Quickly, before I go to bed… here it is, my burlesque pole performance!
Our latest eight-week session of Level 5/6 at PoleLaTeaz focused on burlesque. I found it very challenging, but overall a good kind of challenge. This is the routine I put together for the end of this session. It features less pole work than usual, and more theatrics.
If the embedded video doesn’t work, go here.
In an attempt to try to distract myself from my itchy typing fingers re: this thread (and this one, and this one, good god), I’m posting the pole video I made last night.
Last night on a whim I decided to make another video. I was still feeling kind of self-conscious about my Monday night video, and wanted to try again. I still felt the effects of my space limitations, but overall I think I did a better job in this video than the previous one. I didn’t quite nail the one-legged parachute -> two-legged chair -> fairy (legs weren’t controlled enough), but there’s always next time!
Rusty says the light blue works for me.
Oh, and I thought I shouldn’t have to say it, but as of a few minutes ago I’ve been proven wrong, so: unsolicited advice is not welcome!
More blogging tonight, hopefully.
I made this video Monday night… I’ll just paste in the description I wrote on the blip.tv page:
On April 21, we had a recital for the end of the current Level 5/6 session. (I think this is the third one I’ve been in? I’ve lost count.) I thought about recording my performance, but decided against it because I couldn’t get the lighting right and was still getting over being sick, so I didn’t want the pressure. But I felt like I did really well in my performance, and I had a really cute outfit, so when I came home I was inspired to make a new video. So here I am, dancing to PJ Harvey’s “Sheela-Na-Gig,” which is also the song I danced to for my Level 3 graduation.
Please excuse the noise from me sliding on the pole and my feet slamming down on the stage. I had the music up as loud as it would go, but I should’ve put the iPod dock closer to the camera. That song is one of those really quiet songs… you know, where no matter how high the volume is, for some reason it’s still lower than other songs.
The extraneous noise annoys me, but all in all, I think this video turned out way better than my first attempt at dancing to a full song with my home set-up!
(Oh, and there’s a little bit of Mary J. Blige at the end, complete with a little booty-shaking…)
Be gentle…!
Dacia’s year-end wrap-up article for Eden Fantasys, Ten Hot Sexuality (And Gender) Issues of 2007, is a seriously awesome piece of writing that everyone should read. It includes a quote from me about pole dancing, but since she had to cover a lot of stuff in the article, obviously she couldn’t put in everything I said. Here are my full answers to all the questions she asked me; I’m posting them because I feel like I actually sounded smart and stuff.
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What initially drew you to pole dancing?
One day in June of 2006 I was sitting around my apartment, and I have no idea what made this thought come into my head, but suddenly I thought, “Hmm, I wonder if there are any pole dancing classes in Atlanta?” So I Googled it and found out that yes, there were!
But really, it wasn’t something that was completely out of the blue. Ever since I was in college, I had been toying with the idea of working as a stripper. I always found some way to talk myself out of it - the two biggies being that I couldn’t dance and couldn’t walk in heels. While those two things were true, they could have been overcome; the deeper truth was that I was afraid everyone would laugh at me. When I made the decision to start pole dancing classes, I was choosing, finally, to confront those deep-seated fears.
On less of a “self-help and personal growth” note, I’ve always hated working out and I’ve never stepped foot in a gym, so I figured it would be a fun way to get in shape.
Do you see pole dancing as a sexual thing? why/why not?
Yes and no. For me, there is a sexual component, but the whole of the activity is not sexual. What’s most important to me about pole dancing is that through it, I’ve been able to confront some very old fears about performance, athletic ability, and the possibility of being humiliated. My pole dancing classes are not the same as 8th grade gym class - and that’s something I needed to experience. In the same vein, pole dancing has been very empowering for me because it’s the first athletic activity I’ve ever excelled at. It feels very rewarding to see myself improve over time, to be in control of my body and feel myself grow physically stronger.
I want to be very clear, though, that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with pole dancing as an overtly sexual activity. I don’t like when people feel like they have to come up with some other explanation because the sexual is perceived as “base” or not good enough.
Why do you think people have been getting so bent out of shape about women who are not strippers and don’t intend to become strippers learning and enjoying pole dancing?
It seems like some people just have a mental block against considering the possibility that pole dancing can be anything but objectification of women in the context of a seedy, dangerous strip club. (Note: I do not think this description is accurate for all strip clubs!) It’s as if they’ve bought into a stereotype and refuse to consider any other options. I’m a feminist, so it’s most annoying to me when this behavior comes from other feminists. By sticking to such a rigid perception of what pole dancing means, they’re not doing anything to challenge the dominant cultural messages about it.
If anything, the type of complaint I’d expect to hear would be strippers getting angry at what they might perceive as co-opting, but I haven’t witnessed that happening.
The song my Secret Santa Stripper picked for me to dance to was Nasty Love by Lords of Acid. I had never heard it before, but I like it, and I’ll be downloading it from iTunes!
It was a good night. :)
Almost one year ago today, on my 27th birthday, I graduated from Level 1 pole dancing.
Today, on the day before my 28th birthday, I will graduate from Level 5 pole dancing, and get my black garter. From here on out, it’ll be continuing practice in “Level 5/6,” because after tonight I’ll have attained the highest level!
A retrospective of graduations past:
Tonight we have to do a two-song set, and Angela has highly encouraged us to have a theme instead of just randomly choosing two songs. My two songs are Garbage’s “Only Happy When it Rains” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” - so I call my theme ‘Make it rain.’ Yes, the pun is intended and my tongue is stuck firmly in my cheek. But an effective rain dance is exactly what we need in Georgia right now!
