Cleo the Hurricane is the international rock star of pole dancing and the current Australian Pole Dance Champion. Born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, now hailing from Melbourne-via-Sydney, Cleo’s early years were spent doing gymnastics and classical ballet training. In high school she discovered rock music, picked up a pair of drumsticks, joined a band and never looked back.
Her formative years were spent gigging around Melbourne, fronting her band ‘Raw Sexes War’. Leaving ballet behind, Cleo began practicing Capoeira (a Brazilian Martial Art) which led to her discovery of the ‘Pole Princess’ studio in Melbourne and subsequent obsession with pole dancing.
Hitting the pole for the first time at 27, this feisty lady was teaching classes within two months, developing her style quickly and truly owning her technique. She’s a natural, and the rest is history…
Cleo also took out the 2012 Miss Pole Dance Australia, previously having missed out on the title by just ½ a point in 2011 (2nd only to World Champion Felix Cane). Her scorching 2011 routine was set to Scorpion’s hit ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ which earned her the nick name ‘Hurricane’.
Cleo has built an impressive, international career out of her pole-dancing obsession. She’s produced, written and starred in her own fitness DVD ‘Rockin’ Legs N Abs’ and taught at Sydney’s ‘Bobbi’s Pole Studio’ (known as the pole capital of the world). Having performed in Australia, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA and Canada, Cleo also lived in Germany for a short time, performing as a solo artist at Berlin’s prestigious Friedrichstadt Palast Show Palace.
Cleo the Hurricane is taking over the world one routine at a time, and it’s easy to see why. Her strength, flexibility and power are an inspiration to men and women the world over. Her wild performances, leather and stud-clad costumes and rockin’ soundtracks are what set Cleo apart. Her ‘Rock N Pole’ and ‘Hurricane’ styles, plus sexy sky-high stilettos (always) make Cleo a jaw-dropping performer and a formidable opponent in competition.
Pole has taken over Cleo’s life, and she has taken the world by storm with her unforgettable talent and charisma, on stage and off.
Achievements of Cleo The Hurricane in Pole Dancing
- Miss Pole Dance Australia Champion 2014
- Miss Pole Dance Australia Champion 2012
- Miss Pole Dance NSW Winner 2012
- Miss Pole Dance Australia 2nd 2011
All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
Cleo The Hurricane is Miss Pole Dance Australia Champion 2014 and 2012. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You had gymnastics and classical ballet training in your younger days and later began practicing Capoeira (a Brazilian Martial Art), this was your catalyst that you reached the pinnacle of success in pole dancing where you stood 1st at Miss Pole Dance Australia Championship 2014. What factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Cleo:
There are many factors that contributed to my success in pole dancing. Definitely having a dance background helps with lines, movement and flexibility. However I think the most important factor is having the discipline to focus on the task at hand, whether it be new tricks, choreography, flexibility, strength etc. Plus, I have always been a highly competitive person, which definitely gave me that extra motivation when competing in Miss Pole Dance Australia.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your wild performances, leather and stud-clad costumes and rockin’ soundtracks is what set you apart. Your ‘Rock N Pole’ and ‘Hurricane’ styles, plus sexy sky-high stilettos make you a jaw-dropping performer, you have innovated your own mesmerizing style of pole dancing. Ellaborate on this concept ?
Ms. Cleo:
I have been a lover of Rock N Roll since I was born! Played in bands in my teens and always dreamt of becoming a Rock Star. To answer your question, I wouldn’t do it any other way! I dance to the music I love and try to create this ‘Rock star’ persona when I’m on stage because it gives me a special power. So do the shoes. Strapping on sky high stilettos, automatically gives me confidence, makes me taller, lifts me off the ground, extends my body. I have such a passion for this music and I think it is really reflected in the way that I dance. I dance for fun, I dance for the love of it. I dance to express my passion and that is Rock N’ Pole.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your first win in competitive pole dancing came in 2011 when you were 2nd at Miss Pole Dance Australia, you missed out on the title by just ½ a point (2nd only to World Champion Felix Cane). What was that experience and how it fueled you with passion to succeed in pole dancing?
