Last week I posted a video and wanted to make sure I shared it here as well. This month I'm trying out Cleo's Rock N Pole. I don't have a pole at home but there are still tons of lessons for me! If you want to join me, check out my video below.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Liquid Motion at Kitty Kats Korner
Last weekend, I paid Kitty Kats Korner a visit to take a Liquid Motion doubles workshop. Our instructor was the lovely Danielle Mayzes. Our gracious host, Sandra, who owns Kitty Kats Korner, is also a certified Liquid Motion instructor.
Ginger and I have been dancing together for awhile now. Probably going on two years. She has been a fan of Liquid Motion so often she incorporates that into our routines, but I had never taken any formal classes. I remember being at Pole Convention in 2012 when the ladies of Liquid Motion performed (Jeni Janover Stephanie Skyy, Danielle Mayzes and Danielle Romano). It was mesmerizing. Bodies moving so fluidly, crossing paths without effort. They would come together and move apart and sometimes you didn't know where one person started and the other ended. It was sexy in a very sensual but non-stripper way (not that there's anything with dancing in the "stripper way"). I don't know how to explain it. It was just different. You can view that video HERE.
Anyway, Ginger said Liquid Motion was coming to town, so away we went! Ginger did FOUR workshops on Saturday. FOUR. And they were each 90-120 minutes long. She's a badass. I did my regular class with Ellen in the morning, then came out just for the doubles workshop, which did last two hours. I went straight to a massage (which was actually kind of brutal). I could barely move the next day.
I think the assumption was that most people came with a partner or at least had someone there they knew well enough to bump and grind on and slither around on the ground with (there was one hetero couple who were super sexy to watch). So, of course, the whole reason I was there was to dance with Ginger. But before we even got started, there was a mention of switching partners. We could opt out...but I didn't want to be the sissy baby. So I said, OF COURSE I will dance with other partners! Then I cried a little on the inside.
Now, part of why I love dancing with Ginger is because she doesn't judge me. She doesn't judge my fat. Or my ridiculous sweat (of which there is always a ton). She doesn't care that I can't dance that well. Ginger just accepts me. And not many people do that. So, for me to say, of course I'm cool switching partners, is also me forcing myself further outside of my comfort zone. And that is why I'm there, right?
So, we begin class together. Ginger and I. We warm up. We do some log rolls. But the time comes when we are supposed to switch. I see people pairing up. And I'm like the kid at the playground who doesn't want to get picked last. It was a really unnecessary vulnerable moment for me. I see Brie sitting against the wall. Brie isn't stressed about finding a partner. I have always liked Brie. She has always been nice to me and she exudes confidence. I respect that. So I crawled up...will you be my partner? Brie says yes! Score! But here's where the fear sets in. Will she be disgusted by my sweaty body? We are rolling all over the floor together. But she didn't miss a beat. If it did bug her, she kindly didn't let it show. She's closer to my height, and also has ginormous boobs like mine, so it was a good match. Later, I got brave again and switched to April. Again, slightly closer to my height with boobs. And so I got to fly in some moves that I could have only based before. For the record, April is as freaking strong as an ox. I kept worrying that I was going to squish her but she never failed me. I have to admit, I did drop us once. My chaturanga was not strong!
Anyway, I won't give away the secrets of Liquid Motion but I really did enjoy the class. It was humbling realizing that, even when I feel silly, I can't let go because I'll let my partner down. This was not just about me. It was a great feeling to try dancing with new people but I still prefer dancing with Ginger. We did some breathing and moving in the beginning. We were asked to really pay attention to who was leading and make sure we both took turns. There were a few times when it was clear that one of us initiated a move, but I felt like a good portion of that exercise, I absolutely could not tell who was leading. I think we just are that in tune now.
Danielle was a great instructor. She had a clear curriculum and was open to suggestions as some of us with different body types talked about how to make certain moves work for us (until we realized we were shoulder rolling the wrong way, Brie and I ate a lot of boob). I'm always concerned that a thinner instructor won't understand how my larger body works. But I never felt judged, she was always helpful with suggestions, and was open to listening to us talk about how to make moves work.
I want to thank Sandra and Kitty Kats Korner for opening their home to me once again, and thank you to Danielle for traveling to this coast to teach us how to be liquid! Thank you Jeanette for taking photos! And THANK YOU to Ginger for being you. If you've ever been curious about taking a Liquid Motion workshop, I absolutely recommend it. They can accommodate all levels. And, especially if you are shy and feel awkward being sexy, you should make yourself take one of these workshops!
