Occupation:  Lawyer…and I bake on the side

How long have you been pole dancing at Divine?

I started in October 2009…so 11 months now.

Did you have any previous dance or fitness training before starting pole?

No, never…although I joke that I was a dancer in my previous life.

What made you decide to take classes?

I’ve been wanting to take it for a while, but was really scared.  My friend, Monica, casually mentioned that she had heard about pole dancing classes.  We both got excited and exclaimed that it was something we actually had both been wanting to try.  We immediately signed up for the intro session before we could think about backing out.  Best decision I have ever made.

Favorite class? (spins/transitions, inversions, or boudoir), and why?

Boudoir. I love the exercises we do at the beginning and feel like they’ve helped me grow as a dancer. I love that feeling of dancing my heart out and forgetting that there are other people in the room.  I love just letting go of everything and feeling the music move me.  I love the emotional release you get after a long day.  I love to dance.

What is it that you LOVE about pole dancing at Divine?

I love the people at Divine.  I think it’s what makes this place so special.  It’s such a warm and safe environment for me.  I’ve grown very close to a lot of the students and instructors, and feel comfortable to share a side of myself with them that I don’t think others get to see.  It’s not just a place to go workout….it’s become more than that to me. We’re friends now…I mean, it’s hard to not become friends when you’re half naked and dancing so emotionally with each other day after day.

Platforms or legwarmers?

Platforms, definitely.  I love dancing in my shoes because I hate getting floor burn.  I think I also like the added height.  I’m normally 5′ and my shoes magically make me 5′6″…pretty awesome.

What are you currently working on technically?

I’m working on getting my “opposite side” inversion to be solid.  I can invert up on the opposite side, but I want it solid and I want to get the gemini, scorpion and all the other moves on my opposite side.

What are you working on artistically?

I’ve finally started to let go and start dancing for myself.  It’s an amazing feeling…now I just need to let myself go a bit further and explore a new side of me.  I can be a silly person in real life, I don’t think it translates so well in my dancing and I’d like to try to start showing that as well.

Favorite song to dance to?

I’m on a Florence + the Machine kick right now.  I think almost any song by her is amazing to dance to…especially “Cosmic Love”, “Heavy in Your Arms”, and “Drumming Song”.  I do have to say though, my go-to “I’ve had a crummy day” song is “Breathe Me” by Sia. Never fails me.

Butter Cream or Fondant?

Swiss Meringue Buttercream…the best thing you’ll ever taste. It’s light and fluffy and SO easy to make.  My go-to frosting

Any inspirational advice you would like to share with newcomers?
First off, take the intro class, it’s the best decision you’ll ever make.  And when you get to the point where you feel comfortable….just follow your body.  it definitely knows what it wants to do and how you feel at that moment.  Just let go and dance and forget that anyone is watching…you’re the only one that matters.

Occupation: Stripper, Photographer

How long have you been pole dancing at Divine? About a year and a half.

Did you have any previous dance or fitness training before starting pole? Five years ago, I spent several years training for the fire department (doing resistance training, running,etc) before switching career directions. I’ve also been a stripper a long time, but ironically never worked with a pole. Aside from pole-dancing, I also bike a little bit, dabble in yoga, and am considering lifting weights again in order to support my love for inversions.

What made you decide to take classes? At Burning Man nearly two years ago, I did my first pole spin (the chopper, I think!) and was hooked. Several months later, I bought a pole for my house on a whim, and after a week of trying to teach myself how to do things, I realized I was in desperate need of guidance. Pole dancing without the proper technique is both more difficult and potentially hazardous.

Favorite class? (spins/transitions, inversions, or boudoir), and why? I love inversions, but boudoir is my favorite. It’s hard to express what a beautiful thing it is to just dance and to witness your classmates dancing, and to feel so creatively energized and encouraged.

What is it that you LOVE about pole dancing at Divine? As a person who spends a lot of her time dancing for other people, it’s been amazing to learn how to dance for myself. I can’t say enough about the gorgeous, supportive, and private space that Angi and all of the other instructors create for their students.

