Interview with Polenastics winner Lucy Eaton

After the recent Polenastics Championships which was sadly the last one ever, we talk to one of the amazing winners Lucy Eaton...

1. You recently won the Intermediate category of Polenastics Championships. How did you feel being a winner?
I see myself as quite a competitive person, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win, but on the day of the competition it was hard to be competitive as all the other competitors were so nice and supportive and I believe that’s because we all have an appreciation for the same sport and we all understand how hard it can be to get up and perform in front of a large audience. I was ridiculously nervous waiting to perform but I knew by the end it, I would want to do it again because I have always had a love for performing. At the end of the day I wasn’t expecting to win because I felt like I had achieved so much already getting to the final and It was such a great day performing and watching the other competitors, so I was ecstatic when I was announced as the intermediate winner, it was just priceless.

2. Have you taken part in any other competitions and will you be doing more in the future?
No, Polenastics was my first ever pole dancing competition, so quite an achievement that I won. I will definitely be entering more competition in the future; it was so much fun and such a rush.

3. How did you first get interested in pole dancing?
I have always danced throughout my childhood trying out as many different styles as possible and I suppose as I got a little but older Pole dancing was just another style I wanted to give a go. It was one of my dancing friends that invited me to my first class, she had already been going for a while and knew that I really wanted to give it a go. She kept on saying to me ‘you’ll pick it up straight away, and you well become addicted after your first class’ and she was right.

4. What is it about pole dancing you enjoy the most?
I generally just enjoy meeting new people, majority of the time I will enter a class and be sharing a pole with a complete stranger but by the end of the class we will be talking to each other like we have known each other for a while. It’s so easy to make friends in classes, because you are constantly trying to help each other.  However I also really do enjoy performing, so if there is an opportunity for me to perform I take it, abandon working on new moves and start working on a routine.



5. What are the main fitness benefits of pole dancing and how has pole dancing improved your fitness, strength or body shape?

There hasn’t been too much change to my body shape as I have always danced and attended gymnastics, so I have always been quite slender, however I suppose I have noticed a difference to my bottom and thighs, which have become more toned and muscular and I definitely notice a different in my arms, especially when I have been training more on my right than my left, I look so lopsided.

6. Has pole dancing had an impact on anything else in your life such as giving your more confidence or making new friends?
Confidence – Yes. Making New Friends – Definite Yes.
Additionally pole dancing has inspired my art practice for my fine art degree, in which I have been investigating the experience of pole dancing and how the contact between the pole and the body can be celebrated through an artwork. Over the last year and a half I have been documenting the bruises I have received from pole dancing and re-drawing them in a pointillism technique at a very large scale. Celebrating and showcasing the bruise as a sign of achievement or progression.



7. What are your 3 favourite pole moves and why? So hard to pick just 3 but I suppose I would have to choose ...
Jade – I actually Jade on my bad leg for splits on the floor, however when I Jade on that leg it becomes spirit level flat. I need to actually start trying it with my good leg which will hopefully create an over split.

Floating Ballerina – I absolutely love this move, especially on the spinny pole, it just looks so beautiful and graceful.

Remi Extreme – for all of my friends the Remi causes them so much pain, however for me I oddly feel nothing so I think that’s why I love doing it so much, but it looks so impressive as well.

8. What are your favourite strength training moves on the pole and why? I don’t tend to work on strength as often as I probably should as I mainly focus on flexibility, however I do like to fit in general pole conditioning into every class, for example pole crushes and side pole crunches, however if I’m felling like I want more of a workout I will do Cross Knee Release sit ups, Superman Push ups and Shoulder Mount training exercises.



9. Where would you like to see pole dancing in the future? The Olympics! I think it’s time the world saw pole dancing for what it is … a sport which is both athletic and artistic it’s really no different to gymnastics in my opinion.

10. What pole performers do you admire or inspire you?
They are so many polers that I admire for so many different reasons... For instance 

Cleo the Hurricane - I love her flexi legs and rocking choreography... I could sit and watch her videos all day long her legs are so mesmerising.

Oona Kivelä – This woman is insane she is incredibly powerful and strong and she inspires me to become a stronger poler.

Anastasia Skukhtorova – I think Anastasia is such a beautiful pole dancer her routines are so balletic, she is ridiculously flexible and her Rainbow Marchenko is magnificent, she motivates me to become more flexible.

Bendy Kate – I love Bendy Kate so much, her routines are always so beautiful and entertaining. Bendy was training at A Pole New Adventure while I was creating my routine for Polenastics, she so friendly and wished me good luck so thank you Bendy.

Emma Haslam – I really admire Emma, I was glad when she went on Britain’s Got Talent, she is such an inspiration to pole dancers everywhere, proving that it doesn’t matter what shape or size you are you can still dance/ pole dance … do whatever you wish really.



11. What would you say to someone who is thinking of trying pole dancing for the first time to convince them to give it a go?
I would say something along these lines … It’s like no other workout you will have every tired because you have so much fun doing it … it hurts like hell and you will get some cracking bruises but trust me after your first class you won’t even care because you will become addicted … plus you make so many new friends so what the harm just give it go!

12. Three words that sum up pole dancing for you.
Perseverance, Fun & Artistic.