[Heather Leighton | Houston Chronicle]

This weekend was the Pacific Pole Championships in Los Angeles and Getty Images of the performances show just how intense the art of pole dancing actually is.

On April 7 and 8, performers – both professional and amateur – took to the championships at the Convention Center in Los Angeles.

A photographer with Getty Images was at the competition and captured incredible images of the performers – both men and women – showing off their skills mid-air.

“Combining dance and acrobatics, originally began as entertainment in strip clubs, pole dancing soon became mainstream as a form of exercise and expression,” Getty Images said in the caption of the photos. “Competitions are now held in countries throughout the world and has a participant level estimated at over 30,000 in the US.”

The Pacific Pole Championships is one of several annual events that go on throughout America, Canada, and Switzerland. According to the Pole Sport Organization, which organizes the dancing competitions, there are 15 competitions that happen throughout the world. Other upcoming locations for competitions include Chicago, Atlanta, Mexico City, Dallas, and several others. The U.S. nationals are set to be in Los Angeles on August 11 and 12.