This blog blossomed in 2010 to chronicle my adventures in pole dance after weight loss surgery. Although I am pole dancing less these days, I still hike and do yoga. I sometimes still have to remind myself that the size of my body doesn't dictate my worth. I believe living a life full of gratitude and joy helps lead to a true mind, body and spirit connection. You have the power to manifest your best life!
I subject everyone else to my questions so I thought I would answer them too. :-)
How long have you been pole dancing?
I just passed the two year mark at Twirly Girls! I first tried a class at S Factor about three years ago but the distance was too far to travel on a weekly basis so I didn't start dancing on a regular basis until I found Twirly Girls in December 2009.
What first drew you to try it?
My first introduction to pole dancing for fitness was when OC Pole Fitness friended me on MYSPACE maybe four or five years ago (I canceled my MySpace account at least two years ago, and I was on there for awhile so I'm guessing it was over four years ago). I was intrigued but they were in Southern California (and I'm in Northern California), so I couldn't try it out. I then heard some girls from S Factor on the radio in San Francisco and decided it was something I wanted to try.
Where do you take classes?
Twirly Girls Pole Fitness in Pleasanton, California.
Do you have a pole at home?
I do although I don't have it up right now. It's in my front room and sometimes it gets too crowded. :-/
How often do you pole?
Currently, I am training to teach so I'm scheduled to be at the studio four days a week!
What else do you do to keep your body in shape to pole?
I'm using pilates reformer to work on strengthening my core. I am also doing the Twirly Tuff conditioning program twice a week. I need a little more cardio and should get a jog in there at least once a week but I'm lazy. I also try to hit yoga at least twice a week.
Do you like to dance in shoes or barefoot?
I have shoe envy. I love how shoes look but I can't walk in them very well so I look more natural when I dance barefoot.
How do you deal with dry skin on pole days and on off-pole days?
Many dancers have suggested a couple of the Vaseline lotions (I use Vaseline Total Moisture as suggested by Natasha Wang). I have psoriasis on my elbows (its an autoimmune disease that causes skin to grow faster than normal in certain places, which leaves ugly dead skin). Skipping lotion on pole days just bums me out because then I feel all scaly and nasty. If I am putting lotion on in the morning and not poling until night time, I will put a tiny bit of the Vaseline lotion on my elbows. I will also put face lotion on but won't put lotion on any other part of my body. If I am poling in the morning, I just go without and suffer. My dry skin issue is the reason I ask everyone this question. :-)
What is your favorite product to help you stick to the pole?
I use Mighty Grip on occasion but usually try to just stick myself to the pole. I often use Dr. Bronner's soap in the shower to kind of give my skin a little stick without anything else.
Where do you buy your pole clothes?
I have a pair of Pole Skivvies shorts. I also have some Capezio dance shorts. For the most part, I just wear my Twirly Girls shirts and regular old sports bras.
What is your favorite song to dance to right now?
No favorite right now. I'm feeling a little discouraged because I felt like in December I was dancing so much better than I am in January. So when I'm in one of "those" moods, I have no favorite songs. :-)
How do you feel like pole has improved or changed your life?
Bel and Twiry Girls have completely changed my life. Even though my weight is higher than I'd like it to be, I can't imagine how much higher it would be if I didn't have pole in my life. I can't wait for Twirly Tuff to transform me so I can unveil the BODY THAT POLE BUILT. So many doors are being opened for me right now. It's a little surreal. I am very excited about the opportunities being presented to me through pole dancing and writing this blog. My blog is very close to 50,000 views. Thank you to every single person who has taken the time to read my posts. Pole Dancers Unite! You all rock my socks off!
Three months into pole dancing (Approx. January 2010)
Two years into pole dancing (Approx. September 2011)
So almost a month ago, I took the 30 day blogging challenge. The challenge was to actually have decent content every single day. I tried very hard not to make any of my interviews a qualifying blog, although I did end up doing it once on a super busy day. I know that some days, I do over-share by putting up multiple posts (usually when I have good interviews I really want to post). I also often skip weekends since most of my "clicks" seem to come on week days. For the most part, I only like to post things when I actually have things to post. So while the challenge was nice, I'm not sure I would take it again. Like I warned on my very first day of blogging, some days I might have a bunch of posts and some days I might have none. I like the freedom of that choice. Feeling like I HAD to post to meet some challenge was not really my style. So I have one more day of "forced" blogging...then its back to randomness as usual! See you tomorrow!
