Event to Showcase Modern Pole Dancing

Charlottesville, Virginia—August 6, 2009— The U.S. Pole Dance Federation (USPDF) and Shergold Studio’s Exotic Fitness (E-Fit) Dance program are pleased to announce the first-ever East Coast Pole Dance Regional Competition event, which will be held on Sunday, October 4, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre on the Charlottesville downtown mall. During the event, 12 women will compete in modern pole dancing – a sensual athletic dance form that demands coordination, flexibility and physical strength. The participants will vie for a spot in the annual national championship to be held Spring 2010.

“We are delighted to be a partner with USPDF to provide a platform for this unique – and sometimes misunderstood — art form to the local area,” said Erica Shergold, co-owner and E-Fit Dance program director at Shergold Studio. “Hundreds of everyday women have taken pole and exotic dance lessons with us and other studios across the country, gaining confidence, increasing their fitness and having fun. At this event, the public will get a glimpse of the beauty of modern pole dancing as some of the nation’s best dancers compete in this unique event.”

The USPDF was founded in 2008 as the interest of pole dancing grew significantly in the U.S. The Shergold Studio, which launched in 1999, began offering pole dance lessons to everyday women as a unique fitness and dance offering in 2004.

“We realized the potential of pole dancing as an artistic sport. Therefore, setting standards in the industry is the foundation of making pole dancing grow as a sport,” said Anna Grundstrom, co-founder of USPDF. Grundstrom founded the organization with Wendy Traskos.

Tickets to the championship event, open to adults age 18 and older, can be purchased for $45 and $65

Amateur pole dancers may submit an application to compete in the Charlottesville event and learn more about the event and judging criteria. Winners of the regional competition will reserve a spot to compete in the USPDF National Championship 2010. First prize in the regional includes $500 cash award and airfare to the national championship. The USPDF also will be distributing up to five pro-status designations to dancers at the regional event.

The Shergold Studio E-Fit Dance program offers classes in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg in pole dancing, exotic dancing (striptease), burlesque, lap dancing and chair dancing for the everyday woman. The program’s philosophy centers on female fitness and empowerment for women of all ages and life stages. E-Fit programs are led by qualified, trained instructors who make student safety, privacy and comfort a priority.

Interested women can visit to learn more about the dance championship and E-Fit program, to view current choreography and dance moves, and to access a calendar for class schedules.

The USPDF provides a network for pole dancers and studio owners across the country, providing a structured standard in the industry and serving as a source to exchange ideas to help develop a safe and efficient environment for women to learn this dance form. The organization also hosts competitions along with workshops and panel discussions, including topics such as safety, teaching techniques, fitness and dance, and style.

About Shergold Studio
Shergold Studio, launched in 1999, offers dance instruction for the beginner to the advanced student. With 10 instructors, the studio’s emphasis and skill is on helping students develop real-world, applicable dance ability. Shergold Studio offers all the major social dances - from tango to foxtrot, from waltz to swing - and burlesque, exotic and pole dancing, belly dancing, hip-hop, and other specialty dances, such as the Virginia reel and the polka - in private lessons, regular classes, or special workshops. Shergold Studio is family-owned and has two locations, in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Virginia.