Male pole dancer helping change perceptions

It has taken Wang Wenbin over a decade to go from dancing on scaffolds at construction sites to the stage of a national pole dancing contest.

Now the 28-year-old former construction worker is devoting much of his time to practicing for the world pole dance championships in South Korea in May.

It will be his first trip abroad and a good opportunity to correct misunderstandings about pole dancing held by many people - including his parents, he said.

Born in a village in Sichuan province, Wang was raised by his grandparents until he was 9 years old. His parents are among China's 280 million migrant workers and earn a living at construction sites in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province.

Dancing was an important part of Wang's childhood, and he never missed any school dance competitions. "I didn't learn any techniques back then, but my teacher thought I was a gifted dancer," he recalled.

By chance, he saw pole dancing on television when he was in middle school and fell in love with the art form, which combines dance and acrobatics centered on a vertical pole. "The power, flexibility and beauty when spinning in the air really impressed me," he said.