Welcome to our circle, another pole sister from Facebook: NAOMI!
How long have you been pole dancing?
I started pole in July 2009. I took break at the end of 2010 for a bit over 6 months and got back into it again in May 2011.
What first drew you to try it?
It was one of those things that I thought would be fun to just have a go at – but not having a dance background or being at all sporty I never really had the gumption.
I saw a doco on TV in early 2009, “Best Undressed” about the 2008 Miss Nude Australia pageant and thought the name of one of the competitors, Miss Suzie Q, sounded familiar.Took a bit for the penny to drop that I had been going past signs for ‘Suzie Q Pole Studio’ for months, as it was only minutes from my house.With a studio only minutes from my house, how could I not give it a go?The rest is history!
Yes – the spare bedroom is now the ‘pole room’.We invested in a sofa bed for the spare room so that I could have the space for my pole!
How often do you pole?
Twice a week with lessons and then I try to get on the pole a couple of times a week at home also.If I have a comp or performance coming up I might end up poling every day.
What else do you do to keep your body in shape to pole?
Not enough!!There just never seems to be enough time in the day.I have committed to myself in the new year that I get to the gym to improve my overall fitness and strength – I’m getting to a point in my poling that my overall fitness is going to hinder my progression.
I’ve also started taking some casual jazz ballet classes at Sydney Dance Company to help with my overall dance technique.
Do you like to dance in shoes or barefoot?
Mostly bare foot, although I am trying to train myself to dance in shoes too.I have a couple of pairs of fabulous ‘stripper’ shoes but just haven’t trained enough in them to perform wearing shoes (yet!).
I need to get comfortable in shoes so that I can rock out my new ‘Glitter Heels’ – I am on love with my Glitter Heels!
How do you deal with dry skin on pole days and on off-pole days?
I don’t tend to have too many issues with dry skin.I just use whatever moisturise might be in the house on off-pole days.On pole days, if my skin looks particularly scaly (sometimes my shins just look a bit dry!) I use Pole Physics lotion; you can’t use it immediately before poling, you do need to apply a couple of hours out, but it doesn’t leave you greasy or slippery.
What is your favorite product to help you stick to the pole?
Dry Hands!I get really sweaty hands and this is what works for me.I even put a bit on inner thighs & other key grip points on my legs to keep the slipperiness at bay!
Sometimes if I am on a brass pole I will use a bit of shaving foam on my legs for just a little ‘tack’.
Where do you buy your pole clothes?
All over the place.At the moment loving Cotton On (Aussie chain store) yoga shorts – they are the exact right length for pole and are high enough in the waist that I don’t end up flashing!I also really like 007 Heaven skorts – so cute!
What is your favorite song to dance to right now?
I don’t have a particular favourite; if I’m just mucking around at home, I just whack the iPod on shuffle and see what comes out.
How do you feel like pole has improved or changed your life?
I am far more confident in myself and my body – if two years ago someone had said that I would be OK with getting up on stage in front of a couple of hundred people in my bra & undies, I would have laughed at them!
My fitness is the best it’s been in my entire life – it’s very true what they say about finding exercise that you to do!I can hang upside down from one leg – for someone that has never in their lives been sporty or particularly fit, that’s really cool!
AND… Pole also keeps me sane.My job can be pretty high pressure and high stress; when I am in class my mind is on what I am doing and that’s it.Any work or other nonsense just doesn’t have a place in my head for that hour.Without pole I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am!
Joel was probably the first non-pro "man on the pole" that I saw hanging around YouTube and Facebook. Here is his story!
"Men on the Pole" has become a popular subject. How did you get interested in pole dancing/aerial arts?
