Keep it in the Family: Meet Bobbi's Sister, Kim!

I recently posted about Bobbi's Pole Studio on my blog.  Bobbi and Ness are in the Sydney studio.  I recently learned that Bobbi's younger sister, Kim,  runs the Perth studio and is also amazing dancer.  We welcome Kim to our circle of pole sisters from around the world. 

How long have you been pole dancing?   

About 8 years 

Do you have a dance background? 

Yes, I started when I was 3 & Bobbi was 4... Jazz, tap, acrobats...then ballet.  I also went to a performing arts high school.  My biggest love when I was a teenager was Jazz ballet classes on Sat afternoon’s followed by coming home to watch ‘ Countdown ‘ ! that was when Madonna was just making it big.. I really wanted to be her!!

Which trick is your nemesis? 

My wrists are not a big fan of the Iron X  

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? 

I LOVE contortion, it’s so beautiful and mesmerizing & when it’s mixed with pole it’s dead sexy. Although I LOVE extreme tricks & have much admiration for the crazzzzy ones coming out, I always enjoy a pole show more when it’s combined with a dose of sexy floor movement, dance and gorgeous heels!!

How do you feel about pole dancing going mainstream? 

I love that anyone is capable of learning – blows me away actually. It used to be so small & kinda secret & now it’s right out there viral – yes I love it. Everyone’s trying it and getting slender toned bodies out of it & passing their inspiration & tricks on and it just gets more & more exciting every year. I’ve seen ‘average’ people become MINDBLOWING in a year. Commitment & training can actually even bypass talent with pole dancing in some cases. Very exciting! 

Tell us something we'd be surprised to hear about you. 

I’m half Yugoslav and I’ve been happily married for 12 years with 5 furry children.   I used to have paralysing stage fright in my teens, I never felt good enough. I danced in Japan for 10 years which cured it. When I finally came back to Australia from years overseas I bought a fish-n-chip shop with my husband & worked as a ‘carer’ for a young disabled lady in the early mornings & also pole danced in a strip club ‘till late at night after work..  I was still in Japan workaholic mode – I had also mastered the ‘power nap’.

I’m loving pole dancing more and more each year ! I was really excited to open Bobbi’s Perth & quit my other jobs!!

What are you looking forward to in 2012? 

Who will be crowned Miss Pole Dance Australia next ...?? Renovating my house too!! Another trip to the States I hope!!

*****

Check out posts on the Bobbi's Family below:

Cleo the Hurricane

Maple Loo

Jedda Jordan

Linna Tan

Pole Candy: Linna Tan from Bobbi's Pole Studio - Singapore

In my continued adventures to discover the history of pole dance studios around the world, I recently interviewed Bobbi and Ness of Bobbi's Pole Studio Australia.  They have studios located in Singapore and Malaysia.  We also met Maple from Bobbi'sPole Studio Malaysia.  Today we meet Linna of Bobbi's Pole StudioSingapore.

Do you have a non-pole dance background?

I started as a salsa dancer and instructor before I discovered pole.

When did you first start pole dancing?

I discovered pole about 7 years ago but I will say that I really started pole dancing when I met Bobbi which is about 4 years ago.

What brought you to Australia to train with Bobbi's Pole Studio?

When I started watching pole dance YouTube videos, the only person I could not take my eyes off was Bobbi and Bobbi's teachers.  So naturally, when I wanted to pole-dance like the best in the world, I traveled to train with the best in the world :)

When did you open Bobbi's Pole Studio in Singapore?

March 2010

Do you participate in competitions?  Do you have any titles?

No, I don't participate in competitions because most of the them, I'm organizing them.

What kind of fitness routine do you follow on and off the pole?

Pole-dancing is my fitness routine, it encompasses everything from weight training to cardio, what more do I need? :)

Do you prefer to dance barefoot or in shoes?

Definitely in heels!

What do you use to help you stick to the pole?

Shaving gel and Dry Hands

What trick is your nemesis?

Hmm.. So many... Probably Ayesha with body away from the pole, fell once and could not get over my fear since then..

Tell us something people would be surprised to hear?

Oh dear.. I'm quite boring & typical.. Mmm..  I used to be a Wedding Planner before I became a dance instructor?  I used to plan the Hen's Parties, now I host them :)

What does 2012 hold for you?

