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!

Operation Upside Down: Months 7 and 8

I haven't posted an update in awhile.  If you want to read my last upside down update, you can find it HERE.  Where do I start?  I guess here, with the excuses and whining.  I spent most of January sick and February with a knee injury.  Also, I am just exhausted, and it's freezing cold (well, California cold, which is cold to a Californian), so making a 25 mile drive for an 8 PM class requires a special kind of motivation that I just don't have right now.  I'm tired and frustrated, so I missed many classes in the last two months.

I enjoy Janet's Bottoms Up class because I like and trust her.  I know I won't completely squish her when she tips me backwards.  But the 8 PM start time means I don't get home until after 10 PM on a work night.  I enjoy Jen's lyra class, but the 6:30 PM start time means I need to leave straight from work and pray that the traffic gods are on my side.  It stresses me out.  Plus lyra hurts 100 times more than pole.  And I feel like since I've turned 40, I ache a lot more than I used to.  My hands hurt for two days after lyra.  Currently, I'm rocking a bruise across my hips from a forward fold.  I barely did a forward fold.  I'm not trying to be a circus performer.  So what I've determined is that I really go to lyra to see my friends and laugh.

This knee injury has been plaguing me for a month now.  I believe what happened is that I hyper-extended it while doing the flexibility DVDs (you can read the first post on that HERE), then went to Twirly Girls to dance for an hour, and teach a two-and-a-half hour party.  By the end of that night, I knew I wasn't okay.  I've been limping along by icing and heating, taking cinnamon, using arnica and being extremely careful in yoga (I have to do some kind of movement).  I haven't done the flexibility DVD in a month.  I feel like the worst of the pain and swelling passed within a week or so.  But one little wrong step or tweak puts me back in it.  I am 95% better, but that 5% keeps me down.  I can't climb the pole because it hits my knee in just the right (or wrong) spot.  I can't hang from my knees in the lyra.  I can't sit on my knees for any reason.  I tried to just simply squat down on Monday and that actually put my recovery back at least another week.  In fact, as I write this, I should be in class, but I am aching so much (let's blame the rain), that I don't want to chance hurting myself any further.  I am supposed to teach a workshop in ten days so I am just trying to keep myself at this level until I get through that.  Then I can fall apart.  In fact, it is probably time to get myself to the doctor, but I know they're going to tell me to stop doing what I'm doing and I don't want to be told that.

All this being said, I don't feel like I've lost any strength.  On the nights I have been able to get to class, I do get upside down.  I haven't improved, but I haven't moved backwards.  I can kind of get my knees driven upward, but Janet still has to tip me backwards.  I also wonder if part of my problem is that I need a new goal.  If the goal was simply to get myself upside down, I've done that.  My goal never said: get upside down alone or gracefully or whatever.  I also wonder what's the point?  Just to say I do it?  I don't see myself getting comfortable enough with it to suddenly start throwing it into routines.  So, if I just simply wanted to be strong enough to throw my ass upside down, I did that.  I am in the process of figuring out what I want out of pole.  Is it to be strong?  I haven't been taking any flow or dance classes, so I feel like I've lost a lot of that fluidity.  I think I have a lot to figure out in the next month or so.  I only have this one body and I don't want to be lazy but I also don't want to push myself into injuries that could be avoided if I just listened to my body.  I mean, I can't even squat down to 90 degrees.  I don't want to lose mobility, and I feel like that's happening at an alarming rate.

So the whining is done.  Here are some videos from the last two months.





Performing for Robert and Twirl for a Cause:





The day of the knee injury:



Bonus:

This is where I am pretty sure I hyper-extended my knee.  I was doing the flexibility DVD and trying to take photos to show progress over the previous month.  Someone on Facebook talked about yoga being the portal to hell and then a friend photoshopped this.  So, it's kinda true.  But the photo makes me laugh so I am sharing it here with you.

Made it back to class last week, although I was pretty limited on what I could do.



So, there you go.  I really don't know what the future holds for my "pole career."  I am trying to be kinder and gentler with myself in 2018.  Judge myself less.  Love myself more.  And I don't know that pushing myself through injuries is honoring that.  I guess I have a lot to decide, with no real deadline forcing me to make a decision.  I will certainly let you all know what is coming next!

