“Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out.” (Blanchard, K)

Pole dancers love to talk about empowerment. It’s a sexy word that brings up images of ninja goddesses twisting their bodies into impossible shapes while celebrating the raw sensuality and power of their movement. At least, that’s what the word does for me. For others, the words pole dancing and empowerment seem like a joke: what on earth is empowering about dancing around a pole in slutty stilettos? (For an answer to that question, click here.) It’s true that for many women, pole dancing class makes them feel strong, sexy, confident, and yes, empowered. But what happens when the business practices of an industry that prides itself on empowering women are in direct conflict with that particular value?

For example, pole stars who tour the country teaching workshops make their money by teaching at multiple studios in the same city. Studios who demand exclusive rights to certain pole stars when they come to city (without offering additional compensation for the lost revenue) are behaving in a way that is prohibitive to the financial well being of those pole stars, and to the industry overall. This is just one example of how the pole industry shoots itself in the foot.

I spent a long time dancing at a particular studio that I loved – until I found out that they retained the services of a copyright attorney whose sole purpose was to protect the brand of the company by (among other things) actively pursuing former teachers who were perceived to be a threat. One of my good friends, who had been through their teacher training but never taught at the studio, called me to tell me she was being harassed with emails from the studio’s lawyer because of a picture on her yoga website which showed her doing a pose that supposedly “belonged” to the studio curriculum. I was shocked. And I made the decision that I no longer wanted to give my money to a company that spent its time tracking down perceived threats instead of giving its receptionists raises. When attempting to promote my book at my home studio, I was told that it did not represent the brand adequately and there was concern about my references to “the pole dancing movement” rather than to the studio exclusively. My posts were deleted from all of their FB pages and I was defriended. This was extremely ironic given the fact that most of what I wrote about did nothing but promote and support much of this studio’s work, and bring solid psychological underpinning to its curriculum – something no one else at that studio could have done. Nevertheless, it is that studio’s right to carry out their business practices as they see fit. But it gave me pause. How could a studio that preaches female empowerment be so narrow?

Other examples of pole business practices that disempower women include bogus teacher trainings that are designed to make the studio money, rather than provide students with well-prepared, savvy and safe instructors, competitions that fail to adhere to basic safety practices and organizational skills (usually because the organizer is primarily interested in making money) and of course, bullying.

Think there is no such thing as bullying in the pole world? Think again.

A competitor decides on a last minute wardrobe change for comfort reasons and the owner of the competition accuses her of trying to promote another brand at her competition. A studio accuses another studio of stealing a workshop idea and denounces them publicly on Facebook. Upon discovering that a teacher is teaching Pilates at another pole studio, a studio fires its teacher 5 days before the start of a session, leaving the students hanging and pursuing aggressive legal action against that teacher, despite having previously agreed to the arrangement. Students are falsely warned to not compete at a particular competition because the equipment is “unsafe”. A pole dance event agrees to take money from a company for their show in exchange for prominent and exclusive advertising and then does not honor that agreement. A company offers a sponsorship contract to an unwitting pole star that gives them complete control over the athlete through vague legal language and loopholes. The list goes on.

It would seem that there are two different issues in each of these scenarios. The first is how women handle competition and aggression. According to Dr. Erika Holiday, women tend to hurt one another because of feelings of inadequacy and self-hatred in the face of intense competition. Because a woman feels like she has no place to turn, she keeps everyone else in line and hurts them for being deviant or straying from the norm (From Mean Girls, Meaner Women). This topic merits a blog unto itself, so stay tuned for my review of Dr. Holiday’s book, and how it applies to the pole world.

The second issue is what happens when a company preaches female empowerment while its business practices embrace cutthroat, greedy and single-minded tactics. And is it possible to grow a company in a way that is both successful and ethical? For more answers, I turned to Jack Gaffney, President and CEO of Bad Kitty Exoticwear.

CS: Many people refer to pole dancing as a "grass roots movement". How do you think such a movement can co-exist with current corporate businesses as a model for expansion? Are the two mutually exclusive?

JG: Pole is definitely a grass roots movement. I often compare it to snowboarding or skateboarding on many levels, and I have written a few blogs on that topic (Click here to read those blogs). But pole has a major advantage over those two Movements: social media.

There are over 800 million people on Facebook alone, and within 5 minutes a newbie to pole can become completely entrenched into the global community. Technology has connected our planet like it has never been connected before with instant access to just about anything you could want. Social media has played an intricate role in toppling political regimes, organizing such things as Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring. In the pole world, Bad Kitty has customers in over 50 countries as of today. Prior to having social media at our disposal, that could have taken a decade to achieve. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons pole has seen such explosive growth in such a short time. Not only do we have the ability to watch a live event, but literally within seconds after a performance a video can be uploaded and shared across the planet. This creates a MASSIVE amount of exposure and piques interest to new people every day. As the mainstream sees more people embracing pole, they open up to accepting it and past stereotypes begin to be erased.

In regards to corporate businesses co-existing with local studios as a model of expansion, I believe it can in fact be a mutually beneficial relationship as opposed to mutually exclusive one. However in order for that to happen the corporate entities need to take a Top Down approach and not only understand their customers, but their customer’s business. I subscribe to the theory that a "rising tide lifts all boats". When we entered the pole industry it was much smaller than it is today. We realized that in order for us to be successful, we needed pole to be accepted and successful. And because pole studios are a local business, we needed to come up with creative ways to help studios grow their student base, get exposure locally and focus on their core offering which is, of course, lessons.  This is why we sponsor athletes and events - the show must go on if you will. Our customers depend on our sponsorship dollars to put on these events. Every studio owner has similar wants and needs.

For example, our PoleFit line of apparel for was created for the community with the assistance of the community. It is the community’s line as much as it is ours. We beta test new products with pole dancers all over the world and get feedback, then make changes etc.

Doing business this way takes more time, but in the long run we feel we are delivering the best product available to our customers and we are more than willing to be patient and open to feedback. In addition, we made a decision to only allow pole studio owners to purchase at wholesale prices. We have rejected over 200 wholesale accounts this year alone because they are not a "Pole" company. What we did in fact was create an exclusive product for an exclusive community and granted exclusive rights to distribute the product to the community members.  Studio owners can apply this new revenue to keeping prices lower for classes, expanding their studio, marketing, hiring and/or training new instructors etc. By conducting business in this fashion we do not compete with our studios, but rather we enable (empower) them to create a secondary revenue stream within their studio and take a role in assisting with the product development.

Moving forward in 2012 we will be launching a suite of new business related technology services to pole studio owners. I cannot get into specifics at this time but I can say that we have spent almost 18 months developing some of these features and the entire offering is designed to increase local awareness, drive traffic into studios and make their jobs a lot easier and more efficient. Everything we have built out thus far has been built in the same manner as PoleFit: through lots of conversations with lots of people and specific solutions built custom for pole studios’ needs.

