A Leeds dad has combined two of his most cherished hobbies and performs incredible stunts doing so. David Balcer-Whittle, 29, is a pole dancer and archer.
He can shoot targets whilst spinning, jumping onto the pole from a distance, and shoot arrows upside down, he uses his two unique skills as both a performer and instructor. David has been doing archery since he was 15 and got into pole dancing in his 20s but never thought to combine the two, until now.
Three years ago, he was working on some speed archery techniques - learning how to shoot whilst running, jumping, and even upside down, when he had the idea to combine the two. He first started with a popular pole move called Cupid, where he uses his legs to hold himself, so his hands are free to wield the bow and arrow.
Read More: Stunning three-hour Yorkshire bus ride named the most scenic route in the UK
David is a lab technician and also works as a part-time pole instructor, working on average around 10 hours a week. Archery is more weather-dependent, so he has to fit his training around his job and family commitments.
Father-of-one David said: “Training pole and archery together means setting up a pole and target range outside, so I can usually only manage about an hour-a-week.
“Bruises go with the territory for polers and I do occasionally get random muscular or joint injuries.
"The worst I had was from a freak accident involving an arrow shattering and embedding splinters in my hand, which sent me to A&E.
“I have spent hundreds on my pole and bow, but they're one-off costs and last for years.
“The real cost of archery is arrows which can be £150 for a dozen and tend to need replacing every few months.”
David is looking at developing his pole and trick archery into his main job and even already has some pole archery performances lined up.
He added: “I'm taking on more teaching and I've also had lots of requests for art and animation references and online tutorials.
“If I can get some tutorials and stuff sorted, I have more time to focus on the things I enjoy doing, allowing me to train harder and get better at pole archery.
“Who knows, maybe one day you'll see me on a stage or TV doing something really exciting!”
Read next:
6 new Leeds restaurants and bars in 2022 that you need to visit
Popular Leeds restaurant shuts for good as 'price rises' make it impossible to survive
Tributes flood in for Josephine Melville as Leeds Playhouse actress suddenly dies after performance
'I spent an afternoon in the coolest neighbourhood in Leeds and I'm obsessed'
Get the latest Leeds food, drink and shopping news with our Best in Leeds newsletter
