Pole instructor, Annie Norris, is feeling on top of the world. She is so highly regarded in the pole sporting world that last month she was invited to compete in an all expenses paid trip to Brisbane, Australia, to compete in the prestigious International Pole Championships 2018, competing against the very best in the world. The public had voted her as Pole Idol winner, and in Brisbane she won the Instructor of the Year award.

Only the second British person to make it to the finals, this is the culmination of years of hard work Annie has put in to pass on her acrobatic, dance and pole skills to others. 13 years ago she set up Pure-Studios which runs classes pole dancing, trapeze, aerial hoop, aerial silks, stretch and burlesque, as well as many other dancer classes, and it has gone from strength to strength.

Annie is a renowned judge as well as a teacher, and flies all over the world to judge pole competitions, present seminars and perform. Astonishingly, she managed to find time to marry her fiancé Kieran in a fairy tale wedding, only days after returning from Brisbane.

“Teaching is my absolute passion,” says Annie. “I travel across the country and world to learn new ways to teach and new techniques, to give my students the best possible classes and tuition.”