Thus, "newspapers as far west as Pittsburgh and as far south as Washington, D.C., were asked to sponsor local beauty contests. The event was scheduled to take place the week-end following Labor Day, to encourage summer visitors to stay in Atlantic City. The event was so successful that The Businessmen's League planned to repeat it the following year as a beauty pageant or a "bather's revue" (to capitalize on the popularity of newspaper-based beauty contests that used photo submissions).
However, the main attractions were the young 'maidens' who sat in the rolling chairs, headed by a Miss Ernestine Cremona, who was dressed in a flowing white robe and represented 'Peace.'" Three hundred and fifty men pushed the chairs. This event was designed to bring business to the Boardwalk: "three hundred and fifty gaily decorated rolling wicker chairs were pushed along the parade route. Rather, the origins of the "Miss America Pageant" lie in an event entitled The Fall Frolic which was held on September 25, 1920, in Atlantic City. The winner, Edith Hyde Robbins Macartney, was called "Miss America." Neither the title nor this pageant were related to the current "Miss America Pageant" which would develop a year later in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “They love spinning and trying new moves, even at a young age.On February 1, 1919, there was a beauty pageant held in the Chu Chin Chow Ball at the Hotel des Artistes in New York City. “This class was started due to the high demand from our existing clients - they would bring their young children to the studio and the kids would run straight to the poles!” says the website. The PoleFit Kids program runs for ten weeks at a cost of $229.īeach Fit Dance studio in Newcastle also offers two pole-fitness courses for children: one for children aged under 12, and one for children aged 5 and under. PoleAthletica studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills offers pole-dancing classes for children aged between 6 and twelve. In Australia, pole dancing classes for under 12’s have taken off in recent years. “We need to be very cautions of imposing adult ideas on young girls,” said Professor Lumby. They enjoy gymnastics and the big danger here is that maybe it’s the adults who are sexualising them rather than them sexualising themselves.” “Pre-teen girls love dancing, mucking around and showing off. I did my own form of pole dancing, improvised around a Hills hoist when I was eight years old,” quipped Professor Lumby. “We know we need to encourage young girls to exercise.
On the other hand, Professor Catharine Lumby from Macquaire University says that pole dancing is increasingly seen as a legitimate form of exercise. “Surely these feed child predator’s fantasies?” “The slow-mo crotch-cam type shots in the promotional video for Gympole do make me feel uncomfortable,” said Miller. Parenting author and teen girl educator, Dannielle Miller said that adults should not view innocent childish play through a sexualised lens, or shame girls or women based on clothing choice, but still had concerns with the production elements of the advertisement. It helps to take away the negative associations that society has, while showing it is a fun and good sport.”
These girls are innocently having fun and have no idea that men may be getting off on this,” wrote one commentator on Facebook.īut others defended the advertisement saying “it makes me happy to see this commercial done with children. “Pole dancing originated in strip clubs and men - rightly - associate pole dancing with sexual arousal. According to the company, “we just wanted to promote juniors in pole sports as we think they are super talented”.īut others have accused the company of unnecessarily exploiting children in advertising and “feeding into a paedophile culture.”