Ginger and I have been dancing together for awhile now. Probably going on two years. She has been a fan of Liquid Motion so often she incorporates that into our routines, but I had never taken any formal classes. I remember being at Pole Convention in 2012 when the ladies of Liquid Motion performed (Jeni Janover Stephanie Skyy, Danielle Mayzes and Danielle Romano). It was mesmerizing. Bodies moving so fluidly, crossing paths without effort. They would come together and move apart and sometimes you didn't know where one person started and the other ended. It was sexy in a very sensual but non-stripper way (not that there's anything with dancing in the "stripper way"). I don't know how to explain it. It was just different. You can view that video HERE.
Anyway, Ginger said Liquid Motion was coming to town, so away we went! Ginger did FOUR workshops on Saturday. FOUR. And they were each 90-120 minutes long. She's a badass. I did my regular class with Ellen in the morning, then came out just for the doubles workshop, which did last two hours. I went straight to a massage (which was actually kind of brutal). I could barely move the next day.
I think the assumption was that most people came with a partner or at least had someone there they knew well enough to bump and grind on and slither around on the ground with (there was one hetero couple who were super sexy to watch). So, of course, the whole reason I was there was to dance with Ginger. But before we even got started, there was a mention of switching partners. We could opt out...but I didn't want to be the sissy baby. So I said, OF COURSE I will dance with other partners! Then I cried a little on the inside.
Now, part of why I love dancing with Ginger is because she doesn't judge me. She doesn't judge my fat. Or my ridiculous sweat (of which there is always a ton). She doesn't care that I can't dance that well. Ginger just accepts me. And not many people do that. So, for me to say, of course I'm cool switching partners, is also me forcing myself further outside of my comfort zone. And that is why I'm there, right?
So, we begin class together. Ginger and I. We warm up. We do some log rolls. But the time comes when we are supposed to switch. I see people pairing up. And I'm like the kid at the playground who doesn't want to get picked last. It was a really unnecessary vulnerable moment for me. I see Brie sitting against the wall. Brie isn't stressed about finding a partner. I have always liked Brie. She has always been nice to me and she exudes confidence. I respect that. So I crawled up...will you be my partner? Brie says yes! Score! But here's where the fear sets in. Will she be disgusted by my sweaty body? We are rolling all over the floor together. But she didn't miss a beat. If it did bug her, she kindly didn't let it show. She's closer to my height, and also has ginormous boobs like mine, so it was a good match. Later, I got brave again and switched to April. Again, slightly closer to my height with boobs. And so I got to fly in some moves that I could have only based before. For the record, April is as freaking strong as an ox. I kept worrying that I was going to squish her but she never failed me. I have to admit, I did drop us once. My chaturanga was not strong!
Anyway, I won't give away the secrets of Liquid Motion but I really did enjoy the class. It was humbling realizing that, even when I feel silly, I can't let go because I'll let my partner down. This was not just about me. It was a great feeling to try dancing with new people but I still prefer dancing with Ginger. We did some breathing and moving in the beginning. We were asked to really pay attention to who was leading and make sure we both took turns. There were a few times when it was clear that one of us initiated a move, but I felt like a good portion of that exercise, I absolutely could not tell who was leading. I think we just are that in tune now.
Danielle was a great instructor. She had a clear curriculum and was open to suggestions as some of us with different body types talked about how to make certain moves work for us (until we realized we were shoulder rolling the wrong way, Brie and I ate a lot of boob). I'm always concerned that a thinner instructor won't understand how my larger body works. But I never felt judged, she was always helpful with suggestions, and was open to listening to us talk about how to make moves work.
I want to thank Sandra and Kitty Kats Korner for opening their home to me once again, and thank you to Danielle for traveling to this coast to teach us how to be liquid! Thank you Jeanette for taking photos! And THANK YOU to Ginger for being you. If you've ever been curious about taking a Liquid Motion workshop, I absolutely recommend it. They can accommodate all levels. And, especially if you are shy and feel awkward being sexy, you should make yourself take one of these workshops!
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| Don't mind my wild hair and creepy face...it was that kind of workshop! |
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Cowboy's Wild Adventures - a pole show and a bike ride
So, Robert is doing it again...he's going to ride 545 miles over 7 days to raise money for AIDS LifeCycle. We came together last weekend to do a pole fundraiser at Club 1220. It was so much fun! Check out everyone's videos below. I am highlighting mine, as Ellen helped me put it together, and despite not turning around in time so everyone could see my underwear properly, it is my absolute favorite routine to date.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit:
http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/TR/Events/AIDSLifeCycleCenter?px=1258305&pg=personal&fr_id=1770
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit:
http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/TR/Events/AIDSLifeCycleCenter?px=1258305&pg=personal&fr_id=1770
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Twirly Girls on KTVU!
