Becoming a Twirly

Lovely Rita 2010

This morning I woke up to an Instagram post requesting OG photos from Twirly Girls alumni.  Share your #TwirlyThrowback photos for Throwback Thursday!  I started going through the ten plus years of photos and took a walk down memory lane...

Bel, the owner of Twirly Girls Pole Fitness, recently passed the Twirly Torch to Grace and Rosanne, who re-branded as Twirly Tribe Studio (I believe this is the final Bay Area studio to be turned over to the younger generation).  During a pandemic no less, while "gyms" aren't allowed to be open.  I know Bel has been ready to retire and hoping to find the right person to take over for awhile.  Grace mentioned the recent flood in the studio had Bel in tears, and made her want to step up and do for Bel what she has been doing for years -- taking care of us.  And, as I know from experience, it really does take a tribe to take on these types of endeavors.  Finding the right partner is key -- and Rosanne seems like the perfect match for Grace.

I started thinking this morning about what Twirly Girls has brought into my life.  I wanted to chronicle every cool thing that's ever happened to me related to Twirly or pole dance.  I realized this would be a 27 page blog that no one would read.  I've had this blog for over ten years.  It has almost 900 posts (I once tried to order one of those hard copy books of your blog and it was going to cost me thousands of dollars, so I had to let that dream go).  You could spend weeks reading through my already chronicled adventures.  So I'll hit some highlights to celebrate Bel's 14 years as the legit OG TG, my life as a pole dancer, and to create a warm send off for the amazing adventure Grace and Rosanne have ahead of them.

Grace cooling me off

My first class at Twirly Girls was with my friend, Rita (yes, THE Lovely Rita!) on December 2, 2009 (you can read about the lead up HERE if you want).  The short answer to how we ended up there is this:  I heard a radio show interview with instructors from S-Factor.  They had a studio in San Francisco.  I took one class there in early 2009 but it was really difficult to get to and I couldn't spend my entire Saturday going into the City every weekend.  Later that summer, a friend mentioned she had received an email from Pleasanton about a pole studio opening up.  We all decided we should go.  Initially, we had a group of four or five planned.  When it was time to go, it was only Rita and me.  We had the best time laughing and being silly.  It was a class that literally changed my life.

I started this blog in January 2010 to chronicle my journey and met my then-online (now real-life) friend, Heather, who was a poler and blogger (check out a post about Heather HERE).  I didn't really expect it to lead anywhere.  I just thought it would be nice to keep everything in one place. Ten years later, I have almost 900,000 views.  Not earth shattering numbers or anything but pretty decent for someone who wasn't trying to get famous with a blog.  I started interviewing pole celebrities for my blog (and later did video interviews for The Pole Dancing Shop).  I was a board member of a pole blogger association.  I was the self-proclaimed pole ambassador and started visiting studios all over the Bay Area (and California).  I started teaching my class at Twirly Girls in 2012, Boys, Girls and Twirls, which brought Robert -- aka cowboywild -- into my circle.  That story almost requires its own blog.  Long story short, watching Robert come out of his shell and start to use pole dance as a fundraiser via Twirl for a Cause has been extremely rewarding.  (HERE is a post about Robert's 2013 show.)

Photo by Liquidpulp Photography - Rita, Bel and me

Being a Twirly also brought me to Marisa and Chunky Girl Comics (I am pretty sure it was Twirly Girl Jenelle who tagged me in the post where Marisa was looking for someone to cosplay as one of her characters).  It was also Twirly Girls that gave me the confidence to walk around in my underwear for Chunky Girl events and faux drag performances.  (You can read about our attendance at Comikaze HERE.)  I have multiple blogs about Chunky Girl Comics and, again, I could write another one specifically directed at how much my life has changed from meeting Marisa and being introduced to Chunky Girls.

In 2010, Bel started a fundraiser called Lovely Rita to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation (as Rita is a three-time kidney transplant recipient).  (You can read about our first Lovely Rita HERE.)  We did that fundraiser for nine years!  These fundraisers got me out of my comfort zone and performing.  I was never an amazing dancer or performer but I always had fun.  We used to have Andrew (aka Liquidpulp Photography) do these epic photoshoots at the studio (in fact, my first meeting of Grace was at one of those photoshoots).  One of my favorite shoots was a calendar we did with Andrew to benefit the Lovely Rita fundraiser.  It brought the whole studio together.

Pole dancing at Twirly introduced me to hundreds of people.  I started going to events -- Pole Con in Los Angeles and Pole Expo in Las Vegas.  Guys, I've seen Jenyne Butterfly perform in person, met Timber Brown before he was on America's Got Talent, saw Kenneth Kao JUMP between poles live, and I was at the show where Jamilla's flying shoe almost killed a photographer!  I watched "beginner" competition moves start at a then-shockingly impressive ayesha or jade split and work up to a mind-blowing fonji.  I wrote for multiple pole magazines and websites.  I attended pole competitions and showcases.  Bel nicknamed me the Twirling Viking Warrior.  I started using "pole dance is for everyBODY" and promoting pole for plus sized dancers (I still have a group on Facebook dedicated to plus sized polers).  I met my East Coast plus sized counterpart, Roz THE DIVA Mays.  I met Amy Bond, who introduced the idea of Northern California Pole Presentational, which I took to Ellen, which turned into six shows (wow, so overly simplified, but if you know me, you know how much of my life was devoted to this for almost eight years...you can read my wrap-up after the first show HERE and my farewell after my final show HERE).