Ms. Cleo:
This was my first national competition as ‘Cleo’ competing against some a my favourite Australian pole dancers (including Felix Cane). My goal was to put on a damn good show. Of course I’m not going to lie and say winning was not part of my motivation, because I really think people who say they’re not in it to win it are lying at this level of competition.
I was OVER the moon with the results, I had come 2nd to Felix by such a small margin, but more importantly I nailed my show and that was the most important thing. The previous year I had competed under my real name ‘Jill’ and pretty much looked down at the floor the entire routine. I was still so amateur when it came to performing and lacked so much confidence on stage.
But this year I was more confident as a pole dancer and my inner ‘rock star’ was unleashed. I have always been a competitive person and coming so close gave me an unstoppable motivation to win Miss Pole Dance Australia. I started to believe that it would happen. I am such a positive thinker and believe that ‘if you put it out there to the universe’ it comes back to you. Part of my preparation was visualising my routine and winning. I did this every night to the point where I just knew I would win. This made my competition journey a really fun experience. I absolutely LOVED IT and… I won! I think maintaining this positive attitude, enjoying what I do, obviously the discipline i have with training has everything to do with my success in pole dancing.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Cleo:
Thankyou! I stay out of the sun! I get facials now and then (not as much as I should), I use a product called Ultraceuticals at the moment but I am always searching for the right skin care for me and change it quite a lot. I never use cheap brands, always go for the more expensive ones. As for my hair! Well I’ve been dying it since I was 14 years old. I’ve just chopped it all off and bleached it, the blonde lasted 2 weeks and I am now back to black. So I would say I don’t really look after my hair too much but it always seems to be healthy. I eat pretty well and drink a lot of water so I’m sure that has something to do with it!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Cleo:
Pole dancing is my workout. Tricks for strength training and dancing for cardio. Rockin’ Legs N Abs is also my workout and for flexibility training. This is based on a flexibility class I taught for years, that I put into 1 DVD, comprising of not just stretching, but strength and conditioning for legs, abs and glutes… based on conditioning exercises for dancers. I don’t do any other sort of exercise. Sometimes I add weights to my workout, or try going to the gym but gym never lasts.
I always just stick to pole, simply because I love it! However I’ve cut back on some of the high level strength tricks simply because they are not good for my shoulders. Sure they’re impressive, but at the stage of my life I’m in right now, it’s all about balance and looking after myself. Plus I can still get a great workout doing flexy inverted tricks, floor-work and simply dancing!
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Cleo:
I don’t follow a strict menu. However I do eat healthy with a little bit of naughty here and there. When I competed the year I came 2nd I was very STRICT with my diet. Grilled chicken, broccoli, fruit and veg etc. with no cheating! I became a little more relaxed after that, but still healthy. I still eat grilled chicken, lean meat, broccoli (love broccoli!), nuts, eggs etc, but I love to eat out and get whatever I like on the menu.
I am living in the US now and a lot on the menu seems to be deep fried and the portions are so HUGE so I stay away from those types of food. I love Japanese and Mexican but eat out maybe once or twice a week! I love juicing and making smoothies. Fruit and veggie juice everyday, smoothies with coconut water and fresh fruit. I also love a glass of red wine here and there. I feel like the fact I am so active I can have a treat from time to time. Plus I much prefer my body now over when I was the leanest I have been which is why I choose to be a little lenient now and then. I also think it’s healthy to have a little body fat especially for a woman.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding pole dancing girls who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of pole dancing ?
Ms. Cleo:
Having a strong mind is one of the most important tools to become successful. Believing in yourself, and that you can achieve anything you want to. Also staying true to yourself and what you believe in, developing your ‘own’ style and not conforming to what you think other people or society wants or accepts. Owning it – the stage, your decisions, life. I believe that ‘thoughts become things’ so having a really positive mind is really important. Visualise every day what you want, so much that you believe it’s going to happen. Surrounding yourself with people who support you is very important, and for all the negativity around using that as fuel to drive you even more for success.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after winning Miss Pole Dance Australia Champion 2012?
Ms. Cleo:
I was really excited the weeks before the competition. The journey is always the most rewarding for me, especially the creative process and seeing it come together. The day of the competition is also very exciting with waves of nerves now and then.. but you need that! The 10 minutes before I go on is always a time I never want to live again.
