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Photo courtesy X-Pole Australia and Yianni Photography |
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Pole Dance - Aerial Arts - Exotic Dance - Burlesque |
Jamilla Deville is widely regarded as one of the world’s most skilled pole dancers. Having trained in various forms of dance, as well as adagio, trapeze, corde lisse and silks, her understanding of the principles of pole dancing is unparalleled.
The original Miss Pole Dance Australia, Jamilla is now invited around the world to feature and judge at some of the world's largest pole dancing events: Miss Pole Dance Canada and the World Pole Dance Championships, amongst others.
Having already spent several years as a feature performer in the exotic dance industry when pole dancing for "regular" women first appeared around 2004, Jamilla was one of Australia's first professional pole dancers (most exotic dancers do not in fact perform acrobatic pole dancing!) and became an establishing influence in the newly-emerging independent pole dance industry both in Australia and worldwide. As Jamilla says, "the discipline of public performance in which I needed not only strength and flexibility but also the ability to combine all of this with sensuality, has been invaluable in imparting to me as a dancer a sense of grace in movement". Jamilla is of the firm belief that although pole dancing as a system of movement is impressive, still there is no spirit or beauty in pole dancing without grace and artistry.
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| Photo by Yianni Photography |
In 2005 Jamilla claimed the title of Miss Pole Dance Australia, and in the same year she became the face of X-Pole Australia. In 2006 she created the International Pole Federation (IPF), the first pole dance federation in the world designed to address standards in the pole dance fitness industry. She also founded her own school, The Art of Pole Studio, which continues today with a student base of hundreds of women who have been inspired by Jamilla’s own passion for the art of pole dancing.
In 2007, Jamilla created the first two highly anticipated volumes of The Art of Pole. The series broke new ground, being the first to address safety and spotting, and was praised internationally, being described as “the pole dancing bible”.
In 2008 Jamilla continued the series, adding three new volumes, bringing the series up to advanced level and supporting the many students worldwide who were ready for more difficult moves. The Art of Pole DVD Collection has grown to five full-length volumes ranging from absolute beginners to advanced, plus two Routines DVDs, Routines One & Routines Two. Tease: Daring Dance Routines is the eighth volume in the series. Jamilla was by now renowned for her strength, athleticism and grace, as well as for her detailed and friendly teaching style.
Since opening her own studio, Jamilla has been invited to instruct in other schools across the world. To date, she has toured her classes across the USA, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and New Zealand, training both students and instructors.
Jamilla’s understanding and mastery of such crucial elements of pole dancing as safety, body alignment, aerial fitness, and balance set her apart as a leader in her field and have made her offerings as an instructor invaluable to dancers the world over.
In 2009, Jamilla was the first to be awarded the title of IPDFA Instructor of the Year, a title which is voted in by the pole dance community. In 2010, at the latest IPDFA awards, she was again nominated. … and won in December for the second year running!
Jamilla has also performed in the world of burlesque, gracing the stages of the Burlesque Ball and Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School (Grand Opening, Sydney). In 2010 she was a feature soloist at the first ever Australian Burlesque Festival, combining theatrical elements of burlesque into her unique pole show and surprising many who had perhaps not imagined how pole dance and burlesque could be combined in one amazing act!
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In 2006, Jamilla created a video collaboration with renowned artist VJ Pablo.
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2008 & 2009 brought Jamilla to the world stage, with teaching tours and performances in South East Asia, New Zealand, the US and across Australia. As one of the most in-demand instructors in the world, Jamilla recently taught master classes in London, Paris and Helsinki. She was also a guest judge at Pole Art in Helsinki and at the inaugural Australian Pole Dance Championships™, overseeing the creation of the APDC's judging criteria in her position as director of the IPF. In 2010 Jamilla again oversaw the judging for the APDC's second year, and attended the event as official judge.
In 2010 Jamilla was invited to judge and feature at the Californian Pole Dance Championships, held at the historic Avalon Theatre in Los Angeles, USA.
2011 has brought more extensive world touring, with appearances at the International Pole Convention, International Pole Camp, and World Pole Dance Championships. Jamilla was once again Head Judge for the Australian Pole Dance Championships, held at Luna Park in Sydney. Her complete judging credits for 2011 are:
* The Asia-Pacific Pole Dance Championships, Sydney, June 25th **
* Miss Pole Dance Canada, Vancouver, BC, September 10th
* UKAPP, London, September 24th
* Italian Federation Pole Dance Championships, Rome, September 25th
* World Pole Dance Championships, Budapest, October 1st
** Head Judge
Coming up in 2012 for Jamilla:
So far:
* Mid-West Pole Convention, Chicago, USA, August 2012
* Pole Expo, Las Vegas, USA, September 2012
* French Pole Dance Championships, Paris, October 2012
* Gravity First, Mexico City, October 2012
Jamilla's vision? Not only to dance her whole life, but also to support and maintain the highest standards in pole dance teaching and performance.
“Pole dancing is an art form, something beautiful and inspiring, which contains elements of sensuality and theatricality through athletic and sensual movement, music, and costume.
That, whole package, is what makes it an art in itself.”
Jamilla is the face of X-Pole Australia and is the star of the promotional trailer for X-Stage. See the video here!