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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Pole Fitness and the Olympics

There has been a push lately to separate "pole dancing" and "pole fitness" so that pole can be included in the Olympics (and I have been working on a post about the difference between different types of pole dance).  That separation would also somewhat relate back to my post about children and pole dancing. 

The lovely Valentina from Pole Dance Italy has written an article about pole in the Olympics and has translated it to English for us.  Thank you, Valentina!!!


This is the original post in Italian: http://www.poledanceitaly.com/2012/05/pole-dance-olimpiadi/

Do we really want pole dancing at the Olympics games?

Forget high heels, sparkling costumes and crazy choreography ! We go to the Olympics.

Reading newspapers or press releases of associations in favor of pole dancing to the Olympics, sometimes it occurs to me that this race at the Olympics has done more to elevate the value of the pole dance and make a clean break with the environment of strip club instead of being   recognized for its educational value and the high level reached by sports athletes.

Just watch this video to understand what we mean when we say that pole dancing is a sport.



To bring pole dancing at the Olympics, maybe it's time to stop for a moment and start from the bottom. The national and international organizations should be united for once to find common standards, which would structure the discipline from the basics. This does not mean that the organizers of the many championship around the world are not working good, instead, that means we have to have a common goal and to lay the groundwork for achieving it.

To better understand what is missing to pole dance to make the leap, we looked at the regulations of one of the sports that we think comes closest: gymnastics. Visiting the site of the International Gymnastics Federation FIG is in fact possible to download the technical regulations, found HERE, which we consulted.

Reading the FIG Technical Regulations, 2012, we focus on six aspects that we believe are the most important bases from which to start. The list that follows, is not the absolute truth, but we believe might be the beginning.

Athletes Level
As a very young sport, there aren’t still some specific levels to divide the athlete. In other sports, the levels are often assigned by the age of athletes. If we think of the soccer chicks, newcomers, young, students, juniors and the spring. A regulatory system that regulates and organizes levels, would be useful to unify the championship as well as address training courses in the pole dancing school. In the future it could also mean that the championships will no longer be accessible to everyone as it is now, but limited to age groups. Anyway to overcome this shortcoming, we must find common rules for the certification of the level of athlete.

Elements and Combinations
About this we all know that in any city you go you find a different name for the trick and elements and combos on the pole. Every school, every nation, every region and city uses different names to call the trick, take for instance the Scorpio (reverse and engage with the outside leg) and Gemini (reverse and engage with the inside leg). We all agree? Of course not. It is therefore necessary a common standard for the names of elements and combinations.

Qualifying
In gymnastics championships qualifiers are different according to the discipline. Often, however, are composed of different competitions, held over several days, with the elements and combinations established, or selectable by the candidates on the basis of codes drawn up by organizations. At present the majority of the qualifiers for the national and international championships, is done by sending a filmed choreography that is evaluated by a jury other than that it will judge during the competition. Without going into details of the working of qualifications in gymnastics, we understand that we need common rules for the selection to the championships. Although participation in the future will be bound to send a video, we might think of having two choreographies one with a combination of fixed elements or combo and the other one with elements selectable by the participants from a list of possible combinations. In this way the judges can be impartial and evaluate the technical and executive ability of the athlete.

Evaluation of competing
In some pole dance championships there are two categories under which athletes can participate: Pole Art where is judged the more artistic side of the performance, and the Pole Fit in which it is judge the side more gymnastics. We have to forget it and switch to an evaluation method based on common and precise standards, among which:

    ~ Codes of scores;

    ~ the definition of the value of each element, or combination of elements in an exercise;

    ~ the classification of penalties for performance and execution errors;

    ~ the requirements relating to the composition of the routines, whether compulsory or optional;

    ~ the classification of errors of composition and the penalties applicable;

    ~ the deductions for misconduct, errors, contraventions of the Technical Regulations or any other provisions

This list is not exhaustive, refers to some of the markings on the FIG Technical Regulations 2012, but represents a minimum codification  required in the evaluation methods of participants in competitions of pole dance.


Judges
Who are the judges and what skills they have to judge the athletes, we read in the FIG Technical Regulations 2012: “In order to act in any of the judging capacities, it is necessary – except in the case of members of the Executive Committee acting on the Jury of Appeal – to possess the judges' brevet of the FIG currently in force and, where so required, the classification appropriate to the judging function in question.”

It should be noted that in many disciplines to get the judge brevet, you must have practiced the discipline in question and sometimes to have gained a national or international competition. At the time the judges in pole dance are pole dancers  (international or national champions), the representatives of the federations or celebrities in dance or in the show industry. If we stick to FIG regulations, it must be created an institute for the issuance of pole dance competition judge brevet and define minimum standards of access.