Operation Upside Down: Month 5

Here we go.  Another month gone.  I can't believe I have finished five months of trying to go upside down already.  This month was way less exciting than last month.  I'm not suddenly busting out Iron X just because I went upside down once by myself.  You can read the Month 4 update HERE.

I don't feel like I gained or lost much this month.  I couldn't take lyra as much because I had an appointment on Monday nights.  And Thanksgiving was last week, so class was canceled.  I am writing this on the final Thursday of the month but I feel a cold coming on and my head hurts so going upside down doesn't sound fun.

It looks like I will be adding two more lunch time yoga classes at work next year, so that should help with strength and flexibility.  However, I may also be facing more surgery to fix the last surgery (which was fixing the last surgery before that).  If I go forward with that, its another three plus months off the pole.  I still haven't decided what I am going to do.

So here's how the rest of my month went.

Early in the month, trying the bad side:




Monkeying around:




Almost!




And some more trying..







Scary but super cool:




Take 2:




False start, but then we go upside down:




Scary for me:




I'm not touching the ground!




Getting back to lyra after almost a month off was difficult...my hands hurt!




It all hurts, actually...




I'm still progressing, although I know I'm not working as hard as I could to get to where I'd like to be.  Still, I do often like to take the long, meandering path, and I am still enjoying the journey, so I won't beat myself up too much.  See you next month!

Sticking Power for Pole Dancers

Each pole dancer has their own routine.  The soaps they do (or don't) use.  Avoiding lotion.  Not showering too close to class time.  The products they slather on.  All to stick to that damn pole.

I have a bag of products.  An entire bag full of products...that I don't use.  This one helps you stick.  This one helps you if you're too dry, which makes you slick.  This one helps you not sweat so you're not overly slick.  This one is chalky.  This one is a clear spray.  This one is literally glue, so be careful.  This one will stick to the pole and ruin it if you use too much, so you have to scrub to get it off you and the pole.  And if you come behind a pole dancer who rudely doesn't clean up after him or herself, you're scrubbing to save your own skin so that their stick doesn't ruin your class.  None of them really work for me.  I've always blamed it on my lack of strength, and also lack of stick-to-itiveness (no pun intended) since I rarely tried hard to stick (again...) most of my moves. 

Then Janet (from Twirly Girls) wrote a post about a lotion she uses.  Aveeno.  What?  You've got to be kidding me.  You can wear lotion on pole days?  But I've spent the last seven plus years avoiding any kind of moisture on the day of class so I can stick!  Well, she was right and now I have a new routine. 

First, in the morning, I shower with Dr. Bronner's castile soap (Mrs. Meyer's or J.R. Watkins works too).  I currently like lavender (just my own preference).  I used to use Dr. Bronner's peppermint liquid soap but it was a bit intense.  I switched to the lavender bar soap recently, and find it works well for me too.  I shave my legs with sensitive shave gel (shaving cream actually is a product some people use for pole).  And then I lotion up with Aveeno.  I use no other products to stick to the pole.  I included some links to Amazon below if you'd like to try any of the products out.

Tell me your sticky secrets in the comment section below.  Happy poling!

 

  

 

Strangely, even though I am sure this has some moisturizers in it, this makes my legs feel less slick: 

I have also used this, not to shave with, but on my hands on poling days:

 

And last, but not least, the icing on the cake!  I notice a huge difference in my ability to climb on days I forget to put lotion on.

Operation Upside Down: Month 4

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did it.  I went upside down.  By myself.  Before we get there, check out my month three update HERE.  And now...rejoice...Even if it's a pretty sloppy attempt, that looks like upside down to me!



WHAAAAAAT....

So I had another light month.  I went to San Luis Obispo and Disneyland last month and had a work event, so I missed a couple of classes, but I am still progressing.  Check out some other highlights from October below.

October 5:







October 9:

October 12:










October 30:




I'm pretty pleased with my progress.  I will have to take a lyra break in November as I have an appointment on Mondays all month after work.  But I will try to step up my yoga and pilates reformer at home to keep myself from losing any strength.  I also need to drag my lazy butt up to start doing squats again in the mornings.  I have no booty! 

