Australia Showcases Aboriginal Pole Dancing

July 02, 2011 (Press-News.org) The 2011 Asia Pacific Pole Dance Championships were held over the weekend in Sydney at Magical Luna Park, with the impressive backdrop of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. A US dancer, Becca Butcher, winner of the Utah State Championships was among the judges of the elite Pole Dancing event in Australia.

It was a spectacular event showcasing international pole dancing talent. The competitor who stood out from the crowd and made a profound impact was Matty Shields, an Aboriginal pole dancer, who left the audience overwhelmed.

Pole Dancing has such strong stereotypes and this Aboriginal pole dancer is breaking all the stigmas associated with it. This wasn't Matty's first appearance in the public eye. He auditioned at the latest series of Australia's Got Talent show. It was obvious the public was shocked at the sight of the Aboriginal pole dancer, exploding in laughter when presented with the controversial performance, incredible strength, grace and originality of Matty. Pole dancing virtuosity of the highest calibre was faced by immature audience who did not know how to react.

In the 2011 Asia Pacific Championships Matty competed in the Freestyle Pole Men's and Open Pairs divisions. In the pairs divisions he partnered with experienced pole dancer Shimmy and performed a heart-felt love inspired routine. The audience cheered Matty enthusiastically, who placed in the top three in both highly competitive categories.

"This competition is open to any dancer (amateur or professional, male or female) aged 18yrs+" said a representative of the Asia Pacific Championships - "The focus is on the athletic aspect of pole dance, similar to that of gymnastics, and the technical artistry, born from other forms of classical and modern dance".

Originally from Walgett, a small town in North Western New South Wales, Matty is now a nursing student and lives and dances in Sydney. "It is obvious that Matty is a trained dancer with solid foundations of contemporary and possibly Jazz, Hip Hop and other styles" said the administrator for pole dancing US community site _a href=http://mdpoledancing.com_mdpoledancing.com_/a_, who attended the Asia Pacific Pole Dance Finals on Saturday. "He has a captivating style, which together with his Aboriginal heritage, charisma and athleticism, will help bring pole dancing into the mainstream sporting field."

"It all started when I just rocked up to a studio and learnt an amazing move and so I kept training and I feel it's very liberating - I love it", says Matty.

Pole dancing has battled the wide spread derogative associations of this style of dance for so many years now. Matty Shields is out to challenge that perception with extraordinary artistry, strength and a humble smile.