_
Pole dancing and fitness