"Most people that pole dance in the studios are everyday women, not strippers," said Dietrich, who got her start as a stripper but has since launched a Las Vegas studio offering fitness-focused pole classes. Vendors sold sparkling two-piece pole dancing outfits — exposed skin is key to gripping the slippery brass pole — as well as the poles themselves and sky-high heels. Strip club patrons are still far less interested in watching a dancer execute an acrobatic move on a pole than watch her shake and shimmy, according to expo attendee May Chen.