Snoop Dogg dream comes true for Wexford pole dancer Maria
Maria Prochukhan when she posed for Miss Bikini Ireland.
Maria Prochukhan with Snopp Dogg at the SSE Arena, Belfast.
Snoop Dogg
Maria Prochukhan with Snopp Dogg and some other pole dancers at the SSE Arena, Belfast.
Nadia, Tatiana and Maria Prochukhan with their citizenship certificates in New Ross last year.
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NEW ROSS woman Maria Prochukhan realised a life-long dream when she got to pole dance at a Snoop Dogg gig to her idol’s songs in Belfast Tuesday night.
The Aer Lingus IT engineer and Russian national – who was awarded Irish citizenship last year – said her pole dancing hobby saw her tagged on Instagram by a famous American pole dancer, Nicole Byer.
"My friend Sinead and I were randomly tagged and invited to audition. We thought we’d never get it.”
Having grown up listening to the Californian rapper’s songs, she never imagined Snoop Dogg would be asking her, what’s her name.
“It was my biggest dream to perform at a big venue with someone as big as him.”
Having recorded some auditions of them pole dancing, Maria and Sinead sent them off on a wing and a prayer.
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"Nicole randomly called me on Saturday and told me I got the part. I was screaming; I couldn’t believe it. Sinead was the same.”
Maria (24), who previously competed in Ms Bikini Ireland, drove with Sinead to the SSE Arena in Belfast and got a tour of the facility, which has a capacity of 11,000.
"It was insane seeing the whole crowd from a different perspective. I started feeling sick before I went onstage but once on stage it was natural.”
Maria was meant to perform during four songs but due to illness some other dancers had to withdraw and she ended up dancing for eight songs in a row.
“It was really intense but the adrenaline kicked in. I was proud of how I did for my first time.”
She met the rapper after the gig and he thanked her and posed for some photos with the New Ross woman.
"He was super chilled and very sweet. He was talking to us and was just like I imagined him. Hopefully this will propel me on as I’d love to open my own studio for theatre studies.”
Maria said she is looking forward to seeing the official videos and photos form the gig, which she will keep as a treasured keepsake.
She is now hoping to be called up to perform at his Dublin gig on March 26.
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