This year, pole dancing will be included in the Chingay parade for the first time ever in 43 years. This will be the very first time in the world that pole dancing will be performed on moving platforms, besides being the first time in Chingay history.

 

40 pole dancers from Groove Dance School, including the owner, Renee Tan, will be performing in the parade. To Renee, it is an achievement for her to see how the sport has evolved over the years. She said, “I have been doing this for 10 years, and finally we are on a National Event performing, and that’s amazing.”

 

Since it is the first time the pole dancers will perform on moving platforms, the platforms are carefully designed and built using silicon poles made in the United Kingdom to ensure the safety of the dancers on the platform and at the same time not restricting their movements.

 

Renee said that the moves were choreographed in such a way so that there will be low probability of falling off the poles. In any case the performer feels unsafe during any point of the act, they will just have to lower themselves down.

 

A total of 28 poles with two types of functions will be featured in the performance. The first function is the spinning mode, it will require a little bit of momentum as it will turn on its own. The second function is the static mode, which requires dancers to use their strength and bodyweight to spin on the pole. Strength, flexibility and stamina is key for the performers to execute the movements.

 

The group trained intensively for a month, 2 times a week, day and night just to ensure that the performance will go smoothly.

 

In less than five years after the school was first established, it has made its name abroad in competitions such as the Asia Pacific Pole Dancing Championship 2010 in Brisbane, Australia where they took all the champions title for all the categories they competed in.

 

The dancers are scheduled to perform in the act before the Grand Finale of the Parade. They will be dancing to the song ‘Under The Sea’ while pretending to be mermaids. Seaweed dancers will also be dancing around the moving platforms.

 

Chihoro, 12, from the Japanese group performing in the parade is also amused by the pole dancing performance when interviewed as it is her first time witnessing pole dancing. “It looks fun and it’s nice to see.”

 

The Chingay Parade will be held at the F1 pit building on the 19th and 20th of February. When Renee was asked about her feelings performing in a national event, she said, “It’s amazing.”