Recently, a KTVU camera crew came to Twirly Girls to film a segment for a show called Bay Area People. One of our students is an intern so she was one of the producers and editors (hope I got that right, Tiff!) of the piece. I am so proud of how it turned out! I mean, I could certainly nitpick my fat face and robot voice, but I really am excited that pole is getting some love on mainstream television. Take a look!
http://www.ktvu.com/clip/11071573/bay-area-people-company-teaches-fitness-with-pole-dancing
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
http://www.ktvu.com/clip/11071573/bay-area-people-company-teaches-fitness-with-pole-dancing
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Confessions turns Five!
It has been five years since I started this crazy adventure called blogging. I am so grateful for all of the fun times I've had thanks to the pole dance world, and appreciate the outlet the blogging provides for me. Enjoy a little slideshow of fun from the past five years!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Negative Self-Talk: Crushing Pole Dancer Dreams Since 2009
This month's blog hop is about five things you should never say to crush a pole dancer's spirit. Well, considering the only person who crushes my spirit is me, I am going to write about five things we shouldn't say to ourselves. I am also giving a shout out to Pole Geek, who already wrote a great post on things you should never say to a plus-sized poler, and who used her last item to talk about negative self-talk.
1. I can't do the same moves as everyone else, so this is pointless. It's true. Not every person can do every move. Some people are stronger. Some more flexible. Some more fluid. That's what makes us all interesting. If we were all doing the same moves in exactly the same way, pole dance (and life) would be boring, and we'd already be done with it. Find something you can do well and build around that. Maybe it is a move -- I can do handstands, which really makes people cheer for me. Maybe you are insanely fluid. I remember a girl coming into class one day and she was saying she dropped out of a show because she could only do pirouettes well and she couldn't pirouette for an entire routine. Maybe not but I get dizzy doing a pirouette, so I find them awesome to watch. I bet she could start with some dizzying pirouettes and go into some other moves easier than she thinks. But do yourself a huge favor and don't compare yourself to the rest of class. We are all good at something!
2. I can only make it to class once a week, so clearly I'm never going to get better at this. Well, while it is certainly true that the more you practice, the better you will most likely become, you have to ask yourself why you started pole dancing in the first place. Are you trying to compete or participate in high level showcases? Then, sure, you should be practicing more often than once a week. Are you exploring a new type of movement and enjoying the benefit of exercise? Then there's nothing wrong with coming to class once a week. I don't know about your class, but my weekly pole class wasn't just about exercising. It was about seeing friends, laughing and enjoying the mental release that comes with closing my eyes and dancing.
3. I'll try pole once I've lost five (ten...twenty...fifty) pounds. If I waited for weight loss to do anything in life, I'd truly never do anything. Get out there and try things now. The best way to get strong for pole dance is to try it (notice I didn't say the best way to lose weight for pole dance...). I have very literally spent my entire life worrying about my weight. Drink Slim Fast, drop 20 pounds in a week. Weight Watchers, yo-yo up and down. Even after gastric bypass, I have been as low as 180 pounds (extremely slim for my frame) and have crept back up to 260 pounds (and have been every weight in between). If I only did fun things during the times that I felt like I was thinner or was at least losing weight, I would have wasted most of my life. I'm over that. I get that there may be physical limitations based on what I weigh (I think zip-lining has a 250 pound limit, but I didn't enjoy zip-lining anyway), but for the most part, if I want to do something, I go do it.
4. I can't wear those tiny shorts. Okay, then don't. But after the first class of sliding around in your yoga pants, you won't be able to wait to get into some shorts. Our very first aerial move (called a sliding prayer) requires a little skin and stick. Pretty much everyone who tells me they don't want to wear the short-shorts is in them by class 2 or 3 (and I would say the majority of them are looking for shorts in the lost and found before their first class is even over). One thing I learned in my class is that no one is looking at me or my cottage cheese thighs. They're all too worried about themselves! So bring your yoga pants but make sure you have some shorts hidden in your bag. Trust me, you'll thank me later!
