The classes in Thailand were better for me at the time. “I found a pole dancing studio in Bangkok and I was going there twice a week. It was kind of just an excuse for me to go somewhere.” That said, it would be hard to argue that she didn’t learn some skills in Bangkok that enabled her to successfully run a pole dancing studio in Guangzhou the most important pole dancing skills are learnt in the studio. “I decided to do a masters degree in Business Administration at Bangkok University.”Īs Qiu recounts the 18 months she spent studying in Thailand, she lets out a nervous laugh and her Aussie-tinged English is revealed. Never one to be tied down to one place, in 2018 Qiu was off on her travels again.
For me I feel like it has given me a lot of confidence.”ĭespite becoming a qualified pole dancing instructor in 2017, it wasn’t until 2021 that Qiu began managing her own pole dancing studio, Fit Well Pilates Studio in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District. When I asked Qiu what she would say to those who aren’t sure about whether or not they should try pole dancing, she came back with a line to match her Nike leggings, “just do it. Anyone can do it but if you don’t start, you will never be strong and flexible.” At the beginning no one is, but they will get stronger and more flexible during the training. “A lot of people think they’re not strong or flexible enough. Although good core strength and flexibility are vital for pole dancing, Qiu is quick to warn that you don’t need to have these skills before you start. She mainly focuses on aerial moves that require core strength and flexibility. Qiu’s classes and her pole dancing style are heavily influenced by what she learnt on Beijing Road. There’s a whole hour of flexibility, and then an hour of strength training before you can even start with tricks.” We would just sit in a split for a couple of minutes and hold it, it’s really painful! You have to do that every day. “I was there every day, and in terms of flexibility and strength they push you really hard. Undeterred by its grueling six-days-a-week intensive schedule, after four months of hard training she became a qualified pole dancing teacher. Twenty-four years old at the time, she found a school on Guangzhou’s Beijing Road that offered courses to become a qualified pole dancing instructor. But Qiu did and, when she returned to Guangzhou, she found several studios where she could pursue that dream.Īfter months of practice Qiu quickly became more than proficient in the basics and needed a challenge. We’ve all thought about quitting our job and throwing the rest of our life at a favorite hobby, but hardly any of us actually do it. All I could think about was pole and learning new tricks.” I tried office jobs, but it’s just not for me. When I first came back to Guangzhou, I wanted to get a job in a bank or something like that. “I graduated with a degree in economics from Macquarie University. Although she moved back to Guangzhou only a couple of months later, Qiu was determined that she would continue her pole dancing journey in her hometown.
I thought it was fun and, to be honest, I felt like I was pretty good at it.”Īfter a couple of practice sessions in her friend’s home, Qiu was hooked. “One day I went over to her house and she started teaching me some stuff. “My friend loved pole so much that she actually put a pole in her room.” Even after a day teaching and spinning, Qiu’s passion for the sport resonates as she explains how her journey began. “My friend started teaching pole in 2017 when we were both in Sydney and she asked me if I wanted to join, but I didn’t go because the studio was too far away for me.” Qiu was born in Guangzhou but lived in Australia for a decade from the age of 15. After our class, Qiu and I discussed her pole dancing career, touched upon the stigma that surrounds the sport and how pole can empower. Qiu began her pole dancing journey almost by accident, but since then her passion for the sport has grown day by day. Yet, in major cities across China, ‘pole’ is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for both locals and expats. I never expected I would take a pole dancing class. My body was telling me that pole dancing is more intense than I had imagined. The next day, the muscles in my abdomen and arms were sore and it hurt to move. It wasn’t only my head that took a beating that day. When I eventually mustered the courage to let go, my legs gave up and I slid down the pole, hitting my head on the hard floor below. With my right knee hooked tightly against the pole for grip, my instructor Vicky Qiu urged me to stop gripping the pole with my hands. As I hung upside down, all I could feel was blood rushing towards my head and I couldn’t see anything except the studio lights shining above me.
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