Catching Up With The International Ultimate Pole Dance Champion -Dave Kahl

Photo by Cambell Gunn courtesy of IPDFA

An exclusive interview with Australian Dave Kahl – ULTIMATE POLE CHAMPION 2009 – Men Division. Interviewed by Andria Uematsu

When did you start pole dancing?

I began taking pole dancing classes in 2005 while I was at university in Brisbane, Australia.  These classes were run by a friend of mine and I was immediately hooked!  I then began training as an instructor and joined Girlfriend Fun and Fitness in 2006 where I am still working.

What was it like to be the first male pole champion?

I was very surprised to win the championship.  As it was the first year that an international competition included a male division, I had no idea what standard I was competing against.  I am now very proud to be an ambassador for pole fitness and to also have a hand in shaping the future of pole.

Did you face many social barriers?

Being a man working in a primarily female dominated sport definitely requires some explaining from time to time, but to be honest, most of the barriers I encountered were internally created.  I’ve received some nasty comments and hateful messages of course, but the support I receive from my friends and family is far more encouraging, so I don’t let the negativity get in the way of what I enjoy.

What was your biggest challenge to overcome?

I currently live in Spain and the pole industry is very underdeveloped there.  I do over 90% of my training by myself and this can be very demotivating and uninspiring at times.  I feel a limit to how much I can achieve being geographically removed from the pole community and not having other performers and dancers to bounce ideas off.  I do have a friend Gala, who is an amazing pole performer, but arranging our schedules so that we can train together is not always easy!  If it wasn’t for her support I think it would be even harder for me.

Which country supported your talent the most?

It’s very difficult to say which country in particular has supported me, so I would like to say who has supported me. Obviously Natalie, Kym and the team from Girlfriend Fun and Fitness have given me tireless support.  Also Ania from the International Pole Dance Fitness Association has been fantastic in giving me media and performance exposure since my win in 2009.  I guess what is most important to me personally though is the support I receive from my partner, family and friends.  They are always so proud of my achievements and are very supportive of what I do.  I am extremely lucky to have such amazing and supportive people in my life.

Do you plan on continuing with the sport?

Absolutely!  I expect the competition this year will be much tougher than 2009, so I may not be able to continue as the IPDFC mens champion, but even so I want to help develop the industry and pioneer the sport to bring it in the public discussion arena so that it is easier for others to continue the legacy.  I would like to gain as much exposure for the sport as possible so that people can see it for what it is rather than jump to some of the negative and stagnated perceptions that exist.  Pole has many facets and I feel that at present they are not all fully recognized nor respected.

Is pole dancing your favorite sport?

Yes.  I love pole for its athleticism, its creativity and constant evolution that allows one to focus on their own continuous improvement.  It doesn’t matter how much you know or train, there are always new things to learn and room for more invention.  It is so surprising how many moves can be done on a pole!  The last five years in particular have seen an enormous evolutionary leap in the complexity and difficulty of the sport.

I also love the dynamism that pole offers as a powerful workout tool.  Whether I want intense strength training or a cardio session, I can adapt my workout to achieve the results that I am after.  There are not very many sports that offer this flexibility and allow for such creativity.  I remember that after my first pole training class I discovered a whole new dimension of muscle soreness that I never knew existed!

Do you ever feel out of place in a sport mostly done by women?

Being a man in a female dominated sport has its advantages as well as disadvantages.  For instance I am not compared directly to the female pole performers who have an amazing fluidity and flexibility that I could never replicate.  Instead, I like to focus on controlled, strength-based moves that show my natural physical advantage as a man.  I feel that men’s pole and women’s pole share many fundamental similarities and are interchangeable on many levels, yet there exists a more masculine style that can be achieved through choosing particular movements and changing the pace and ambiance of the performance.  On the other hand feminine pole dancing has an extra element of sensuality that can be employed to change the mood of the dance that does not fit with my personal style.  It all comes down to personal preference, and there are many men and women out there who have such amazing strength and flexibility that they can manipulate and alter their performances to employ certain elements that enable them to completely change styles between routines.

The only time being a man makes me feel out of place is when I am dealing with questions from people outside the pole community who sometimes need a little extra convincing that I am in fact being serious when I talk about being a pole dance performer and pole fitness instructor.

Do you feel that the connotations of the stripper pole give your practice a bad reputation?

I know that the majority of the public are not familiar with all the facets of pole, so one common belief is that pole dancers are strippers.  This is one of the reasons that keeps me going as a pioneer of men’s pole and also the pole industry in general.  It is up to us to continue the good work of the brave people who put pole out there initially as a legitimate form of exercise and to shape public opinion to encompass all that pole has to offer.

We are now in a position where pole dancing is accepted by the most people it probably ever has been and we need to keep gaining exposure in the public eye so that pole dancing is critiqued on all of its merits.  The people that rubbish pole outright have generally not seen all the different styles that performers can employ and it is our duty as the forerunners to provide all of the information to help individuals formulate their opinions with all of the information possible.  The idea of pole as a powerful workout tool may still be beyond some people, but for many individuals this is not their fault.  It is because we have not reached them yet with all the information about pole to help them formulate educated opinions.  Of course there are those who will ignore any ideas that imply beliefs contrary to theirs, but great minds are open to discuss and challenge the ideas of pole in the wider community rather than focusing on personal attacks, which do not back up any particular argument about the role of pole in general.

In all though, we are now at a very exciting time in the development of pole and we have the power to shape its future.  I am proud to be a part of this new era of pole and look forward to a day when the hard work of pole dancers, pole performers and pole athletes is admired by everyone.

You can learn more about the talented Australian pole champion on www.davepolechampion.com

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