Favorite move? I love almost every climbing or inverted move I know. But my longtime fave combo is the gemini to falling star to scorpian (otherwise known as the outside-knee-hang to hip-hold to inside-knee-hang).

Platforms or legwarmers? Platforms, hands down. Legwarmers look fantastic, but make it hard to climb.

What are you currently working on technically? I’ve been trying to strengthen my twisted grip, as well as incorporate the knee hold into my dance. I’m also starting to work on the Ayesha.

What are you working on artistically? I’m laughing as I answer this, because the artistic aspect of dance has always been more of a struggle for me than learning the basic technique. Primarily, I’m working on listening to my body. Which means so many things, from getting out of my head to extending my movement, from being conscious of my breathe when I dance, to slowing down while still allowing some fire to show through.

Favorite song to dance to? ‘Growing old is getting old’ by the Silversun Pickups is just one of many favorites.

Ferris Wheel or Roller Coaster? I love them both!

Any inspirational advice you would like to share with newcomers? Pole-dancing is not easy – it’s challenging physically, as well as emotionally. Be patient, trust your body, and give yourself the time to grow. It’s so worth it.

How do you know if your song is restricting you?  One way to tell is to notice how your body moves to it.  Your body will not be moving creatively if the song is not right for you.  You may feel robotic (dont. be. a. ro.bot.) and you will most definitely be in your head.  If you are thinking about staying in time with the beat or forcing your moves to perfectly correspond to the song, you are limiting your potential and your body’s creative voice.   Try picking a song that releases you from those expectations or a song that surprises you.  Pick a song that allows you to dance to the beat of your own  drummer.  You will feel a sense of relief and playful freedom.  You will feel unleashed!

Miss July 2010: Cammie H.

Occupation? Insurance Broker

How long have you been pole dancing at Divine? About 2-1/2 years now!

Did you have any previous dance or fitness training before starting pole? I took gymnastics and dance as a kid/teen but nothing as an adult.

What made you decide to take classes? I had been trying to get in better shape but wasn’t finding anything that motivated me.  When I turned 40 I decided to be brave and try something that sounded scary, but fun.  I was the most out of shape person in my class, but I had a BLAST!  I’m in SO much better shape now, I’ve even started working out in other ways (running, weights) so that I can be better at pole dancing.

Favorite class? (spins/transitions, inversions, or boudoir), and why? All of them, for different reasons.  Spins/transitions are fun and graceful.  Inversions have given me so much more strength and confidence.  For me, Boudoir is about letting go – one of the only times I can get out of my own head – stop thinking and just FEEL.

What is it that you LOVE about pole dancing at Divine? It’s one of the very few things in my life that I do for just me.  It doesn’t involve, depend on, or support anyone else.  That’s a really hard thing to find, and I think it allows me to be a more balanced and centered person in all the other areas of my life.

Favorite move? Ooh, tough one.  On the floor, reverse caterpillar.  On the pole, black widow.  Neither are difficult but they feel good to me.

Platforms or legwarmers? Sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometimes both, sometimes neither!  I like changing things up and the different ways they make me feel.

What move is challenging you right now? Inverting into splay.  I’m still building strength!

Favorite song to dance to? Crazy by Kidney Thieves.  I’ve been using it almost since I started and I keep going back to it over and over.

Sunrise or sunset? Sunset.  I’m definitely not a morning person….

Any inspirational advice you would like to share with newcomers? Don’t be scared, just relax and have fun.  You’ll be amazed what your body can do!

Since I started dancing, though, I have done a complete 180.  Seriously, I think that the womanly, sensuous style of dance we do releases estrogen or something.  I really feel like a girl.

As I savor these moments of joy and delight at being a girl and all the fun things that come with it I feel a pang of grief for all the years that were void of that joy and a sigh of relief for my new perspective.

I headed over to Bartell Drugs today for wrapping paper.  It’s always clean and quiet in this particular store.  As I walked in the entire world outside just disappeared.  Suddenly I was transported into a world of colors, textures and smells.   I was in the moment.  It hit me like a ton of bricks, “this is why we love shopping”.  Sure, we like a good deal and the glee that comes with purchasing something new, but it is the experience of the moment that really delivers.  I feel calm when I am in the moment.  It’s a tiny island oasis or that bite of chocolate.  It’s what I learned from dance.