Poles
In the majority of the pole dance competitions are usually used two poles, one in static and one in spinning mode, positioned at a distance between the one and the other of 2 or 3 meters, with a size ranging from 38 mm (Australia) to 50 mm (United States), chromed steel as the X-Pole, and with a height ranging from 3 meters to 4 meters. The type of pole used is critical, athletes have to train on the pole that will be used in the race and know exactly the location and height of them.

We are of course leaving out many other fundamental aspects, but we believe that those presented in the article are sufficient to open a constructive debate on the subject. We would also like to see the international organizations to sit down together and develop common standards valid worldwide. In Italy we are ready and willing this to happen, and take part in the change.

So, what about you guys?  Are you ready for pole in the Olympics??

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

May posts for The Pole Dancing Shop

If you missed the April post, HERE it is! 

Here are my May posts for www.ThePoleDancingShop.com:

Pole Dancing In Your Mind:
http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/pole-dancing-in-your-mind/#.T8Ux9lIhOSo

There has been much discussion about the mental side of pole dancing here on The Pole Dancing Shop's blog.  Check out "Overcoming Your Pole Dancing Fears", "Pole Dancing Mamas" or "Powerful Bodies, Even More Powerful Minds". 

We don't want to knock other forms of working out, but lifting weights or running on a treadmill just can't compare to pole dancing.  We don't merely mean the fact that pole dancing is a total body workout.  There is so much that can hold us back:  Our fear of falling during a spin or invert; our worries about how others might perceive our potentially sexy workout; our concerns about how our pastime might affect our children.  Pole dancing is a very mental sport!

Read more above...

Excuse Me, That's My Pole:
http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/excuse-me-thats-my-pole/#.T8UyU1IhOSo

Recently, we posted about how pole dancing can be a very mental sport.  It is funny how we get set in our ways.  We drive the same routes each day.  We have our favorite outfits and shoes.  When we arrive at class, whether it is pole, yoga or any other class, we like to claim "our" spot.  We like our mat in the back, dark corner, or we like the pole furthest from the air conditioning vent.

What happens when you arrive at class and someone is in your spot?  Sometimes that pushes you right out of your comfort zone.  And that's not always a bad thing!

Read more above...

Pole Dancing Around The World has also been updated...do you have any updates for me to add???

Children and Pole Dancing Back In The News

Last year, I posted about Children and Pole Dancing HERE. I supported pole dancing by kids under certain conditions.

Last week, this video started going around Facebook:



It is an eight-year-old girl from Russia busting out some pretty amazing pole moves.  I don't know why but it just didn't sit right with me.  I saw more and more postings around Facebook with people supporting this little girl.  Don't get me wrong...I don't knock the little girl, but I just don't know if I agree with her doing wavy legs and wearing a two piece.  I guess it might look like I'm flip flopping on the issue, but I don't know...I just think some of her moves are kinda overly-adult for a kid.

Anyway, here's the conversation posted on my FB wall.  I removed names to protect those who might not want to be included in my blog.  
Does it make me a terrible person that I'm not swooning all over the 8 year old pole dancer? Yes I get that she's doing amazing tricks. I get that it's pole fitness and not stripping. But she's still wearing a two piece and she's still only 8. I guess I'm the only one who isn't 100% on board. But I am at about 80%.

  • DC, DJ and 8 others like this.

    • CH - haha i agree with u...

    • DF - If everyone had the same opinion what a boring world it would be :)

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - Good point! I guess I don't want to come off as belittling the girl or not respecting the artistic and fitness side of pole. But I don't know. I just have a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I also don't agree with kid pageants either though. :)

    • MD - You, Lori. My head. Get. OUT!

    • DF - Lori on a thread of one of my past instructors that shared his vid there were strong comments against it. While I didn't agree with that poster I still appreciate that we aren't all going to feel the same about anything. Like the battle of Olympics or no Olympics. Shoes or no shoes. Sexy or fitness. We are a diverse group and string opinion. The instructor I was talking about Tammy Morris went on The Talk to talk about the classes she offers to kids and for the most part they were very negative. AND all the comments on the net regarding the episode had many opposing the kids on classes. I support it as long as the sexual element isn't present.

      Long story short pole is evolving to include more members... Some will like. Some will not. :). Having said all that her talent is amazing in one years time. I wish!


