PSO Then and Now

Whoa 2019! Over 3,700 of you had your moments on 28 PSO stages in 9 countries :) We enjoyed your #progressnotperfection each and every time. It is customary to close out the previous year identifying what resolutions you want to take into the new year. I like to think that in order to grow, one should acknowledge where they came from, and plan on what they want to do different, better, or new going forward. So in the spirit of growth, let’s journey through PSO then and now!

2011

• PSO was born.

2012

• Pacific in Los Angeles, CA

• Southern in Houston, TX

• 3 Levels

• 4 Categories: Dramatic, Entertainment, Championship, and Freedance

2013

• Added Level 4

• Added Central in Chicago, IL

• Added Atlantic in Herdon, VA

• PSO Southern moves to Miami, FL.

• Added US Nationals in Las Vegas

  • Champion: Sergia Louise

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2014

• Added Professional Level (also known as Level 5)

• Added Artistic Professional

• Added Youth and Teen Age Divisions

• Added Doubles and Groups category

• Added Aerial

  • Pacific and Southeast

• Added Northwest in Seattle, WA

• Added Canada at VerticalLove

• Added UK

• Added Northeast in Boston, MA

• Added Northwest in Seattle, WA

• Southern moves to Atlanta, GA

• US Nationals

  • Champions: Shaina Cruea and Seanmicheal Rau

2015

• Launched the zipper system

• Added more Aerial

  • Atlantic, Central, Southern, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest

• Added Mexico and Latin America

• Added Southwest in Dallas, TX

• US Nationals in Los Angeles, CA

  • Champions: Maggie Ann, Brandon Grimm, Irmingard Mayer (Artistic), Oliver Pavick (Lyra)

2016

• Added PSO Europe in Zurich, Switzerland

• US Nationals in Seattle, WA

  • Champions: Carly Child, Melvin Sanchez, Pam Taqo (Artistic)

2017

• We updated our look!

• Shifted from 5 to 3 judges per panel

• Launched our ambassador program - PSO Unicorns

• Allowed human props

• Added Showcase, Showcase Plus, Exotic, Floorwork and Low Flow categories

• Added Triangle in Cary, NC

• Added Golden Gate in San Francisco, CA

• Added Liberty in Philadelphia, PA

• Added Canada Edition in Vancouver BC

• Added Gateway in St. Louis, MO

• Added Seaboard in Stamford, CT

• Added Southeast in Orlando, FL

• US Nationals in Los Angeles, CA

  • Champions: Anna Alvarez, Blaine Petrovia

2018

• Launched our Level Quiz

• Brought back Freedance Category

• Removed the gluteal fold coverage costume rule (#releasethecheeks)

• Released our first ebook: Competition Prep Manual

• Released our first studio owner course at Pole Con: Be a Business Bad Ass

• Added Taiwan in Taipei

• Added Great Lakes in Chicago, IL

• Added Canada East in Toronto, ON

• Added Mountain in Denver, CO

• Added Emerald in Seattle, WA

• Added Space City in Houston, TX

• US Nationals in San Francisco, CA

  • Champions: Ashley Fox and Sammy Wong

2019

• Launched After Dark

• Launched Nationals Level 5 Wild Card

• Removed the music restrictions

• Updated our judging system

• Brought back Aerial and Youth/Teen

• Brough back Artistic Professional Qualifiers

• Released more ebooks

  • Choreo 101

  • Microbends & Point Your F*&#?%G Toes

  • Fix Your Face: Stage Presence for Pole Dancers

  • Get Flexy

• Added Germany in Oberhausen

• Added Austria in Vienna

• Added France in Biarritz

• Added Netherlands in Amsterdam

• US Nationals in San Francisco, CA

  • Wren Amelia and Andre Jones

2020

• Updated category descriptions for After Dark!

• Updated Freedance to the Artistic scoresheet and updated the levels

• Adding Korea in Gyeonggi-do

• Adding Greece in Athens

• Adding Portugal

Oh the places we will go! Our history is filled with many highlights and we can’t wait to see you nailing it in 2020!