Like so many others, I fell in love with pole dance on You-Tube. After many months of commenting on others routines, I uploaded a skit to You-Tube in which I joked about building a pole in the basement. I think I knew all along that I was going to build that pole for real. It was a genuine case of "life imitating art"--the skit became reality. That video is still up on my channel: Poledancefan's Wife Lays Down the Law.
What is your fitness background?
My first love has always been bike riding. I don't like cold weather riding, but from the months April to October, I ride almost every day. I have a few standard rides, including from my house to the Navy Pier Beer Garden for live music (34 miles roundtrip), the Prairie Path system, the Brookfield Zoo/Salt Creek Trail (25 miles roundtrip). I go to the the local LA Fitness for treadmilling and weight machines. At home I have a real mish-mash of rubber bands, therapy bands, a pull-up bar, and hand squeezers. I really like the Fitness Model "Zuzanna" of Charley James Fitness Channel and I sometimes follow along with her videos. Much of her material can be done on the floor or a mat with no equipment. My favorite floor exercise in the slow, twisty sit up. Just lie down completely stretched out, hands over head. Then sit-up slowly, hands still extended and bring your straight arms over to your left side on the ground. Then repeat, going to the OTHER side. It seems like a joke until you get to number 30! Don't weight down your feet--you see, the idea is to sit up S L O W L Y so your feet don't jerk up into the air. It forces you to avoid "momentum" and build core.
What aerial arts do you participate in besides pole dance?
I should say that Aerial is my ONLY activity now, because I lost my pole practice area to my son's return from college. Chicago still has no regularly offered pole classes for men. It's been a real source of frustration for me. Aerial classes, however, are co-ed and it's the ONLY outlet for me right now until some pole studio decides to allow men in class on a regular basis.
I take beginner's Aerial at the Actor's Gymnasium in Evanston, Illinois. That's right by Northwestern University. My instructor, Jill Heyser, is wonderful. She's an engineer, amateur astronomer, and talented theatre and performing artist. We work on trapeze, Spanish Web (which is a rope made of fire hose and stuffed with a soft fill and rigged with a leather loop and hand/foot harness for twirling), Lyra (aerial hoop), and the Silks (knotted or open).
It's been a real struggle for me. I am the only male in the class, the oldest, the least flexible, and the heaviest. But I have enjoyed every minute of it--including the chance to overcome my fears and my self doubt. At this point in my life--and given some of the distractions I have going on right now--I know that I probably won't excel in these things, but I have made a progress each session.
The best part of Aerial has been making new friends. One of my classmates, Amy, recognized me from a pole jam several years ago and was instrumental in encouraging me to keep returning to class when I got very discouraged. A few of us have lunch every Saturday after class, so there is a real social component to it also.
What is your fitness routine (on and off the pole/silks/lyra, etc.)?
Most days I go to the Health Club. But when I am busy at home, I have all of these little tricks to stay active. One day I took 50 pennies out of the penny jar, threw them down the basement stairs , and resolved to get each one back in the jar within 24 hours, one at a time. My chores and laundry got about 25 of them back up the stairs, but later that night I was sprinting up the stairs, one penny at a time!!! One day I stole (my wife) Laurie's egg timer and kept setting it to 30 minute intervals and did a floor exercise every time it beeped! A few days later she called me at work because she was baking a cake and couldn't find her timer!!!!
What kind of diet do you follow?
I eat mostly chicken and turkey for meat. I don't eat pork or shellfish at all--I gave them up in memory of Bob Marley's death in 1981. It's a long story-- I was a big fan! I do like beef and steak--I certainly won't turn down a hamburger or a steak on the grill if Laurie offers to cook them. But I avoid red meat during the week. My most common lunch meal is the Chicken Ceaser Salad or some variation at Panera's Deli. I would describe my wife as a typical all American cook, which means we are as likely to be eating Taco's as Curry Chicken, Spaghetti, or Pot Roast for dinner.
How do you describe your pole/aerial style?
"Beginner." I don't really dance, so I practice it more as a sport or an athletic activity.
Have you participated in any competitions? Do you have any title(s)?