See you next month! 

Operation Upside Down: Month 3

Handstand on the Golden Gate Bridge

If you've been following me lately, you know I've been on the hunt for inversions.  If you haven't, you can check out my Month 2 update HERE.  September began with recovery from NCPP, a long weekend and a trip to Las Vegas for Pole Expo.  So, I missed the first two weeks of Bottoms Up class with Janet.  I did make it to lyra twice with Jen.  I did a choreography class with Jill.  Plus, I did a floor flow workshop with Morgan.  I also performed (if you could call it that -- I could barely walk in those heels) at Robert's Twirl for a Cause show.  I feel like I got some decent practice in this month.  At my final Bottoms Up class for September (just last week), my first chopper actually felt strong.  I felt like *I* actually lifted myself up.  You won't be able to tell on the video, but I felt it and Janet felt it.  The choppers that followed went back to feeling like Janet was pushing me into them.  BUT, that is PROGRESS!  I have been frustrated because I feel stronger in lyra than I do in pole.  Maybe because I can throw myself around a little easier in lyra.  So this was the first time I felt stronger in pole as well.  I am so excited!

So enjoy some videos and photos from the previous month of strength training and fun!

Preparing for a photoshoot at Pole Expo in Vegas

We love our Vegas nudies

Jill's Pony routine:


Learning new things in Lyra wearing my new She-Fit bra, which I loved!


Whoops...sideways chopper:


Flowing with Mo:


Look who hauled her ass up into the tall hoop!


Robert's show:


I did it!  Almost by myself!

Mermaiding...cuz mermaiding

Something about these glasses automatically makes you a bad ass

8th Annual Lovely Rita Fundraiser

The Milli Vanilli of Pole returned with an original piece for Twirly Girls' 8th Annual Lovely Rita Fundraiser to benefit the National Kidney Foundation.

Enjoy!

Trying out Cleo's Rock N Pole

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.

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!

April 2014 Blog Hop: Emotions

It has been an entire month since I have written anything in this blog.  I almost missed the deadline for the blog hop.  Life has been that crazy.  Between the new job being crazy busy (but still awesome), some personal shit that I don't really want to put out in public and trying to fit in all the other stuff, like preparing for NCPP, there's just no time left in the day. 

The theme for this month's blog hop is emotionality and spirituality.  From our fearless leader, Sheena:  "Movement is the expression of life, of existence, of the universe. This movement is fluid, i.e., it is the movement of waves… undulations, vibrations, pulsations. These are the same movements that animate this body we are, this body that does plies, tendus, spirals, falls… Is dance not just another manifestation of the living breathing universe, of which we are a part?"
 

Yeah, I have issues with all of this.  I am a weird person.  I am very emotional and passionate but I often try to hide it.  It usually doesn't come out until I'm super pissed off and then it's a bad thing.  I also come from a large family so sometimes you have to be loud to be heard.  I haven't quite learned that I don't have to be that overly animated person all the time anymore.  Sometimes being loud makes people really uncomfortable.  So I have ON.  Or OFF.  No in between.  Then I sulk.  I don't like being told I'm being loud and obnoxious so then I just want to go away.  It's easier than trying to be somewhere in the middle, which isn't comfortable for me.  Trust me, I've tried.  It just doesn't work.

So dancing is helping me learn to find that middle ground with my emotions.  I think the reason I only danced to loud rock songs when I first started to pole dance was because I couldn't find my  happy place with soft music.  It made me want to cry and crying in public, in my world, is like a fate worse than death. 

The Fifth Annual Lovely Rita Fundraiser to benefit the National Kidney Foundation was held at Twirly Girls this past weekend.  I danced a very slow and quiet routine with my friend, Ginger.  The song was "Say Something," which, to me, is a song about that point in a relationship where a single word could mean the difference between a relationship continuing or completely ending.  The song represents so many aspects of my life right now.  It was the slowest I have probably moved through a routine and it was also probably the most satisfying routine I have ever done. 

 
I have been attending a class called Dance Lab at Twirly Girls, taught by the amazing AJ.  It focuses more on contemporary dance rather than pole moves.  It is helping me connect with that side of myself that I have ignored for most of my life. 

