Supergirl

First of all, can I get a hallelujah?!  Spring is right around the corner.  It’s 60 in NYC this week and I’m sitting by an open window as I write this.  Feels damn good.

What doesn’t feel good?  My inner thighs!   Lian kicked our butts in LEVEL 2 POLE DANCE at B&P tonight.

Class started on a rough note for me.  I hadn’t worked out or even stretched since classes on Thursday!  I have been working 7 days a week for 8 weeks straight and I finally had a day off from my 2^nd part time job on Sunday.  I was so excited for a chance to go out that I went way too hard!  Saturday started with some margaritas and ended with me crashing at 4 am.  I was right back at it with a bloody mary over an over due brunch with a good friend on Sunday – which led to a beer, then and another bloody mary – and eventually ended with me munching wine and cheese.  Gross!  When I got to the studio I felt like a fatty blob. My energy was low and my brain wanted to turn off.

I pushed through and made a pact to myself to chill out on the drinking.  It’s not that I’m going to never drink again – please note that as I write this I am sipping on a glass of white wine ha.  Pole is HARD and it’s going to require some lifestyle changes.  I just cannot drink all weekend and still expect to have a good class on Monday.  So a good lesson learned; Just because I have a day off it doesn’t mean I have to go completely nuts.  Everything is good in moderation.

So there I was struggling through spin and helicopter practice when suddenly Lian said “We’re going to work on the superman.” My heart jumped and I found myself clapping and bouncing up and down with a big smile of my face like a 4-year-old who was asked if they want a piece of Birthday cake.  Nerd Alert!  To redeem myself for admitting that, the first thing that went through my head was “SUPERMAN THAT HO!” and I’m pretty sure some of the silly bouncing turned into booty-shaking.  And I know –er – HOPE – no 4-year-old starts singing that in their head when they get excited.   But I mean come on! Superman just SOUNDS cool.  It’s a skill I’ve been wanting and patiently waiting to learn.

We first worked on it coming out of an inside leg hook (See past post Ima hit you with that right hook!).  Lian came around to spot me and I “got” it on my first try.  I say “got” it, because – yes – I made it through the motions – but I was spotted and Lian was talking me through, step by step.  Still, I was stoked.  Lian asked me “Was that your first time trying that?”  “Yes.”  I replied.  “I HATE you – you’re so annoying!” She said.  Haha. When Lian says she hates me or that I’m annoying it’s because I’ve done something somewhat impressive.  I find her annoying because she’s a beautiful dancer, she’s gorgeous, she has the best ass ever, and she left a well-paying job to follow her dream and open the studio – I’m JEALOUS – so we can just hate and annoy each other all day and night because it all comes from a good place.

I tried a few more on my own with no success – no need to hate on those ugly disasters – but each failed attempt was a learning experience, and I’m excited to be learning this skill.

We then moved on and worked on getting into the superman from a pike.  A pike looks like you are lying on your back with your legs straight and folded over your body – only you’re on the pole so it’s as if you are doing that floating in the air.  To do this you have to squeeze the pole with your inner thighs.  When Lian was demonstrating she cracked a joke about how a pike always makes her shorts disappear. “It’s like HELL-O!  So yeah, please shave before you come to class.”” she said   I just looked down, turning red, because I’m in that awkward stage where I’m not quite ready for a wax -but I don’t want to shave – because then I can’t get a wax…!  I KNOW you know what I’m talking about!  I was even considerate and wore my longer shorts – you know – the ones that cover more than half my ass but it looks like there was going to be no hiding anything and then omg Lian comes walking towards me. “Lemme see” she says. And I’ve gotta go ass up, right into her face.  I’m praying she doesn’t notice the state of my bikini line.  I’ll never know because I “got” it again.  She hated me again. Good.  Note to self:  When in between waxes, just nail everything!

I found it much easier to flip over into a superman from this position and I’ll be working hard in pole play to “SUPERMAN THAT HO!” all on my own.

The Ultimate Pole Mix Part 2

Hey ya’ll Happy Friday.  Quick post with some new songs I’ve added to the Ultimate Pole Mix!

1.  Jay-Z and Kanye West “Who Gon Stop Me” – This song is BAD ASS!  So many little beats and sounds to hit.  I wanna see Lian freestyle to this one.