5. I can't pole dance because my family and friends will think I'm a whore. The stereotype is still there. I still get the lifted eyebrow when I tell some people that I pole dance (however, more often I get the "holy shit, that is so cool, when can I come try it" reaction). So I am careful about who I tell (not always something I reveal on the first day of a new job). I realize that my personality is pretty gruff. I don't take a lot of shit from people, I don't waste time with people who aren't worth my time and I generally don't care what people think about me. That's actually not true. I do somewhat care what people think, but I am grown up enough to know that what they think about me says more about them than it does about me. And I remind myself of that when dealing with many, many, many, many people in my life. The pole dancer in me says, who cares if pole dance came from the strip clubs? Mind your business. The real-life-job-holding-religious-family-having person in me realizes it's never just that simple. Pole dance certainly isn't for everyone. But I would hope that you would try a class (and encourage the haters to join you) before passing judgment. Because most of the haters I've brought to class can't use their arms the next day and have a new-found respect for pole dance.
Can you think of some soul-crushing things you've said to yourself during your pole dance journey? Please share them below in the comments! Also, please read the other entries in this month's blog hop!
1. I can't do the same moves as everyone else, so this is pointless. It's true. Not every person can do every move. Some people are stronger. Some more flexible. Some more fluid. That's what makes us all interesting. If we were all doing the same moves in exactly the same way, pole dance (and life) would be boring, and we'd already be done with it. Find something you can do well and build around that. Maybe it is a move -- I can do handstands, which really makes people cheer for me. Maybe you are insanely fluid. I remember a girl coming into class one day and she was saying she dropped out of a show because she could only do pirouettes well and she couldn't pirouette for an entire routine. Maybe not but I get dizzy doing a pirouette, so I find them awesome to watch. I bet she could start with some dizzying pirouettes and go into some other moves easier than she thinks. But do yourself a huge favor and don't compare yourself to the rest of class. We are all good at something!
3. I'll try pole once I've lost five (ten...twenty...fifty) pounds. If I waited for weight loss to do anything in life, I'd truly never do anything. Get out there and try things now. The best way to get strong for pole dance is to try it (notice I didn't say the best way to lose weight for pole dance...). I have very literally spent my entire life worrying about my weight. Drink Slim Fast, drop 20 pounds in a week. Weight Watchers, yo-yo up and down. Even after gastric bypass, I have been as low as 180 pounds (extremely slim for my frame) and have crept back up to 260 pounds (and have been every weight in between). If I only did fun things during the times that I felt like I was thinner or was at least losing weight, I would have wasted most of my life. I'm over that. I get that there may be physical limitations based on what I weigh (I think zip-lining has a 250 pound limit, but I didn't enjoy zip-lining anyway), but for the most part, if I want to do something, I go do it.
4. I can't wear those tiny shorts. Okay, then don't. But after the first class of sliding around in your yoga pants, you won't be able to wait to get into some shorts. Our very first aerial move (called a sliding prayer) requires a little skin and stick. Pretty much everyone who tells me they don't want to wear the short-shorts is in them by class 2 or 3 (and I would say the majority of them are looking for shorts in the lost and found before their first class is even over). One thing I learned in my class is that no one is looking at me or my cottage cheese thighs. They're all too worried about themselves! So bring your yoga pants but make sure you have some shorts hidden in your bag. Trust me, you'll thank me later!
5. I can't pole dance because my family and friends will think I'm a whore. The stereotype is still there. I still get the lifted eyebrow when I tell some people that I pole dance (however, more often I get the "holy shit, that is so cool, when can I come try it" reaction). So I am careful about who I tell (not always something I reveal on the first day of a new job). I realize that my personality is pretty gruff. I don't take a lot of shit from people, I don't waste time with people who aren't worth my time and I generally don't care what people think about me. That's actually not true. I do somewhat care what people think, but I am grown up enough to know that what they think about me says more about them than it does about me. And I remind myself of that when dealing with many, many, many, many people in my life. The pole dancer in me says, who cares if pole dance came from the strip clubs? Mind your business. The real-life-job-holding-religious-family-having person in me realizes it's never just that simple. Pole dance certainly isn't for everyone. But I would hope that you would try a class (and encourage the haters to join you) before passing judgment. Because most of the haters I've brought to class can't use their arms the next day and have a new-found respect for pole dance.