Organising the first-ever Miss Pole Dance Southeast Asia 2012!  We also have many other exciting events lined up for the year so looking forward to a very fruitful and exciting year for Bobbi's Singapore :)

Thank you so much for being part of my blog.  If you ever make it to the states, please let me know.  And if I make it to Singapore, I will definitely come find you.  :-)  I would love to meet!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be part of your blog, Lori.  If I ever make it to your part of the world, I will most definitely look you up and please make sure you do the same :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Catch up with other Bobbi's girls below!

Cleo The Hurricane

Jedda Jordan

Rockstar of Pole: Jedda Jordan!

I have been making the rounds through Bobbi's Pole Studio lately.  First we met Bobbi and Vanessa.  Then Cleo the Hurricane and Maple from Bobbi's Malaysia.  Now we have another special treat, this is Jedda Jordan!  I first saw videos of Jedda on YouTube after Shelly Lamb told me I needed to look her up.  WOW!  Totally rockin' style, which I love!  She's coming to California for Ink N Iron so I am really trying to make it to that show!  Welcome our pole sister, Jedda!

I freaking LOVE your motorcycle intro in your Miss Pole Dance Australia NSW Heat 2012 submission. How did you come up with your routine?

I am a HUGE Lady Gaga fan she inspires & influences me in my everyday life! For this particular routine i drew inspiration from the JUDAS film clip with the fleet of motorbikes at the beginning of the clip!

You have a pretty extensive background in dance. How did you get interested in pole dancing?

Pole dancing was introduced to me by a very good friend who hadn't done it but had heard about it. She asked if I would start classes with her. I agreed & I ended up purchasing a gift voucher to Bobbi's Pole Studio for her birthday. We started classes together & I never looked back!
 
 How did you find Bobbi's Pole Studio and when did you decide to become an instructor?

When my friend asked me to start pole classes with her we got straight on the net & Googled pole dancing in our area, only to discover Bobbi's was down the road from where we lived, so it was perfect. After my first term of beginners I was totally hooked & had thought to myself I would love to teach people what Bobbi herself had taught me. Not only the technique & strength but the confidence it gave me. So it was something I decided if was ever to be given an amazing opportunity to teach I would jump at the chance. In about May of 2010 Bobbi asked me if I would join her team of sexy instructors & of course the answer was YES!!!!!!
 

What kind of fitness routine do you follow on and off the pole?

Well there is always a warm up involved around 15 to 20 minutes but I don't really do any other type of training off the pole. I follow a pretty strict regimented diet, walk for an hour 2 - 3 times a week before breakfast & go to a jazz classes a week for cardio and stamina.

Do you prefer to dance barefoot or in shoes?

I prefer to dance in shoes, they are all part of the fun & joy pole dancing brings to me and also because they make my legs look even longer !!!!!! hahahaha
 What do you use to help you stick to the pole?

I like to use a combination of things depending upon the whether I use dry hands, VO5 hairspray (firm or mega hold!), rosin & sometimes mighty grip..... but I try not to use anything when teaching or training to help get stronger.

What trick is your nemesis?

I would love to master the spatchcock!!!

Tell us something people would be surprised to hear?

My beautiful mum makes most of my amazing costumes!!!

What does 2012 hold for you?  

I've been asking myself that very same question, I am a very live in the moment day by day person, but I am trying to focus on training &

entering Miss Pole Dance Australia 2013 & also I'll be at Ink n Iron this year again! I won't be performing in Sin Ally this time but something even more exciting :) 

 Alethea Austin, Jedda Jordan and Karol Helms 

doing Superpain aka The Jedda!

 Jedda and Cleo the Hurricane!

Pole Candy: Maple Loo from Bobbi's Pole Studio - Malaysia

In my continued adventures to discover the history of pole dance studios around the world, I recently interviewed Bobbi and Ness of Bobbi's Pole Studio Australia. They also have studios located in Malaysia and Singapore.  Today we meet Maple of Bobbi's Pole Studio Malaysia.

You have an extensive dance background.  Excluding pole dance, what is your favorite genre of dance? 

My favorite has gotta be street dance. I love hip hop and can totally relate to street dancers best as I myself have never had any formal dance training. Pole dancing is really the only formal training I've ever received!

When did you first start pole dancing? 

Started 2008. I discovered it while watching The May Lee Show on tv one morning and immediately knew it was the ultimate thing I was gonna do moving on from my the local dance scene (Malaysia). I I was also getting fat and miserable (hahahaha) since my dance career took the back seat when my restaurants/resorts business started to expand. Hence desperately needed an outlet.... Something I could do on my own, in my own time and at home.

 What brought you to Australia to train with Bobbi's Pole Studio? 

