Time to pass the torch

On September 28, 2019, Ellen and I produced our sixth and final NCPP.  Life is taking us in different directions.  Ellen with her nutrition empire and me buying a house and moving to the outskirts of the Bay Area.  I am so proud of what this event has become.  When Amy Bond brought the idea to me years ago, I thought it was a great idea, but just couldn't launch it by myself.  When Ellen came on board, that changed everything.  Every year presented new challenges, but the end result was the same:  people felt safe to participate in our event and express themselves in ways they may not have felt comfortable to do otherwise.  That is the reason we showed up every year.  

Initially, when I first mentioned to Ellen that I might be done (surgeries ending my love of pole and a plan to return to school), there was no thought we could find a way to let it live on without us.  However, we realized there are probably other polers with event experience and/or time and passion to carry this event into the future.  So, we started our search after the show was over.  After speaking to several people, we found what we believe will be the perfect people to carry on the love and acceptance that I believe defines NCPP.

On January 17, we made the announcement:

NCPP LIVES ON!

Lori and Ellen are thrilled to announce that, under brand new ownership, NCPP will continue! It has been an absolute joy and privilege to provide this space for dancers in NorCal over the last 6 years. Despite our busy lives pulling us away from this, we wanted nothing more than to see NCPP continue to grow and thrive.

Announcing the new owners: Morgan Castillo and Kimmy Fitzpatrick!

"When we heard the news that Ellen and Lori were looking for someone to take over NCPP we were both so excited at the opportunity! Morgan, a Bay Area pole dancer, who has successfully competed and performed for the last few years, has had nothing but positive experiences when participating in NCPP events. With her incredible history of event planning including starting her own event company in 2011, and successfully selling it to what is now Live Nation, she’s had the itch to get back into the event industry. Being able to combine her love for pole and her love for events is just icing on the cake. Kimmy has also been in the Bay Area pole scene since 2010 and has competed and performed all over the United States. She is a 4x Nationals Runner up, and is the founder of By KimB and Endless By KimB, where she keeps us all outfitted in sparkly accessories and affordable pole gear. We are both incredibly grateful to Ellen and Lori who have paved the way for this event, and created something that continues to unite our community year after year. We hope to continue this legacy and keep this space available for all of us in the community to enjoy for years to come."

