NCPP 2016 Wrap-Up

The third annual Northern California Pole Presentational is in the books.  We did it!

In year one, we worried.  We planned but we worried.  Would everyone want to participate in another pole event?  Turns out, we had nothing to worry about. 

In year two, we knew we were fine.  This wasn't our first rodeo.  We knew what to expect, and we had another amazing year.  I even got to watch a good portion of the show!

Year three finally provided us with a challenge.  It wasn't anything we couldn't handle.  Shirts bearing our awesome brand new logo came in two days before show time with damage.  Damn.  No problem -- discounted shirts for everyone!  New staff at the venue (who did a great job but sometimes when I'm stressed out, I forget people can't read my mind).  A checkerboard floor at the venue only the day before the show -- very cool if you planned your outfit around it, but not if you were wearing black and white yourself.  Parking issues.  Injuries.  But we did it.  A fantastic year and another group of awesome pole dancers successfully crossing our stage!

Ellen and I were discussing how we both really have no idea what the other person does.  We literally could not run this show without the other person.  We have a very easy working relationship.  We rarely disagree and it makes me extremely happy to have someone I can depend on working on this show with me. 

I don't have much to say other than thank you.  Thank you to the dancers, who make this event possible.  There would be no reason to do this if you were not hungry for an event such as ours.  THANK YOU to Chobi!  Seriously!  He travels from Los Angeles and rigs our poles to keep our dancers safe.  He keeps an eye on everyone during the event.  He has a sharp eye, will not hesitate to act as security when necessary, and offers hugs when he knows they are needed.  We could not do this without Chobi.  Thank you to our vendors who come out to support us and haul their wares to sell.  Thank you to our sponsors for supporting us and keeping this show affordable for their students.  Thank you to our volunteers for helping us out all day.  Thank you to Robert for always letting us borrow his stage poles for the warm-up area -- and for basically being our assistant all day last Saturday.  Thank you to Janet and Ginger for keeping the backstage in order and our dancers in line.  Thank you to Kai, Miles and Tiffers for standing in the back of the theater for the entire day taking photos and video.  Thank you to our lovely judges, who travel and give up their day to give feedback to our performers.  Thank you to Amy Bond for trusting me with her idea and letting me run with it.  Thank you to Rita for always helping with our interwebs questions.  Thank you to our audience for supporting local arts.  Thank you to Jonathan, our stage and sound person from the venue, who did that event on two hours of sleep.  Also, thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated my birthday after the event.  As I suspected might happen, after waking up at 4:30 AM and being on my feet all day, the party didn't get all that wild.  We ate dinner at a jazz bar, which had children present, so no lap dances were in the cards that evening.  I was also ready for bed at 8:30 PM.  Sometimes, it is the thought that counts, and I do hope downtown San Jose enjoyed the ass signing that I received in the middle of the sidewalk.  Finally, thank you to my pole mama, Bel, for introducing me to this beautiful world.  Unfortunately, I am sure I have forgotten someone (which is generally why I hate mass thank-you's, but please know that I appreciate everyone who touched this show). 

I am looking forward to year four, and I hope you are too!  (P.S.  If you missed out on one of the new shirts and you would like one, please send me a message.  We can ship!)

The Third Annual Northern California Pole Presentational

We are four days away from the THIRD annual Northern California Pole Presentational.  The third!  If you had asked me four years ago, after Amy brought this idea to me, whether we would still be doing this today, I don't know what I would have said.  (I feel like my wrap-up from 2014 actually still embodies how I feel about the whole experience.  You can read that HERE.) 

I don't need to sell NCPP to you.  If you are reading this, you probably already know what it is and you are either dancing, volunteering or planning to attend.  For that, I thank you.  This show has completely taken on a life of its own.   Every year, we grow -- all thanks to the Northern California dancers who come out to support local dance (and shout out this year to those coming from Florida, Los Angeles and Las Vegas -- we love you too!).  We do very little marketing or promotion because we have a full theater every year. 

When I started this blog, I called myself the self-proclaimed Northern California pole dance ambassador.  I get that businesses are supposed to compete with each other, but I wanted the pole industry to be different.  Pole studios are not cheap or easy to run, so there is no danger of one popping up on every corner.  Therefore, studios in the Bay Area are free to band together and support each other (I am extremely happy that there is now a monthly instructor jam hosted by different studios).  I appreciate that most studio owners are supportive of this business model. 

I have been pole dancing for almost seven years.  I did take a fairly long break last year after getting my new job, but I am ecstatic to be back.  I don't consider myself a super "artsy" type but I love using dance to let out my emotions.  I am so insanely proud of this show and all of the dancers who are performing.  It takes a lot of guts to get up on stage and bare your soul to the world. 