    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - If you want to teach pole to kids, just call it Chinese pole. ;-) Look, I'm IN the industry and struggling with this one so I can only imagine how those on the outside are reacting. I like and respect Tammy. I need to find that interview.
    • SK - Uh, I think this is a very interesting discussion! I normally don't agree with kids doing pole either, but this girl makes me rethink that believe system. I, myself, like to dance pole and make it a bit to the sexy/sensual side - and that is obviously not for children. But if we can find a way to let children do it without the sexualization, it would be really, really cool - for the children and for the community as a whole. It would help make pole a lot more acceptable in the mainstream - if that is something to wish for is another discussion, fact just is that we all oftentimes struggle with the stripper-naughty-stigma (Please note that I am not trying to belittle strippers!). I argue that this routine is no different from the type of moves that you would see children do at gymnastics, figure skating or other kinds of dancing... But I posted it to my wall and some people came with great insights: What about the music? Is that a part of the sexualization (one could argue that that is no different from any other type of dancing?)? What happens when she gets bored at 13-14 because she knows every move in the book? Will she then make it sexy just to keep moving forward? I hadn't thought about the two-piece, Lori... I think it is ok, because it is more or less like a sports bra (covering a lot). It would not have been ok, if it had looked like a bikini top from my point of view... OH, this is very hard!!! What say all the mothers?

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - Maybe I'm just jealous the kid can dance better than me. lol

    • RR - I don't like it. I am totally scared for her shoulders. Things like twisty grip aren't good for (all/some) adults, let alone growing bones!

    • SK - Me too, Lori!!! ;-)
    • SK - Good point, RR!
    • SSB - I was just going to say what Robyn did...all the TG work she was doing isn't good for growing bones and maturing joints. I will NOT be letting my own 8 year old be doing that particular grip. She's quite amazing though, I have to admit.

    • RJ - With you 100%! Post last week from a noted performer relating to all the calls she had been getting from Moms wanting their young ones to learn sensual movement.... Ballet is always a great place to start:)

    • SM - as a mom, i don't see anything wrong with what this particular child did. i do agree with RR on the shoulders thing, only because of the types of grips and such. I taught children's fitness for a while and had to be very careful. there are certain things you do not want to do on growing bones and muscle. BUT, this is true in gymnastics also, kids are being pushed beyond what their bodies should. As for the two piece, it's not like she was in a triangle top and thong. she was wearing more than MOST little girls bikinis! AND, this is uniform, I would be scared if she were wearing a one piece, as we always say, the more skin, the better and SAFER! however, i HAVE seen videos of kids doing VERY sexual moves with NO POLE around. that is not ok. not one of her moves was sexual in any way. it she was "booty up" and slinky wavy type movements, then yea, i'd have a problem with it. i have several videos of my kids doing "acrobatics". here's another perspective, a little girl on AGT did silks and it was "amazing" as everyone said, but do those same moves on a pole and it's "scandalous" hypocrisy at it's finest

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - I heard about the silks girl but never saw her video. I will have to find that.

    • SM - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOq6mHyIRFo


      www.youtube.com
      Amazing Little Girl Does Aerial Silks Better Than An Adult. On America's Got Talent
    • EE - As a mother of a toddler girl, (and not terribly familiar with pole dancing), I think it's the 2-piece that troubles me. Why does an 8 year old need to display that much skin, especially while doing what she clearly considers a sport? Gymnasts do equally amazing body contortions while wearing a 1-piece.

    • RC - What is you saw a video of her on the parallel bars?
    • SK - EE: You need the skin on your stomach/side waist to hold on to the pole! Some of the tricks are far more difficult (and more unsafe) without it...
    • SM - EE, for safety. you NEED that skin around your torso to stick to the pole. as i said in my previous post, i would be scared if she had a one piece. she is using her torso to stick, not for contortion sake. if gymnast (which she obviously is) needed that part of their body, it would be exposed also
    • SM - also, when my kids are on my pole. the rule is short shorts and no top for my boys and a tank that is pulled up to expose torso for my daughter

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - SK: I agree about skin which brings me back to: should an 8 year old do this?? :-/

    • JG - Not sure if it makes me a terrible person, but I think that she's quite amazing... and justified for wear a two-piece. Anyone that dances knows that you want as much skin exposed as possible to stick to the pole! Also, if you think about many other sports for young girls (gymnastics, snowboarding, etc), they're also quite tough on the body.
    • SK - ‎Lori: I honestly don't know how I feel about it right now... I would usually say NO! with exclamation and everything, but recently... I am not sure anymore...! I love this post!

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - Me too! lol. And for those who haven't seen the video, here's the link: http://youtu.be/ZRA_BHIaeYk


      www.youtube.com
      ‎[club1265528|megaPOLEs] Показательные выступления 26 мая 2012 года Санкт-Петербург http://vk.com/page-1265528_43691855


    • SM - tummy exposure is no different than thigh/arm exposure. it's not like she had a strip of bondage tape covering her nipples. i mean, my daughter wears a bikini, as did i as a young child. our torso's are too long for one pieces and we don't fit, so what are supposed to do, wear a tshirt, no way! HOWEVER, the bikini's i choose for my daughter are age appropriate, no low cut stuff or triangle tops. at what age do people feel the need to cover bellies? as an infant or toddler it's considered cute to see their belly, but not when they're 7-8-9-10?? then it becomes ok again??? just seems dumb. her top is FULL coverage! i believe her outfit even has extra material offering even more coverage!