We know NCPP couldn't be in better hands! Thank you again to everyone who has supported and encouraged us, our vendors and judges over the years, and to all the beautiful dancers who have graced our stage: we truly could not have done this without you. Keep your eyes peeled for news and updates about NCPP 2020!

~~~~~~

I am so excited that NCPP is in the capable hands of Kimmy and Morgan.  I want to thank everyone who has supported us over the years.  I also want to thank Ellen.  Our partnership was always so effortless and I couldn't have done this without her.  I am so proud to have been part of this small piece of pole history.  I can't wait to see what the future holds!

That's a wrap!

Operation Upside Down: Month 2

I just completed Month 2 of Operation Upside Down.  And by using the word "completed," I just mean that the month did, in fact, happen.  My last update was from Week 4, and you can read that HERE. 

August is the month of Northern California Pole Presentational.  We had our fourth annual event on Saturday, August 26.  It is an entire day of pole dancing.  We set up Friday.  Practice starts at 7 AM on Saturday, and the show runs from about 9 AM to 5 PM.  Then we tear it all down.  The entire month of August each year is generally spent collecting and organizing music for 70+ dancers, making spreadsheets, signs and lists, writing the script, gathering information from sponsors and vendors, designing a program, etc.  Basically, I get off work and I go home to park it on the couch and work some more.  I also started doing hospice volunteer work recently, and that has added to my already full plate (although it is rewarding work).  I did make it to a few classes sprinkled throughout the month, however, I was certainly not in gain-strength mode.  Last night was the final day of August --  my 41st birthday -- and my final chance to squeeze in a class before month 2 ended. 

Do I feel stronger?  Yes and no.  I kept up my yoga practice, and I also tried lyra during the month of August (I did a lot better than I expected).  I am sure I have mentioned before that I gauge my general strength based on how I feel during "chaturanga."  My chaturanga is decent right now.  I don't crash chest first into the floor as I start to lower.  However, when I tried chopper last night, I felt awkward and weak again.  Perhaps it was because I hadn't choppered all month.  I feel like Janet really has to push me into the move.  Ellen had mentioned last week that I may want to try kind of pushing off of Janet's arm so I'm having to push my own ass into the move.  I worry I'd break Janet.  She's mighty but she's so tiny. 

So anyway, here are some videos from August.  Slow and steady wins the race, right??

Starting Month 2:



Practicing on vacation even:



First lyra class (don't wanna go backwards):



Upside down with Jen:



Routine with the Dizzy Divas:



Second lyra class (falling backwards like a champ now):



And last night's chopper with Janet:



Thank you to everyone who is being patient while I slowly navigate the upside down world!  I know I play around a lot but I really am enjoying the process. 

Thank you for the birthday love, Twirlies!!! 

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! 

NCPP - Pat the Bear Turns Two

Well, we did it again.  Call us crazy, but Ellen and I survived another year and brought Northern California Pole Presentational to the Bay Area once again.  

I have to be honest.  I was tired this year.  New job (love it but it has longer hours and I had to completely re-do my after-work schedule so as not to burn myself out).  Less pole.  I just wasn't sure I wanted to keep doing this.  So many late nights and long weekends spent on the computer.  Planning.  Sending e-mails.  Gathering music.  Spreadsheets.  Scheduling.  Stressing.  But when the day arrived, I was reminded why it was all worth it.  We certainly aren't doing this for the money.  I'm barely doing it for the love of pole.  We do this to be part of a larger community.  For me, it is all worth it because of all the happy faces that I saw coming off that stage.

I really do want to personally thank each and every person who participated that day -- the judges, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, studios, audience members.  I am grateful to The Stage for providing us with a legit theater.  I am eternally grateful to Ellen, who keeps me on track and helps balance our workload.  I could not do this without her.  And I am ever so grateful for the dancers.  This show is for THEM.  I am not a natural performer (or even that great of an unnatural performer).  I am always terrified to perform, so I have the utmost respect for the performers who are spending their time and effort preparing to dance for us.  This year, thanks to the awesome cyborg headsets, Ellen and I got to actually watch a good portion of the show.  I am always amazed by the artistic beauty that pole dance inspires.  NCPP performers did not disappoint!

We posted a note on the NCPP blog yesterday.  Please visit that post and check out the eloquent thank you posted by Ellen on Facebook.  We have just signed the contract for next year and will be announcing the new date soon!  Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates and photos and we will see you next year!

Thanks for fulfilling my fantasies -- so many groups and duos!