2.  Ke$ha “Animal” – This has been my “start my day on a good note” song this week.

3.  Usher “Climax” – Usher is BACK with this new single and I’m swooning.

4.  Sleigh Bells “Crush” – If you feel like rockin the pole…

5.  Taylor Swift “Mean” – “Really?” you say.  “Yup!” I respond.  Blame it on my recent country music kick and/or my recent fb pole posting insecurities, but YES!

So I’m a stripper now?

The most daunting thing about pole to me really came from its’ obvious comparability to stripping.

Talk about my dad’s worst nightmare…

But watching the amazingly talented staff and dancers at B&P and various videos on you tube convinced me that if you can get past the similarities it’s easy to see that this is a respectable form of dance that requires strength, grace and elegance – not the exactly the first 3 words that come to my mind when I think of strippers working the club – but hey, to each their own – this isn’t a stripper bashing blog.

Since the gaping comparison is there, I felt it was important for me to figure out how I feel about it.  I’ve already become obsessed.  So much so that all I want do is talk about is my last dance class and share pictures and videos.  But putting all that out there gave me butterflies in my stomach.  Am I just setting myself up for the backlash of people that assume that because I’m on a pole, I must be stripping?  Or maybe it’s just my conservative dad scaring me from my subconscious.

But as I talk to people, and poke around on the Internet (the most reliable source for any and all information ha), it’s apparent, that the idea of pole dancing being seperate from stripping is becoming pretty main stream and places like B&P are working to make it so.

There is a joke that women gave up on feminism the minute they started pole dancing as a workout.  But did we?  Or did we just put a huge amount of power in our corner?  All of a sudden we are using the pole for our own benefit.  I’m not making it rain.  I’m not flashing my vajayjay – at least not on purpose – I’m waiting for a clothing mishap to give everyone an unexpected glimpse – but so far – no peep shows.

I’m there for me.  Because I enjoy it.  Because it’s making me incredibly strong.  Because I’m meeting a ton of really cool girls.  Because it’s a stress reliever after a long day at the office.   I’m not there to meet or impress guys.  The only guys that frequent the studio aren’t interested in any possible clothing mishaps.

(PS the other thing I do for a smile is read my friend Becky’s Blog. http://beckyyk.wordpress.com/                                                                                       She’s the one that inspired & encouraged me to write this… Oh and she’s hilarious… She does not pole dance… at least not to my knowledge.)

With all that said, I’m so proud to share the first ever pic taken of me on the pole.  Looking at this makes me proud – but I also just can’t help but think; “Straighten your legs! Arch your back!”  And as Lian would say “MAKE IT PRETTY!”

Oh and here’s a pic of me just one week later… Improving!  And a cuter outfit too, no?!

Enter Pole Slut

About 3 months ago, I took my first ever pole-dancing class at Body & Pole in NYC.  I had no idea that this “Pole Virgin” class was going to lead to a complete and total obsession.  Enter Pole Slut.

I had heard of B&P and actually wanted to try it over a year ago. In fact, I had signed up… paid… and then chickened out at the last minute.  Burrrrmp.

This time around, I was lucky enough to be introduced to the owner of B&P and class instructor Lian Tal at a mutual friend’s bday dinner.   Meeting Lian outside of the studio was a blessing.  It got some of those initial jitters out, because, to be totally honest, she’s so beautiful and sexy, it’s intimidating! Our mutual friend, Jess, even said to me “wait to you see her dance, you will want to have sex with her.” Truth!

As intimating, as Lian can seem, she was amazing in that first class.  She went through a super sexy warm up in her teeny tiny shorts and her confidence radiated through the room and into every girl there.

In that first class I learned the very basics, like, how to walk around the pole.  And that’s all it took.  I’ve been an athlete and err, sort-of, dancer all my life, but something about the pole felt different. Empowering.

Since that first class I have been going to the studio at least once and up to 3-4 times a week.  No matter what kind of mood the day has put me in, when I’m there I feel happy, sexy and confident! Insecurities, stress and headaches are all forgotten. Nothing can bring me down! Until, of course, I leave, get on the subway and a fat man sneezes on me.  After that, I’m usually pretty grouchy again.

Pole dancing has inspired me in unexpected ways.  For example, well, I’m writing this blog! Pole is fun, but it’s hard and there is so much to learn.  This is meant to be a safe place to share my experiences with this new passion.

Because I have so much to say I needed to get my site up in a hurry – I’m sorry it looks like shit.  If you are reading this in the future, after it looks designy, then, I hope you don’t think it looks like shit.  Hey, isn’t it fun thinking about the future?  So many possibilities!

B&P staff - photo by michel leroy