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LATEST GETAI SENSATION: S'PORE TEEN POLE DANCER
Parents fork out $5,000 to support her
By Shree Ann Mathavan
August 25, 2009
WOW: Miss Lim holds the crowd at a Lorong Ah Soo getai spellbound with her gravity-defying moves during her debut last Saturday. PICTURE: LIANHE WANBAO
MEET getai's first pole-dancing sensation.
Lim Zi Yee may be a diminutive 1.53m teen at just 37 kg, but she's got something other getai veterans don't have - the ability to twist, spin and flip herself effortlessly about a 3m pole with the grace of a ballerina.
The fact that the 17-year-old resembles doe-eyed Taiwanese popstar Jolin Tsai helps.
When Zi Yee made her pole-dance debut at a getai in Lorong Ah Soo on Saturday, the audience showed they can't get enough of her.
The 2,000-strong crowd lapped up her performance, catcalling and shrieking their appreciation as she pole-danced on stage in a sexy black and red costume.
About one third of the audience left immediately after her performance, observed getai organiser Ong Yew Bock, 39.
He had booked her for three pole-dance performances during the Hungry Ghost Festival.
He rationalised: 'It is our fifth anniversary this year, so we wanted to bring something fresh and different to getai.
Being unique certainly is lucrative business.
Zi Yee, who took her O levels last year, can earn between $800 and $1,000 for 20minutes of pole dancing.
That's a huge jump from her singing gigs, which pay $120 to $150 for the same time.
Admitted Mr Ong: 'Her pole performances are probably the most expensive getai performances I've paid for. But it's worth it.'
But these figures don't interest Zi Yee, who has been singing at getai shows since she was just 8.
Money matters are left to her housewife mum, Madam Jeslyn Peh, 44, who doubles up as her manager.
Madam Peh was so supportive of her daughter's new hobby, that she even forks out $320 a month for her pole-dance classes.
She and her husband even bought a $2,500 pole which was specially shipped in from the US. With costumes and other accessories thrown in, they have shelled out more than $5,000.
But it's money well-spent, reckons Madam Peh and her husband, Mr KC Lim, 52, a driver.
Madam Peh said: 'We will back her as long as she has the passion to learn.'
She is not worried about the micro shorts and mid-riff baring tops that her daughter dons for performances.
Madam Peh's presence at her daughter's performances also help ward off any unwanted attention.
She pointed out: 'The outfits are only for stage, I'll pass her a jacket to quickly put on after the show.'
Zi Yee may have started off as a karaoke child star winning over 20 trophies and awards at various competitions between 8 and 12 years old.
Addicted
But now, she's a bona fide 'pole addict', who sees pole dancing as her passion.
She said: 'I love it, it's fun and there are so many different cool tricks and stunts you can pick up.
'I used to want to be a singer but now, I'm very focused on pole dancing.'
Her goal is to run a dance studio when she's older.
The warm reception that she received for her debut performances took her by surprise, she told The New Paper.
Prior to her first pole-dancing show, she was a bundle of nerves.
She said: 'I couldn't sleep the last few nights because I was so nervous and scared.
'What worried me most was that with all the sweating, I would slip and not be able to do my stunts for the audience.'
Pole dancers rely on a good skin-to-pole grip in order to flip and swing about the pole, she explained.
As getai shows are staged outdoors without air-conditioning, sweat is easily worked up, making the pole slippery.
To counter that, she performed her fancy stunts first, as they require a stronger grip.
She said: 'I'm very happy with all the support that the crowd showed me. The reception really helped me to de-stress.
'I hope that by using pole dancing in getais, it can add something different to the shows,' she added.
Her foray into pole dancing happened by chance when she stumbled across some YouTube videos of pole-dancing.
She said: 'I was very impressed by how artistic it was, it really takes a lot of hardwork and many lessons before you can spin around the pole.'
Intrigued, she decided to take up private lessons eight months ago with instructor Ms Suzy Wong at Acropolates.
But the leap to getai shows happened quite by chance.
About three months ago, she had casually told Mr Ong that she was taking pole-dancing lessons.
That was when he hit on the idea to showcase her new dance skills at the shows, she said.
Zi Yee typically spends about 21/2 hours perfecting her moves in the living room of the 4-room Tampines HDB flat, where she lives with her parents and two older sisters.
The 'Butterfly'
Her favourite move is the Butterfly, in which she flips upside down with her body swung away from the pole.
Getting male attention is part and parcel of being a pole dancer.
But she says she doesn't get much unwanted male attention as her mother accompanies her to her shows.
The most ardent of her male fans was a teenager who would send her love letters, cream puffs and moon cakes last year.
But he gradually stopped coming for her shows when she refused to give him her phone number.
But is pole dancing too racy for getai shows?
Not so, argued Mr Ong.
He said: 'The way she dances isn't scandalous or lewd at all, it's more graceful.
'It's something I believe that young and old alike will enjoy.'
As for Zi Yee, she said: 'I'll pole dance as long as there is demand for it.'
Apart from the pole-dancing gigs, she has been booked for 60 singing only gigs so far.
