Angelika, Norway. Age: 25.
Artist: The xx. Song: Intro.

Training background: My love for training and working out started about three years ago. Then I started at a local gym, and quickly I started to feel how much it gives me in life. While growing up I did try out a couple of different dance styles.

I never really did them long enough to learn much. This might be because I had not found my style of dance yet. Pole dance is my kind of dance.

It is something I really love, and I believe I will do as long as my body allows me to. I have been pole dancing for two years now and I am really excited about my first performance and competition.

Evelina Gustafsson, Sweden Age: 20.
Artist: Lady Gaga. My song: Bloody Mary

I've been poledancing for almost a year and since the first lesson I have loved it! The reason I began was that I wanted to experience something funny and new but also a new way to exercise. Before I've danced zumba and played paintball but poledancing is something special.

The combination of strenght and flexibility and the ability of improving these for each lesson is amazing! The poledancestudio in Gothenburg has become my second home because every poledancer I've met yet have provided more positive energy to the studio. I am very excited for my first competition representing Sweden.

Andrea Kristine Nærby DID NOT COMPETE

Norway. Age: 22. Artist: Alex Clare. Song: Too Close.

Andreas has been dancing since she was 9 years old. Besides sports, she is studing at the university. Andrea has been doing pole dance about 1 year now and loves it. She is an instructor at LisX pole studio in Oslo.

Anna-Maija Nyman, Finland. Age: 24.
Artist: Florence + The Machine. Song: Breath Of Life

Anna-Maija is a law student at Stockholm University and currently works at a finance company. She originally comes from Finland but have been living in Stockholm for the past five and half years. Her journey with pole dance started in February 2012 and since the very first class she has been hooked. She loves pole dance as it is an extraordinary sport that celebrates female strength and it also gives room for expression and artistic elements. Her training background includes various years of competitive cheerleading at national and international level. She likes to keep her workout versatile so besides pole dancing she like to go climbing and to the gym and is also into ice-hockey and snowboarding.

Rebecca Sahlström, Sweden. Age: 23.
Artist: Lindsay Stirling. Song: Crystallize.

Rebbeca is a student of marketing and finance. Her training background includes a big variation, such as horses, dance, fitness and much more.

For the past 6 years she have competed in bodyfitness and after hours and hours in the gym I needed something new so I discovered poledance and it was love at first sight. For me poledance is all about strength, flexibility and femininity and a way to express myself.

Natalia Tomashova

Russia. Age: 27. Artist: Hans Zimmer (Ludwig van Beethoven). Song: OST Angel and Demon

Natalia has been dancing since her childhood. When she was 5 she went to a ballet school. She took pantomime, hip-hop and club dancing. Natalia started Pole dancing four years ago. She has been working as a fitness instructor for the last 8 years. She really likes to perform on stage. She is always looking for original dance and image, for good balance in choreography, tricks, artistry.

2nd at the Battle of the Pole 2012, Sweden, Winner of Top-10 Pole Dance competition, Russia, 2012, 4th place at the Pole Sport 2012 London, 1 st in Grand-Prix Fitness House, Pole Sport category, Russia 2012

Laura Soikkeli
Finland. Age: 22. Song: All That Jazz. Artist: Chicago movie soundtrack (2002).

Laura started pole dancing at the end of march 2010 and fell in love right away. She has a background in synchronized skating and have been skating since she was 4 years old. She competed in top Finnish teams for 10 years and achieved 3 junior world championships. Besides pole dancing Laura practice circus (especially aerial acrobatics), dance and aerial yoga.
Pole Debut 2011 (1st), Battle of the Pole 2012 (6th), Finnish championship 2012 (1st in the amateur series).

Kristina Dumanskaya

Russia. Age: 24. Artist: Henry Mancini. Song: The Pink Panther (OST Pink Panther).

As a young girl, Kristina trained 4 years in rythmic gymnastics, after that 5 years in ballet school. She has got master degree in aerobics. She got the 1 st place in Miss Pole Dance Siberia 2012 (amateurs division). She became a Finalist of recent Russian Pole Dancing competition AFRODIZIAC. Kristina has been pole dancing for less than a year, she started in February 2012, but she will take this challenge and will perform in Lionesses division. Pole Dance for her is an Art, a story told through moves, dance, artistry. The Battle of the Pole will be her first international pole dance experience.

Julia Snopova

Russia. Age: 20. Artist: Soundtrack from the movie 'The Last of the Mohicans' Song: The main title, Karunesh- Earthsong.

Julia started pole dance in 2010. After one year and a half of trainings she began to participate in Russian championships. She was the runner-up in four national championships. In 2012 she was in the final of the world pole sport championship in London. Julia won "Best costume" in world pole sport and fitness championship 2012 in Zurich. In childhood she did rhythmic gymnastics. For her pole dance is a form of art where you can connect music and acrobatic tricks in whole dance.

Trang Pham DID NOT COMPETE

Finland. Age: 23. Artist: Beyonce. Artist: Girls, Run the world.

Originally from Vietnam, but came to Finland at age 17 to pursuit studies. Discovered Pole Dance in summer, 2009 and it was love at first sight. In daytime she works as a nurse and in night time, she is a wicked pole dancer. Trang loves Pole Dance because it combines her passion for dancing and her background in Rhythmic Gymnastics. Other than Pole dance, she also like to take her dog out for long walk in forest and get together with friends for cozy dinners.

Natalia Guseva INJURED & DID NOT COMPLETE

Russia. Age: 35. Artist: Michael Buble. Song: Feeling Good.

Natalia has been doing sports since she was 5. Her background is sport and rythmic gymnastics as well as acrobatics and dance. She tried pole for the first time 3 years ago. Since then she has been sharpening up her skills and participated in many contests. Every time Natalia dances she tries to do it better than she did it before.