I am also eternally grateful for Ellen.  This show wouldn't have happened without her.  It is rare to find someone you can work this closely with and still like as a friend at the end of the day.  I feel like we have a pretty amazing partnership. 

Sorry for getting all sappy on everyone, but planning for this show begins a year in advance and we spend the months leading up to the show giving up evenings and weekends to make sure everything is planned perfectly.  I am looking forward to Saturday and cannot wait to see what you dancers are bringing this year!

Don't have your tickets yet?  Don't pay more at the door!  Tickets on show day -- if we haven't sold out -- will be $40 CASH ONLY.  So, do yourself a favor and pick up your tickets beforehand:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2567041

Also -- FINALLY -- this year we will have shirts.  And if you are a Pat the Bear hater, we have a new design thanks to Seanmichael.  Bring your dolla dolla bills y'all.  There will be plenty of great shopping in the lobby and courtyard! 

See you on Saturday! 

Confessions of a Pole Show Producer: NCPP 2014 Wrap-Up

Wow.  I could literally just say that, drop the mic and walk away.  The best way to describe my experience with producing NCPP is: WOW!  From start to finish, I had no idea what to expect!  This adventure started over a year ago, when Amy Bond first brought the idea to me.  (You can read up on some of that HERE.)  Shit got real when Ellen stepped in, secured a location and we actually opened up the website for sign-ups in March.

Looks like a pole move to me!

I don't really know what I expected to happen.  We planned.  We planned again.  And then we planned some more.  (You can read my one-week-ago update HERE.)  And while I stressed myself out for months prior to the show by using most of my lunches, and after-work hours preparing, once it came time to set-up, I felt nothing.  Just peace.  It was the calm before the storm, I told myself.  I was certain I wouldn't sleep Friday night and even more certain I would be a ball of nerves on Saturday -- show day.  Nope.  Still all good.  I went down to Ellen's on Thursday night to organize things.  We spent Friday picking up water and supplies.  Then we got a call that Chobi, the amazing rigger from Los Angeles, was at the venue and ready to set up.  Little did we know, once we arrived, he had actually arrived two hours earlier and was *completely* set up. 

I worried I hadn't secured enough goodies for backstage.  Then I heard someone excitedly talk about the gifts we had set out.  I worried I messed up the music and maybe forgot a song or made the playlist too confusing to understand.  But, nope.  The music tech, David, commented that the playlist was one of the most organized he had ever seen.  I worried that I had nothing to worry about.  Then I worried that I was going to cause something to happen by making myself worry about nothing.  My exterior was completely calm.  Whatever happens happens, I told myself.  The day was here and we had done everything we could to make it a great event.

There was a moment when I went to run up the stairs to the sound booth and I saw my grandfather in a dark corner of the audience.  He passed away years ago and I have been told by more than one medium that he is my guardian angel.  It almost stopped me in my tracks.   He looked young and happy.  It brought tears to my eyes.  As I continued up the stairs, I realized it was actually my friend's husband sitting in the shadows.  That moment was short but it brought me even more peace.  I knew that I didn't need to worry because we had done everything possible to make the event perfect and it was going to be a great day. 

And a great event it was.  We have received tons of feedback -- almost all positive.  Most have said this was the smoothest, most positive event they had ever been a part of.  You don't know how much that means to us.  This is EXACTLY what I wanted.  If you want the pressure of competing, there are many avenues for you.  However, if you'd like to get on a big stage, with lights and music and 200 of your closest friends watching, there are not always a ton of opportunities.  I am tickled at how awesome the day was. 

Ellen and I have so many people to thank.  We thank all of the dancers (we had about 65 performances throughout the day).  We thank all of the studios in the Bay Area (and out of the Bay Area, since Southern California, Nevada and Colorado were also represented).  With the exception of perhaps two studios, everyone had a dancer representing them.  We thank the audience members who came to support the local pole community.  We thank our judges, as most traveled from out of the area.  We triple thank our volunteers, who were so amazing and jumped in to help any time we needed it.  We thank our sponsors, and our vendors, who were selling fun things in the lobby.  We thank the San Jose Stage Company, for trusting us when we were like, "no really, we're just going to put up some big metal poles in your theater and bring a bunch of people."  We thank Chobi for bringing his own rigging and keeping our dancers safe, and for also watching out for us and playing bouncer when necessary.  We thank his son, William, for coming with him and sitting all day as well!  We thank Alloy Images for their amazing photography and videography!  We thank Clif Bar for providing snacks for the backstage.  We thank Girlie Grip and Tite Grip for sending samples for the dancers to try.  We thank Poleitical Clothing, PoleandAerial.com and Girlie Grip for providing pole cleaner outfits.  And we thank PSO for providing guidance for us during the last year.  I also personally want to thank Bel and Twirly Girls for always supporting me.  Even though this event was for all of the Bay Area studios, they are my home studio.  And I especially want to thank Ellen.  NCPP could not have happened without her.  She totally gets my crazy, or at least tolerates it.  And for that, she is owed a million thanks.  I hope I didn't forget anyone.  This is why I hate giving acceptance speeches. 

