from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army,aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937

from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937 Gong Yifei swapped life as an armed police officer for a precarious career as a pole-dancing trainer - and he wants pole-dancing to be respected as an art. If you take pole-dancing seriously, two little rooms tucked away on the top floor of a shopping mall in Beijing are where you train. Apart from a few scantily-clad women, there is little to suggest this is the headquarters of China's first and biggest chain of pole-dancing training centres, the Luolan Pole Dancing Club. Step inside and you see a forest of steel poles. A few women are warming up. One person stands out. He is the only man in sight and his name is Gong Yifei. "I'm 24 years old and have loved dancing since I was a child," says Mr Gong. "But lessons were out of the question. I only began as an adult after being mesmerised by an online clip posted by Luolan.“ Before taking the leap into the world of pole-dancing, Gong Yifei led a life that could not have been more different. Gong Yifei says he is proud of his military training With no training as an artist, he joined the military, the People's Liberation Army, aged 18 and from there the military sent him to train with the armed police force. There he showed enough potential in hostage rescue to earn a promotion to squad leader. He says his decision to abandon the battlefield for the pole baffled many of his dance teachers. He believes that if he had told his friends, they would have been dumbfounded. In contrast, Mr Gong's family has been surprisingly supportive. from BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16736937