On preforming

Last night I was privileged enough to attend my studios winter showcase, the theme (being so close to Valentine’s Day) was Cupid’s Pole Show and they encouraged all of the performers to theme their dances around love. And it was amazing, I got to see some very talented women and men grace that stage and blow me a away. I love going to these show cases because they just show everyone’s personality so well! You can tell the more dance oriented people apart from the athletic ones, the serious personality’s from those who are a little more quirky. And they are all amazing!  I am so blessed to be surrounded by such talented people!  And I just love going out and supporting them.

And then people start looking at me (who has only been dancing for two months!) and asking “so are you preforming at the next showcase?” “When are you preforming?” “would you do more burlesque or more pole stuff?” and while I love that these people obviously support me enough to think that I can perform inform of a packed opera house I get a little panicked and say something like “ well, I’m not really there yet… maybe soon, or in like a year. I don’t know. We’ll see.”  

But inside of me is a dancer that longs for the stage!  And I think most people who take up this kind of dancing have a part of them that just wants to show off. Maybe not to a auditorium full of people, maybe just for their pole sisters and brothers or even just for their hunny or close friends but I believe that performer is there in all of us. And for me it took me about 1 second into my first class to begin thinking of preforming, and with that what songs I would like to preform too. Because we all know the song is everything.

So for your enjoyment, Sephy’s  Burlesque and Pole songs:

First of we have Circus by Britney Spears. I can’t help it! I LOVE this woman, and her music. This would most likely be the first song I’d ever preform too. It is a song that I could really get into and include a lot of chair and floor work into and don’t have to rely so much on the pole. And not to mention it would be a perfect excuse to buy some vertical black and whitestriped leggings from Derby Skinz and a coat with tails.  I mean what girl doesn’t want those?

The second song is a big gear change, it’s Come Round Soon by Sara Bareilles. I love this song and this is a song I would love to do my first full pole routine too. I just love the feel this song, dark and a little dirty and maybe a little bit passive aggressive. Not sure why I like the idea of pole dancing to this song so much, I just do.

Another song I would burlesque or polesque too would be Feeling Good by Michael Buble. That song is just sexy as all hell.

And just about every song Florance and the Machine song, not sure what it is but i think that woman's sound is just PREFECT for pole: Howl, Spectrum, Seven Devils, No Light No Light, Shake it Out, Drumming Song, Rabbit Heart. I mean I could go on but I think you get the point.

Some songs I would be doubles to, Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. Mostly beacuse one of my best friends is married to a man maned Jessie and I tend to bring this song up around them a lot so i think it would be prefect to do a doubles to this song with her. and it would be amazing. Maybe we could even get Jessie in on it. Another song I think would be beautiful to do doubles to would be Skyfall by Adelle its just such a sexy song and the use of the world "we" just makes me think of doubles.

And now a few songs I always joke about preforming to, who knows it might happen *wink*

Sexy and I know by Ricky Martin, the version he did on Glee. I don’t know, this song is super ridiculous but Ricky makes it fun! Also I am the whitest girl on the planet and the thought to dancing to this song fills me with a sort of perverse glee, also embarrassment.  

And then there is Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake. I mean, this song always makes me smile and I joke about it all the time,  but I don't think I could ever really preform to it in front of more then just a few friends for similar reasons as I could never really preform to Sexy and I know it. 

So those are a few of the songs I think about all the time, what songs to you dream of preforming to? I'd love to know! 

and for an added bonus, I got my angel crucifix last Wednesday and here it is! 

About flexibility

Truth be told, you don’t have to be flexible to be a pole dancer. But then again it doesn’t hurt. After all you will never fully get your Jade if you can’t do the splits and you will never get cocoon without back flexibility.  That’s just the truth. True you can make amazing routines without these moves but we want to learn ALL the moves. I know I do, and I can’t even climb yet!

So keeping with my pole goals this year I’m starting to work on my splits now so that by the time I can try to attempt these moves I can do them with ease. Or at least more ease then learning the move and not having the flexibility when I get there.

To mark my progress I’ve taken some photos of where I am not with  my splits

Front splits:

Left side first:

Right ride first:

I have a long way to go yet but I think with slow and steady work I can do it!  I’ve found several lists of stretches to help you get there (stretches for tight hips and 8 stretches to help you get your splits are just a few) and on Saturday I took my first aerial yoga class! 

 Look at all those pretty silks hanging next to those chrome poles!

Unfortunately, like most of my pole classes I am too busy doing the work to get pictures of myself doing it but let me tell you it was amazing! And a little painful, more so than I thought it was going to be because for some of the hangs the hammock needs to be bunched up and thin and is supporting your body weight (think cheese and wire) but I’m sure, that like pole, it is a sort of pain that you get used to or overcome as you get stronger. but Holly (the instructor) was amazing and helped everyone who needed it and created an atmosphere of calm and positive energy. But, oh my! It was crazy intense! In a good way. I hope to take more soon, if only I have more money to take all the classes! My studio also offers belly dancing classes! Why don't i have unlimited funds? i can barely afford my class a week as it is *le sigh* oh well.