Pole star leads the way

From then on, Jiang spent his lunch breaks in the studio practicing spins, climbs and hangs using a pole, all while hiding his newfound passion from his friends and family.

"At that time, it was easy for them to associate pole dancing with strippers at late night establishments," says Jiang. "I just wanted to avoid any potential misunderstanding and judgment."

Fortunately, pole dancing has enjoyed a boost to its public profile and popularity as an effective aerobic workout thanks to its introduction in dance studios, gyms and leisure centers since the early 2000s. Its proponents have strenuously campaigned to remove the sex-related stigma from pole dancing and promote it as a sport by enriching the variety of its movements and techniques and by creating scoring and judging criteria.

In 2009, the International Pole Sports Federation was founded by Katie Coates, a British pole dancing instructor, with the aim of providing opportunities for individuals to develop and realize their potential within all aspects of the sport, regardless of their age, background, ability or disability. After years of efforts, the IPSF passed a milestone in 2017, when it was granted membership of the Global Association of International Sports Federations.

China has also embraced this emerging fitness trend that combines acrobatics and dance, when the Chinese branch of the IPSF was set up in August 2017 and the first China Pole Sports Championships was held last May in Beijing.

Jiang is just one beneficiary of these endeavors.