Achieve Pole Studio Presents
Illuminate
Pole Comp
2026 Entry Information
Saturday 31 October 2026, 5pm · Achieve Pole Studio, Rosebery
Enter Now
Welcome
Bring The Show!
Illuminate is Achieve Pole Studio’s amateur pole competition, back for another year on Saturday 31 October 2026. This year we’re embracing a Halloween theme!
Designed for first-time and emerging competitors, Illuminate is the perfect introduction to the competition stage. Whether you’ve always wanted to perform, aren’t quite ready for the larger competitions, or simply want to experience what it’s like to compete in a supportive, encouraging environment, this is where your competition journey begins.
Illuminate is not about the difficulty of tricks. It’s about the performance.
So leave the pressure behind, bring your personality, and bring the SHOW!
Mark it down
Key Dates
Entries Open
Sun 5 Jul 2026
Entries Close
Sat 22 Aug 2026
Finalists Emailed
Sat 5 Sept 2026
Comp Night
Sat 31 Oct, 5pm
Eligibility
Who Can Enter
- You must be at least 16 years old. Guardian sign-off is required to compete.
- This is a social competition for amateur performers and groups. No prior competition experience necessary.
- You must not have competed at a National level, eg APC (not including Battle), Pole Championship Series, Miss Pole Dance Australia (Mr Pole Amateur excluded). Nor have extensive pole competition experience on larger pole comp stages. Please get in touch if you require clarification.
- Previous Illuminate 1st place winners must enter the division above the one they won.
- You must be training at the level of the division you enter. Read the division guidelines carefully, especially Beginner. Beginner does not mean ‘beginner experience’ as a competitor, it means that you are training at a beginner/entry level Intermediate level.
All studios have different level descriptions, if you are unsure please contact us. If it is found that you have entered into a lower division your entry may be disqualified. Any finalist found to have competed in a division lower than they should be competing at, will be disqualified.
Find your level
Divisions
Beginner
- No extreme flex
- No inverts (hips must stay level with or below shoulders), except bent leg laybacks and head or forearm stands
- One arm must stay on the pole during moves, except pole sits, laybacks and stargazer
- Training level: beginner 1–2 through to entry level intermediate
Intermediate
- No handsprings, ayeshas or shouldermounts
- No extreme flex (cocoons, eagles)
- No dynamic drops or tumbles
Advanced
- For advanced and elite students
Training level: You must be enrolled in a level that matches the tricks described for your chosen division.
Groups
- 2 to 6 people
- Can be a mix of levels
- No one in the group may have competed at a National Championship level, as an individual or group (Amateur Mr Pole is fine)
BaseLine
A dance and basework only category. The pole is used, but the focus is on dance, showmanship and the lower third of the pole. Dance in any style you like. No aerial tricks permitted.
Judging looks at dance quality, performance, basework technique, transitions, musicality and use of the lower third of the pole.
Entering more than one division? Go for it. Each division you enter needs its own submission and its own $22 entry fee.
Let’s go
How To Enter
- Pay your $22 entry fee via bank transfer (details below). Include your full name in the transfer reference.
- Submit the online entry form, including a link to your submission video hosted on Vimeo or YouTube, set to public or unlisted (not private).
- It’s your responsibility to make sure the judges can access and view your video. If they can’t, your entry may not be judged.
BSB012 345
Account205978192
NameAchieve Physique Pty Ltd
ReferenceYour full name
Entries close midnight, Saturday 22 August 2026. Late entries won’t be accepted.
Show us what you’ve got
Your Video Entry
The rules
- Doesn’t need to be your final performance
- Must be a single continuous take (not edited together from multiple clips), between 1.5 and 2.5 minutes, showing both pole skills and choreography
- If it runs longer than 2.5 minutes, judges will only watch up to the 2.5 minute mark
- Upload to YouTube as unlisted, or Vimeo set to public or unlisted, so the judges can access it
- If applying in the Groups division, all members must appear in the video
Tips for a great entry
- Dress up if you can. A great outfit lifts an entry, and this is your first round of auditions
- Read the criteria! Entries are judged against this.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get a take you’re happy with
- If you can, grab some friends to cheer you on! There is nothing quite like performing in front of people to help bring out your best possible self.
