Bendigo mother and daughter Sara and Georgia Burchell have been dancing together for nine years.
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"It's just something we both like to do so it's nice we can share it together," Sara says.
Last Saturday, channellng Jane Turner and Gina Riley's sitcom characters Kath and Kim, they took out the comedy category in a national competition at the Pole Theatre at NIDA in Sydney.
In addition to an impressive athletic performance, choreographed to the ABC series soundtrack, their routine involved wigs and a bikini and leotard of questionable design.
Long term fans of 'foxy ladies'
The pair are long-term fans of "the foxy ladies of Fountain Lakes" and thought they offered good comic potential.
Because they are mother and daughter it also "made sense", Sara said.
The 41-year-old mother of four took up pole dancing a decade ago.
"It was a struggle, it was hard, it took me a while to get the hang of things," she says.
But she persevered and while she was learning, Georgia was often there in the background.
"I always used to go into mum's classes," the 16-year-old says.
"Then they started a kids pole class, which was what got her into it," Sara explains.
When Georgia was seven, mother and daughter decided to try dancing together.
"It was a lot easier when she was little," Sara says.
"She was easier to hold on to and throw around. Now the roles have reversed a little bit. She has to hold onto me a little bit more now."
The pair have their own pole room at home and train together twice a week at classes at Rhythm Studio in Kennington.
"We come in here and have classes where we can practise with other girls from other levels. It's always fun because you can see what each other is doing."
Contrary to what some people might expect, there are no performances in clubs.
Competitions like last week's are where the duo strut their stuff.
Studio owner Nina DeAraugo, who has around 40 students, describes pole dancing these days as a form of fitness and self expression that has come a long way.
"It is a fun thing to do. It's a creative alternative to normal exercise. You get fit and you get to express yourself at the same time," she says.
Turning point for pole dancers
A turning point for the form came when pole dancer Kristy Sellars won Australia's Got Talent in 2019, DeAraugo says. She went on to compete in America's Got Talent and was judged runner-up in 2022.
For Georgia, stigma around the sport has led to a lot of teasing from schoolmates over the years.
"I don't really care. They can say what they want," she says.
Her mother believes the insults arise from a lack of education.
"If anything it's made her stronger and more determined," she says. "She's developed a tough skin."
In any case the people who matter most to the pair are behind them on their hobby.
Georgia's three sisters and her father are all very supportive, Sara says.
"We wouldn't be able to do it if we didn't have them and the support they give us because it consumes a lot of our life."
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