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - It's easy for me to sit back and judge. I don't have kids! :-)

    • SM - and then that standard is for girls only...boys are free to show their bellies...double standard much?

    • KL - I think pole can be appropriately taught as a circus art for kids just like aerial fabric, lyra, trapeze...

    • JJ - the kid didn't bother me : elite gymnasts, prima ballerinas, Olympic athletes pretty much ALL start serious training at a very young age. and do strenuous freaky things with their joints and bodies.... i was left feeling sad that i didn't have exposure to pole like that at a way earlier age...

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - So I watched the silks video. And I feel kind of the same way. Silks require so much strength and those little muscles might be getting pushed too hard. However, I guess it depends...is she taking class once a week or is she practicing 7 days a week for competition? Once a week, no biggie in my book.
    • SM - sorry for the multiple posts lol....on another note. there are pervs EVERYWHERE. pervs are watching your kids on the playground, pervs are watching little girls and boys doing gymnastics, pervs are watching them all the time. they're all around. you just do what you can to protect your kids as much as possible. you can't keep them in a bubble for fear of pervy eyes

    • Lori Lolorashel Myers - oh yeah, I agree that you can't protect your kids from pervs regardless of where you are... That isn't even my issue. I just feel like, for an 8 year old to be THAT good, her parents might be pushing her a little hard.

    • JW - Here's where i piss people off As a father of 3 beautiful little girls ages 7.11 and 20 I am personally against ANY activity that sexualizes young girls whether it be hip hop dance, cheer, pole or whatever. I haven't seen the video nor do I wish to. I'm sure it's all perfectly innocent at this point but like it or not there is an inherent aspect to pole dancing regardless of intent of a sexual nature. I'm all for it for adults but in an age where it seems society has become tolerant of teen pregnancy and promiscuity I believe this activity is in appropriate for young girls. Btw, I'm not a prude nor a bible thumper and I have my faults. I'm far from the model parent but think about this child as a teenager at parties with her friends (keep in mind your teenage years and the stuff you did) and then think about the peer pressure for her to entertain the boys with her talent ? But all I can do is raise my children nobody else's and teach them my idea of morality which includes not passing judgement on others. This is just my opinion, take it or leave it.

    • SM - well, are they pushing or does she really want it? it's obvious she's a gymnast before. having kids, i can tell you they learn this stuff MUCH faster than we do! lol my middle son, at 5 yrs old, flagged the first time he tried. then as a 10 year old and my daughter 8, got this move the FIRST time they tried [video link removed by lolorashel to protect privacy] ...this gal (me) is quite jealous! however i HOPE her parents aren't pushing her, that's a horrible thing to do with any sport...

    • SM - oh and fyi, ballet used to be considered "scandalous!"

    • JJ - well -- how many people believed the world was flat till Christopher Columbus sailed around it ? my point is, pole does NOT have to be inherently sexy. it is people who choose to put it in that pigeonhole, not the actual act itself.

    • DF - EE for some holds and moves we need the side and mid back to hold safely. Same as many monokinis provide. A one piece with middle side and back exposed.

    • SM - just realized i'm eating my own words on the clothing thing in my kids video lol...but that was just that once lol..i was practicing that particular move and they wanted to try, so i was under them when i taught them .... ooopsies lol

    • DF - Haha my post on skin a little late lol

    • JJ - besides which -- haven't you guys seen 8 year olds in 2-piece swim suits ? she's not 'baring her midriff' to be an exhibitionist !

    • AMS - I think she is amazingly talented. However, I'm still very uneasy about kids participating like that. I have 3 kids, all of them can pole. but they do it for fun and only in my studio or living room. I still won't teach anyone under the age of 18 other than my own children. But that's my personal choice and what I am comfortable with. As far as the moves she's doing being hard on the joints, I have to say what someone else did, it's not any harder on the joints of a child than gymnastics, ballet and ice skating are, all of which I was doing at that age and before and way after. So I guess I'm on the fence on this one just as much as I am in regards to being an Olympic Sport. So many pro's and con's. She is very very talented, not diminishing that at all. Just really uneasy about children in general doing pole.

    • JJ - i'm totally fine with children doing athletic pole, whatever level they choose. however, my own studio only accepts women 18 and older : i would be totally lambasted if i even dared TRY to have a younger's class !!!!

