Making the pole their goal

Dance instructor Luo Lan works with a student.

"It's really physically demanding, and requires strength, flexibility and stamina. I don't think anyone would relate it to erotic striptease or similar performances ever again after watching our practice session," Yan said. The school claims to be the first institution of its kind on the Chinese mainland.

Once dismissed as a sleazy and disreputable feature of seedy nightclubs in the West, pole dancing has shaken off its bad reputation to become a positive fitness regimen in China. It's also seen as a promising career choice, and a small, but growing, number of bodybuilding businesses are using it as a basic tool of their work.

Luo Lan said the school, which was founded under her name in 2006, is operating at full capacity, with more than 100 students from across the country. Now, she's planning to expand the facilities to cater to the growing demand from forward-thinking urban youngsters for pole fitness workouts.

"An increasing number of people are accepting pole dancing as a fitness regimen, rather than an erotic floorshow. Public perception is shifting toward the positive. It's a far cry from years ago," said Luo, who began to learn pole-dancing techniques via online videos in 2005, while trying to get back in shape after giving birth when she was 37.