Here's me not stressing out during the show

I want to go back to the dancers to talk about how special I think each and every one of them is.  I am not a performer.  I dance for Twirly Girl events or at Robert's 1220 events, but I am in no way the-best-performer-ever.  At the end of the day, I know I am safe because I am performing at home.  It takes a ton of guts to put yourself out there in a larger theater like this.  I was so proud of each and every person who took the stage.  I know some were disappointed with their routines but I did not see one bad routine last Saturday.  Thank you for bringing your heart and dancing for us.  Also, thanks for all the cool new music ideas.  I actually wrote my PDBA blog hop this month about NCPP songs.  I was only supposed to pick 10 for the blog hop but I really loved every song submitted to me. 

We received only one piece of negative feedback so far.  It's the damn bear again.  It is kind of funny to me that Pat elicits such a hateful reaction out of some people.  People either love or hate Pat -- there is no in between.  But, Pat is here to stay.  As we say in our FAQ's:  "The bear in our logo is a reference to the California “Bear Flag.”  As our showcase is in Northern California, we thought it would be fun to incorporate that into our logo.  We also want this showcase to be light and fun.  We understand you have many options for competitions, and believe that some polers are hungry to showcase their talents without the pressure of competing. This does not mean that we do not take this showcase seriously, but we believe we can put on a safe show without losing our sense of humor."  Like I said on Facebook, if hating our logo is the only negative thing anyone can come up with, then we're doing it right. 

Thanks to Alloy for catching Ellen and me crying like babies

We received a great write-up from SF Weekly.  I know some people were bummed that stripping is mentioned, but that is what the general public associates pole dancing with.  So, I don't mind the reference.  I am proud, however, that events like NCPP are showing that pole is a legitimate sport and is not just for the strip clubs anymore.  You can read that piece HERE (in fact, I urge you to leave a comment on their page so they can see how many polers there are around the world!).  

The day was surreal.  Sometimes it still feels like it didn't happen.  I feel like there is so much more I could say but I don't want to get too wordy.  So thank you again to everyone who supported us.  I am excited to announce we are already planning the show for 2015.  We are still looking for feedback, so if you would like to leave a comment below, we would love to hear what you thought about NCPP 2014!

NCPP is One Week Away

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I told Amy Bond I was totally down with helping her put on a big pole showcase last year.  We are literally one year from around the date when Amy came to me and we went to the Pole Sport Organization people to ask for help.  We met with them at Pole Expo in Vegas last September to discuss our ideas.

No idea.

Seriously.




Thanks to our butt model, Seanmichael! 
Photo credit: http://www.liquidpulp.com/

I also had no idea how many life changes would be happening.  My job change.  Rob moving.  Not that there's ever going to be a good or better time for big life events, but this past year has been quite a crazy time for an event like this to happen.  This new job is...non-stop.  That's the only way I can describe it.  I love it here, and I especially adore the people, but we work like dogs.  So there's very little down time for me to fit in short phone calls or e-mails.  To research things.  To set up appointments.  I am working.  All.  Day.  Long.  You all look at me funny and say, "Of course you should be working all day.  You're at work.  They are paying you to be there."  But it's hard to explain.  At most places there are slow days where you can play catch-up or work on small projects.  Those days are rare here.  They tried to warn me when I took the job, and they were right.  This is definitely the busiest desk I have EVER supported.  But this is also one of my favorite places I have ever worked.  There is balance in the universe. So the last couple of months have been stressful.  I work at my day job.  On lunches and after work, I do NCPP stuff (who knew all the stuff required to make a show of this calibre happen?!).  I try to keep up my workouts.  I'm still teaching and taking classes at Twirly Girls.  At the end of the day, I'm exhausted.  Don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I definitely have some plans for how I will handle this next year, and it will start with some time off the day job right around the time music is due!