So to summarize my answer to your question: corporate entities need to be a large part and take a lead in the grass roots movement and become a part of the community which supports their business. They need to give back, be committed, honest and transparent...all things that come from the heart.

CS: Do you think there is a "socially responsible" and "socially irresponsible" way of growing businesses? How does the pole industry fit into these models?

JG: Yes, but not just socially responsible, but overall responsible. We subscribe to "The Golden Rule" which is of course: treat others the way in which you would like to be treated yourself. This is the simplest rule in existence, but one that is rarely followed. The students and fans of pole are in fact the MOST important part of this entire movement. Without students, a studio could not exist, without studios, Pole Stars would have nowhere to travel to, without students and fans there would be no events and our own company would not be as successful. It all comes back to the students and any pole business, whether it’s a studio, a pole manufacturer, an apparel company should be extremely thankful for EVERYONE who chooses do business with them. A company’s main focus should be to keep them happy, safe and wanting more. The easiest way of insuring this is to constantly solicit feedback and ask questions - simple questions like "Are you having fun?" and “What do you like best about our studio/product, what would you change and why?” In many instances, people may make suggestions that are easily implemented and other times not. But in those instances, being open and transparent about decisions is always the best approach. If people are left in the dark, they will form their own opinion and that opinion may be unfounded.

An example from our own business is sizing. In many of our new releases from the PoleFit line, we only launched with sizes small and medium. Shortly after the launch we received a lot of emails of customers who were really upset and accused us of only making products for small people, and assumed we had something against larger women. In fact, this couldn't be further from the truth. The fact is that certain styles "as cut" in small & medium require redesign before they can be "graded" upwards or downwards in size. If we failed to properly grade the garment, it would not function or fit properly thus creating a bad user experience. We had made an assumption that everyone somehow knew this...which was a mistake.  We grade the garment by going to the community, asking for beta testers of certain sizes and sending them product to test and give us feedback. We then take all this data, re-tool the garment and send them back out for more testing. It isn't until we get it right that we will release it, and honestly, some styles just wont work for a 36DD the same way they will for a 32B. In addition, extremely active Polers have muscle where the vast majority of women do not, typically in the lats and shoulders, so we have found that Pole Wear needs much more research & development than most would imagine. The moral of the story is that once we explained this to these folks, most were extremely happy with the answers. In fact most were ecstatic! No one was right or wrong - it is simply that perception can quickly become reality. You may never know the perception of your company until you dig deep, ask questions and give honest answers.

My advice to studio owners is to constantly ask your students questions, have instructors ask questions and really LISTEN to what they say. Don’t get defensive - they are helping you help them. If there is something they want and you can’t provide it, explain why. That would be the most responsible way of growing your business.

CS: In light of the fact that pole dancing prides itself as "empowering women everywhere" are there, in your opinion, business models/practices that should be followed? Avoided?

JG: Yes, in regards to business practices that should be followed, I would refer back to the golden rule: Treat others in the way in which you yourself would like to be treated. Studio owners are empowering women in so many ways: physically, mentally, sexually, socially. But I think some studio owners lose sight of the fact that the "door swings both ways" - meaning the owner/instructors receive a great deal of empowerment in return. Empowerment is like respect: it is a give and take. Owners and instructors are typically leaders by nature and leaders have a responsibility to their followers - the biggest of which is to teach. It is difficult to get an employee, train them, teach them, empower them and then watch them leave and form their own business. One can take 2 views on something like this: The first is to be proud and supportive. After all you have just helped someone go out on their own, a testament to your abilities as a teacher. The other view, and sadly one I have seen too often, is to become angry, upset, feel betrayed, become nervous about losing students etc. But you cannot teach and preach empowerment and then become distressed when your teaching is successful. As we know, every situation is unique, and every story has 3 sides, one side, the other side and the truth. Since this scenario is fairly common my suggestion would be to REALLY empower your students and employees. Have these conversations early on, discover the wants and needs of your employees, what are THEIR goals, and how can you help them achieve them...ALL of them. I would think having a fully trained, completely skilled and fully empowered staff member looking to venture out on their own would be a fantastic way of growing your own business. After all, starting a new business is difficult: there is branding, location, software, scheduling, insurance, etc. The student/teacher role doesn't need to vanish. In fact it can blossom to an even higher level. Collaboration and partnerships are an incredibly effective way of growing a business and 90% of the time it will make both parties more successful than if they had they gone about it on their own.

In regards to what to avoid: I would say the hardest thing to avoid as a business owner is competition - both internal competition and external competition. Here is the TRUTH about competition: It exists, it always has existed and it always will. If you have built something successful others will look to duplicate your success. But at all costs do not ever let competition consume you. If someone wants to copy everything you do, there is not much you can do about it. But remember that if you are being copied, YOU are still the innovator. YOU are still first. When they copy you, it shows that they have a difficult time coming up with original ideas or recruiting good talent. Focus instead on your own business and what you should/could be doing. It is next to impossible to stop someone from copying you, and unless you are prepared for a long, drawn out and expensive court fight it probably isn’t worth the battle -unless it is malicious and blatantly and truly damaging to your company. So allowing these copycats to consume your psyche will only end up hurting you in the long run. It will cause you to lose focus or worse shift your focus to reacting. Be pro-active, innovative, unique, honest, skilled, open to change and transparent. Create a fun environment and you will do just fine. Is it frustrating, but in my experience if someone’s business model is to replicate and rip off someone else's ideas, that business model will usually fail. Those who implement such strategies are typically only interested in PROFIT and MONEY. There is no emotional connection, and rarely is anything done that doesn’t have a profit or exploitative nature to it. Very few people have loyalty to businesses like this. Seth Godin, author of the book Tribes, states that "Leadership comes when your hope and your optimism are matched with a concrete vision of the future and a way to get there." Those that are leaders understand this intuitively and passionately. Those that follow, copy and "rip off" do not. They are not leaders. They are opportunists disguised as leaders and they can only hide behind the facade for so long before being exposed.

Finally, sharing ideas and borrowing ideas from other owners is a great way to streamline successes. The scenarios described above are typically very local studios - sometimes within minutes from one another. But if you are in Texas, why not share ideas with other owners in Florida, or New York ? This is the trend we LOVE to see, and this is real empowerment.

CS: Thanks for the insight Jack !

