Benoni

Benita Bouwer

After Hours 083 567 7104

Peta Houston-McMillan 082 823 2621

From Pointe to Pole


Pole sport is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, but it is still a relatively young discipline. Pole sport (in its current form) simply did not appear on my shortlist of extracurricular activities back when I was a toddler in the eighties.


Okay… the seventies. If it had, I may well have traded my ‘ballet dancer’ dream for that of ‘pole athlete’ right there and then.


Instead, I started classical ballet at age 5, danced my way through Art School with distinction, obtained my National Dance Certificate at Pretoria Technikon, and then joined the PACT Ballet Company at the State Theatre in Pretoria at age 17. During my 8-year career with PACT I had the privilege of working with some of the world’s greatest choreographers and dancers. Regrettably, due to cutbacks in government funding, the ballet company was disbanded in 2000.


On the bright side had it not been for this unexpected detour in my career, I might not have given pole fitness a second thought, let alone the sporting chance it deserved. Fortunately, I did and today I am an ardent fan and a dedicated participant. It is my passion to elevate pole, as both sport discipline and art form, so that we can correct the misconceptions about it and begin to destigmatise it.


I am not a pole dancer, I am a performing aerial artist, an internationally recognised athlete and judge, an instructor, a studio owner, and choreographer. It is an honour to participate in a discipline that has achieved GAISF Observer status, and is in the process of being recognised as an Olympic sport.


Pole Career Titles and Awards


  • Current | World Record Holder WPSC Masters 40+ Female

  • 2020 | Pole Icon Advanced 2 – Gold

  • 2017 | IPSF Female Athlete of the Year

  • 2017 | IPSF World Pole Sports 40+ Female Division Champion and current World Record holder in this division

  • 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | National Pole Sports Competition Masters 40+ winner

  • 2016 | Part of a 7-man IPSF delegation invited by TAFISA to present pole as a sport to the Olympic Committee in Indonesia

  • 2016 | The Pole Factor Professional Pole Artiste silver medallist

  • 2015 | World Pole Sports Championships Masters 40+ silver medallist

  • 2015 | Pole World News nomination for Most Positive Role Model in the Pole and Aerial Community

  • 2015 | The Pole Factor Professional Pole Artiste winner

  • 2014 | IPSF World Pole Sports 40+ Female division finalist

  • 2014 | Idols Top 6 performer


Pole Judging Experience


  • 2019 | 2018 | National Pole Sports Competition

  • 2019 | 2017 | The Pole Factor

  • 2017 | Pole Championship Series

  • 2019 | 2017 | 2016 | Pole Art South Africa

  • 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | East Coast Pole




VIDEOS


OUR INSTRUCTORS



Embeth McMillan

I have a Masters in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and I’m still baffled by the absolute chemistry I have with Pole.


Bored with gym sessions, I started looking around for a more challenging and interesting way to exercise. Pole Fitness was love at first sight. Come to think of it, as a kid, I danced around the washing line pole. Destiny then.


Pole has benefited me in many ways. I have become more physically fit and stronger than I have ever been. My flexibility has improved immensely. I have gone from not being able to touch my toes, to doing the splits. Participating in Pole Art competitions has also forced me to tap into my creative side. Being confident and expressive on stage did not come naturally to me, but pushing myself to perform has boosted my self-confidence both on and off stage.


After 8 years of pole class, I cannot imagine stopping. There is always something new to try or a "nemesis" move that I just HAVE to master. Because it is a young sport, people are constantly coming up with new moves and transitions. It means there is always something fresh to learn and the scope for self-improvement is endless.


More than anything though, I keep poling because I have become part of a "pole family". I have grown so close to the people who are a part of this studio that it feels like my second home. Skipping class only leads to several "Missed you!" messages, not to mention a serious case of FOMO.


Pole Career Titles and Awards


  • 2019 | Arnold Classic Africa Advanced Category silver medallist

  • 2019 | National Pole Sport Competition Ultra Pole 1st place (Qualifying for Worlds – Canada, Oct 2019)

  • 2018 | National Pole Sport Competition Elite Division Artistic Pole 2nd runner up

  • 2017 | World Pole Sport Championships Netherlands Elite Senior Women ranked 26th in the world

  • 2017 | National Pole Sport Competition Elite Senior Women silver medallist

  • 2016 | National Pole Sport Competition Professional Senior Women winner

  • 2016 | Pole Fit South Africa 2nd runner up

  • 2015 | Polesque "Wow Factor" winner

  • 2014 | Polesque Professional winner





Angie Heliopoulos

I am a qualified Audiologist and Speech Therapist, currently doing my masters in audiology.


I rate Pole Fitness as an exceptional workout. If like me, you get better results when someone is pushing you, versus training on your own, then I double dare you to skip one lonely gym session and join us for a fun and free trial class instead. Thanks to Pole Fitness, I’ve lost weight, gained muscle, become more toned and fit, and most importantly, formed a bond with the instructors and students, that I would never have done elsewhere.


The awesome camaraderie in class combined with a healthy dose of friendly competition has driven us all to achieve so much more than we imagined possible. You feel supported here, literally and metaphorically.


I have learned to love my body and praise the wonderful things it can achieve: I have become more self-aware, confident, and ambitious for growth, with a determination to do better than the previous day. All it takes is a positive mindset, climb onto that pole, and you are already there.


With my gymnastics background, I assumed that I might have an advantage when I joined my first class, but I have seen women and men with no fitness or dancing background excel here. Pole Fitness truly is for everyone!


Pole Career Titles and Awards


  • 2019 | National Pole Sport Competition Elite winner (Qualifying for Worlds – Canada, Oct 2019)

  • 2017 | National Pole Sport Championships Professional winner

  • 2018 | National Pole Sport Competition Elite Division Artistic Pole 2nd runner up

  • 2016 | National Pole Sport Championships Silver medallist





Frances MacMahon

I am a market research consultant and I run my own business.


I first considered Pole Fitness as an alternative form of exercise when I realised that the monotony and isolation of training at gym left me feeling totally uninspired. I found Pole Fitness to be a far more interactive and fun way to get in to shape. For me it combines the fun of hanging out with your friends with the health benefits of losing weight, getting fit and improving your flexibility.


I suppose you could say that I am now in my eighth year of doing hands-on ‘market research’ in terms of Pole Fitness and its many benefits, and as a sample of one, I cannot recommend it highly enough. But don’t just take my word for it. Come and try it for yourself!





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