Can you think of some soul-crushing things you've said to yourself during your pole dance journey? Please share them below in the comments! Also, please read the other entries in this month's blog hop!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Happy Feet...Kinda
Some of you have watched the saga of me getting older and my body essentially punching me repeatedly in the face. My hip has issues. My feet have issues. My doctor constantly tells me I am too young to be in his office as often as I am (currently, I am still visiting him weekly for hip and foot issues, where he also gives me B12 shots to help with healing). Today is an update about my new adventures with the Graston Technique on my left foot (right foot had surgery in 2013). It took about a year for my right foot to stop hurting post-surgery. On top of all of this BS, my right foot has once again started hurting (so I only got about four or five months pain-free with that foot). I guess when you mess with your alignment, it can cause other issues.
So the left hip started randomly giving me trouble about five years ago (no injury to blame it on). I saw Keith and he got me back into a place where I could live relatively pain-free. After starting that new job in San Francisco in 2012, and going from wearing flip flops every day to real shoes, my right foot started really hurting. After having surgery and limping around in a moon boot for awhile, my left hip flared up again but I just kind of ignored it. My doctor warned me if I didn't take care of it, I would develop arthritis, and he started performing myofascial release on that hip this year. It has been life-changing. (We don't even have to mention how my little fall in Vegas put me back months and I'm still paying the price for that with my tight toes.) Something my doctor mentioned at one visit was how the tightness in my foot was related to my tight calves. Interestingly enough, I had just started having the Graston technique performed on my foot and calf the same week my doctor mentioned this.
I am about six weeks in to having the Graston technique performed on my foot (about once a week, although the holidays have made that a little difficult) and I really do feel like it is making a difference in the pain in my feet. The actual technique can be kind of painful. I have these crazy knots in my calves. I have always felt like my muscles practically melted after gastric bypass. Losing weight that quickly just destroys your body. My theory is that when the muscles started coming back, they fused in weird ways. When I used to get Charlie horses in my calf, it would be the back of the leg. After gastric bypass, Charlie horses moved into this place in between my muscles, which was completely unreachable and never could be rubbed out.
Although I am certainly not yet cured of foot pain, on the weeks I have Angela work on me, I am in significantly less pain than on the weeks I haven't been able to make it in. I am continuing with my yoga in order to keep myself somewhat stretched out. I am also using the Bledsoe brace on my left foot to keep pressure on the fascia. It is frustrating to be going through this on my other foot, but I really do hope that, if I keep up the Graston visits, I may be able to avoid future surgery on that foot.
Got any tricks for foot pain? I'm open to trying almost anything! I have been throwing around the idea of trying acupuncture. That should be fun...I really love needles. Not.
So the left hip started randomly giving me trouble about five years ago (no injury to blame it on). I saw Keith and he got me back into a place where I could live relatively pain-free. After starting that new job in San Francisco in 2012, and going from wearing flip flops every day to real shoes, my right foot started really hurting. After having surgery and limping around in a moon boot for awhile, my left hip flared up again but I just kind of ignored it. My doctor warned me if I didn't take care of it, I would develop arthritis, and he started performing myofascial release on that hip this year. It has been life-changing. (We don't even have to mention how my little fall in Vegas put me back months and I'm still paying the price for that with my tight toes.) Something my doctor mentioned at one visit was how the tightness in my foot was related to my tight calves. Interestingly enough, I had just started having the Graston technique performed on my foot and calf the same week my doctor mentioned this.
I am about six weeks in to having the Graston technique performed on my foot (about once a week, although the holidays have made that a little difficult) and I really do feel like it is making a difference in the pain in my feet. The actual technique can be kind of painful. I have these crazy knots in my calves. I have always felt like my muscles practically melted after gastric bypass. Losing weight that quickly just destroys your body. My theory is that when the muscles started coming back, they fused in weird ways. When I used to get Charlie horses in my calf, it would be the back of the leg. After gastric bypass, Charlie horses moved into this place in between my muscles, which was completely unreachable and never could be rubbed out.
Although I am certainly not yet cured of foot pain, on the weeks I have Angela work on me, I am in significantly less pain than on the weeks I haven't been able to make it in. I am continuing with my yoga in order to keep myself somewhat stretched out. I am also using the Bledsoe brace on my left foot to keep pressure on the fascia. It is frustrating to be going through this on my other foot, but I really do hope that, if I keep up the Graston visits, I may be able to avoid future surgery on that foot.
Got any tricks for foot pain? I'm open to trying almost anything! I have been throwing around the idea of trying acupuncture. That should be fun...I really love needles. Not.
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| Bone spurs on the right foot. The left foot has similar, although smaller, spurs |
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| Awesome bruise after a Graston visit |
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