I've always been a huge fan of Bobbi.....She's the 'Madonna' in the pole world! From the moment I watched Bobbi on youtube I wished I had found her years earlier. And when I finally met her, I wasn't just pole-struck by her amazingly beautiful talent but I had alot of respect for her humility - she was very warm and had a great sense of humor. You see, when I first met Bobbi in Sydney with my training team (now Bobbi's Spore), I never thought I'd end up teaching seriously. In fact it was never something I pictured myself ever doing! I'm not the most patient human being, always preferred to only work with professional dancers and the stage was always my place not the classroom. But then pole is special. Pole dancing is a lifestyle. Everything changed when the golden opportunity came.... More than anything I just wanted to be a part of Bobbi's legacy.

When did you open Bobbi's Pole Studio in Malaysia? 

March 2010. Despite the fast pace, the way things are moving with the studio since we opened, I still sometimes sit in my office in utter disbelief that Bobbi has chosen me to represent her in Malaysia... What an honor.

Do you participate in competitions?

No I don't like competitions but I love doing shows.

What kind of fitness routine do you follow on and off the pole? 

I love Zumba and Dance-type classes at the gym (I really miss the sort of dancing I used to do over the last 20 years so this is the best I can get these days with my schedule). And I do compound exercises for the extra strength-training once a week or whenever I travel and dont get to pole, just so I keep the power:)

Do you prefer to dance barefoot or in shoes? 

Oh gosh I don't think I can dance anymore without heels! And this is also the result of the Bobbi-fication hahahaha

What do you use to help you stick to the pole? 

Shaving gel and tite grip!

 What trick is your nemesis?

I guess it'll have to be this combo - from static V to brass monkey

Tell us something people would be surprised to hear? 

That I'm a Tae-kwon Do black belt with 7 years of training, and a mega fan of martial arts movies. And my only ambition in life was to be a vet.

What does 2012 hold for you?

Bundling more business trips to Perth and Sydney so that i can go train with Bobbi and Kim more often;) Showdown 2012 (3rd season of the street dance reality tv competition in Malaysia which I'm judge); another hotel to open in Singapore; possibly a vacation in Vegas + LA!; very likely a few more doggies!

Pole Girl Up: This is Cleo from Bobbi's Pole Studio!

As we continue learning about our pole sisters from around the world, we welcome Cleo, The Hurricane!  Cleo is Miss Pole Dance Australia 2012 and an instructor at Bobbi's Pole Studio in Sydney.

Do you have a non-pole dance background?

I did ballet and gymnastics as a kid. Quit ballet when I was a teenager coz I hated it and took up the drums and guitar..played music most of my teenage years and in my 20's. Also did Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art) for a few years then took up pole when I was 27..

When did you first start pole dancing?

In 2007 

How did you find Bobbi's Pole Studio?

Since the beginning of my pole life I've always been a fan of Bobbi.. I found her on youtube and would always look at her videos as well as her teachers. I just thought they were in a league of their own and dreamed to be one of them!!! I had a private with Bobbi before my first competition and surprisingly I got through to the finals that year. After the competition I emailed her saying how much of an amazing experience it was and how awesome I thought the Bobbi's girls were and that I'd love to come to Sydney to train with them and she offered me a job shortly after that. I was so shocked.. I said Yes straight away, packed up my life and moved to sydney. Have not looked back since!

You won Miss Pole Dance Australia for 2012.  I'm a rock chick and looooooooooooved your music choice.  Your costume was off the hook as well.  How do you prepare for competitions?

My music and theme are very important to me. I always try to use epic songs and build a theme based on a song. But it always changes, the song may change or the costume might develop into something totally different. This 'lightning bolt' theme started off as a Kiss theme, I wanted to use 'god of thunder' and have a Kiss inspired costume in black and silver with lightning bolts. Then I found out that someone else was doing Kiss for the same competition so I changed my music and altered the costume design to make it a more futuristic theme. As far as training I start working on tricks and combinations about 2 months prior, probably about 2 days a week and then another day on chorey. I would think about it all the time, go through combos in my head, go to sleep and dream about it... to be honest I probably think more about it than actually doing it.. Some of my training sessions I just listen to the song over and over again and do the tricks with my hands.. and maybe bust out a couple combos on the pole to see if it goes with the music. I probably only do the routine in full maybe twice before a comp. In saying all this I teach advanced classes at Bobbi's and we are always working on new stuff and I'm always teaching them new tricks/combo ideas..



Do you prefer competitions or showcases?

Definitely showcases. But I like the lead up to a comp, the excitement, the training, the planning.. the day of a comp is very stressful.