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!

August 2014 Blog Hop: My NCPP Pole Playlist

Last weekend, the showcase for which I am co-producer, and have been planning for a year, finally happened.  What also happened is exposure to new pole songs!

Here is my list of top 10 songs from NCPP:

Lil Darlin' by ZZ Ward
Call Me by Shinedown
Skinny Love by Birdy (I want to hate this song so bad but I just can't)
Once Upon a Dream (Maleficent soundtrack)
There was also a mix of two songs from the Lucy soundtrack (First Cells and Mr. Wang's)...very animalistic!
Take Me to Church by Hozier
Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack)
Nothing Else Matters as covered by Godsmack
All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor
Thieves and Kings by The peach Kings

Honorable mention: Human by Krewella

I created a playlist that included performance songs and filler songs.  So I filed it with random songs from my eclectic playlist.  I figured people would either love it or hate it.  I can't tell you how many people stopped me to tell me they loved the filler music.  Score!

I will personally be dancing to All About That Bass next month.  I should probably get on creating that routine.  Thanks to Kaitlyn for some cute ideas!

So there are a few songs that may already be on your playlist but hopefully a few that are not.  Please leave some of your favorites in the comments below.  My pole playlist for Twirly Girls needs a refresher!!

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!!

Northern California Pole Presentational Tickets On Sale!

Want to come support local pole dancers??  Tickets to Nor Cal Pole Presentational just went on sale!  Don't miss out!  We have dancers from pretty much every studio in Northern California (plus some from Southern California and other states).  The event will be held Saturday, August 23, 2014 in San Jose, California (exact start time and schedule TBA).  Come out for a fun day of pole dance and shopping!

http://ncpp.brownpapertickets.com/

There is still time to sponsor!!  http://www.northerncapolepresentational.com/sponsors/

Want to volunteer?  http://www.northerncapolepresentational.com/volunteer/

Want to find us on Facebook?  https://www.facebook.com/NorCalPolePresentational

Want to buy cool Pat gear?  http://www.cafepress.com/polenorcal

See you in August!

Photo credit: http://www.liquidpulp.com/

Come one, come all: Northern California Pole Presentational and West Coast Curves

I've written in the past about how much it costs to put on a pole show.  Until I started trying to organize a pole show, I had NO FREAKING IDEA how much it actually costs, not only in money, but in blood, sweat and tears, to put on a dang pole show!

Last year, Amy Bond brought me an idea:  Let's put on a pole competition, but not a comeptition, a showcase with feedback!  Initially, she wanted to put our show ahead of PPC in LA (which was held the weekend of March 1-2, 2014) so that competitors could showcase their routine and get feedback from a panel of judges in order to present a more polished routine at the actual competition.  The more we thought about it, the more we realized that most people wouldn't want to reveal all of their cards pre-competition.  But we decided we still liked the idea, so we tabled it for summer of 2014.  Not all pole dancers want to compete but many have a desire to get on the big stage and showcase their talents without the pressure of a competition.  At the same time, if we're going to bring together all of these dancers, why not offer them the option of receiving feedback on their routine, so that they can improve their dancing. 

Then early in 2014, Amy, who recently passed the California Bar Exam and took a new job, e-mailed me to tell me she wanted to focus on other things and needed to drop out of the planning process.  She gave me her blessing to continue without her, and I am honored that she would trust me with bringing her idea to light. 

But now I needed a new partner.  Enter the amazing Ellen Lovelace.  When I told Ellen about my predicament, she immediately stepped up and has been kicking ass ever since.  Ellen has secured the location and has been doing a ton of work behind the scenes to keep the process moving.  It certainly makes me respect Amy and Bayleigh of PSO for putting on multiple shows each year.  And my hat is off to Ellen for all the work she is doing to make this event happen. 

So, let me formally introduce to you the Northern California Pole Presentational (NCPP), which will be held Saturday, August 23, 2014 at the San Jose Stage Company in San Jose, California.  This event will be run PSO-style.  No need to send us a video link to try-out, you just pay your fee, fill out the form and you're in!  Why do we need competitors to pay?  Because, like I said earlier, putting on a pole show is not cheap.  The largest expenses are the venue, rigging and insurance.  In order to keep ticket prices down so that friends and family can come watch, we (like many other pole events) have asked participants to help share the cost.  We use that money to create a safe environment and beautiful stage for you to showcase your routine for your loved ones.  Also, each participant can choose to receive feedback (or not) on their routine from a panel of judges (which we will announce soon).  We don't only accept solo performers, though, we are also excited to include duos and groups. 

