How Jennifer Lopez’s Pole Dancing Coach Got Her in Super Bowl Shape

Pole dancing coach Johanna Sapakie thought she was done working with Jennifer Lopez after the 2019 movie Hustlers…that was, until she got a call about the superstar’s 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

“Rehearsing for the halftime show is incredibly intense,” Sapakie said on the latest episode of E! News’ digital series While You Were Streaming on June14. “Everyone is very focused on exactly what needs to be done.”

The singer, dancer and actress’ Super Bowl performance with Shakira is the subject of the new Netflix documentary Jennifer Lopez: Halftime, which premiered June 14. And like any project Lopez tackles, Sapakie said, “She’s there to do it well. She’s there to kill the game. She’s there to make an impression.”

“When you’re in the room with her,” the instructor continued, “she demands and expects the same from everyone she’s working with.”

Fitting pole dance practice time into Lopez’s busy schedule was a challenge for Sapakie. Luckily, she and the Grammy nominee found a convenient solution.