Canadian kids offered pole-dancing workout

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VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- A dance studio instructor in western Canada says the pole-dancing class she intends to provide children is a healthy workout and has nothing to do with sex.

While X-rated images of exotic dancers might come to mind when mention is made of pole-dancing, Kristy Craig of Duncan's Twisted Grip Dance and Fitness Studio on Vancouver Island says anyone thinking along that line is way off base, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Thursday.

"There is nothing provocative. There is nothing sexual about it," she said. "It's pure fitness and strength and fun. I mean kids love climbing trees. They will climb anything."

Craig, who notes she has never worked in the adult entertainment industry, says she already has four children as young as 5, including one boy, signed up for her Little Spinners pole-dancing lessons on Saturdays, the CBC said. The kids' parents also take classes at the studio, she said.

The network said pole-dancing has gained popularity worldwide in recent years, with children as young as 7 being allowed to compete at the Russian national championships in St. Petersburg this week.