    • SJ - she has some great tricks, on a spinning pole, especially her Ayesha. static is her undoing, she needs to learn how to control spins on a static and how not to throw herself to get momentum. This doesn't mean she's not incredible but is what i saw as an instructor that detracted from her performance.
So, tell me what you think....kids and pole dancing.  Sure, we can make it completely non-sexual like gymnastics.  And doing pole dancing in general is separate from putting kids into competitions of any sort.  Am I the only one who just gets a bad feeling even though I'm not completely sure why??

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Didja know...

...there are a whole bunch of pole dancers out there who just...pole dance??!  

They don't know who Felix Cane, Jenyne Butterfly or Alethea Austin are.  They don't Facebook stalk every pole celebrity in the world, post about their successes and failures, and share photos of every bruise earned.  They aren't on Studio Veena chatting and watching videos.  They aren't searching YouTube for the newest videos from the pros.  They don't read Aerial Amy's blog every day.  They just...go to class and dance.

Over the weekend, I went to the Pacific Pole Championships in Los Angeles.  I found a spot in the front row to take notes, photos and videos (I will do a more in-depth blog about the competition very soon).  I sat next to a lady who was very excited to be there and was taking notes about songs she wanted to dance to in the future.

We chatted between routines (many dancers didn't realize that the quiet time between routines were for judges to finish scoring).  I said something about the amazing Felix Cane.  Blank stare.  Jenyne Butterfly?  Nothing.  Alethea Austin?  Nope.  

Wow.

I really am a Pole Geek! 

Hey there's nothing wrong with either of us.  I was just happy to be in a room filled with people who have a passion for pole dancing.  

I am working on some great posts, but have been super busy with my real day job.  Until then, I sign off as a Pole Geek and proud of it!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Lovely Miss Femi from Pole Dance Is Power!

You recently started a Facebook Page called Pole Dance Is Power.  Tell us about your project.

I am currently a International Affairs student at New School University, with a concentration in Media & Culture. For one of my courses, Media Advocacy in the Global Sphere, we were given the task of finding something to advocate for and using media forms (whether video, blog, pics or the like) to advocate for the cause of our choice. Coincidentally, during a discussion in class, a girl (who readily identified as a feminist) stated that women who take pole classes only do it for men. I was appalled! I had grown an affinity for pole thanks to a friend of mine introducing me to it a few months ago and I immediately went home and wrote a blog about it. I always acknowledged the power of dancers from every style, and pole isn't any different. The power it takes to get on this singular object and do these amazing moves while expressing sensuality is astonishing to me and to have someone reduce a community of people (namely women) to something solely about the satisfaction of men was just foul. So when it came time to choose a project, I decided to expand it, and actually do the research necessary to prove her wrong.

My hypothesis is that women who are in the pole community do it for themselves, and that they wind up staying in it as a result of the benefits - building relationships with other women, promotion of sex positive rhetoric and body image and to express autonomy through their sexuality and sensuality. And yes, they probably love building muscle and other physical benefits. I started out recording footage (which will be loaded onto the page once edited) asking women how they felt about pole and if they saw it as a expression of feminism or feminine power. I started by posing this question in the group Pole Dancers Unite, but then decided that creating a page exclusively dedicated to pole dancers who feel empowered by pole dance would get me more of the answers I needed, from a wider group versus the few I've met at studios here in NYC. I even got a guy to post on my page! I feel like a larger discussion around sexuality and exerting agency through performance in regards to women is important. Like so many other groups or cultures maligned by mainstream culture, the woman who made that comment (and others like her) are ill-informed. So this is my way of educating them.

How long have you been pole dancing?

I haven't been pole dancing very long. I lucked up and had a bunch of friends who had a pole parties back to back for like 3 months, but I haven't been pole dancing consistently to really consider myself a poler. I have plans to travel at the end of May for research, but when I return in August, I will definitely include it in my regimen.

What first drew you to try it?

I think I was always kind of fascinated by pole dancing in some way. I've always admired dancers and people who can do artistic things with their bodies. Growing up, I always saw pole dancers as people who belonged in the circus, like contortionists. Lo and behold, it has roots in the circus and burlesque! But pole dancing was relegated to the off-limits category (that's something strippers do) and the subtle indoctrination of slut shaming and what makes a "lady" took hold. But in adulthood, my view on strippers and pole dancers changed in that I recognized not only my agency, but the agency of all women to decide what they want to do with their bodies, on their own terms. So when pole dance was presented to me through my friend's birthday plans, I just needed the time and address. I was there before my friend was, lol

Where do you take classes?

I've been to three studios total: Twirl and Le Femme Noir, both in Harlem and Alter Ego Pole fitness out in Brooklyn.

Do you have a pole at home?

