Fundraiser for aspirant world pole-dancing champions

For Simone Hodgskiss (32) and Sherry Bremner (28) of Pole Dance Cape Town, it took close to two years to summon up the courage to compete "for fun" in the duet category of the annual championships run by the Pole Fitness Association of SA. The competition aims to help get pole dancing recognised as an Olympic sport and promote the physical benefits of the sport from a health and fitness perspective.

The duo won Gold - and, with that, an invitation to compete at the World Pole Sports Championships in London in July.

Intensive training and rehearsals

With just a few weeks left to raise the money they need to finance their trip and put the finishing touches to a new routine that will give their international pole-dancing heroes a run for their money, pressure is mounting. Hodgskiss and Bremner now have to include intensive training and rehearsals in their daily routines, working together around four times a week, for up to three hours at a time, under the eagle eye of their trainer, Cezanne Carstons. An experienced performer, Carstons knows what it takes to compete at this level and is helping them synchronise and choreograph a new routine for the competition that promises to hold a few surprises for fellow competitors and judges alike.

Bremner, who is currently studying for a PhD in Physics, said that she bought a Groupon voucher for pole dancing. "I've always danced and when I started studying I stopped. I dance to keep sane and happy. I started pole dancing 18 months ago, and I'm still here," she said.

Hodgskiss is a graphic designer and illustrator who simply loves to dance. She started pole dancing to try something different and thought it would just be a phase. "Two-and-a-half years later, I'm still doing it," she said. "Pole dancing can definitely be a solo sport, but it's so much better as a team. When you're up there, it's not just you. It's you and two other people, all aiming and training for the same thing together, instead of on your own."

Hodgskiss said that she loves pole dancing so much because "it's a form of dance, which I love, and it's a way to express yourself to music. I hope in years to come the perception of pole dancing is going to change".

Their next fundraiser is a performance of Venus in Fur at the Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay, Cape Town, on 19 June at 8pm. Tickets range from R100 to R160. Email moc.noyylraep@enomis or moc.liamg@renmerb.yrrehs to reserve your seats and show your support or contact them for further sponsorship on Facebook at Sherry and Simone World Pole Sports Champions 2013.

Venus in Fur is a comedy inspired by the infamous erotic novel of the same name. Directed by Steven Stead, the play takes audiences behind the scenes of an audition where the lines between acting and lust are blurred. There's an age restriction of 16. Please note that there is no pole dancing in the show.