Why does Northern California need this event? It is evident by the 200+ participants in PPC that Southern California is inundated with people who want to perform (including many Northeran California polers, who traveled down to compete). Nothern Calfornia does have some really amazing pole shows, however they are generally associated with area studios and/or require try-outs to get in. This will be first independently produced pole event for Northern California, which will be open to everyone. We are trying to give Nor Cal polers a chance to get in first by only allowing Nor Cal and Nevada addresses to apply until April 30. At that time, spots are fair game for any pole dancer in the United States.

In addition to NCPP, we have Roz THE DIVA Mays, bringing her plus-sized pole comptition from New York to us!  West Coast Curves at NCPP (WCC) will be held the same day.  This is an actual competition and the top two competitors, chosen by the audience, will win entrance into the Dangerous Curves finales, which will be held later this year in New York. 

So, with all of this excitment coming to the Bay Area, what is THE topic everyone is talking about?  Our bear logo.  Meet Pat.  Who knew a cute, fluffy bear wearing a pink pole outfit would cause so much chatter?!  In my mind, the purpose of a logo is to brand something and make it memorable.  Even if some of you hate it, it's certainly doing its job.  You will all remember this bear.  For me, the logo is fun, which is how I want this event to be.  It pulls in the California flag, which has a bear on it.  Is it doing a pole trick?  Is that a karate kick?  Who knows?!  Maybe it is a pole ninja doing some innovative new trick that hasn't been revealed yet.  I enjoy all the bear comments, though, so keep them coming.

Ellen and I are really excited about this event.  Sign-ups are currently open to Northern California and Nevada residents.  The cost is only $50 per person/performance slot.  People are certainly encouraged to do solos and group routines.  Or they can particiapte in NCPP and WCC (we have already had someone sign up for both).  Information on sponsorship, vendor booths, and tickets to the show will be available soon.  All information regarding participation, including volunteering, can be found at www.PoleNorCal.com.  If you're on the fence about participating, remember you will be at home in front of all of your loved ones.  I can't think of a better way to get your first pole show under your belt. 

I hope to see all of my Pacific Northwest friends at NCPP in August.  I would love to know what you love most and hate most about big pole events.  We want this to be the best pole event you have ever attended.  Please leave a comment below.  Also, if you have any questions, please e-mail us through the website.  See you in August!

Happy 4th Bloggerversary to Confessions of a Twirly Girl!

Today, Confessions of a Twirly Girl turns four years old!  You can read my post from last year HERE. 

There's so much the same as last year (and pretty much every year lately).  Learn to love myself no matter what the scale says and try harder at pole.  One big change is coming up.  I found a job only two blocks from my home, so I'll be able to walk to work in two short weeks.  I will get almost two hours a day of my life back and no more crazy BART stories!  I have been consistently going to yoga and pole for the last few months and I'm finally seeing some changes in my body.  Last night, I took a photo for the PDBA photo challenge and I could actually see some muscles in my legs again!  WOOHOO!

So here are some stats on my blog.

My pole-friendly Facebook profile had 2,300 friends last year.  This year, I'm down to 2,092.  That is partially due to me removing people I NEVER interacted with or thought might be spam profiles.  The Confessions fan page has 1,653 fans. 

Last year, I had about 1,400 Twitter followers.  Now, I'm up to almost 1,600.

Last year, my blog had a little under 165,000 views (now that I'm running Google Analytics, I am learning that the blog most likely counts each page view, and Analytics will just count the first visit to your site, so their numbers are slightly lower than my blog stats report).  This year, my all-time page view count is at 306,324.

What does all of this mean?  Not much.  It just means there are at least a few people who understand my struggles and perhaps enjoy my rants a bit.  You don't come to my page because you want to learn amazing pole tricks.  You come to discuss how we are all on our own journeys and we feel better knowing that we are in good company.  For that, I am very grateful.  Thank you again to each and every one of you who reads my blog.

So, what's new in the last year?  

I have been asked to be a Board Member for the Pole Dancing Bloggers Association.  We host monthly blog hops and weekly photo challenges.  We would love to get more people involved.  Even if you aren't a blogger, you can still participate in the photo challenges. 

I am still in the process of planning the Northern California Pole Presentational.  We almost have our location locked down and will be making an official announcement SOON. 

I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my posts and would love to know more about you.  If you'd like to post a comment with your name and where you're from, I'd love to hear from you!