But after 10 seconds of being on stage it just goes too quickly. This particular show I wish I could do again, as I had planned a whole lighting show with lasers, (which I hired especially for this night) but they did not work as the lighting operator forgot to fill the stage with smoke (lasers only work well with smoke).
My spinning pole also go stuck on static, so all my spinning combos stood still which was VERY disappointing because it just changes the dynamics and the whole effect I was going for. Spinning pole is my biggest strength and I had to perform my entire routine on static. After winning MPDA 2012, of course I was extremely happy but days after I came into a little post-competition depression. Which sounds really ridiculous, but I felt I had nothing to work towards and having a goal gives me so much of motivation. This did not last long of course!
Cleo on WomenFitness: The website is amazing with so much information, great articles and so much everyone can learn from! LOVE IT
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about your endeavor of release of the two DVD “Rockin Legs n’ Abs” and “Cleo’s Rock n’ Pole”?
Ms. Cleo:
I have taught pole dance and flexibility classes for the last 7-8 years. My flex classes were SO popular, always booking out – the girls loved a challenge, plus they were seeing very good results in their flexibility as well as their fitness. Women of ALL ages were getting into their splits! I have also always been a fan of exercise videos, back from the 80’s when Jane Fonda was popular… I remember doing her videos back when I was 5 with my mother and I continued to use them well into my 20’s.
So it was only natural for me to put out my own DVD. I wanted to share with the world what I had taught in the previous years and share as much information as I can about flexibility, coming from a wealth of experience in Ballet, Martial Arts, Gymnastics and Fitness. The DVD Rockin’ Legs N Abs was released in Feb 2013 and is well on it’s way to going ‘platinum’, which is amazing considering it’s an independent release.
Of course it is aimed at pole dancers, however anyone can use it, because there is no pole required. I thought ‘do I make a DVD that is easy for people to try it once or twice then put it on the shelf or one that is challenging that will give results’, just like in the classes I was teaching. I opted for the latter… and ladies all over the world thank me everyday! My 2nd DVD was released in March 2014. Cleo’s Rock N Pole is also a workout but based on pole dancing so you do need a pole at home.
I felt like pole dancing was becoming so trick oriented. Because of the negative stigma attached to pole, the dancing was being phased out, polers were going barefoot and it was all about the tricks. But dancing has so many benefits – coordination, cardio fitness, flexibility, balance (heels), not to mention EVERY girl likes to feel sexy! This DVD has 4 choreographed routines (3 pole and 1 floor-work) with step by step breakdowns, plus 3 chapters on strength and conditioning specific to pole dancers.
It also has pole trick tutorials in the special features section so the DVD is for EVERYONE! I have done pole dance for fitness for so long, and feel it is one of the best workouts for a long, lean, dancer’s body. Great for cardio, strength and flexibility training. PLUS I LOVE rock music and the entire soundtrack comprises of rockin’ tracks from some of my favourite bands.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career in competitive pole dancing ?
Ms. Cleo:
In my opinion Felix Cane is one of the greatest pole dancers, if not THE greatest in the world. Back in the day she was well ahead of her time and the most innovative when it came to creating the pole tricks you see today. The first time i watched one of her videos I was mesmerised and so blown away with pole dancing as an art form. Her style of dancing has definitely influenced more than any other pole dancer… and she has always embraced the ‘sexy’ side of pole.
Another pole dancer I need to mention is former US champion Alethea Austin. Another ‘sexy’ pole dancer staying true to her style but also someone who opened my eyes to the potential I have to make a career out of pole dancing.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Cleo:
The website is amazing with so much information, great articles and so much everyone can learn from! LOVE IT! I am launching a new website – www.cleosrocknpole.com. This is based on my 2 DVD’s rolled into one website. Pole Dancing, Fitness and Flexibility for all levels! Weekly classes, tutorials, tips and tricks and so much more… You can also buy my DVD’s from www.cleothehurricane.com. If you haven’t tried pole dancing I suggest you do so. Every woman needs to try it.
To know the latest from Cleo The Hurricane Check out at: http://www.cleothehurricane.com
Women Fitness Team thanks Cleo The Hurricane for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.