In other words, true empowerment in the business model means creating an environment where creativity, cooperation and compassion are the cornerstones for success for both your students and your employees. So what happens when a company creates an environment where its employees can thrive? Karen Possessky, LCSW, gives us the scoop on the psyche situation. “When you have a company that cultivates an ethical climate, good business is a natural byproduct. In organizational ethics, tone is set by the leadership and trickles down to the employees. When employees experience ethical treatment and observe ethical practices, they themselves act ethically, which translates into good treatment of the customers. When that is not cultivated, a sense of helplessness and every man for himself mentality emerges: if management doesn’t care, then why should I care? The system is dysfunctional and the employee is forced to function in a way that is survival based. If the employee doesn’t need to worry about their own survival, they are free to take care of the customer and do their job.”

That sounds like reason enough to follow the Golden Rule if you ask me.

For more information on Bad Kitty go to www.badkittyexoticwear.com

Within Your Skin: 5 Toxic Ingredients Dancers/Athletes Must Avoid

You sweat.  You shower.  You sweat. You shower. You sweat.  You shower… and that’s just Monday’s training. Dancers and athletes put their skin through more and are exposed to the elements (i.e. sun, wind, rain) more than sedentary people. The consistent training, sweating and showering can lead to excessive loss of moisture to the skin and hair.  Your skin is much more than just the largest organ on your body.  Your skin serves to:

• Protect your internal organs from injury and infection.
• Detoxify wastes through perspiration.
• Provides an important line of immune defense against infections — your healthy skin creates a barrier to viruses and bacteria.
• Protects you from dehydration.
• Absorbs and excretes both nutrients and toxins through its pores.

How many products do you use?

The average adult puts over 100 individual ingredients on their skin each day, with up to 60% being absorbed into the blood stream.  Women use more products and ingredients (12 products, 168 ingredients) than men (6, 85) and are more at risk to developmental toxins.

It’s important to know that most skin care regimens don’t have formulations that can withstand the conditions that dancers/athletes face.  But you can lessen or avoid exposure to these chemicals by checking the labels of your skin care products.  Many of these ingredients can be found in everything from deodorant, to shampoo and mascara to sunscreen. Although these ingredients may appear in small amounts, it’s the constant applying over the years that leads to bioaccumulation within your body.  Take a look at these ingredients and avoid using them.

• Parabens (Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Isoparaben, Butylparaben)
  • Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry
  • Can be found in products containing a lot of water:
    • Shampoo/Conditioner
    • Facial/Body Moisturizer
    • Foundation, lipstick, eye shadow
• Health Concern: Suspected carcinogen. Known to disrupt hormone functions and reproductive toxicity.
• Propylene Glycol (PG, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), and Ethylene Glycol (EG)
  • Used as a moisturizer in cosmetics and as a carrier in fragrance oils.
  • Can be found in:
  • Anti-Freeze  * Baby Wipes * Brake and Hydraulic Fluid  * De-Icer  * Paints and Coatings  *  Floor Wax  * Laundry Detergents  * Pet Food  * Tobacco *  Cosmetics  * Toothpastes  * Shampoos  *  Sun Tan Lotions * Conditioners * Hair Gel *  Deodorants  * Lotions * Processed Foods * Flavored Coffees
  • Health Concern: Easily penetrates the skin and can weaken the protein and cellular structure. It’s what is used to carry ‘active’ ingredients in the transdermal patches (i.e. stop smoking patch, birth control patch.  Linked to many severe health problems including contact dermatitis (irritation), auto toxicity, kidney damage and liver abnormalities.
  • Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
    • An inexpensive detergent that makes products foam.
    • Can be found in:
      • Bar soaps, Liquid soaps
      • Shampoos, Conditioners
      • Laundry detergents
• Health Concern: Degenerative effect on the cell membranes. SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture barrier, easily penetrates the skin, and allows other chemicals to easily penetrate.
  • Skin irritant, Eye irritant
  • Petroleum (Mineral oil, petroleum distillates, petroleum by products)
    • The workhorse of the cosmetics industry.
    • Can be found in:
      • Water-proof mascara
      • Wart Removal
      • Corn/callus treatment
      • Hair Spray
• Health Concern:
  • Clogs the pores. Interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne.
  • Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging.
  • Phthalates
    • One billion tons of phthalates are produced worldwide each year.
      • Soften vinyl plastics common in kids toys.
• Can be found in:
  • Frequent component of fragrances used in air fresheners, detergents, cleaning products.
  • Found in cosmetics to hold color and scents.
  • Most personal care products that have them don’t list them on the label.
  • A significant loophole in the law allows phthalates (and other chemicals) to be added to fragrances without disclosure to consumers.
• Health Concern: Research in adult human males has found exposure to some phthalates is associated with poor sperm quality and infertility.

When you know better…you do better

Committing to a natural and organic skin care regimen will significantly lower your daily exposures to toxic ingredients.  You may not be able to change the air you breath or all of the food that you eat, but what goes on your skin, especially on a daily basis (i.e. toothpaste, moisturizers, body wash) you have much more control over.  Take a look at these resources to research the ingredients in your current products and to find products that are better for you.

• Environmental Working Group (Skin Deep Database) www.ewg.org/skindeep
• Campaign for Safe Cosmetics www.safecosmetics.com
• Caringconsumer.org (companies that don’t test on animals)
• http://www.badkittypolewear.com/skin-care-c-17.html– organic/natural skin care line for athletes.

By Taylor Sparks, Principal Goddess
taylor@morningindigo.com
www.skincareforathletes.com

Teach: To impart knowledge or skill

Instruct: To furnish with knowledge

It’s been a while since I’ve written something.  And quite a bit has happened.  Aside from being named Editor-in-Chief of Vertical Art and Fitness magazine (shameless plug to get your subscription HERE), I have also started teaching pole.  This has opened up a whole other side of pole dancing for me.  It is one thing to be a student, and to dedicate yourself to dance.  It is an entirely different thing to teach it.  Becoming a teacher, in my opinion, is an extension of your learning curve – in any subject.  You never stop being a student, even when you teach.  At the same time, when you take on the responsibility of guiding others in a practice, you must lead by example.  This doesn’t mean you need to be flawless, but it does mean that you need to walk the walk.   For example, I can tell my students how to get into their bodies and how to access their emotions in their dance, and I can tell them how to be more sensual, but if I can’t embody those qualities in my movement, then I can’t really guide them to do the same.

There is a tremendous amount of energy that goes into teaching.  You are pouring your essence, your enthusiasm, your wisdom and your knowledge into others.  You are offering your students support, guidance, encouragement and inspiration.  And you are keeping the energy levels up and positive in the room, while making sure everyone is safe and everyone is learning something.  You really can’t show up to class with anything else on your plate, or your students will feel it.

I love it.