This year she have won the title "Miss Pole Dance Russia 2012". Natalia is also a professional fitness instructor and choreographer. She loves to combine sports and the art of dance. All her acts are various from each other, since she loves to move forward and to be different. Natalia is also a mom and is very happy that her son is proud of her.

Ibrahim Tunc
Sweden. Age: 24. Artist:  Ninja Gaiden. Song: Vanished Memories & Artist: Lindsey Stirling. Song: Assassin Theme

Ibrahims have devoted his whole life sports and training, but recently he has started with something that has changed his life, dancing. It's been a little more then one year since he started and he is obsessed! Ibrahims main style is breakdance/streetdance and also some tricking. He also recently started with Chinese pole and love it! He has been dancing poledance for a little more then two years now. Otherwise he is a really funny and down to earth guy that also works as a gym instructor and as a dancer/model.

2nd place Battle of the Pole Kittens 2011, 1st place in the Swedish Championships Superstar 2011, 1st place in the Swedish Championships Men's Category 2012.

Anna Puchkova

Russia. Age: 26. Artist: Muse. Song: Map of the problematique.

Anna dosen't have any dance or training background. She startade training pole dance in 2010. She trained herself using videos from the championships, but also attended workshops.

She has been the finalist of Championship Miss Pole Dance Russia 2011 in the category "Artistic Pole Dance. Professionals. Solo. Women" 2011 and Winner of the Open Championship of Miss Pole Dance Siberia in nomination Pole-Dance (Professional) 2011.

Daniel Häggkvist

Sweden. Age: 28. Artist: Lindsey Stirling. Song: Moon Trance.

After a successful carrier in track and field with a Swedish Championship gold medal in 110 meters hurdle and 300 meters hurdle Daniel has now found a new passion. He has been pole dancing since October 2011 and placed 3rd in the Swedish pole dance championships Men's category 2012. Daniel loves the combination of technic and dance that leads to a great work out and is looking or compete even though the preparation time was short.

Alina Saifutdinova

Russia. Artist: Al Di Meola. Song: Heru Mertar - Don't go so far away.
 

I play sports all my life! From 3 years old. It was gymnastics, wushu, swimming. Now I am instructor of pole dance. I start pole dancing 2 years ago and now I can't imaging how I can live without it! I looove performing on the pole and I try to improve it!

Minna Forsberg
Sweden. Age: 24. Artist: Portishead. Song: Over.

Without training or dance background Minna started out with pole dance by the end of 2010. As many, she fell in love. Poledance for her a combination of incredible strength and magic weightlessness. She came in 4th in the Swedish Championships 2012 which was her first competition. Minna is striving to constantly improve and am truly honored to compete amongst the excellent pole artist in Battle of the Pole.

Veronika Mikhailova

Russia. Artist: Skunk Anansie. Song: Nothing But.

Is a Pole Dance instructor, Leading actor, Manager and PR–Manager of The Pole Dance Studio TRASH. I'm crazy about pole dance!

2nd at the Pole of PPS Aerial Performance Tournament 2012 Hongkong

The finalists for THE ART OF POLE DANCE 2012, Slovenija

Our Team "Trash" Finalist of the International competition "Pole Art 2012"

Semi-finalist World Pole Dance Sport & Fitness 2011 Hungary

Finalist Pole Dance Universe- International Competition in Denver USA 2011

2nd at the 3rd Russian Cup pole dance in 2011 at the National dance competition

Finalist, World Cup Aeriel Pole International Championship 2011 in Switzerland

Marina Bogomolova

Russia. Age: 22. Artist: Tyler Bates. Song: Battle (OST 300 Spartans) & Song: Ashes and Snow – Slow Dawn.

I've been pole dancing for 4 years, and this is the best years of my life! Thanks to the pole, I found my friends and my family in the face of show-studio and the pole dance theatre "Trash". I was a student and now a teacher at the studio and artist of theater Trash. We make aerial show on pole, silks, hoop, loops and chinese pole. Now show, training, art, students is my whole life and I love it!

Henriikka Roo
Finland. Age: 25. Artist: David Garrett. Song: Rock prelude

With over 12 years classical ballet and 4,5 years pole dancing in the background.

6 years after I had finished my ballet dance hobby I found pole dance. That really change my world. I was so crazy for it. I haven't never done anything acrobatic or power demanding before it. It was so fascinating to found out totally new moves and poses. And now I'm a professional pole dance performer and instructor alongside with my academic studies in Technical University.

1st place in Finnish Championship 2012, 1st place in Battle of the Pole Lionesses 2012, Finalist in finnish talent tv-competition 2011, 7th place in The International Pole Championship in Tokio 2010.

Natalia Kuznetsova

Russia. Artist: Within Temptation. Song: Final Destination.

Natalia began training pole dance in Tomsk pole dance studio 2009. 2010, she won the silver at the Championship "Miss Pole dance Russia 2010" and bronze in the "Miss Pole dance Siberia 2010". She participated in the "Miss Pole dance Russia 2010". In 2011 she became a Champion of the second official region Championship "Pole dance - 2011". She also became a finalist and licentiate of the World Dance Olympiad, Moscow in the "Adult female solo professionals of Russian Cup Pole dance" category. She won gold medal in Siberia pole dance Championship "Battle of the pole 2011" and silver medal in Russian Championship "Golden Pole 2011". In September, 2012 Natalia became a Champion of the Second Cup of Siberia. All her life she was fond of dancing. Acrobatics, modern dance, contemporary, and when she started practice pole dance it became more than just a hobby. It became her life! Now she want's to do better, to realize the impossible, to develop and always improve!