International Pole Dance Fitness Association (IPDFA) is “Raising The Bar On Pole Dancing“ and seeking March candidates for their inaugural Instructor and Studio of the Year awards.
More than simply promote the best pole dance instructor and schools, the IPDFA hopes to encourage and inspire global best practices and ever-increasing diversity among practitioners as well as the studios worldwide that train and support them.
Further, the IPDFA shall centralize and standardize information from studios to allow the global community of students and practitioners to observe the total development of the sport. To this end, the IPDFA each month will spotlight one studio or school and also one individual who has worked especially to advance the standards or art form of pole dancing, or otherwise promoted pole dance fitness within their region. At the annual International Pole Dance Fitness Championship 2009 event to be based in Japan, the IPDFA will announce the Pole Dance Studio of the Year and the Pole Dance Instructor of the Year.
March 09 candidates for Pole Dance Instructor of the Year:
VIVA VEE of UK and Malaysia. For profile visit:

http://www.ipdfa.com/#/vivavee/4533155608

http://vivavertical.blogspot.com/

The Pole Dance Studio of the Year:
BodyMind Johannesburg, South Africa

http://www.ipdfa.com/#/bodymind/4533175939

EUROPE
France
“Street Arts Apprenticeships, FAI AR, France. Application deadline March 31st. FAI AR (Advanced Itinerant Learning Programme for Street Arts), the first European learning centre dedicated to creation in public areas, is currently holding auditions for its third class of apprentices (October 2009 – March 2011). Applications are available upon request and must be sent back before March 31, 2009. The next information sessions will take place on 19/02 at the École Nationale Supérieur des Arts et Techniques (Lyon) and in Marseille leading up to FAI AR’s work site overview (date to be confirmed). For more information or to request an application, please visit our web site.” Find a link to FAI AR under Training at: http://www.artmedia.com.au/links7.htm

AUSTRALIA
Western
In 2009, Total Theatre is offering a special opportunity for those wishing to take advantage of the training in a more condensed form than our one and two-year courses.
Now in its eighth year, Total Theatre has established a unique reputation as one of Australia’s outstanding theatre training opportunities, successfully bringing together some of the best specialist teachers and practitioners of the profession and delivering a well rounded high caliber training.
The course will include: Theatre, Mime, Dance, Feldenkrais, Improvisation, Circus Arts, Aerial Skills, Voice, Singing, Stage Combat, Martial Arts, Clowning, Commedia dell’Arte, Acting for Film & Television and Self-publicity.
The course will run from April to June 2009 with training running 3 days per week (Mon – Wed, 9.30am – 5:00pm). Application, fee and audition details are available at www.totaltheatre.com.au
If you have any questions, contact Sophie on (08) 9385 4211 or sophie@totalhteatre.com.au

South East
“Call For Dance and Performance Projects, Next Wave Festival, Victoria, Australia. Application deadline 13th March. The Next Wave Festival is a curated biennial festival open to young emerging artists seeking support for the creation of new works or projects in visual arts, dance, performance, new media, text, sound and more. The 2010 Next Wave Festival will take place in May 2010 and we are excited to announce our Call for Proposals. Next Wave is seeking projects that respond in interesting and complex ways to the 2010 Next Wave Festival theme ‘No Risk Too Great’. Next Wave encourages applications for the creation of hybrid works that combine two or more art forms; from curators and collectives as well as individual artists; and from interstate and regional applicants. Projects that work site-specifically and that critically consider their location or context are encouraged, as are projects that may be suitable for venues other than established theatres, galleries, and arts centres. Deadline Friday 13 March 2009. Visit our web site to download the application pack and for contact details.” Jeff Khan, Artistic Director. Find a link to Next Wave Festival under Festivals at: http://www.artmedia.com.au/links9.htm

CARRIBEAN
The Polimnia Physical Theatre Company of Puerto Rico is proud to announce the Seventh International Mime and Physical Theatre Festival in the Caribbean to be held at the Francisco Arriví Theatre in San Juan, Puerto Rico from March 23 through the 29, 2009. This year the event will be an exciting action-packed week. The performance venue is an internationally recognized world-class facility, ready for creative action by polished troupes.
The focus of this festival is to keep alive the art of Mime and Physical Theatre in the Caribbean and also to give performance opportunities to recognized artists, groups and new works material. Pau Barchero from Barcelona, Spain will be giving a Corporeal Mime workshop during the week.
If you need more information about the International Mime and Physical Theatre Festival in the Caribbean you can contact us at polimnia_org@yahoo.com
Also, visit our page at MySpace.com/polimnia or you can write to us at:
International Mime and Physical Theatre Festival
Polimnia Physical Theatre
P.O. Box 9020927
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-0927

Corde lisse is an aerial circus skill or act that involves acrobatics on a vertically hanging rope. The name is French for “smooth rope”.

Corde Lisse moves are normally a combination of held postures and drops using ropes normally made from soft cotton about 25-30mm thick. It is closely related to both silks, another aerial circus skill performed on one or two long strips of strong fabric, often in bright colours and Spanish Web.  It requires great skill and strength. Performers do not have any kind of safety net or safety line, relying on their own strength and ability to prevent a fall.

It is also possible for two (or more) people to perform on the same rope, although more than two is very rare. These people can either hang off each other, or both be at different heights on the rope itself.

The most famous use of aerial circus skills such as these has been for the BBC’s test-card. Cirque du Soleil also use corde lisse, silks and trapeze in their shows.

Chinese Poles are vertical steel poles on which circus performers climb, slide down and hold poses. The poles are generally between 3 and 9 meters in height and approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Some poles have a slightly larger pole that rotates around the static central pole using ball bearings. This rotating pole allows a performer to spin on the vertical axis, giving a performer the ability to incorporate rate of spin into what would otherwise be static moves. By bringing the performers body closer into the pole causes the performer to spin faster. A few Chinese poles tricks have been incorporated with erotic pole dancing techniques.

The poles are sometimes covered with rubber to improve grip. However, the rubber leaves burn marks on the Chinese pole artists’ shoulders. These marks are used as a sign in the circus world for Chinese pole artists to recognize each other.

The most famous trick is “the flag” where the artist hangs straight out from the pole with his or her hands. This requires a very strong upper body. A few people are able to do push ups in this position, and even fewer can rotate the legs around in a circle — this requires enormous core strength.

Pole dance (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Pole dancing is a sport and a form of performing art, a combination of dancing and gymnastics. It involves dancing sensually with a vertical pole and is often used in strip clubs and gentlemen’s clubs, although more recently artistic pole dancing (Chinese poles) is used in cabaret/circus and stage performance in a non-erotic environment.
Advanced pole dancing requires significant strength, flexibility and endurance. In a strip club setting, pole dancing is often performed less gymnastically and combined with striptease, Go-Go, and/or lap dancing between performers. The dancer(s) may simply hold the pole, or use it to perform more athletic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions. Upper body and core strength are important to proficiency, which takes time to develop.
Pole dancing is now regarded as a recognized form of exercise and can be used as both an aerobic and anaerobic workout. Recognized schools and qualifications are being developed as pole dancing increases in popularity, with the overall sex appeal toned down.