For decades, pole dancing was often associated with nightclubs, strippers and erotica, but that's slowly but surely starting to change.
The push to bring pole art and sports into the mainstream has gained momentum in recent years. In 2017, the Global Association of International Sports Federations (the umbrella organization that houses all Olympic and non-Olympic sports leagues) granted the Pole Sports and Arts World Federation official observer status, which recognizes and legitimizes a sport. It’s the first step toward eventually making it an Olympics.
And to do pole sports well takes a tremendous amount of athleticism, requiring upper body strength, flexibility and endurance. That’s on top of artistic flair and timing.
So, it should be no surprise that pole sports athletes want to know who’s the best, including Christine Hotchkin. She's a Reno-based attorney and pole sport athlete who recently traveled to Italy to compete in the World Pole and Aerial Championship.
She got into professional figure skating right out of high school, and was introduced to aerial arts while in Macau with Disney on Ice. She returned home and went back to school for specific disciplines within aerials.
“To me, it’s just like dance,” she said. “There are many different styles of dance, many different forms of dance, many different forms of self expression, right? And it doesn't make one art, one not art; whether you're doing it in a club, or you're doing it [as] a ballerina on the stage.”
And it takes an incredible amount of strength. Hotchkin’s house has been turned into a gym and she also trains in a studio. Not to mention her day job as a lawyer.
“I've always had to wear many hats. Even when I was skating, I was in school. I had to get good grades; I couldn't skate if I didn't get good grades. So I've always been expected to be able to handle all these lives at once. My time management skills are pretty up there,” she said.
“I also have a lot of help. I have a great family that's very supportive of me, my office is very supportive. Honestly, when they say it takes a village, that's very true. I'm very lucky that I have such a supportive village.”
Guests: Christine Hotchkin, pole sport athlete