For me, teaching is about being of service.  It’s about nurturing and cultivating my students and helping them to grow in places they did not think possible.  But it’s also about respect.  In order to teach your students, you have to respect them.  You don’t have to like them, and you don’t have to be friends with them, but you do have to show them respect.  I remember when I first started learning to pole dance I viewed my teachers not just as instructors, but as mentors.  I believed in them and in what they were teaching me, and I had the utmost respect for their insight and wisdom.  Partly this was because they inspired me and partly it was because they acknowledged that whatever journey I was on was my own, and they knew when to get out of way.  Today, I try to inspire that same feeling in my students - not through flattery and empty cheering, or authority and credentials, but through sincere acknowledgement, careful observation, and kindness.

As a student, one of the biggest mistakes I saw teachers make was letting their egos get in the way.  If you want to teach, you cannot have an ego about it.  Your students will eventually see through it, and they will tire of it.  It is obvious when your students’ successes mean nothing more to you than a reflection of your own genius, or even worse, dollars in your wallet.  Naturally, everyone is susceptible to this kind of a thing – we are human after all – and we like appreciation.  But teachers who impart knowledge and skill as a one-way flow of information are doing their students and the material a huge disservice. Learning is a co-creative process.  People learn differently and in order to teach properly, you have to be able to understand your students’ learning styles and adjust accordingly.  This is true for pole dance too.  Your students may have blocks or fears in completely different areas.  Being able to identify those areas and help your students move past them requires you to be as aware of what your student is doing as they are of what you are teaching.  In psychology we learn that what you see in someone else is always filtered through your own lens, which is shaped by your own experiences.  It is impossible to make an observation about another human without taking into account your own issues.  This is especially important to remember when you are a teacher because you are being asked to guide another person on their journey.  How you guide them will depend heavily on your own level of self-awareness and humility.

Of course, all of this is easier said than done.  But the joy must come not just from your success at imparting a skill, but at your student’s happiness at mastering it.

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In celebration of my new teaching position at Polistic Dance Studio in Los Angeles, Polistic is offering fans of The Pole Story and Bad Kitty Exoticwear a special discount:  Bring your friend for free to an Intro to Pole class.  Share the link to this blog on Facebook then message me for the Promo Code!

www.polistic.com

Interview with Rodney James, aka Mr Burlesque

Let's get one thing straight: Rodney James, aka Mr Burlesque, doesn't want you to just have some fun in his workshops... He wants you to be your fiercest, sexiest, most fabulous self possible! Oh, and he Really wants you to keep your shoulders and core engaged... (image)

Over the weekend I attended his 3 workshops (Burlesque Bonanza Party Time, Choreography & Artistry, and The Chair Challenge, aka Class for the Ass) at Bobbi's Pole Studio in Singapore, the first stop in his current world tour. (Are we lucky, or what?!) And they were amazing! He taught some killer choreography, worked us sore, and managed to draw out the sensuality and confidence in every girl in the room.

@ Bobbi's Pole Studio Singapore

After the last workshop, he very graciously agreed to be interviewed about how he got started in burlesque, despite having only a few hours before being scheduled to perform at a club! (The same club where Dita Von Teese performed last week)

~*~*~*~*~**~**~**~*~*~*~*~

Tell us what you love about burlesque!

To me, burlesque is a celebration of women of all shapes and sizes. It's very subtle, flirtatious and sexy without going too far. It's also about the tease, and not the sleaze. And it empowers women!

Why do you think it has grown in popularity in recent years?

I think Dita Von Teese put it on the map. It was something that used to be quite underground, but she has glamorized it. I thank Dita! If she hadn't come out and done it, it wouldn't be as popular. The girlyness and glamour of it is also something that women are attracted to. And it really compliments pole dancing! Fitness wise, I think some people also don't want to push hard in the gym, so it's found that market that's not into that aggressive gym thing.

How long have you been Mr burlesque?

Around 3 years.

What were you doing previously?

I was a dancer in musical theatre in the West End. I've been fortunate enough to dance with Kylie Minogue and I was also the lead dancer in Moulin Rouge.

Why and how did decide to teach Burlesque?

Besides being a dancer, I also used to be a nail technician, and my customers would ask me what else I did, so I'd tell them I was a dancer. And they'd all go, "oh wow, I wish I could dance too! And I realized there was a market for it. I literally had the idea for burlesque beat when I was in the shower one day... one moment I was thinking about colour themes for nails, and the next I had this idea to teach dance to women!

I actually did 2 different things before I started Burlesque Beat: first, a hip hop outfit called Urban Kick. But that attracted a lot of youngsters, and I knew I wanted women to be my students. Then I did rock and soul for a while, but nobody 'Got it'.

So I did some research, and I saw that burlesque was a celebration of women, and I ran with it. I felt that there was a need to help women to feel confident. Because I didn't feel society allowed women to feel good over the age of 18. So many women don't like themselves! You've got all these magazines that picture thin young girls, so its hard for anyone who doesn't look like that. I've always been sensitive towards women and what they have to go through. And I always say to the larger sized women: "If You love it, We love it. If You're proud of it, We're proud of it!" The reason I do this is to make them feel good about themselves!  If I can help a woman feel good about herself and feel sexy and confident, then I'm going to do all I can.

How did you first get started?

I'll tell you how it happened! When we made the Burlesque Fitness DVD, my partner and I went up to Sydney and  launched at the fitness expo. We'd spent quite a bit of money, and I'd booked the stage for three shows with six sexy girls to dance behind me and demonstrate. Now the fitness industry is very conservative, so I did the first show in boys' gym shorts, a boys' singlet, and leg warmers.

But you know what? I didn't feel right. I felt, "This ain't gonna happen!I've gotta let them Have it... they've got to see the real me!"

So for the next show, I got out my leather cap, black leather gloves, and put my high-heeled boots on. And you should have seen the crowd! I got approached by so many big names in the industry, and I got our contract.

I also used to teach classes in this chain of Australian gyms called Genesis, with these big windows where you could see me all dressed up teaching people how to be sexy in the gym at 10 in the morning! It was hilarious!

Are there any challenges to being the fabulous Mr Burlesque?

Well, I do everything myself! I create, market, and manage everything. And actually I need help, I can't keep doing it on my own!

What are your favourite things about touring the world as such a sought-after instructor?

There's so much! I could talk about what I love about touring the whole day, but the best thing has got to be meeting so many different and amazing women, and seeing what I can do with them.

In most of the studios I've been in, I'm also the only male who's ever been in there so I feel absolutely flattered that I can walk in there knowing there's something these women want to learn from me and knowing I've got something for them. I just love it, I love my life so much!

Could you share a funny or memorable tour story with us?

