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An Appointment with Pleasure
Every day I set an alarm at 2:30pm. I stop whatever I’m doing and give myself 5 minutes of being, of breathing, of experiencing the treasure of living in a body that’s alive with sensation. I give myself a reminder to take a moment each day for the pure pleasure of living. A reminder to have compassion for my body’s needs, wishes, and dreams. A reminder that I can enjoy pleasure without strings attached. Pleasure without bondage or walls or electrified fences. Pleasure outside of the box society tries to shove me into. I set aside 5 minutes of every day to remind myself that I am more than what…
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Insecurity isn’t always a B*tch: Me & My Meep!
It happens to all of us eventually. You’re chugging along, working towards your dreams and life offers you an opportunity to do exactly what you were hoping for: Try out a really difficult trick, expand your skills at an advanced workshop, perform for an audience. At first, you’re excited, practically breathless with anticipation, but then you feel something swirling deep in your belly. The feeling intensifies, it’s painful, gurgling, unhappy. Your heartbeat picks up and you feel fearful for no recognizable reason. You want to run away from your pole and hide. You might even start to cry. Suddenly you consider the possibility that you could actually suck at this. …
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Pole Dancing isn’t just about the tricks
I was lamenting on the state of the pole dancing industry when someone asked me why I focus so strongly on being a pole DANCER instead of a pole TRICKSTER (someone who focuses on athletic pole tricks without transitions). Although I recognize how wonderful pole fitness can be when a woman develops her gymnastic ability and strength, I am not in that camp. I do not and will not ever just teach a pole trick. I believe it is the transitions between the tricks that connect a woman with her sensual nature, not just the trick itself. If I cannot evoke an emotional response throughout my dance, then I’m not…
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Dancing To Your Own Beat
Donna asks: Is it true a dancer never dances with the beat of the music but [uses] the undercurrent of the song [instead]? This particular question is actually a point on contention between many schools of pole dancing. So the answer is “It Depends.” (I always hated that particular answer though) Basically there are 3 different views… First, there’s the idea that you don’t have to listen to the music at all. That you should perform whatever trick you want whenever you feel like it (or in a specified routine) but the music doesn’t have to match or even make sense. I’m just going to throw this one against the…
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Stripper Wisdom, Profuse Swearing, and Lao Tzu
I swear a lot in this post and talk straight up about stripping, so if you don’t like that kind of stuff, then clickty click to google and find something more wholesome. In case you didn’t know already, I’ve got a soft spot for real strippers. And not just because they created the rich and beautiful art form that I love (pole & exotic dance)… But also because a real stripper understands an honest days work, just like you do. Consider exactly what a stripper does… in corporate lingo… A stripper provides immediate value to her customers upfront (by dancing on that huge stage FOR FREE). Then, she uses her…
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Expose Your Layers
Last week, after a really long day at work, I came home with a problem. I realized that somewhere along the day, I’d let my ToDo list take over. I felt as if I was coated in the grime of working an 8 to 5 job, driving through LA traffic, picking up groceries, feeding the dog, cleaning the house, calling a client, checking my email, and on and on and on. For some reason, I couldn’t figure out how to stop focusing on all my ToDo’s, relax and just be myself. So during my pole improvisation session I decided to accept all of my “doing” layers and wear them like…
