1. Tell us more about your background and journey.
I started dancing when I was about 12, which is seen as pretty late for a dancer, but I loved it and was completely addicted. By the time I was 16 I knew I wanted to dance full time, so did a Diploma in Performing Arts instead of my VCE (year 11 and 12).
I danced in Melbourne then eventually in Hollywood and started really enjoying choreography and teaching a lot in Melbourne. I also loved learning every different style of dance that I could (when I was in Hollywood I performed with a belly dance/Bollywood/Indian company!), but my main love was always hip hop/commercial style.
After a couple of years of being back in Australia and dancing I started expanding my styles further which is how I decided I wanted to start pole. But 14 years ago there weren’t many studios at all and I began classes with a girl who ran 1-1s from her garage. The first class was so painful, but I was completely addicted!
From there I did every lesson I could and got a pole at home and started buying every pole DVDs I could find (YouTube wasn’t really a thing yet). I was probably doing 2 or 3 classes every day and just wanted to be as good as the dancers on the DVDs!
A couple of years later I opened the first PhysiPole Studios which allowed me to share my passion with others and it quickly grew into a franchise of now 17 locations across Australia!
2. What kind of opportunities does one get as a pole dancer?
Opportunities are everywhere. In the world of pole it really depends what you want to pursue. There’s a huge world of competitions and of all different styles too. You can compete in pole sport comps, you can create new concepts and compete in an artistic competition, and there are also lots of sexy/exotic style comps where you can put the heels on and go for it!
Of course then you can also branch into mainstream media like I did with Australia’s Got Talent and try to bring something completely new to the general public. And perhaps open their eyes to one of the ways pole can be done.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been flown to countries all around the world to perform. I’ve also toured many countries to teach and I loved that part of it too. As a poler, there are also longer term gigs such as Cirque Du Soleil, or a permanent burlesque show etc. It’s endless!
3. What does your typical day look like?
I have 3 little kiddies so I usually get up by about 6.30 and get myself and the kids organized for the day. My eldest is at school so I do the school run then I’ll respond to emails and package up any Enviro Grip orders (Enviro Grip is an online store my partner and I started where we produce liquid chalk for pole grip or gym/rock climbing/cross fit etc.) and I get those sent out.
Then usually I’ll take the 2 young boys for a walk up to the playground. Then I’ll have meetings, lunch, workout/pole training, school pick up, go to the studio and check all is set for the night of classes, do something with the kids for a bit (e.g., make slime with my eldest! Haha) sort the kids dinner, do some social media work, sort my own dinner, kids to bed, cup of tea and catch up with my partner.
Each day is different but these are the most common things I usually do.
4. Do you feel pole dancing requires more recognition as a form of dancing?
I honestly don’t mind. I think anyone who has tried it knows how amazing it is and what it does not just for your physical self, but also your mental self. And anyone who doesn’t think much of it probably doesn’t know much about it. I’d love to see it continue to be recognized, but I think it’s a beautiful industry that is built mostly by women and it will continue to evolve and thrive because of that.
5. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?
Create what you want to create, not what you think they want to see. If you do what you want to see come to life the rest will fall into place. My best ideas have always been the ones that I’ve had to bring to life because they won’t leave me alone if I don’t.
6. Which is your favorite book and why?"
I love entrepreneurial books like Richard Branson, and Steve Jobs. I love learning their stories and the struggles they had to overcome to build what they did.
7. How did winning Australia's Got Talent change your life and how did you feel about it?
Well funny story, but I didn’t know I’d won until it was announced on TV and everyone else knew. Because of how TV works the endings had to be pre-recorded (which is why I didn’t look that excited ha!), so on the day when they do the voting they then tally the winner and slot that clip into the segment.
So I was first silent, then I screamed! I was at home with my family in my living room. I love that my performances were able to show people a new side that they maybe hadn’t appreciated of pole before. I had a lot of performance worked booked for within Australia and overseas but a lot of it was cancelled because COVID happened a couple of months after the show ended.
But I did get to perform in Italy and did some shows locally in Australia which was great. I’ll do more once the world opens up fully again but for now I am enjoying being with my family training just for myself.
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Kristy Sellars
Kristy is passionate about performance and is world-renowned for her choreography. She holds numerous titles such as Miss Pole Dance Victoria 2012/13, Pole Theatre Overall Champion- Australia 2016, Pole Theatre Drama Champion- World finals 2016 (Prague) and International Pole Champion 2015 (Hong Kong).
After her third child in November 2018, Kristy began training for Australia’s Got Talent and went on to be the AGT Champion in 2019! In February 2020 Kristy and her partner Sam founded Enviro Grip- a revolutionary liquid chalk sports grip which is now sold in 36 countries!
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