When I tour I also like to perform in clubs, but I'm really naughty.. I never choreograph it, I just make it up as I go along! My most embarrassing moment was in In Destin, Florida, on my 39th birthday. There were all these drag queens performing and I thought, "I'd like to earn a bit of extra money too." so I did a performance. But when when I was onstage, I fell over and hurt my bum! And I got nowhere as much money as the drag queens did!

Do you have advice about pole dancing?

Posture is so important! The greatest example is, you can have people wanting to be around you just from looking at your back. I've always been able to walk into a room, have everyone's attention, and have them all only want to look at me. It's all in the shoulders, the core, and the eyes. But if you hold your body the right way, they don't even have to be able to see your head or face but they will still want to look at you.

How do you stay so fit?

I go to the gym maybe 3 times a week, but I don't really push it. I'm not a gym junkie. And I just teach my classes!

What's your guilty pleasure?

Oh, I could go on forever! But probably going out drinking and getting sh*t-faced!

Tell us something we don't know about you

I have Indonesian relatives, as my dad's half Indonesian. My grandfather and uncles come to visit Australia when I was maybe 7, and they told my parents and brothers that I was a 'banji'. Which means drag queen! They picked me out back then! So I was brought up being called 'banji' by my brothers and sister. And it came to a point where if they didn't called me 'Banje', I felt weird!

~*~*~*~**~**~**~*~*~*~

Rodney is currently on his 2011 world tour in the U.S.A and might drop in to a studio near you very soon. You can check out his tour dates and workout DVD or get in touch with him on his website.

Thanks for reading, Bad Kitties! I hope you enjoyed the interview! If you like, you can also check out my pole blog here.

There are so, so, so many grip aids, antiperspirants, and pole-dance specific moisturizers out on the market now that it can be really overwhelming to know which one is right for you, and which to spend your hard-earned money on. I see this question come up time and time again on forums and websites, and I see tons of people upset that they can't work on anything because they keep on sliding off their (@#$*@#$) pole. But the thing that people don't talk about enough, is that the grip aid you should use will depend on some specific conditions.

Another important note is that a warmed up pole is a sticky pole. If you aren't warming up your pole and your body, you will slide right off! And if you aren't warming up, you will be more prone to injuries, soreness, and you won't get as much out of your flexibility or muscles. If you're poling in a very cold or dry environment, you may need to apply grip aid because it's not possible to warm the pole up enough to get it truly sticky. Or sometimes, in a performance setting, you don't have the time or ability to control what the pole's condition is like before you get on it-- that's when you put on enough grip aid to be sure you don't slip. Otherwise, if you have an air conditioner, humidifier, space heater, or fan that you can use, try adjusting your environment. You'd be surprised: although a cool, dry room is ideal for physical exertion because it's comfortable, it's NOT ideal for poling! Moist skin, NOT dry papery skin, is sticky skin. You want a slightly moist room that is just cool and dry enough that you don't sweat too easily.

I know there are people who are for and against grip aids. I'm not going to get into the different arguments here, but I will say that my personal philosophy is that you should try to do as much pole work as you can without them. However, if you need the confidence of a grip aid for a new move, then fine. If you need it to stick to your brand new home pole, then go for it. And we all just have our slippy days. The important thing is that you try to avoid being mentally or physically dependent. And beyond that, we're all adults here and can make our own decisions. Pole is supposed to be fun, and as long as you wipe down the pole really well for whoever is coming after you, we should all be able to play nicely! = )

A few months ago, Bad Kitty sent me a sampler pack of all the grip aids that they sell on their website. Our intent was to test out all the different products and come up with some kind of buying guide that could help a pole dancer to select the grip aid that was right for them. But after months of testing, it has become very apparent that the right product for you completely depends on your poling environment, and skin, as well as a bunch of other variables-- which body part you are using it on, what you need it to do, what allergies you may have. What works for one person is very unlikely to work for another unless all these variables are the same, and different aids may work better for you depending on what you are using them for. I had students and friends of all different skin types, with different grip needs, test these under all the different conditions that I could think of-- it took quite a while!

So, I've put together this grip aid review to try to help. It is by no means exhaustive, but I've tried to summarize some key points in the chart below:

And now lets get into specifics:

• Dew Point: This is a lightweight spray that comes in three "tack" levels and is great for use all over the body. The easiest way to spread it on your legs is to spray lightly, then rub your legs together like a cricket. I covered Dew Point in a blog entry a while back, and it's really useful especially if you need to pole without being completely warmed up or if the pole is very cold. The spray has no fragrance and is oil-free. The ingredients are all natural: distilled blue solar water, vegetable glycerin, phenoxyethanol (a commonly used preservative) and caprylyl glycol.
• Mighty Grip: A tasteless, odorless, and colorless powder, less is more with Mighty Grip! To apply, tap a small amount into your hand and rub them together until your hands heat up- you need the product to get warm in order for it to get activated. You can lightly press your palms onto the pole or other parts of your body to spread. It is VERY tacky; I would recommend this product more for spin pole work and high-grip applications. I've heard some reports that it works with sweaty hands, but your mileage will vary.
• Dry Hands: This is a really popular product in the studios near me; it's a thick clear/whitish liquid that you can spread on your hands or any part of your body and let dry before you pole. It smells a little bit like alcohol but that's it. If you only sweat lightly, this can help to minimize slip but is not really appropriate for very heavy sweating or prolonged sweat control. It adds tack but can also dry out your hands and if you're using it on a static pole, the additional friction can increase any issues with blisters or calluses. The ingredients are alcohol, silica, methyl glycol, phenyl trimethicone, and cyclomethicone.
• iTac2: iTac2 is a beeswax-based natural product that comes with a rather strong vanilla scent and is available in different "tack" levels as well. You scoop a little out of the tub with the back of a fingernail, and spread it on your body and/or hands and then rub to heat and spread. Although some have reported success with it in very warm or humid conditions, I would be wary because it can "liquify" under heat and become less grippy very quickly.
• Tite Grip: This is a light orange, thick liquid that you spread on your palms (the color is meant to look skin-toned when it's applied) rubbing them together lightly until the product gets tacky; then let air dry. This is my holy grail for sweaty hands, and I have blogged about it before (I suggest applying it 30 mins prior to pole if you have truly sweaty hands), but it is an antiperspirant so it will not really add grip unless you layer another product over it. I have heard of success with putting it on the soles of feet for tricks that require grip there, but it's otherwise not appropriate for use on the body as it does not add tack. The ingredients are similar to many antiperspirants but for a full list, please see the manufacturer's website.