What kind of fitness routine do you follow on and off the pole?

I teach pole approx 15-20 hours a week and do shows regularly. Off the pole I don't do anything else really. 100% pole for fitness.

Do you prefer to dance barefoot or in shoes?

Definitely shoes. MASSIVE SEXY STRIPPER HEELS to be exact.

What do you use to help you stick to the pole?

Shaving cream, hair spray, dry hands, mighty grip.. whatever is there I guess!

What trick is your nemesis?

Anything that requires back flexibility

What are your favorite songs to dance to right now?

Anything by Steel Panther because they fuckin rock

 Tell us something people would be surprised to hear?

I was born in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and moved to Australia when I was 11.

What does 2012 hold for you?

World finals, touring the states and Brazil. I also have a new boyfriend after 3 years of being single so that will be fun!

Thank you so much for being part of my blog.  If you ever make it to the states, please let me know.  I would love to meet you!  Likewise, if I ever make it to Australia, I will be looking you up.  :-)

I'll be there in May and June! xx

Pioneers of Pole: Bobbi's Pole Studio!

I recently started researching the History of Pole Dance to do a post for The Pole Dancing Shop.   While the history for the United States and Canada came up fairly easily, I was having a harder time finding out when pole dancing started moving mainstream in the rest of the world (maybe since I'm in the U.S., the Internet thought I didn't need to know about any other areas of the World?).  I then saw that Bobbi of Bobbi's Pole Studio was named United Pole Artist's Pro-Poler of the year.  I also saw an article from Australia about how Bobbi built her pole dancing empire.  So I started doing some research.  Of course, I'd heard the name before:  I had heard people say that Felix Cane had danced at Bobbi's Pole Studio.  And, of course Bobbi must be a Pioneer of Pole for Australia.  So I decided that it was time to just go to the source...

Today we have the co-owners of Bobbi's Pole Studio, Bobbi and Vanessa ("Ness"), with us [check out their profiles HERE].  Bobbi's was first opened in Sydney, Australia in 2004 (now with three locations in Australia, one in Malaysia and one in Singapore).

You are pioneers of bringing pole dance to the masses.  What made you decide to open your first studio?

Ness:  I met Bobbi learning pole dancing in a strip club (for non strippers) and we stayed in contact. A lot of the girls from the original Strip club classes new that we were doing some projects together (DVD, coffee table book) and kept asking when we would open a school. In 2004 we opened “Sydney Pole Dancing School” (with 2 poles) in a “massage” parlor in Pitt St. 

Eight weeks later with over a 100 students we moved to a new studio in Castlereagh St. and renamed it Bobbi’s Pole Studio (just in case we ever have another studio somewhere else, yeah right!)

In 2005 Miss Pole Dance Australia was born and Bobbi’s sister Kim opened a studio in Perth. Bobbi’s Babes started to handle all the bookings we were getting for Pole Dancers and Miss Pole Dance Australia just got bigger and bigger.

In 2010 we opened Bobbi’s Pole Studio Malaysia and Bobbi’s Pole Studio Singapore.

How did you choose Singapore and Malaysia as additional locations?

It was the people more than the countries, Linna and Jasmine (Singapore) and Maple (Malaysia) came over for a few weeks for private lessons with Bobbi and their ability and personalities just made it a good match to join the Bobbi's family

How do you feel about pole dancing going mainstream?

It's great that it's finally being accepted for what it is, 8 years ago we were having a lot of attitude from the press/sponsors of competitions, etc. But I kind of miss the "undergroundness" of it, I guess. It was exciting to be around when it was still surprising people.

What was your background in both pole dance and other classical forms of dance?

Ness:  Bobbi's trained extensively in many forms of dance, I'm more the business side of the business.

Who are other pole pioneers that you admire?

Pantera and Fawnia Dietrich are the originals.

The new school of pioneers are Felix Cane, Alethea Austin and Jenyne Butterfly.

My favorite Bobbi's-taught pro competitor is Felix Cane.  Who are other famous Bobbi's dancers?

Allegra, Cleo. Maple from Malaysia and Sparx are famous in their own right with pole dancing part of that famousness but probably Allegra and Cleo.

How did Miss Pole Dance Australia come about?

A guy from the Netherlands contacted us to put on the Australian chapter of his Miss Pole Dance competition and we agreed. We had a  rocky relationship with him and we didn't end up being part of his larger competition but Miss Pole Dance Australia was born and we never looked
back

Tell us one thing about each of you you that people might be surprised to hear.