LATEST GETAI SENSATION: S'PORE TEEN POLE DANCER
Parents fork out $5,000 to support her
By Shree Ann Mathavan
August 25, 2009
WOW: Miss Lim holds the crowd at a Lorong Ah Soo getai spellbound with her gravity-defying moves during her debut last Saturday. PICTURE: LIANHE WANBAO
MEET getai's first pole-dancing sensation.
Lim Zi Yee may be a diminutive 1.53m teen at just 37 kg, but she's got something other getai veterans don't have - the ability to twist, spin and flip herself effortlessly about a 3m pole with the grace of a ballerina.
The fact that the 17-year-old resembles doe-eyed Taiwanese popstar Jolin Tsai helps.
When Zi Yee made her pole-dance debut at a getai in Lorong Ah Soo on Saturday, the audience showed they can't get enough of her.
The 2,000-strong crowd lapped up her performance, catcalling and shrieking their appreciation as she pole-danced on stage in a sexy black and red costume.
About one third of the audience left immediately after her performance, observed getai organiser Ong Yew Bock, 39.
He had booked her for three pole-dance performances during the Hungry Ghost Festival.
He rationalised: 'It is our fifth anniversary this year, so we wanted to bring something fresh and different to getai.
Being unique certainly is lucrative business.
Zi Yee, who took her O levels last year, can earn between $800 and $1,000 for 20minutes of pole dancing.
That's a huge jump from her singing gigs, which pay $120 to $150 for the same time.
Admitted Mr Ong: 'Her pole performances are probably the most expensive getai performances I've paid for. But it's worth it.'
But these figures don't interest Zi Yee, who has been singing at getai shows since she was just 8.
Money matters are left to her housewife mum, Madam Jeslyn Peh, 44, who doubles up as her manager.
Madam Peh was so supportive of her daughter's new hobby, that she even forks out $320 a month for her pole-dance classes.
She and her husband even bought a $2,500 pole which was specially shipped in from the US. With costumes and other accessories thrown in, they have shelled out more than $5,000.
But it's money well-spent, reckons Madam Peh and her husband, Mr KC Lim, 52, a driver.
Madam Peh said: 'We will back her as long as she has the passion to learn.'
She is not worried about the micro shorts and mid-riff baring tops that her daughter dons for performances.
Madam Peh's presence at her daughter's performances also help ward off any unwanted attention.
She pointed out: 'The outfits are only for stage, I'll pass her a jacket to quickly put on after the show.'
Zi Yee may have started off as a karaoke child star winning over 20 trophies and awards at various competitions between 8 and 12 years old.
Addicted
But now, she's a bona fide 'pole addict', who sees pole dancing as her passion.
She said: 'I love it, it's fun and there are so many different cool tricks and stunts you can pick up.
'I used to want to be a singer but now, I'm very focused on pole dancing.'
Her goal is to run a dance studio when she's older.
The warm reception that she received for her debut performances took her by surprise, she told The New Paper.
Prior to her first pole-dancing show, she was a bundle of nerves.
She said: 'I couldn't sleep the last few nights because I was so nervous and scared.
'What worried me most was that with all the sweating, I would slip and not be able to do my stunts for the audience.'
Pole dancers rely on a good skin-to-pole grip in order to flip and swing about the pole, she explained.
As getai shows are staged outdoors without air-conditioning, sweat is easily worked up, making the pole slippery.
To counter that, she performed her fancy stunts first, as they require a stronger grip.
She said: 'I'm very happy with all the support that the crowd showed me. The reception really helped me to de-stress.
'I hope that by using pole dancing in getais, it can add something different to the shows,' she added.
Her foray into pole dancing happened by chance when she stumbled across some YouTube videos of pole-dancing.
She said: 'I was very impressed by how artistic it was, it really takes a lot of hardwork and many lessons before you can spin around the pole.'
Intrigued, she decided to take up private lessons eight months ago with instructor Ms Suzy Wong at Acropolates.
But the leap to getai shows happened quite by chance.
About three months ago, she had casually told Mr Ong that she was taking pole-dancing lessons.
That was when he hit on the idea to showcase her new dance skills at the shows, she said.
Zi Yee typically spends about 21/2 hours perfecting her moves in the living room of the 4-room Tampines HDB flat, where she lives with her parents and two older sisters.
The 'Butterfly'
Her favourite move is the Butterfly, in which she flips upside down with her body swung away from the pole.
Getting male attention is part and parcel of being a pole dancer.
But she says she doesn't get much unwanted male attention as her mother accompanies her to her shows.
The most ardent of her male fans was a teenager who would send her love letters, cream puffs and moon cakes last year.
But he gradually stopped coming for her shows when she refused to give him her phone number.
But is pole dancing too racy for getai shows?
Not so, argued Mr Ong.
He said: 'The way she dances isn't scandalous or lewd at all, it's more graceful.
'It's something I believe that young and old alike will enjoy.'
As for Zi Yee, she said: 'I'll pole dance as long as there is demand for it.'
Apart from the pole-dancing gigs, she has been booked for 60 singing only gigs so far.