2017 Birthday surprise

I don't even want to mention the names of people I've met and who have influenced me for fear of leaving anyone out (I mean, I need a whole other blog about Kate and Volare Variety!!).  Lifelong friendships were forged (shout out to Ginger who has taken me to multiple surgeries and recently helped remodel my kitchen!!!!).  The connection to one of my closest friends, Jade, happened because we were both on an online website for pole dancers, and I introduced her to Twirly Girls.  We bonded one day when we were both at a Twirly Girls clothing swap.  I remember once being at lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in years.  We were eating outdoors in San Francisco.  She had heard about the pole dancing and my writing, and asked if I was famous.  I said, not even close.  Not five minutes later, I heard someone yell from across the street:  "Is that Lori from Confessions of a Twirly Girl?!"  A fellow Twirly, who had read my blog, ran across the street to give me a hug.  And I could not convince my friend that was a fluke.  I got a good laugh out of it. 

I got into pole dancing when it was...how best to word this...socially acceptably brand new (the true OGs started in the strip clubs and did the leg work, no pun intended, in the late 1990's and early 2000's to bring pole to the mainstream -- but I have a whole blog series about that if you want to read them).  In 2010, I had a list of every known pole event in the world, and every studio in the United States.  I essentially KNEW (or at least knew of) almost every pole dancer in the US, and probably even the world (there were only like five plus sized polers, and maybe three pole bloggers).  I knew everyone at the first Pole Expo.  It only took a couple of years before there were so many people, I could no longer keep up.  Pole dance was trendy.  It was supposed to burn out in a year or two.  Yet now they're talking about putting it in the Olympics.  I'm part of pole history.

Lovely Rita 2017 with Jade and Alana

Twirly has seen me through some bad break-ups, and the birth of most of my nieces and nephews.  Twirly has been there as I've purchased a new home and transitioned from Walnut Creek socialite to Brentwood suburbanite (I went from happy hours to watching Baby Shark; #AuntyLife).  Good times or bad, someone from Twirly has been there.  I've always felt like Twirly gave me a purpose in life.  I often felt lost or unimportant -- never knowing where I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to be doing.  I had a career.  That was fine.  But there had to be more.  Why was I put on this earth?  Helping other humans find their self-worth and heal their body image issues became my purpose, and that started with becoming a Twirly Girl.

After years of abusing my body and having way too many surgeries, I hung up my stilettos last year (which I could never walk in anyway).  You can read that post HERE.  The thing is, you can stop pole dancing but you never stop being a Twirly.  Bel created an environment where people felt loved and supported.  New people would comment constantly that they loved how Twirly Girls felt like a family.

Anyway, like I said, I could go on for pages and pages about what Twirly Girls, now Twirly Tribe, means to me.  I am excited for Grace and Rosanne to continue the legacy.  Who could have known where I would be ten and a half years after a single introductory pole class?  Forget the six degrees of Kevin Bacon.  I have the six degrees of Bel and Twirly Girls -- which has spider'ed into thousands of connections, both online and in real life.  Thank you to Bel for providing a safe place for me to grow as a person, and learn how to love and appreciate my body at the size it is.  Thank you for the adventures.  Thank you for being part of my life journey.  I love you all!

If you have any Twirly memories you'd like to share, please feel free to comment on this blog or head over to the Confessions Facebook page to add your photos and memories!

2010

2010

Photo by Liquidpulp Photography

2011

2011

Photo by Liquidpulp Photography

Nadia's romance with my boobs 2013

Handstands everywhere we go

Photo by Somer Ahonen - 2016

Photo by Brett Stanley - 2016

Photo by Somer Ahonen - 2017

Photo by Somer Ahonen - Representing Artista Activewear

Roz the Diva 2017

Photo by Little Boxes Theater - 2019

Final NCPP with Ellen 2019 -- That's a wrap!

I'm on the Fear of Flight blog!

A few months back, I chatted with Veruca from the Fear of Flight blog.  We had a great conversation and she released a blog with the interview!

So, it’s hard because I like to say pole dance is for everybody but I also can fully recognize that it works better for different bodies and not even just thinner bodies but even shorter bodies although I think that you have to find out what works for you because tall people will say “Oh well when you do this move, it’s really hard to have long legs” and short people will say “Well if I have long legs I can do this move”, so for me it’s finding the move that is going to work for you and then working on it. I shocked everybody I think when I did my first hand stand and I swear to God my arms were going to fall off the first time I did it because as soon as I got upside down all the air went out of my body and my blood stopped pumping but I did it. That’s my thing am I lifting into it properly; absolutely not but I can do a hand stand and I can shock the shit out of people and that’s what I do. So I’m trying to take the moves that work for me and become better and get stronger at those moves because I’m probably never going to; like I’ll never do a spatchcock I can guarantee that and that’s not being negative, that’s just being honest and realistic.

Read the whole story HERE!

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!

Pole Spin Magazine: Pole Dance is for EveryBODY

http://polespinmag.com/welcome/2012/06/lori/

When I tell people that I pole dance, their raised eyebrow is not a reaction to the whole “stripper thing.”  It is usually to give me the once over as they ponder out loud how I could possibly be a pole dancer.  You see, at six feet tall and over 200 pounds, I am not your average pole dancer.  Or so I thought.

Facebook has provided me with a wealth of information about what the “average” pole dancer looks like.  She is tall or short; thin or not; has long hair or short; light skin or dark.  In fact, the average pole dancer isn’t even female anymore.  More and more men are joining their pole dancing sisters in the studio.  You see, there is no average pole dancer.  We are professionals, students and soccer moms (or dads).  Some of us dance for fun and others dance for a living.  Our age range spans decades.  I have seen videos online of dancers as young as nine-years-old and as old as 70.  My own pole dance instructor, Bel Jeremiah, is an energetic 60 years young.

...

Read the rest of the article at  http://polespinmag.com/welcome/2012/06/lori/