A POLE dancing star has opened her first fitness studio in Astwood Bank.

Jade Bensilum’s love of pole and aerial work has seen her travel the world over the last decade, performing and teaching.

Now she and personal trainer husband Ollie Read have launched their new Studio Flare in a unit on the Ridgeway Trading Estate in Astwood Bank, coaching private clients during the day and running group classes in the evening.

Jade, aged 33, said: “We met eight years ago when I was competing in the Miss Pole Dance UK competition that was being held at the same venue as the Mr Fitness event.

"The rest is history and we’ve been married nearly two years now.”

The couple, originally from Essex and Surrey, decided to launch their own studio and move to the Midlands for its central location three years ago. But then came Covid 19.

“I started running classes online, which has proved enormously popular, and I now have clients all over the world, including Germany and Kuwait,” said Jade.

After Covid, they started looking for studio premises again and Ben Truslove representing landlord Midpark Capital secured Jade a five-year lease.

“It was a bigger unit than the original one – and cheaper – so it was ideal,” said Jade.

“We’ve spent the last few months fitting a new floor and installing new equipment such as poles and hoops – for aerial work that people may have seen in Cirque de Soleil or the movie The Greatest Showman.

“I have pupils aged from their teens to their 50s – there is even a world champion in her 70s – and it is wonderful watching them gaining the fitness and strength to perform in just a couple of weeks.”

As well as a finalist in a string of international and national competitions, Jade is also a regular on event judging panels.