One thing that people might be surprised to hear? That's hard...I'm a bit
obsessed with survival skills (Ness) and Bobbi speaks fluent Japanese.

What does 2012 hold for each of you and Bobbi's Pole Studio?

The revamp of the Old and The Flexible on Bobbi TV, possibly another Inner Showgirl competition.

Thank you both so much for participating in my blog.  In my wildest dreams, I will get to make a trip over to Australia to take a class with you someday!  Much love to you both!

One of my favorite pole bloggers: CHWENNY!

I'm like a little kid on Christmas.  I've been asking pole dancers -- famous or not -- and studio owners to respond to my little questionnaire and have received an amazing response.  I have a bunch of great stories to share with you.  I don't want to overload everyone but I am so excited to share each one for a different reason.  

This person is special to me because she listed me as one of her top ten blogs!  I love her blog too!  Plus, she spurred me into creating my own blogroll so we can continue creating our happy circle of pole dancers.

This is CHWENNY!

What is your fitness routine (on and off the pole)?
I take regular classes at Bobbi's Pole Studio 2 - 3 times a week, and besides that also I have a yoga membership so I go for either Hatha, Vinyasa, or Core classes once or twice a week. Yesterday I also went for my second-ever jog at the running track near my office. I don't quite have enough stamina to call it running, but considering how much I've always detested it since I was in school, it's ironic that I've actually started!

What kind of diet do you follow?
Mostly, the crazy PMS-cravings diet. I have a sweet tooth so I consume frequent amounts of cookies, cake, chocolate, ice-cream, and pastries of all sorts. Sometimes just before I go to bed... sigh! But I also love my greens and don't eat pork or red meat.

Do you have a dance background?
Not unless you count those 8 adult ballet classes I took back in 1998... nah, I don't either.

Do you compete (pole fitness or any other kind of fitness competitions)?
No, I'm still too freaked out at the prospect right now! :P

Do you teach pole classes?  If so, where?
Heavens, no. It'll be some time before I'm good enough to even think about it!

Do you have a preference? "pole fitness" or "pole dancing"
Pole dancing, for sure! I find it's the dance part that makes it so fun.

What do you think about the stripper vs. pole fitness debate?
I personally think it's more of a big deal in America, probably because there's a long history of strip club culture and pole dancing is a feature in them. Here in Singapore, pole dance culture is still quite new and is seen more as an emerging form of dance/fitness, which you would have to learn in a professional studio. Plus, the escort bars here seldom feature poles in them. And even if they do, the girls don't perform tricks or use them quite the same way.

That said, I'd love to be able to watch some hot, talented strippers work their poles well! Unfortunately the one and only time I briefly went to a strip club was with my husband and a couple of friends on holiday in Hawaii. But the place was small and pretty dive and none of the girls did any pole tricks :(

What is your favorite product to help you stick to the pole?
At Bobbi's Pole Studio where I take classes, we use shaving gel! And they sell Dry Hands, so everyone uses that.

How do you deal with the dry skin on pole days (and on off-pole days)?
I try and remember to apply hand lotion after class, but the humidity in Singapore is always so high that I hardly use moisturizer on my face, let alone on my body! I don't sleep in air-conditioning so I think it helps.

Where do you like to buy your pole clothes?
There's a market called Bugis street near the studio that has hundreds of little stalls selling cheap clothing, swimwear, lingerie, and accessories. You can get little shorts and midriff tops for $10 Sgd (around $8 Usd) in all colours. I also like to buy swim-short bottoms cos they make perfect pole shorts.

Do you like to dance in heels or barefoot?
Heels, cos they add a nice little swagger in the hips.

What is your favorite thing about dancing on the pole?
The feeling of floating in mid-air, even if it's just for a moment.

What is your favorite song to dance to (at this moment)?
I'm No Good, by Amy Winehouse. Cos it's a rocking song, and I miss her!

What else would you like people to know about you or your studio(s)?
Well I initially started my blog www.chwennyland.com just as a fun personal experiment and a non-committal way to find my writing voice again, but it's slowly grown into a great platform to meet other wonderful pole bloggers, (like yourself!) connect with other pole enthusiasts, and hopefully inspire some would-be pole students. And I'm lovin' it!

Oh, and I'm addicted to false eyelashes! LoL, for real!

*****

As she mentioned, Chwenny dances at Bobbi's Pole Studio 

(I believe in Singapore) and also writes about pole dancing on her blog.  Please check it out!

Note from Lori:  I love false eyelashes too!!!!  :-D