The Pole Divas Championships
2008

The first and only pole fitness competition to unite the whole of the UK and Republic of Ireland will take place for the third year in a row from September to November 2008! The event will encompass 11 Regional Heats, over 300 competitors, over 3000 spectators and a prize fund of over £2000 making the competition one of the largest pole performance competitions in the world. Please take a look at any of the following web-spaces for additional details and updates on the competition as it progresses:

MySpace
www.myspace.com/poledivas

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=39910180595

Website
www.poledivascompetition.com

The Pole Divas Championships 2008 maintain the drive for creating an opportunity to promote the strength, flexibility and confidence gained through pole dancing and separates it as far as possible from the old perceptions of pole dance still retained by much of society. Our aspirations are supported by our strict judging criteria, competition rules and the success of the 2007 event nevertheless from feedback we collected from both competitors and spectators during that event there will be several changes to the set-up of the competition this year including;

The Grand Final: to be held at Pure in Manchester on Sunday 23rd November 2008. This year there will be no dance off however there will be 33 competitors vying directly over the titles of Champion at each level. VIP tickets will be available again through the Organisers however there are limited numbers and tickets will only be available in advance of the event and several will be held back for event Sponsors. There will also be an improved seating plan and a separate VIP seated area will be roped off. A separate VIP room will also overlook the arena through large plate glass windows.

Please note there will be no standing tickets on sale due to the popularity of the event in previous years however unreserved seated tickets will still be available online through See Tickets and the Organiser.

11 Regional Heats: an increase from 7 in 2007! The locations below will play host to the heats this year, details of their exact locations are available on the Pole Divas MySpace page at www.myspace.com/poledivas so please check out which locations are you closest, if you are unsure please feel free to contact us as we have a record of your location and will be able to advise you of your 2 closest Regions:


London
SE (Brighton)
SW (Bristol)
East Midlands (Lincoln)
West Midlands (Birmingham)
NE (York)
NW (Manchester)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
Wales (Tenby)
Northern Ireland (Newry)
Republic of Ireland (tbc)
3 Entry Levels: we have decided to run a whopping 3 entry levels this year! The new entry level will be Advanced Amateur and enables those students or more advanced pole performers to enter the competition without the need to compete against their instructor. Entry packs will be available from 1st June 2008 and if you are unsure of which Entry Level you should take part in please contact us to check.

To give you an idea of your entry level the following applies:


Amateur
The same criteria apply to Amateur Level as in the 2007 competition including the "no inverts" rule and a rough suggestion of up to 6 months experience. Those entering this level are encouraged to work on improving their confidence in performing, choreography and overall presentation as well as gaining experience in the standard their tricks need to attain in order to win such a prestigious event.

NOTE: those who previously entered the competition at this level must enter at Amateur Advanced or Professional for the 2008 Championships. Competitors may only enter at this level for one year.

Advanced
Those entering Advanced Level will use the same criteria as in 2007 for the Professional Level but must NOT be professionals in pole dance, e.g. instructors, trainee instructors, club dancers, podium pole performers... etc. Those entering this level will be permitted to invert during their performance.

Professional
Those in the Professional Level will follow the same criteria as in 2007 but must be professionals in pole dance. Those entering this level will be permitted to invert during their performance.
Dress Code: there will be a few changes to the dress code, primarily footwear, which must be strictly adhered to and will be detailed in the Competitor Entry Pack

Judges: there will be a core judging panel of 4 people in 2008 with 3 of them judging each heat to ensure consistency and impartiality

Standardisation: alongside the set judging panel we will also be setting a standard pole type and height to create a level platform for all competitors. This is being announced well in advance in order to allow all competitors time to adjust to a new pole type if required. The pole used at all Regional Heats and the Grand Final will meet the following criteria:

Chrome coated, 50mm diameter, minimum height 9ft, static, floor to ceiling pole

Competitors
If you or any of your students are interested in entering the Pole Divas Championships in 2008, the Entry Packs including forms, guidelines and other details will be available from Sunday 1st June so please contact us anytime after that date at competition@pole-play.co.uk or on 07900483155 to receive your very own competitor pack (please notify us if you have no internet access but try and save trees if you can!). If you are unsure of anything including entry levels, dress code or other details please feel free to email us and we will answer your questions asap. If you have not received your entry pack within 7 days please contact us to check your request has been received, any entry pack requests made prior to Monday 16th June will be sent out in bulk after this date.

There are 10 entry spaces for each level at each Regional Heat so spaces are limited and will be given on a first come first allocated basis. You must choose your 2 preferred Regions and we will endeavour to enter you in your first choice however if all spaces are taken you will be entered into your second choice Region.

Please read through the entry packs carefully and ensure you fully understand the competition guidelines, dress code and entry criteria before submitting your form as mistakes may not be able to be corrected at a later date. All competitors will be required to present a valid form of ID as proof of age on the day of the heat, the minimum age being 18 on the day of the event. Valid ID includes:


Photo Driver License
Passport
Bank Card / Credit Card + Other Photo ID
Competitors can pay their entry fee by bank transfer, cheque, debit/credit card (PayPal) or postal order. The PayPal link on Myspace will be activated from 1st June 2008 for those who wish to pay by card and the link will also be available on the Pole Divas website soon after. Please remember to wait for us to contact you via email (please let us know if you have no internet access) once you have submitted your form to confirm your place before sending any payments by bank transfer, card or postal order. Cheques sent with application forms will not be banked unless your space is confirmed in your chosen event, should we require you to enter in your second choice we will contact you by phone to discuss it.

Note: Any unsolicited payments may not be reconciled with their owner and result in them not being returned or you not being entered in any heat! If you do not receive a response by email acknowledging receipt of your payment within 7 days please contact us as a matter of urgency so we can make an effort to trace your payment.

Spectators
If you are not yet inspired enough to enter into the Championships this year you are still more than invited to join in the event as a spectator at any of the 11 Regional Heats and/or the Grand Final. Spectator tickets for the Regional Heats will go on sale on Friday 1st August and Grand Final tickets will be available from Monday 1st September. They can be purchased through See Tickets (See Tickets: Pole Divas) from the dates above via credit/debit card but will also be available to purchase via bank transfer, cheque or postal order through the main Pole Divas address on the website and Myspace pages.

If making a purchase by bank transfer, cheque or postal order please email us to reserve your tickets and receive a reference number before making payment.

Sponsorship / Advertising
If you are interested in either sponsoring the Championships this year or in advertising at the Regional Heats and/or the Grand Final please contact us for more information as we have details of the opportunities available ready for release now!

Thank you for reading this email and we hope you will get involved with this year’s event whether as a spectator, competitor or event sponsor. I look forward to meeting you all later this year!