I love the feeling I get when I am putting the key into the door of the studio.  I feel a sense of relief as I step through the door, and into the world of music and dance, knowing that soon I will feel the warm glow of dim lights and the slow, sweet wave of music washing through me.  I know that in those moments where I listen, follow and obey I will be pulled into the  moment and in that moment be restored and invigorated.

Miss June 2010: Nikki B.

Occupation? Fashion Designer

How long have you been pole dancing at Divine? Since January 2010, so like 5 months (wow, seems so much longer then that!)

Did you have any previous dance or fitness training before starting pole? No formal dance experience.  I have always been involved in sports, worked out at the gym and I meet with a fitness trainer twice a week.  But I have friends that have no athletic training and they love pole as much as I do!

What made you decide to take classes? Honestly I was watching The Girls Next Door and the twins were asked to audition for a pole-dancing role in a Sophia Coppola movie.  The whole episode was them practicing and it looked like so much fun!  They had never done it before and they don’t seem at all athletic so I knew I could do it.  Plus I was looking for new FUN ways to exercise so I signed up the next day!

Favorite class (spins/transitions, inversions, boudoir), and why? Well, Boudoir is great for practicing, but I have to say Spins and Transitions is my favorite right now.  It is always fun to learn new spins and practice them over and over again until you can do it without even thinking! AND this class is a great workout, especially when it is a climbing week!

What is it that you LOVE about pole dancing at Divine? Wow, there are so many things that I LOVE about pole dancing here.  It is a secure place where you can just let go and have fun while getting a great workout.  It’s like being a kid again when we are learning all the new moves.  I also love that when I go there and we begin the workout all the stress of the day just sort of disappears when we begin the warm up.

Favorite move? Probably the Angel, it is so flowy and pretty and you have a free hand to mess up your hair with!

Pants or shorts? Shorts for sure!!  I swear I just keep buying them shorter and shorter!  I could never climb the pole well until I switched to really short shorts.  I am not the skinniest person so I never wore shorts before pole fitness, but now I own like 12 pairs.  And there are the cute running skirts with the short under which are perfect for pole because you get to show your feminine side (also great for boudoir class when we dress up in fun outfits!).

What move is challenging you right now? The straight leg dismount from a climb and sit where you swing your leg around and down, then spin down the pole.  I barely get around the pole once and it is yet to be graceful!

Favorite song to dance to? Hearing Damage (Thom Yorke) hands down.

Edward or Jacob? Edward of course!!  But MY Edward from the book.  Not the movie. (although he is growing on me)

Any inspirational advice you would like to share with newcomers? Stick to the routine and really have fun with it.  I think I was on the routine for almost 4 months before I really started free styling.  Of course now and then I would change up the moves within the routine, but that’s how I am able to freestyle now.  I still go back to the routine whenever I am having an off day.  Also, just really let go!  This is a safe environment for all ladies of any size, shape and form so there is nothing to get nervous or embarrassed about.  No one is judging so give in to the music and express yourself through the dance!!

When we were kids ( I observe this in my own girls) we played without a bunch of rules.  Playing was ‘freestyle’(unless you had a bossy sister).  We made it up as we went along.  We weren’t afraid of sounding stupid because we knew we were playing and thus creating our own little reality right in that very moment. No boundaries, no rules. Kids just know how to play by instinct.   Trying to follow all the rules makes it cerebral and sucks the joy right out of our playful spirits. Rules are for learning, playing is for letting go and being in the moment.

You’ll know your have let go and are on the way to the zone when your movements start to evolve, organically, beyond recognition, and to live and breath a life of their own.  You will be surprised!

Dancing gives us an amazing opportunity to play again!  Just play.  I really relish the rush of an accomplishment or the mastering of a new move, but the greatest moments of joy I’ve had while pole dancing were had in the moment.

As Prince once said, “Make the rules, then break ‘em all ’cause you are the best”…..