No.
Where do you train? Do you have your own studio? Do you have a pole at home?
Right now, my basement pole room is "in flux." My son is finishing his college studies at home, so he lives down there next to the workout room. We have an "uneasy truce" and share that space for right now, so the pole is a bit lonely!
Do you have sponsors you'd like to acknowledge? (If applicable.)
I guess right now, my aerial inspiration has been my friend Amy. I had a real "crisis of pole" when I saw that circumstances in my life would make continuing to pole dance impossible for the time-being. When I first came to aerial class, I decided 15 minutes into class I was never coming back. It was too difficult! Well, she had a different idea about that and somehow talked me into sticking to it. I am very grateful to her for the faith she had in me.
What did you do before competing and/or opening your pole studio? (If applicable.)
I am still working as a nursing home inspector for the State of Illinois. It's a field job, I'm out in my car every day and not tied to a desk. I do everything from reviewing medical charts to chasing bed-bugs into a zip lock bag--there's never a dull moment! It's not glamorous or high paying, but it's a steady gig with a pension and lots of people contact. The elderly population is great to work with and I enjoy the time I spend at work with them.
I do think it would be fun to open a mixed apparatus aerial studio one day. I would love to see a studio appeal to men by adding the rock climbing and rappelling elements to aerial and to pole. We could get men into studios if there were multi-disciplinary elements in the class. In fact, I think it would be awesome for a Marine or a Special Forces soldier to come to a studio with some gear and teach some rope climbing skills as an adjunct to what we do. I hope someone steals this idea--seriously!!
What is your favorite song to dance to (at this moment)?
I am a big Reggae fan and I just play stuff in the background. I can't say I really dance. I am very open minded when it comes to music----and now that I hang out with so many aerialists from Wisconsin who come to class here, I have even listened to a little bit of Industrial music!
Do you have any other upcoming events/competitions you'd like people to know about?
YES! I want to put in a word for Meagan Evanoff's and Diana Sekura's production Company "Ascend Pole Productions" which is planning a January Showcase in Chicago. And also, Crystal Harris and her Michigan Pole Dance Organization, which is planning a Spring showcase the weekend of March 24th in 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. I will be at both events..and....well, I have enough information about two of the acts that are going to be at each event to tell you NOT TO MISS IT!!
What else would you like people to know about you and/or your studio?
The pole community has changed my life for the better. I relish the social contacts it has brought, the pure beauty of this form of dance, the wonderfully off-beat nature of its adherents and fans. I've always been a bit off the beaten path and with pole I feel like I have come home!
We will be looking for performers, sponsors and donors for the raffle! Start thinking about it now. And if you have a studio, join us in a Day of Giving the Gift of Pole!
And here's me throwing this out to the universe with the hopes that someone will see it and be interested....any PROS interested in starring in our showcase?!:-D
If you haven't heard about my aerial silks adventures, start HERE.
We just finished our second month of aerial silks. Although I feel a bit stronger, I am still having a hard time because I can't lift myself up and it hurts to put so much pressure on such tiny parts of your body (like doing a foot lock on your foot). Although I was a bit frustrated with my progress (or lack thereof), Sarah was always so positive and encouraging. After Bel asked me about teaching the burlesque class, I decided I would take a break from silks. If I am going to start coming in a couple of extra days each week to learn how to teach, then I don't want to continue getting home so late on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, I've been doing pole from 6 to 7:30, then silks from 7:30 to 8:45. After chatting with people, I don't get out of there until 9 or later, then am not home until close to 10. I have to go straight to bed to get up for pilates reformer on Thursday mornings. I also pole Saturday mornings. And the new plan is to come to the studio on Mondays and Tuesdays to train. Plus, with Twirly Tuff starting, we'll be doing that Tuesdays and Saturdays. Lots and lots of Twirly Girls time! I haven't given up the aerial silks dream...but I do want to lose some weight and gain a little more strength before I start again. I need to be able to invert on the pole comfortably first. I want to thank Sarah for being a great teacher! I will miss class and am looking forward to when I'll be ready to start again!