I'm planning to add to this chart in the future (for updates, check out my blog) with a bunch of products that I know other pole dancers use: Grrrip, Cramer's, rosin crystals, toothpaste, shaving cream, Liquid Grip, EcoBalls, Gorilla Gold, Platinum Grip, distilled white vinegar, Corn Husker's lotion... and feel free to let me know if I've left anything out! If you have found that your personal experience runs counter to any of the info presented here, or have questions, please let me know by contacting me on Facebook or on my blog-- I'm happy to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: I was not paid or compensated in any way for my reviews. If I didn't have anything nice to say, I wouldn't have said anything at all!

I was looking through a blog I kept from back in 2008 where I talked a bit about the pole classes I was taking. It was really a blast from the past, reading and remembering all the learning experiences I had in the studio, on the pole, and with the women who I built friendships with in class.

For most of my fledging pole career, I was with the same teacher and class for a very long time and there was a comfort in that. I knew them, they knew me; we all were aware of each other's abilities and challenges. There was a trust built there. And that rapport is what kept me coming back: there was a sense of familiarity. My teacher could gauge my progress and see what I had started with, how much I had learned. She knew what was difficult for me and what I was working on. She could give me things to try that were just challenging enough to push me without being discouraging.

When I eventually left that class and went exploring elsewhere, it was a real shock to the system. I got the sideways "who are you?" looks from other students in class. People taught me who never knew my name, and had no idea what I was working on. I didn't have any sense of continuity to my progress; I was taking drop-in classes everywhere and classes were so much larger than I was used to. I started feeling lost, and I didn't have an emotional anchor. I was surrounded by a dizzying sense of "new" all the time, and didn't have anyone who knew who I really was. I was frustrated that no one seemed to care.

It felt a little bit like the way it does when you start somewhere new-- a job, a move, a school. All you want is for someone who knows you to call you up for a coffee and to have a conversation where you can be relaxed and be yourself, because this person knows you for who you are. And how funny to be reminded of all these feelings, now that I am on the other side and my experiences as a teacher color how I interpret what I read in that old journal from just a few years ago.

I see a lot of professionalism in pole today. I see students referred to as "clients", and it's great that there is that business model in place. I think that for businesses to succeed, studio owners need to make sure that they are accountable for their bottom line. They should have marketing strategies in place, understand how to manage teachers, have a process for customer grievances and a support network for their staff. But in all this, teachers, owners, everyone-- we need to remember the student, and the person. Not just the "client."

I am a firm believer that everyone can enjoy pole dance. That it can be fun for all of us, no matter what our fitness level is going into it, how often we do it, or how little or how much improvement we see. That strong students, coordinated students, and flexible students should get just as much attention as those who are NOT strong. NOT coordinated. NOT flexible. That every student can walk away from class feeling accomplished, challenged, and fulfilled by the movement that they just spent hard-earned money and time on. That no matter whether or not someone is "serious" about training or competing, they should still get as much attention as everyone else.

I've said before that if you foster a respectful relationship with each student in your class, and give of your time to everyone equally without favoritism, then students will see that they don’t have to be “good,” or put pressure themselves, to have fun and feel worthwhile. And that kind of positivity spreads. A repeat student is not just a retained client. A repeat student is not just a supporter of your studio. A student is not just someone who is a generator for good reviews or publicity. As Lady Gaga said, sometimes you have to put your trophies away. You should never rest on our laurels as a teacher. No matter how tired you are, how much you may want to go home, how crappy of a day you had, or the fight you just had with whoever, you should still always try your best as an instructor. Because while it may be "just another class" for you to teach, that could be the one hour that student has to truly forget about their horrible day. And they're paying.

A student is a person, who is trying very hard to learn, and trying very hard to explore a genre of movement that is intimidating, scary, and difficult. And the support between teacher and student should always go both ways. As a teacher, you have a responsibility to ALL your students to encourage and cheer whether or not you see "commitment", "talent", or "ability". As a teacher, what right do you have to judge potential or effort from anyone?

Re-reading that blog entry was like remembering all the student insecurities that I have ever had and realizing that I can address them better now that I am able to make an impact in my student's lives, every time they walk into class. To try harder to make sure that every student leaves class with a smile on their face. To try harder to make these people feel good about themselves, challenge themselves, make them realize that they are more capable then they thought and they don't have to be perfect. Because, really, that's what I'm getting paid for.

If you'd like, you can connect with me on Facebook and find my pole blog here. Thanks for reading!

Miley Cyrus is the latest tween-turned-teen to find herself under scrutiny for somehow tarnishing her “good girl” image by, well, growing up.   Says Cyrus, “Every 18-year-old explores sexuality and experiments and tries things.  For me there’s no reason to change that.  You have to be true to yourself.”  Cyrus isn’t just growing up - she is growing up and being honest about it.  Which is a refreshing change from other child stars that have made a similar transition.  Take Britney Spears for example who said in her very first interview with Rolling Stone Magazine that she wasn’t trying to be sexy.  Uh-huh, sure Brit.

What’s interesting about the public perception of Cyrus is that her transition from girl to woman is met with such shock and outrage.  It’s as though watching Miley Cyrus go from a blonde, innocent little girl to a sexy young woman reminds us that all of our daughters will eventually go through that same transition.  And no one likes to think about his or her little girl as a sexy woman.

But why is that?  And even more importantly, why, the second that a woman begins to play with, or experiment with her sexuality do we start the think of her as “bad”?  While it’s true that an 18-year-old woman may no longer be a fitting role model for young girls, is that particularly surprising or wrong?  And why should we shame a young woman for no longer being a role model for girls by calling her “bad” or even “controversial”?  It’s as if we want to punish her for coming into womanhood.

Miley’s fan base has grown up alongside her.  She is behaving like a young adult, just as they are, and being very open about it.  “The ones who do look up to me as a role model…I think it’s because I’m so real. If they tell you that they haven’t tried this or haven’t experimented with that, they’re lying. And I’ll never do that because personally I can’t, because there will be some proof on the Internet.”

We don’t offer young women today any guidance on how to explore their sexuality.  Instead, we tell them what to watch out for, what not to be, and what to avoid completely.  But this pushes women down a deeply inauthentic and sexually disconnected path.  Instead, we need to teach them how to discover what their sexuality means to them. And if sexuality is something that is primarily experienced in the body, then the best and healthiest way to explore sexuality is through the body – whether through dressing up, dance or even touch.  Miley Cyrus got in a lot of trouble when she used a pole in her performance for “Party in the USA”.  Ironically, pole dancing can be an excellent way for a woman to explore her sexuality.   Pole dancing awakens the body and teaches women about sensuality – usually in an all-female environment.  The majority of women who pole dance will say that it has increased their confidence as well as their awareness of their sense of desire in their bodies.

