At Super Bowl LVIII, pole dance artists lined up next to Usher, showing off some serious acrobatics. One of them was well-known in the Las Vegas community — and this was far from her first high-profile gig.
Amélie Kone is a pole dancer who continues to dominate in the world of professional aerial arts. She describes herself as extremely competitive. An athletic child, she practiced gymnastics from a young age and ran track and field as a teenager in Avignon, France.
“That’s why I have the stamina to be able to train this much every day,” she says, “to redo my combos over and over, and to make them perfect.”
Kone arrived in the United States in 2017 on a student visa and almost immediately began working at Pole Fitness Studio after a private lesson with owner Fawnia Mondey. “I wanted to prepare myself for my pole journey, because I know how I work, and I was trying to accomplish my dreams,” she says.
Kone keeps a busy schedule. She often trains five to six hours a day: an hour-long warmup, conditioning, two to three hours of technique work, and post-session stretching make up the bulk of her training. She also attends conditioning and flexibility classes when they’re available. Coaches, including Kevin Demaro and Jennifer Schofer, help her develop routines.
“I’m using the techniques from all of the amazing coaches I’ve been learning from all these years,” Kone explains, “so I’m really targeting what I need.”
Among Kone’s first teachers, Jenyne Butterfly has been with her throughout her pole-dancing career, even working with her as the main choreographer at Super Bowl LVIII. A seasoned artist herself, Butterfly has performed with Cirque du Soleil and other international companies for 25 years. She says Kone’s determination drives her success.
“I’ve never seen anyone with her level of commitment,” Butterfly says. “She’s completely dedicated. (Amélie) eats, sleeps, and breathes pole.”
Kone teaches at Vertica Las Vegas and performs at Drai’s Nightclub. She says the concept for that set and that audience was a gamble with a high payoff.
Perhaps her favorite job is working as a dance double on “P-Valley,” a Starz network original show. Kone says that the level of treatment on set is remarkable, from on-set accommodations to transportation to Atlanta for shoots.
“As a pole dancer, I feel respected,” she says. “They give me the time I need to stretch and prepare, because I’m doing some of the most extreme moves.”
Despite the competitive market, Kone rarely auditions for her roles, she says. Choreographers and casting agents reach out to her through her Instagram account, where she has roughly 140,000 followers.
“It’s rewarding,” she says. “I see why I show up every day, all these years. It’s a unique feeling. I feel powerful, I feel strong. It’s the love of my life.”
Kone is currently working on developing her “grace, coordination, and musicality” to expand her repertoire beyond pure technical skill. Her hope is to dance on tour with other worldwide artists. Through it all, she maintains a level of appreciation and gratitude that matches her skill set.
“She has already achieved so much success, and it won’t stop,” Butterfly says. “She’s such a beautiful person, inside and out.”