THE WAY OF THE POLE.docVIP

THE WAY OF THE POLE 　　Cao Nuo （曹诺） stretches on the hardwood floor， arching， cracking and straining her dragontattooed back inside her tight， red tank top， a perfect triangle becoming clear on her inflated deltoid muscles. Her left shoulder sports a heart-shaped “Mom” tattoo and her abdomen， built of three perfectly shaped rows of chiseled abs， swoop down into her light blue， form-fitting spandex shorts， quickly giving way to rock solid thighs. The head coach gives the command， and she violently slaps chalk on her hands before leaping at the pole. One-handed， she propels herself vertically， executing three complex moves in a matter of seconds with maximum momentum but an elegant flow. In the quiet setting， the sound of metal on flesh screeches through the air as Cao switches limbs， propelling gracefully around the pole. Her body curls like a cat licking its back. She spins faster and faster. As her momentum slows， she puts on the brakes， turns upside down， spreads her legs wide and holds the pose. It’s called the “Batman”. She ends with inverted splits （“Flag Back Roll”） and hops off the pole with a playful， girlish giggle， flicking back her hair. The impressed look on her teammates’ faces and her coach’s solemn glare betray the gravity of the training. Her grace， musculature and flawless technique aren’t meant for getting grown men sweaty in some smoky club. She lives for the love of the game. 　　The China Pole Dance Sports Training Center（CPDSTC） located in the heart of Tianjin is where China trains its premier pole dancers. The sport is getting a lot of attention and not just because of the opportunity for lechery. When standing in a room full of beautiful， scantily clad women， it should be made clear that it is actually a room full of beautiful， scantily-clad champions. 　　Cao placed third at the China Pole Dance Championship in 2011， topped by CPDSTC’s other rising star， Song Yao （宋瑶）. Male dancer Yan Shaoxuan （闫少轩） took home the eighth spot at the World