pole dancing

Think pole dancing doesn’t qualify as a true art form? Think again. In this video, champion pole dancer Jenyne Butterfly gives a jaw-dropping, high-flying performance we didn’t think was possible.

For the past several years, pole dancing classes have been springing up around the country, with attendees saying the activity is a pretty good way to stay in shape. Now even the pious are embracing the trend, which they’ve rebranded “Pole Dancing for Jesus.”

Pole dancing-as-exercise is no longer strictly for women. Recently, the fitness trend has begun popping up in gyms across Beijing, ‘Today‘ reports. Gym owners say pole dancing is a great way to stay fit, and some Chinese men are embracing it as a way to build up abs, arms and upper-body strength.

The big news in public transportation this week was 26-year old Ryan Wenzel (not pictured), who entertained riders of New York City's L Train with a pole dance. While the show may have seemed spontaneous, it turns out it was actually part of a shoot for an upcoming Girl Talk video.

Vertical Dance, a British pole-dancing company, is petitioning the International Olympic Committee to get their sport recognized as a test event for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. According to the petition, which has so far garnered about 6,000 signatures, "Over 50 countries worldwide take part in lessons, workshops, conventions, expose, competitions and teacher training." Read Mor

Watch a literally painful mashup of women falling off the pole.