No but I want one!

Do you like to dance in shoes or barefoot?

Umm...I think for effect, I like shoes, but I'm not skilled enough to do that yet. But I appreciate a good heel even outside the studio.

What is your favorite song to dance to right now?

The thing about pole dance is that (in my opinion) its about the sexy, not the sex. So nothing too raunchy would be on my playlist. I'm not actively poling, but if I had to pick, I would probably go with my 3 favorite Gemini performers: Prince "If I Was Your Girlfriend" or "Cream"; Maxwell "Bad Habits" and Tupac's "How Do You Want It?" It would just depend on what kind of sexy I'm into at the moment.

How do you feel like pole has improved or changed your life?


I haven't been consistently poling, but the research I've been conducting on the pole community has opened my eyes to different ways to process my thoughts on sexual and sensual expression, and how language can be used to create divides either purposefully (like Rush Limbaugh against Sandra Fluke...and every woman on birth control) and unintentionally (like the woman in my class). The things that the ladies (and men) in the pole community have shared with me have shown me what true passion looks like and how fostering that kind of passion can connect people across borders, oceans, anything. That sort of connection is something that I've never witnessed before, and its a powerful force, even more so because its a group of people proclaiming: "Yes, I am like you. Yes, I pole dance and I am in your church, your mosque, the boardroom, the classroom, your coffee shop and no, I am not what or who you think I am or want to limit me to." And that's awesome.

------

Note from Lori: Please join Pole Dance Is Power on Facebook.  And, for the record, I do have a pole at home, and I've danced for my boyfriend ONE TIME in the last two plus years of pole dancing.  He has seen me dance at showcases at the studio, but I didn't start dancing for him or any other man.  I dance for myself! 

Friday, May 11, 2012

PoleArt 2012 is back in Sweden this summer!

PoleArt is the creation of Nelle Swan of North Pole Studio (Sweden) and Tanja Suni of Aerial Dancing (Finland).  This year's event will be held on August 25, 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden.  Today we sit down with Nelle and Tanja to talk about PoleArt 2012.

How did each of you get into pole dancing in the first place?

Nelle:  We both started fairly early, before there was much going on in our respective countries, Sweden and Finland. So traveling internationally for workshops and such, hanging out on the internet and doing a lot of self teaching in 2006/2007 we found each other as some of the few early Scandinavians active in pole. As things progressed I opened the first pole studio in Sweden, diving into it head first.

What drew me to pole initially was the same thing that had drawn me to martial art, ballet or any of the other forms of training I've ventured into: the combination of unusual and difficult! I love challenges and I love exploring.

Tanja:  I went to Australia to work in a research organization back in 2004. I had always done some sort of dancing and I wanted to try something new. Pole dance was really big in Australia and I went to a class, quite prejudiced, actually…but I got hooked in the first ten minutes! I took all the classes I could for the next couple of years, practiced by myself, and when I returned to Finland in 2007, I joined Finland’s first pole dance school Rock the Pole and started teaching there. But I wanted more than just classes; I wanted to bring the easy and fun atmosphere I had experienced in Australia to Finnish pole dancing as well and started organizing pole jams and workshops and inviting international teachers to come and give classes. The first one was Lu Nagata that I met at Nelle’s studio in Stockholm.

This is PoleArt's fourth year.  You have had some amazing talent -- both in judges and participants -- pass through your doors.  What made you decide to start your own showcase and competition?  Then let's talk about how you have been able to put together such a great group of people for an event this large each year.

Nelle:  Firstly I'd like Tanja to be credited as the creator and me as the co-organizer. Pole Art was her brain child to begin with and the way I remember it was born during a wild discussion in her car one morning in Helsinki. We were both complaining that we weren't seeing, on stage, the consequent talent we knew to be out there. We had experience with competitions being quite mixed ability and/or extremely trick-focused. "Stylistically scattered" also seemed to be comme il faut. A little like break dance battles, at the time - who can make the audience shout the loudest?

Given the potential we saw in pole as a stage art we wished for a forum where performance, choreography and "the whole" would weigh more than sensational individual tricks.
So that's where the take off point was. However, how we ended up with all these amazing people in our event I can't say... It still baffles us. Maybe it shows that there was a need for an alternative?

And just as we wish for performers to put effort into creating a whole where all the pieces come together (choreo/music/performance/originality/flexibility/strength/lines/costume/idea/light production/etc, etc) we are working OUR tushes off to make sure nothing during the event is left to chance. From website and graphic material to judges work stations and food backstage, we control everything obsessively and go out of our way to keep it to a standard that we can be proud of.