Women make well-informed and judicious decisions about their sexuality when they have an experience of and relationship to the feeling of desire that resides in their body, rather than just an intellectual relationship with it.  If a young woman, through dance, dress-up or touch can begin to feel in her body what she likes and doesn't like, what feels good to her and what doesn't, if she can begin to relate to her sexuality, not just as being accessible to a man, but as something that is hers - to share or not share - then perhaps she will carry that out into the world, into her interactions with men and women.  And if she does, than she will be better equipped to know, through her own internal direction and guidance, what she wants and doesn't want when it comes to sex.  And this is a very individual decision.    If we want to teach women to make healthy decisions for themselves and to be sexually empowered then we must give them permission to freely explore their desires.

Miley Cyrus is doing what every young woman does when she starts to discover her sexuality and its power: she is playing with it, experimenting, trying things on.  And she is trying to stay true to herself.  The majority of the media’s response to this behavior has been, “Should Miley be sexy?”

Why the hell not?

It would be so wonderful if instead of being upset and threatened by her newfound sexiness, the public could recognize the beauty that is unfolding before them, appreciate the honesty with which she is exploring her sexuality and applaud her for becoming a woman.  After all, that’s exactly what we would do for a young man.  Take for example Taylor Lautner, from the popular Twilight movies.  At 19 years old, he is promoted as a sexy young stud and admired for his constant shirtless appearances.   And yet the young women who scream for him to remove his shirt, who show their sexual desire for him, who put on thigh high boots to get his attention- the ones who ultimately put him in the spotlight by being fans - are considered “bad” somehow.  They are going through the same thing as Miley.  They are figuring out what they want and expressing the changes in their minds and their bodies.   But the difference is the minute a woman puts her sexuality on display, everyone starts to ask where she went wrong.   And when a man does it, he gets a handshake and a pat on the back.  Nobody is asking whether or not Taylor Lautner should be sexy or whether or not he is a bad boy for doing so.  So why is Miley Cyrus in so much trouble?

Want more of The Pole Story?  Click here! Or find me on Facebook. xxxooo

Not too long ago, I noticed a lot of pole dancers that I know (directly or through online networks) were expressing frustration and difficulty in carving out a niche for their own personal style. It seems once you get to a certain point in your pole journey, you spend a bunch of time figuring out what fits you best, and what kind of dancer you really want to be-- and that can be a daunting and intimidating process. I asked Michelle Stanek, as well as Natasha Wang and Amber Richards, for their feedback in how this process worked for them. All three of them are clearly renowned pole dancers (and interviews with Amber and Natasha will be posted soon!), but all three of them also have incredibly distinctive styles that they have worked really hard to develop over time. I was hoping that by posting these ladies' experiences, it could be inspiring or helpful for some of you out there!

Today's entry is a guest blog by Michelle Stanek who has awesomely taken time out of her insane schedule to write for y'all! So thank you, Michelle =) She's an immensely talented pole dancer: Pole Drama Winner at EMW Polarity 2010, USPDF Amateur Champion 2011, Pole Dance Universe Champion 2011, and she will be competing in the highly prestigious Pole Art in Finland in October. And she just so happens to teach at the same studio that I do. But,  she's also a really good friend with a fabulous sense of humor, and she's followed a really interesting path to become the pole dancer that she is today. Currently, Michelle lives in NYC, is an X-pert master trainer and teaches at Crunch, Shockra and Body  & Pole, where she trains as well.

So, without more ado, I present to you: Michelle's take on personal style.

As the dust and glitter of USPDF and Pole Dance Universe settles, several people have asked me about my style of pole dance and how it developed to what it is today, or at least the style I have presented in both the PFA's Polarity and USPDF competitions. Two years ago when I did my first pole performance/competition, Polesque, I described myself as "Sassy McNasty VonMelty." Now my style has been described as a blend of ballet, modern, grace and aggression. And if I am pole dancing, God willing, in four more years, I'm sure it will develop into something new as I grow as a dancer, artist and person.

When I started pole dancing four years ago at Crunch Gym I would go for an hour class after work on Friday nights. No one knew much in terms of difficult moves or technique and all we really needed were our teeny shorts, stilettos, club music, hair whipping, booty popping and a pole anyway! We just had FUN. I met my best friends in this class. Afterwards, we would go out for margaritas and start a fun-filled New York City weekend. I remember thinking, how COOL is this? I am an art history professor and a program curator who knows how to work a pole like a stripper...but i'm not a stripper! It made me feel strong, sexy and mysterious! That was the attraction of pole dancing at first. And that is what made me come back to class one, two, then three times a week. Who walks around being super sassy and sexy all the time? No one! So this hour was my hour to unleash my inner diva in a room of supportive, diverse, fun women and friends. After about two years, that novelty did wear off when I began to progress in strength and skill. I saw that there can be so much more variety in they way I could pole dance. And maybe dancing like a stripper wasn't what I wanted to do *all* the time. I wanted to explore and revisit my dance background and bring that to the pole.

I have a classical and modern dance background. By age 13 I was pretty ensconced in the ballet world and had amazing opportunities to perform, travel and study with some of the best teachers available to a teenager in Pennsylvania. Around 17 I discovered modern dance and focused on that, in addition to art history and business, in college, where I was also lucky to work with incredible contemporary choreographers. When I was 30 and two years into pole dancing, I realized that I could really utilize my extension, flexibility, grace and dance background on the pole. After a few years away from dance, a broken foot and the decision to "get a real job," pole reignited my deeply ingrained passion for dance. I got back into modern dance classes at Peridance, Dance New Amsterdam and Broadway Dance Center. Taking those dance classes and being free from the binding pole felt amazing. And it really helped to expand my movement vocabulary beyond the standard pole dance floor work and typical sexy flows. And instead of watching so many pole videos on YouTube I started to watch a lot more videos of my favorite teachers, choreographers and dance companies like Slam, TOKYO, Calen Kurka, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and others for inspiration and ideas. I even recalled a lot of old choreography I did years ago. I started to dance to music that was more lyrical or classical or obscure to help influence new movement. This resulted in a lot of trial and error, epic fails, very weird and ineffective movement, creative blocks and confusion of styles. I had freestyles where I was a hot mess and nothing I did looked good, felt good or made sense to the eye! Like the simple flexed foot can be incredibly effective if used in a meaningful way. If it's just a superficial flexed foot for flexed-foot-weirdness-sake (?!) it's distracting from the fluidity of lines. That's a minute detail but a world of difference.