I have always loved music and have only ever enjoyed dancing in my mind or at my house with no one watching.  Joining Twirly Girls, then actually performing in public, has been a HUGE deal for me because it makes me vulnerable.  It opens me up to criticism, not just from others but from myself.  "I'm too fat to dance like that."  "I can't move the way everyone else does."  "I'm not flexible enough."  "I'm not strong enough."  "I hate that I'm so sweaty."  All that self-hate talk spills out into my dance, making me tentative and disconnected from dancing.  I am working on changing that.  And I appreciate everyone at Twirly Girls who is helping to make that happen. 

And that is who I dedicate this post to:  Every single person at Twirly Girls who supports me.  Bel.  Rita.  My entire class, especially Yolanda and Robert.  AJ.  Sean Michael.  Diana.  Jade.  Ginger.  (Please forgive me for anyone I've missed...if I named every single person individually, we'd be here all day!!)  These are all people who have personally touched my twirly life and are helping me on my personal journey of self-acceptance.  So thank you for that!  And I love you all!

Poletry in Motion: Kinetic Arts Center

In November, I wrote about attending a show at Kinetic Arts Center in Oakland.  I was re-reading the post and realized, I almost come off sounding like Sean Michael didn't deserve his win.  When I said I felt guilty voting for him, it wasn't because he wasn't amazing, it was just because, well how do you vote against CHILDREN?!  I hope no one (meaning my lovely Sean Michael) read that and took offense. 

So, before the show, Kinetic Arts had set out props and fun things for people to use in photos.  The winner would receive a free class.  Of course, I took a ton of photos and bombarded their Facebook page.  I think they only let me win so I'd stop posting pictures!  (In fact, Rita and AJ were invited to come to classes as well.)  I was so excited to win but then came time to choose a class!  They offer so many different type of circus and aerial art classes (in addition to strengthening classes such as pilates, yoga and parkour).  They welcome all ages and fitness levels.  It is easy to choose which class might work for you, as the schedule clearly states the ages and level of experience required for each class. 

I toyed around with trying the beginner trapeze, rope and tissue class on Sundays, but ultimately chose Pole Fit & Play with Luiza on a Thursday night.  What a great class!  The pole room has four poles and there were five girls in class (not including Luiza).  I felt like we all shared the poles really well without interrupting the flow of class.  We started with a really intense but much-needed warm-up, then Luiza taught some simple dance choreography.  If there were moves that I couldn't do, she had alternatives ready.  Luiza is a beautiful dancer and I really enjoyed learning from her.  I also adore her because she is Sean Michael's pole mama!  Everyone was very welcoming and I felt right at home.

There is so much more to do at Kinetic Arts.  Of course there are pole classes, but if you want to try any kind of circus classes or at least be conditioned like a circus performer, this is the place to go!  Please check out their website and let me know if you are going to take a class!

December 2013 Blog Hop: Best of 2013...

I have been avoiding this blog hop, mostly because I didn't know if I had a bunch of things I loved about 2013.  Did I love my foot being injured and having surgery and losing strength and gaining weight and feeling crappy?  Not really.  But when I look back, I really didn't have a terrible year.  So, I thought I would go through my posts for the year and pick some of my favorites to re-share with those of you who may be new or may have missed them.   While I will discuss some posts at length, others I will just list so you can decide if you want to read them or not. 

Random stuff about me:

I posted in January about sweating and magnesium.  Sweating is still an issue for me.  I sweat from my head, which can be gross when flipping around wet hair, and I can't run my hands through my hair otherwise I will slip on the pole.  It's not super sexy.  My hands and body, however, are generally overly dry.  I have Dew Point for my legs and Mighty Grip for my hands.  Just to make life interesting, if I flip over in some way, into a handstand or inversion, my body suddenly gets nervous, and then my legs will sweat.  It's super awesome to be a pole dancer with these weird problems.  I have been taking magnesium this year and I feel like some days it helps and some days it doesn't.  I have contemplated taking medication to help with hyperhydrosis, but am worried that it would cause more issues in my body NOT to sweat (we sweat for a reason!).  If you have any tips on this issue, I would very, very much appreciate it.