- Think about your lines, extensions and facial expressions
- Check your lighting and image quality, and keep the camera still with you in frame the whole time
- Have fun with it, and be proud you’ve made it this far
What we’re scoring
What The Judges Are Looking For
Illuminate is not about difficulty of tricks. It’s about performance. We want to see theme and concept, stage presence and audience engagement. We love a creative show complete with character, storytelling and costuming. Judges score clean execution over difficult tricks, and overall entertainment value and X factor. Drop the moves that stress you out and bring the show. Entertain us.
Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced & Groups
| Criteria | What We’re Looking For | Points |
|---|
| Dance Movement | Quality of dance movement, appropriateness of style to theme and music | 10 |
| Pole | Ease of routine, energy and lines maintained start to finish, fluid transitions, pole work reflecting the theme | 10 |
| Execution | Clean movement, fully finished | 5 |
| Lines & Extensions | Posture, point, extensions, lines maintained through transitions | 5 |
| Costume, Theme & Props | Costume suits theme and music; props used effectively and thoughtfully | 10 |
| Musicality | Cohesion of dance and pole moves with music choice, on and off the pole | 10 |
| Stage Presence | Star quality: eye contact, facial expression, use of stage, X factor, ability to enthral the audience | 10 |
| Cohesion On & Off The Pole (Groups only) | Synchronous movement and choreography, whole troupe used for tricks and dance | 20 |
Scored out of 60 (Groups scored out of 80, including the cohesion category)
BaseLine
| Criteria | What We’re Looking For | Points |
|---|
| Dance Movement & Technique | Quality of dance movement, body lines and transitions; appropriateness to theme and music | 15 |
| Basework Transitions & Execution | Ease of routine, energy, clean lines, fluid transitions, flow of pole work | 15 |
| Musicality | Cohesion of dance, floorwork and pole use with music, seamless transitions | 10 |
| Stage Presence & X-Factor | Star quality: eye contact, facial expression, use of stage, ability to engage the audience | 10 |
| Costume, Theme & Presentation | Costume suits theme and music; props used effectively and thoughtfully | 10 |
Scored out of 60
The details
Groups, Props & Staging
Groups Format
- 2 to 6 people per group
- Access to 3 brass poles (2 x 45mm, 1 x 40mm) in a triangle formation, each set to spin or static
- You don’t need to use all three. No penalty or bonus either way, they’re there for you to be creative
- All group members must appear in the entry video
Props & Costuming
- Props permitted, but must be listed on your entry form and approved by the organiser. No glitter
- Changes to props after entries close must be approved by the organisers
- Human props are allowed, but must hold a ticket
- No nudity, semi-nudity or G-strings. Cheeky bottoms welcome
- Video entry: wear whatever you like. Costuming rules apply to the final performance only
Staging
You’ll have access to 3 brass x-poles in a triangle formation (2 x 45mm, 1 x 40mm), each set to static or spin. You don’t need to use all three. Use 1, 2 or 3, whatever suits your show best.
Solos
Performance Time Max
2 mins 30
Groups
Performance Time Max
3 mins
Ready To Bring The Show?
Entries open Sunday 5 July 2026 and close Saturday 22 August 2026. Come and be part of Illuminate 2026.
Enter Now
“
I had the pleasure of competing in Illuminate last year and it was such a beautiful experience. The competition created a safe and relaxing environment where everyone, competitors, staff, and audience, was incredibly warm and encouraging. It truly felt like a celebration of pole at every level. You’ll feel supported, inspired, and proud just to be part of it.
Donna Vasilevski