Tanja:  After a couple of years of pole jams and workshops, I started wondering if a competition that emphasized the artistry and creativity in pole dance – not just tricks - would be well received. The enthusiasm was really overwhelming and so I founded Pole Art in 2009. The showcase was an integral part of the event right from the start because I did not want to limit the participants to only those who wanted to compete; I wanted to see a wide variety of talent and also beginners and groups on stage. Now there are more opportunities for beginners to perform and Pole Art has moved on to being a professional-level event. Nelle became my Pole Art partner right after the first Pole Art and took the event on a completely new level artistically and professionally. We both treat Pole Art as a sort of an experimental laboratory of new movement and constantly get new ideas that we want to try out on stage. Last year it was contemporary choreographies and video art – let’s see what Nelle thinks of this year!

Regarding the great talent both on stage and in the judging booth – I think a competition emphasizing pole dance as an artform was just so interesting from the start that we didn’t even have to do much to get the attention. The news of a competition focusing on emotional, artistic aspects instead of mere tricks just spread and of course we sent information about our event to great dancers and encouraged them to apply.  Similarly, we approached people we respected as dancers and teachers and asked them to join our evaluation panel. I don’t remember anyone turning us down!

It looks like there are two parts -- the competition and the showcase.  Maybe you can each tell me why you think each part is important to the show, and also why this event is different from others.

Nelle:  For me personally, the showcase is my favorite part. It's very dear and a top priority because it fully allows you to realize your creative idea without being limited by scores or individual taste. We encourage participants to go all out in the showcase: practically anything is possible! You can do solos or group pieces, you can mix disciplines and genres, bring props and musicians on stage, use special effects, projection, lighting, you name it. Anything a showcase performer pitches to us we'll try to arrange. In 2010 we were excited to be working with smoke, fire and explosions. Even if that final routine didn't make it into the event.

The competition, then?  Certainly has limitations as a creative forum but it's value for propelling the pole community info constant elevation can't be underestimated.

Tanja:  The showcase is a series where there are no rules or limits to the performer’s creativity and no trick requirements either. It is where theatrics, dance, any type of performing arts, props, and pole come together and where the only limiting factor is the performer’s own imagination. The showcase aims to move the audience emotionally even more than the competitive series. The competitive series has a strong technical component but does emphasise artistry and originality just like the showcase: 25% of the points come from originality and only 25% from technical difficulty. The beauty of the showcase from an organiser’s point of view is that we can sponsor/produce 1-2 performances of our own and show the world what we think pole dance can do: last year I hired Katja-Maria Taavitsainen, a contemporary choreographer, to create a doubles piece, and a Latin dancer/choreographer to dance in another doubles piece with one of the judges, Laura Gröhn. Both performances had a video background as well.  We organisers cannot influence the competitive performances in any way but in the showcase, we can help bring to the stage our own vision of pole dance as an artform.

It feels like the pro/competition pole dancers are all going the route of contortion and extreme tricks.  Do you feel like something is lost from pole dancing when it is all tricks and no dance?

Nelle:  I don't think that you have to chose. That it needs to be one OR the other. You can be absolutely dazzling physically and technically, but not necessarily work that card 100% of your routine time. For our taste: the context, the artistic idea and execution of the idea are just as (or more) important than which body part can go where. For instance, there is some fantastic up and coming contemporary circus out there that fuses hard core tricks of each discipline with amazing dancing and acting. AND surfacing "conventional" dance companies that take the acrobatic dimension and fuse it seamlessly into their pieces. So we all know it can be done.

What we do on our behalf is tell the participants that technicality only makes up 25% of their score. And already at that stage you take some pressure off of the needing to wow the judges with your entire trick catalogue.

Tanja:  Of course, the essential in pole dance would be lost if this was the case. Fortunately, it isn’t. Professional dancers do have to train hard and achieve a strong background in both flexibility and extreme tricks, but then they have to create a piece of art on top of that highly technical background. Plain tricks are not interesting. They have to be woven into a story and emphasise the turns in that story with music. Then, and only then, do you create an emotionally moving piece. The tricks and flexibility are an important part of the “wow” factor in pole dance so they need to be there in many performances – but not all, and that’s why we have the Showcase!

I know you work hard to make each and every year a little more spectacular than the previous year.  What can we expect to see this year that will dazzle us?

Tanja:  This year Nelle is the local organizer and she is probably bursting with new and exiting ideas! I do not yet know what she has up her sleeve, but my guess would be something visual and breathtaking.

Nelle:  It can't be explained, it has to be seen! The entire experience from entering the theater, though the surprising intro performance, showcase, competition, intermission, foyer art exhibition, closing ceremony - we are actively producing each bit. Come see for yourself, you won't regret it! And Stockholm is beautiful in August...

I can't even imagine how much time and effort an event like this must take.  What will you both do for downtime to celebrate the success of PoleArt2012 when it is all over?

