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Despite her young age, Demi Brama (15 yrs) has been involved in the world of pole dancing for several years and has registered for the fourth time as a participant in the NK Paalsport (formerly NK Pole Dancing). Somewhere she may also be called thefounder of pole dancing for kids within the Dutch Championships.It all started when she was asked to give a demonstration during a regional competition during the NK. Pole dancing for children was still very small at the time and the organization wanted to see how they would react. There was a positive and awe at this demonstration, with the result that the following year, in 2015, the NK was expanded with the Kids category. Demi participated and managed to get the first place. She now participates in two categories; Youth / Youth junior and Artistic Youth. Flexmonkey likes to put Demi in the spotlight to draw attention to the acceptance of pole dancing among children. If you read on and understand how much she is committed, how often she trains and what she leaves for it, you can only conclude that pole sport is top sport!
Pole competition history:
- Beat Gravity (2014, 2015)
- JDM (2014, 2015)
- Dutch Pole Dancing Championships (2015, 1st place; 2016, 1st place; 2017, 1st place)
- World Championship Polesport (2016, 2017)
How do you deal with competition pressure? "I find it exciting every time. Maybe even more, because people already expect something from you. WaIt's already difficult and it has to be even more difficult. ThatI feel that things have to be better every time. Fortunately, I have good guidance so that I learn to deal with it. And when you hear that you are just two points different from the number 1 at the World Cup, that motivates enormously. The real stress comes on the day itself. I am especially nervous in the morning. I ask my mother a hundred times why I wanted this again, and why I participate. My mother is just as nervous and secretly wonders the same thing. Just before I am called, I am frozen waiting. But if my name sounds, BAM, I am there. I need those nerves too. I don't like it, but I notice that because of that tension I keep everything just a little longer, finish it neater or go further in flexibility. My mother is always amazed how I deal with that. "
How do you prepare for a pole dancing competition? "My father chooses music pieces and I make my choice from that selection. My mother already sees certain moves in the play and discusses this with me. Sometimes it doesn't work or I think the transition isn't going to be nice. Then we adjust it. To improve the techniques I take private lessons with Tatjana in Amsterdam. It takes a lot of time, at least 6 days a week. Besides training for pole dancing, I am also involved in acrobatics. The nice thing about it is that it is with several people. Still, I couldn't choose. Pole dancing is my specialty, but I also want to develop myself further as an acrobat. Actually, I don't have much time for anything else. A boyfriend would seem nice, but it must be a very nice boyfriend! "
It is clear that pole dancing has an important place in the life of Demi and her family. Her mother is fighting to get LEAD status for her daughter. This is a status for top athletes, so that they can follow adapted education that is tailored to the number of hours of training.
Demi is full of guts and will not shy away from a challenge!She often surprises family and friends by popping out a move during a performance that she has only just mastered. And by that is meant: a move that she may have only done once before. Like during her demonstration for an NK, she managed to show the Phoenix (a move in which you lift yourself in a handspring from a rotating movement), while she could just, really just, fit it. Yvonne (Face Paint), who taught her at the time, was very surprised! Yvonne's response is priceless! How lucky that there is a picture of it! Every time during a performance Demi wants to have such a move in it.
"You have to believe in yourself. And I did not always do that. I used to be very shy and I did not dare to say much. Girlfriends then excluded me because they did not understand pole dancing, or were jealous of what I could do. That was sad but I learned thatyou should do what makes you happy and not care too much about what others think.Thanks to the pole sport and the competitions I have learned to believe in what I can do. I'm really good at something. "
Demi's tips:
- Are you too fast during your performance? Then improvise an extra move
- Train for the first place, even if you don't think it's feasible
- Believe in yourself!
Fun fact: The recordings for the TV program Hollands Got Talent coincided with the Dutch Pole Dancing Championship. She trained for the semi-finals of HgT as well as for her participation in the championship!
Would you like to know more about Demi and her commitment as a young top athlete? Then view the book by photographer Johan van Dreven who followed her for a year. His wife Herma also cooperated. This resulted in a beautiful documentary with a beautiful photo reportage. The book is through crowdfunding realised. link. You can also follow Demi through her Facebook page.
