Like many people, Dutch photographer Bart Erkamp used to see pole dancing as a form of raunchy entertainment confined to sleazy strip clubs. However, his perception changed after he started dating a pole dancer, and learnt about pole fitness as a serious sport.
While attending a championship pole fitness competition in Amsterdam, he was struck by the athleticism of the participants who combined their sensual movements with power, grace and agility, likening their performances to “artistic gymnastics”.
He was also impressed by their dedication as many of them had installed poles in their homes to practice. Spurred by this practical arrangement and the contradictory images of pole dancing in the media, he contacted the owner of a local dancer studio to seek permission to photograph its members.
The subjects in his series leapt at the chance to show that pole dancing is a legitimate sport that has evolved beyond its erotic origins, inviting Erkamp to photograph them in their bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms.
With the International Pole Sports Federation currently campaigning for it to be included in the 2016 Olympic Games, he muses that it could even become an official Olympic sport one day.
Check out some photographs below and view the rest of his project here.
[via Feature Shoot, images via Bart Erkamp]