Would you sign your child up for pole dancing lessons? A Duncan, B.C. dance and fitness studio hopes so.
Twisted Grip Dance and Fitness studio has garnered some controversy after it was announced a "Little Spinners" pole dancing class would be offered to children this fall.
Studio owner Kristy Craig stands firm about her choice to offer a child-friendly version of her adult pole dancing classes.
"The kid's class is aimed at climbing and holding," Craig said to CTV News. "I'm not teaching them any sexual moves."
"My existing students were asking about it for their children," Craig said to The Province. "They were saying, 'My daughter plays on my pole at home all the time, I'd love her to actually learn how to do things properly and not hurt herself.'"
Craig boasts her her class' athletic merits, but acknowledges the stigma commonly associated with pole dancing can be a distraction from to what she wants to achieve.
"Pole dancing in general is trying to change people's perception from the stripping into it being fitness and an athletic sport," Craig said to CTV News.
So far, four children have registered for the weekend classes: Three girls and one boy aged from 5 to 12.
The studio's regular adult classes give students the option to learn with a pole or a chair. It has not been confirmed if the children's classes will also be given the same options.
Another pole-dancing class aimed for kids in the U.K. came under fire last year after its own Little Spinners class was slammed by child protection groups as 'deeply disturbing,' according to The Daily Mail.
Similar to sentiments shared by Craig, Northampton Instructor Carly Wilford insited the classes help boost children's sel-esteem and keeps them fit.