I’ll post photos tonight or tomorrow morning, of course. I feel like I should say something deep, but words are failing me. Just… it’s amazing how much can happen in a year.
Last night was the PoleLaTeaz student showcase, and I was one of seven students in the show. I’m still reeling today! On one hand, I can hardly believe I actually did it; on the other, it seems like, “Yeah, of course I did it; why wouldn’t I?”
I was nervous beforehand, but once I got to the studio and started warming up and talking with the other six ladies in the show, the nervousness started to melt away. I went third, and hearing all the cheering and applause for the first two performers helped a lot, too. When it was my turn to go on, I had a brief attack of nerves again, but I pushed it aside and marched into the room in my five-inch platform heels.
Now that I’ve gone through with this, I feel even more confident than before about my pole dancing ability! I’m my own worst critic, but honestly, aside from a very very minor things that no one else would be able to notice, I really do think I kicked ass!
Here are a few photos Rusty took after the show (they didn’t allow photography during the show, and it was too dark anyway):
I feel really good, proud, and happy (and bruised)! And I’m looking forward to class tonight!
Not to end this on a negative (and really, I don’t think this is a “negative” per se), but I feel I’d be lying by omission if I didn’t mention it… it did hurt that none of my friends (other than Rusty, of course, and CaSandra, who attempted to be there but was held up by highway construction) came to the show. This was an extremely big deal to me, and I wanted my friends to be there. I understand that some people had legitimate conflicts; this thread should not devolve into a flurry of justifications. I’m simply stating, honestly, how I feel. Friends support friends at stuff that’s important to them… and this was important to me.
Bottom line from last night? It went great, I feel great, and I’m already looking forward to the next time I can perform in front of a packed room! :)
This video is awesome for several reasons:
First of all, obviously, that’s some seriously kick-ass pole dancing. Not only is this woman strong and talented as all get-out, she makes it look effortless and all her movements flow seamlessly.
And, how friggin’ cool is it to pole dance to Swan Lake? I played the oboe throughout middle and high school, so I think it’s cool in that regard, too.
Now somebody watch this video and tell me, in all seriousness, that pole dancing is just “swinging around a pole” and pandering to the Male Gaze. That much-linked Colbert Report bit looks pretty stupid next to this.
Next step, for me: get off my duff and check out a few more amateur night competitions, then sign up for one myself.
Got my red garter! I’m part of the first-ever PoleLaTeaz level 4 graduating class.
More on Flickr. To bed with me now!
I’m about to head out to my Level 4 Pole Dancing graduation! I’m wearing an outfit similar to this one:
Wish me luck!!
I have no post for you today. Instead, have a photo:
With that, I’m off to class. Level 4 starts in two weeks.
I should be getting ready for bed right about now, but I’m not tired. But I also don’t have enough energy to write a substantive blog post. That annoys me.
Topics that I want to blog about at (relative) length soon:
Can we have a female “just say no” to sexual shame week? Get some folk to talk about why some things make them feel shameful and why? What pressures put upon women lead to bad sex, and what things make for good sex? Can we bust out of the moral ball and chain and just get freaky?
I wouldn’t say I have much of a problem with a “moral ball and chain,” but nonetheless, talking about sex and breaking down the SHAME SHAME SHAME message is always a useful topic to pursue.
So maybe I’ll get to that stuff later this week.
GodDAMN I want a pole in our apartment! I’m trying not to be too impatient, because I know we’ll have one soon. But I am just itching for my very own pole, so I can practice more than once a week. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t help but dance in place when I’m listening to my iPod at work (as much as is possible while sitting in an office chair).
Anyone who says pole dancing is ALL ABOUT TEH MENZ!!1!1 can suck my boots. More and more, I’m discovering that this is an amazing, new, liberating form of self-expression for me. I never in a million years would’ve thought I would be sitting here saying I express myself through dance, and yet here I am! Monday night in class (we’re doing an 8-week “level 3.5″) I felt so inspired and happy watching everyone dance… I thought, “Damn, we all look so GOOD!” Everyone’s gotten to the point now where we’re really starting to go with the flow and improv, and do what we feel, and really put our own signature onto it. Everyone in class is unique, expressive, and beautiful.
10 selections of stripper music I’m liking lately (in no particular order):
Not an effective stripper song, but my new favorite song in general, thanks to Steve Eley, is “First of May” by Johnathan Coulton. That’s funny shit.
Okay. I should really try to go to bed now, before I get too carried away with excessive capitalization and italics.
I did it! :D
Time for bed now, as I am suitably exhausted. The video of my routine turned out pretty well, considering the low light. It might be on YouTube in a few days… I haven’t decided yet.
(I promise, I’ll make a pole dancing category on here eventually.)
Update: There, now I have a pole dancing category. I still wish I could have multiple categories on here… but, I don’t wish for that badly enough to abandon my homegrown blogging system.
Shifting gears a bit…
Monday night is my graduation from level 2 pole dancing. I can hardly believe it! I can go sideways now, and climb the pole like nobody’s business (not without bruising the hell out of my foot, but never mind that).
I’m trying to decide what to use as the song for my routine. I’ve narrowed it down to 4 songs. What do you think? Leave your votes in the comments!
Here’s me with my certificate and garter after level 1 graduation…
It’s like karate, you get a different color garter for each level. Soon I’ll have a black belt garter in stripping.
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