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who are already helping make NCPP a success.  Ellen has been amazing to work with.  And I am so excited that we are only a week away from the largest event I have ever been involved with producing.  I have planned another blog for after the show, but wanted to post this one to tell everyone "thanks for putting up with me."  I know I've been either completely absent from some people and completely psycho on others. 

If you are thinking about coming to the show, please buy tickets in advance.  It will make the check-in process SO much easier if we aren't having to ask our volunteers to collect money from people. 

To all of the dancers still working rabidly on their routines....you are amazing.  Just the fact that you are all ready to leave your heart on the stage is making me all teary.  And you know I don't cry easily!

I am ready to get this party started!!  See you in a week!!

April Blog Hop: Twirly Girls at Pacific Pole Championship

For April's Blog Hop, we are talking about pole competitions.  There sure are enough of them around.  Thanks to the "new" day job, I haven't even updated my list in awhile, which was quickly reaching 10+ pages for only a couple of years worth of events. 

In March, three+ beloved Twirly Girls participated in the Pacific Pole Championships down in Los Angeles, California.  As I have been asked by Vertical Art and Fitness to write about the event, I want to keep this post fairly simple.

I do have some opinions about competitions in general, safety, timing, judging, etc....but feel as an "ambassador," I should probably keep some of the more negative opinions to myself.  There have been some discussions on Facebook about fair judging.  I feel like I am not on a level to comment officially, although I do feel like changes should probably be made, especially after speaking to several judges from various competitions over the last year. 

Anyway, back to my lovelies from Twirly Girls.  PPC spanned two days this year.  Our girl, Alyssa, was participating for the very first time.  She was in the category of Championship -- Level 2 -- Junior.  She competed on Friday.

First, to define the competition category, here it is straight from PPC's website:

The Championship Event: This event is for those dancers wishing to compete with a traditional technical competitive program. Designed to offer competitors the type of experience found at the other major pole competitions, the focus will be on the dancer’s technique, flexibility, artistry and difficulty of tricks. 

Level 2 (Intermediate): This is the appropriate level for intermediate dancers who have the ability to invert safely. In addition to the skills permitted in Level 1, dancers may invert on the pole (hips higher than head), however dancers must maintain three points of contact with the pole while inverted.

Juniors: between the ages of 18-24 on or before the date of the event.

Alyssa took FIRST!  FIRST PLACE!  This was her very first competition and we are SO proud of her.  Check out her performance HERE.  Alyssa received a very sweet compliment from Kelly Yvonne of the Choreography House when she came off stage.  Unfortunately, we were watching United Pole Artists Facebook page, so we got the results as another performer (in another category) was competiting.  Sorry about the silent cheers and the jumping in our seats!! 

Diana was next to compete, but not until Saturday.  Diana competed in PPC last year, so this was her second time participating in this event.  Diana competed in the Entertainment -- Level 3 -- Junior/Senior division. 

The Entertainment Event: This event is focused less on the difficulty of the tricks executed and more on the dancer’s ability to interpret a piece of music to provide a comical or upbeat performance.

Level 3 (Advanced): This is the appropriate level for the more advanced pole dancer who can invert and perform movements such as handsprings or ayashas safely and securely. Dancers at this level may perform any tricks and any inversions.

Seniors: between the ages of 25-39 on or before the date of the event.

Diana did not place in the top three but she did really well, especially after the line-up was changed at the last minute and the person who performed right before her was another person named Diana who also did a zombie-themed routine.  Seriously?!  How does THAT happen??  That would have totally ruined my day but Diana came out and still rocked it.  Check out our Diana's performance HERE. 

Last up from the Twirly Tribe was Sean Michael.  (Side note:  I love this boy.  I take Sean Michael's class at Twirly Girls on Saturdays.  If you are in the area and looking for a good class, give it a try.)  Sean Michael competed Saturday evening.  He was in the Championship -- Level 3 -- Male division.  There were only two competitors in this division.  Their scores were separated by two-tenths of a point.  Sean Michael, unfortunately, placed second.  I felt like the winner had a very "safe" routine.  Sean Michael's routine was strong, original and fun to watch.  Check it out HERE. 

I absolutely must give an honorable mention to Twirly Girls friends Kate Cotruvo (Club Etak) and Tiffany Rose Mockler (Poletential).  We love our Nor Cal Pole Posse.  They both did a great job at the competition!  You can see Kate's competition routines below:

Kate Entertainment Level 3

Kate Championship Level 3

Congrats to all competitors.  By my count, almost 150 people competed that weekend.  I saw a lot of slippery poles and I give props to those who put themselves out there and do this! 

Don't forget, this is a blog hop!  If you want to read other bloggers' takes on pole competitions, click HERE.