My foot injury made its debut in February.  

The mini documentary about me and pole dancing!

I joined UPA's Sexy Back Week.  Kinda.

Twirly Girls on TV! No really, we were on TV!

Defining myself in the pole industry.

Blog Hops:

My very first pole post for 2013 was a PDBA Blog Hop!  It was listing pole goals.  Did I hit my goals?  Yes and no.  I was on track until my foot derailed me.  Not only could I not take a class each week, I couldn't even teach my own class for a couple of months this year.  It has been a very frustrating year in the physicality department and I am very much looking forward to setting (and attaining) the same pole goals in 2014 that I set for 2013:  Take a weekly class, work on flow and get stronger.  I have not yet made it back to taking a weekly class on top of teaching my weekly class, but that is on the list for January.  I also feel like taking workshops with Tracee Kafer helped reignite my desire to dance again.  And I have been a beast at yoga so I am already feeling muscles in my arms and legs again.  I got this.  I know it.   (I later updated old pole goals with photos but haven't progressed in any.)

The February Blog Hop discussed our love of pole.  

The March Blog Hop was about pole products.

The April Blog Hop was about PPC.

The May Blog Hop:  Questions for a Pole Dancer.

June Blog Hop:  Things I wish I had known when I started dancing...

The July Blog Hop is about a day in the life of a pole dancer. 

The August Blog Hop is all about social media.

Perfect timing for the September Blog Hop.  We talked about wellness.

October Blog Hop...I had to do two!  First up:  stripping the stripper out of pole.  Second up:  the sanitization of pole.

November Blog Hop:  Gratitude.

From a business perspective:  

Music in the Pole Studio.  

How much does it cost to run a pole studio?  

How much does it cost to put on a pole show?

Pole in General:

If you share a pole at your studio, how do you find your grease-mate?  

I posted about Derby Skinz shorts in January as well.  Still my favorites because they are fully customizable!  I think I have three different pair now and I love them all for different reasons. 

Do you train on both sides?

Twisted Grip?

Pioneer of Pole:  Anna Grundstrom.

As I watch all of us age and get injuries, I wondered...how many years can you pole dance anyway? 

For those who have never pole danced.

Pole dance is for everyBODY.

The History of Pole Dance, Part Three.

Discussing the crazy complex moves people are doing in pole lately...

Poletry in Motion - visiting other studios, pole events and/or meeting pole friends:

Studio Botan in San Francisco.

Entangle & Sway in San Francisco.

Nadia Sharif rocks!

Pole Expo.

Meeting Angela of Ascending Slowly.

Aeriform Arts in Hollywood.

Poletential's 7th anniversary.

California Pole Dance Championship in Los Angeles.

Roz the Diva.  Nothing else needs to be said.

Kitty Kats' Korner in Vacaville, California.

Kinetic Arts Center in Oakland.

BadAzz.

Volare Variety, a burlesque show in San Francisco.

Cowboy Wild's Un-Pole-Lievable Pole Show in Walnut Creek, California.

So, did I REALLY just list every pole post I made in 2013?  Shockingly, no.  But I did list most of them.  You know why?  Because every single thing I do in the pole world makes me happy.  These are a lot of the awesome things that happened to me in 2013, and this post serves as a reminder to myself that I am blessed.  

I feel very fortunate to surround myself with a lot of amazing people.  I am so happy to be part of the Pole Dancing Bloggers Association.  Valentina, Sheena and Nina (ummm, do all of your names rhyme and I JUST figured that out?!) are awesome at pushing me into being more aware of myself and my writing and I am so happy to have been invited to be on the Board.  I didn't list any of my posts here, but I am grateful to be a writer for Vertical Art and Fitness Magazine, and although I haven't been asked to do a post in awhile, I appreciate that The Pole Dancing Shop gave me writing projects for a very long time.  Non-pole related appreciations include joining the Chunky Girl Comics family this year and having a job to pay for all of my adventures.   

Thank you to everyone who was part of my 2013 and I look forward to what 2014 has in store for me!  Please share your highlights for this past year in the comments section below.