My favorite part of dance is the surrender.   I love to let go and feel the music.  The suspense of not knowing what comes next is exhilarating.  Although it has taken years for me to learn this aspect of the dance every step was worth it.

Today, I had some moments between loads of laundry that were truly Divine. My body just moved.  I listened and watched and followed in a lucid trance.  In these moments I feel creative potential bust wide open and I feel the endless stream that flows through me and for a few moments I have escaped the burden of my physical body.   I want every woman to know what it feels like to ‘let go’ if only for a moment at a time.  To feel the rush of this creative force pulse through their limbs.  To Surrender.

I believe that every woman is capable of learning this style of dance.  I have seen students grow from their first hesitant steps in 101 to poised and confident and truly captivating.   I love this job!.

 Why do we really love pole dancing ladies? I know, I know! And although it is top secret I am going to tell you. (You are one of the lucky and privileged few). Are you ready? ‘Cause it’s a shocker!!! Here ‘goes: We women like to feel beautiful. That’s why.

Pole dancing is a sensuous and gorgeous movement that feels beautiful and gets us in touch with our womanly side. It also challenges our female bodies in a feminine way, a circular way that conserves our beautiful curves. Why be a robot on a treadmill when you can dance? Why take yet another step aerobics class when you can spin, pivot and flip yourself into shape?

The allure of the pole goes even deeper. Something of our feminine spirit gets lost as we try to keep up with the pace of this world. White knuckled and jaws clenched we power through our days. Stress can make us tense and unyielding, burying the soft inviting warmth that is innate in a woman. Devouring the quiet stillness and the ‘at rest’ peace, that defines inspiring beauty.
Dancing in a hypnotic, sensuous flow helps to unwind all of that tension so we can be soft once more and alive inside our bodies.
Besides being good for a woman’s body and stress levels, the inherent playfulness of spinning twirling and dancing is healthy for a woman’s heart. The support and encouragement from other women fulfills a need for community that we women have built into the fiber of our beings.
So, to those who say pole dancing is a temporary trend, I say, think again!

1. It won’t get you what you want. Pole dancing for your boyfriend will not get you a wedding ring, secure your relationship, nor will it give you special powers over him. So, put down the Cosmo and start using your brains! Guys want more than just sex. (Oh goody)

2. It reduces your worth in his eyes. Most women think they will be his favorite super-star girlfriend if they pull off the perfect strip-tease or pole dance.
Guys are a lot smarter than we thought ladies. (Oh darn). Contrary to popular belief a man’s brains are not located in his pants. They may use their penis to make short term decisions, like whether or not to sleep with the girl who just lapdanced him, but you don’t want to be one of those short term decisions, do you? Long term decisions like getting married, commitment, or falling in love are made with his head and heart. You gotta respect that!
What your boyfriend, or that dude your sort of seeing, is really thinking when you dance for him is, “she is really working hard to impress me”, Translation: “she is really desperate”, or “How many guys has she done this for?”; Translation: I’ll sleep with her but then I will move on. You have just established yourself as a public playground in his mind. (ouch! that hurts) Public playgrounds can be fun for now, but where would you rather spend your life? A public playground or a private garden?

3. Your are not a public playground. You are a beautiful private garden and the key to unlock your garden gate is security, honesty, trust and love. The trust is earned. He will earn it and love every minute of it if you would only let him. By sleeping with and dancing for your man you are depriving him of his essential manly drive to earn it!  (That’s not nice).  Men value what they earn.

4. Most important!   You are disabling the best bad seed eliminator that you have. You don’t dance for him, you don’t sleep with him and he walks. High five!!! You just avoided a whole lotta heartache.

5. He will value you and the relationship more if you don’t. You will increase the worth of yourself and all women by doing your part. Men today are so used to getting it on the 3rd date that they have become like spoiled children who don’t value what they have. Total entitlement.  Ugh.

Do we really need to give it up like that ladies?
To some it may sound a bit old fashioned, but we are so far from old fashioned today that It would take a major miracle to return us to that level of chastity. I mean let’s get real! I only say these things because I wish someone would have told me. Not to embarrass us for our past actions but to give us hope for the future.