Tanja:  Last year, it took me a whole month to wind down from the exhaustion, and then I simply relaxed and relished the memories of the great event. But when the evening was over, a few glasses of sparkling were in order, of course!

Nelle:  It might sound corny if I say we are a match made in heaven but I really feel that our personalities complete each other in the best way possible. It IS a lot of work and we prepare for the larger part of a year prior to the event. What makes it doable is that Tanja and I trust each other with the main responsibility of the event every other year. So in 2010 I hosted the event in my city (Stockholm) and in 2011 she took the load off and did it in hers (Helsinki). So that's how we roll and rest every other year. Doing it constantly WOULD drive us crazy, though ;)

What else do you have coming up this year?

Tanja:  I will most likely organize the Finnish national showcase event, PoleVibes, in late October in Helsinki. This will be my third year doing that. PoleVibes is much like the Pole Art showcase but of course it is more of a small-scale, community event because most of the performers are active members in the Finnish pole dance community and bring their friends and relatives to see the show. We usually get approximately 250-300 viewers. It is a really nice and fun event with a great atmosphere - exactly as I dreamed of when I returned from Australia back in 2007!

Thank you so much for being part of my blog.  I am trying really hard to win the lottery so I can start traveling the world and attending events like this!  I hope to meet you someday very soon!

Tanja:  Thank you for writing such a great blog, and you are very welcome to Pole Art!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Dancing with a Partner

So, as many of you know, I spent a lot of March and April preparing for the Lovely Rita Fundraiser.  Not only was I trying to help wrangle donations for raffle prizes, I signed up to do TWO full routines.  For the first time ever, though, I danced with a partner!  My brand new pole dancing student, Robert (check out his blog about the performance HERE -- but don't read it until the end!!), was game to perform with me.  

Our adventure actually started with a Twitter conversation about whether Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson belonged to Robert or me.  Read Robert's post HERE.  His post is great, so I won't rehash the details here.

What I do want to talk about is how amazing and inspiring Robert is.  He was so worried about going up against his pole dance teacher in a "dance off" for The Rock.  I wasn't worried because, even though I have more experience, thanks to my food issues, I'm still not pulling off advanced moves.  However, Robert showed up to class early each Monday and also joined us on Wednesdays for the class where I am a student.  He practiced hard and pulled off some really difficult moves for a brand new pole dancer.  I cannot even come up with the proper words to say how proud I am of how hard he worked.  He's so much fun in class and I was slightly surprised but really excited he wanted to perform already.  

We had two months to plan our routine and practice.  Bel helped us choreograph a very simple but fun routine.  I normally don't like to perform with anyone else.  That way, no one knows when I forget my part.  But Robert and I danced really well together.  

In the end, Robert kicked my butt.  He deserved the win.  The event was fun and Rita very sweetly made photos of The Rock for both Robert and me.  Trick or Twirl is coming up in October.  It may be time to think about a re-match!  

Here's a video and some photos of our performance.  Let me know what you think!





For fun, here's the link to the Twirly Girls blog post with all of the videos and here is my burlesque-inspired routine to The Stripper.


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Project 365: Days 288-328

Day 288
Wednesday, March 28

Day 289
Thursday, March 29

Day 290
Friday, March 30
Lotto Fever!

Day 291
Saturday, March 31

Day 292
Sunday, April 1

Day 293
Monday, April 2

Day 294
Tuesday, April 3

Day 295
Wednesday, April 4

Day 296
Thursday, April 5

Day 297
Friday, April 6

Day 298
Saturday, April 7

Day 299
Sunday, April 8

Day 300
Monday, April 9

Day 301
Tuesday, April 10

Day 302
Wednesday, April 11

Day 303
Thursday, April 12

Day 304
Friday, April 13

Day 305
Saturday, April 14

Day 306
Sunday, April 15

Day 307
Monday, April 16

Day 308
Tuesday, April 17

Day 309
Wednesday, April 18

Day 310
Thursday, April 19

Day 311
Friday, April 20

Day 312
Saturday, April 21

Day 313
Sunday, April 22

Day 314
Monday, April 23

Day 315
Tuesday, April 24

Day 316
Wednesday, April 25

Day 317
Thursday, April 26

Day 318
Friday, April 27

Day 319
Saturday, April 28

Day 320
Sunday, April 29

Day 321
Monday, April 30

Day 322
Tuesday, May 1

Day 323
Wednesday, May 2

Day 324
Thursday, May 3

Day 325
Friday, May 4

Day 326
Saturday, May 5
http://www.samgreenphotography.com/

Day 327
Sunday, May 6

Day 328
Monday, May 7
http://leenisabel.com/