Although personal style is important and feels good when you find it, versatility is important too.  It's important to show that you are not just a one-trick pony and as a dancer and artist, you can perform in different styles. Although I struggled with USPDF's mandatory 5-inch minimum heel requirement (we fight to be taken seriously as athletes and fight to shed the image of pole dance in seedy clubs as strippers...yet we are forced to maintain that connection through what you cannot deny are "stripper" shoes), I appreciated the opportunity to be obviously sexy and serve up the sass for round 1 and then take the shoes off and get back to my modern roots for round 2. The innate sensuality of pole dance that initially reeled me in is still a huge reason why I enjoy it so much. But taking off the shoes presents me with the opportunity to be unusually and not so obviously fierce and sexy. And that's the kind of sexy I like.

Finding your own style is difficult. It can take years. In college and graduate school (I have my BA and MA in art history) I hated the word "derivative." People over-used this word for lack of a better one to say that a particular artists' work reminds them too much of another artists' work who came before them, as if they were just copying their style, and should be dismissed as uncreative copycats. No one wants to be an uncreative, derivative copycat! These are also called trends, people. They define artistic genres all the time. That's why textbooks have chapters called "Abstract Expressionism" and "Surrealism" and "Neo-classicism." Sorry...this is tangential. When you are just starting out, and most of us are considering how young pole dance is, it's ok to find a style you like that you see out there. But find things from your own life to incorporate into your dance. I have a friend who is a brilliant choreographer who will always incorporate the spelling of her husband's name, Max, into her work, like YMCA! in hidden ways. But it's always there. And it's special and unique. Spend time alone on the pole to explore. Lose the shoes. Put them back on. Turn the lights off and forget about the mirror. Close your eyes. Then inspect every detail of your movement in the mirror and see what a difference a slight angle in the tilt of your head can make. Dance to Bach then Lil Wayne then Adele. Take other dance classes. Experiment. Fail. Laugh. Grow.

Thanks for reading, Bad Kitties! If you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for Natasha and Amber's perspectives coming soon!

If you'd like, you can connect with me on Facebook and find my pole blog here.

Kelly Yvonne’s Girl Next Door: A Pole Dance Soiree is a delicious, fun and refreshing collection of pole dance vignettes performed at the King King in Hollywood every Sunday.  And the message is this: Everyone has an inner vixen.  Now invite her out to play!  The show opens with a few “housewives” dressed in peek-a-boo tutus and corsets meeting their new neighbors.  There is one housewife in particular who has not quite discovered her inner sex kitten.  Another woman takes it upon herself to begin to school her in the art of sexiness. This is, of course, all done very playfully and tongue-in-cheek.  And to a sexed up version of Mr. Rogers’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”  It’s outstanding.

There are fifteen performances and each one is a mini-story told through dance.  Most of them are done on the pole and the floor with the exception of an aerial hoop show above the bar, and another performance done on aerial silks.  There are two poles – one on the stage and one in the middle of the audience.  The dancers use both, as well as a small runway that juts out into the audience.  What ties the performances together is the idea that each of these women is taking a break from her daytime persona and revealing to the audience her sensual, sexy, secret side.  The program lists each of the dancers and their “day jobs” on one side.  Turn the program over and you see each of the dancers listed by the name of the song they perform to.  “Il Mio Bel Foco” had a violinist and an opera singer as music.  A pole dancer danced at the mercy of a cruel ringleader, bearing a whip, until she finally wins him over.  “On the Couch” was a man (well, a woman dressed as a man) begging for forgiveness from his woman for being late, ultimately seducing her by the end.  “Need You Tonight” was a dancer who performed for a video camera, her eyes never leaving the lens.  And “Bloodstream” was done entirely behind a sheer curtain with maybe only three pole tricks.  But it was easily one of the most intoxicating performances of the evening – with the exception of the finale of course. In the finale, each of the dancers took her turn dancing on a giant net above the stage, followed by a walk through the audience, a trick on a pole in the audience, a sexy little wall dance and finally, a walk or a crawl onto the stage for a final bow.  And they owned it.

Girl Next Door works well as a show because the simplicity of the presentation allows the unique and very different styles of the dancers to shine through without losing a sense of continuity and without taking itself too seriously. In between the different dances we watch the reserved housewife, with the help of her neighbor, discover and unleash her sexy side until, at the very end, she gets on the pole.  The show is sponsored by X-Pole, The Pole Garage, Quain Photo and Alexander’s For Hair and produced, created and directed by Kelly Yvonne.  It’s in its second season and the company has 28 members.

Girls Next Door does an amazing job of blending pole artistry, athleticism and dance into a sexy, flirty, fun-filled show.  The secret is out.  Now go see for yourself!

Www.girlnextdoorshow.com for Tickets

Performances are the first Sunday of every month at the King King in Hollywood

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Performance Night at Evolve Pole Dance Studio.  Performance Night was started by Annmarie Davies, founder of  United Pole Artists and it showcases both students and teachers with varying levels of expertise.  There three things that set Performance night at Evolve apart from other studio recitals:

1. You are encouraged to tip the dancers with faux dollars.

2. The dances are unchoreographed.

3. There is an open bar.

I’m assuming everyone is on board with reason number three and I don’t have to go into the merits of having an open bar.  Reason number one, however, might raise a few eyebrows.  Isn’t that the exact opposite of the image we are trying to create in the pole dancing industry?  Isn’t it demeaning to the women dancing?  As it turns out, no.  The dollars are a form of appreciation, along with applause and screams and both the dancers and the audience (men and women) understand this.  Now you and your boyfriend might have different reasons for throwing the dollars.  But at the end of the day, the attitude of the audience members is deeply respectful of both the art and the sensuality of pole dancing.  Which it turns out, is exactly Annmarie’s goal in creating the venue.  “I wanted to bridge the gap between stripping and pole dancing.  I want the women to have the experience of performing for “money” but in a safe environment.  I’m bringing a

little bit of Jumbo’s into the studio”, says Davies.  Jumbo’s Clown Room is a famous bikini and burlesque bar in Hollywood.  It’s known for

staging performance art striptease.  Davies is a performer there.

Reason number two: You might think an unchoreographed dance translates into disaster. Not in the pole world.  The dancers were amazing to watch.  And frankly, the lack of choreography made the movement more sensual and inspired than the usual pole show.  There was plenty of floor work and the dancers also had an excellent sense of musicality.  There was a woman who danced while a man sang and played guitar on stage with her.  Another woman, who had only been dancing a month and a half, showed off tricks that made me green with envy.  There was a massage therapist who moved as though her body was made of liquid. And another student finished her performance by pulling another student out of the crowd, and including her in her last pole trick.  And finally you had two beautiful performances from the magical Mina Mortezaie and Annemarie herself.  My jaw was on the floor. I’ve decided that AnneMarie is going to be my newest pole teacher.

So next time Annemarie puts on a performance night, if you are in LA  and you have twenty dollars, head over to Evolve and see what the buzz is about.  You will NOT be disappointed.