Mel Nutter as Baudelaire

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Every Artist Was First An Amateur

June 12, 2016 /

Next week, I will walk on stage at The Vanguard for the fourth time – fifth if you count being pole monkey for another show.

December 2011- Art of Pole Christmas Showcase

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April 2015 – Glam Rock Cabaret (Pole Monkey)

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June 2015 – Solotude

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November 2015 – Solotude 2

Solotude 2 - The Vanguard, Newtown - November 2015

June 2016 – Solotude 3

solotude 3 poster

 

I have been incredibly lucky to have had so many opportunities to refine my performance skills. Over so many years, of course my tricks have improved, but I have also been able to work on my stage presence and fluidity, and forge out my own style. Looking back at photos from 2011 I am blown away by how much pole dancing has shaped my growth as a person as well as a performer.

Ralph Waldo Emerson is famous for saying,

“Every artist was first an amateur.”

The journey from amateur to artist requires the support of a strong community. It requires determination, persistence, and passion. It also requires space to grow and evolve. In the case of a dancer, it also means a space to perform and people to watch.

I am so grateful for Solotude and the Vanguard for providing that space. And I am grateful to you for being that audience.

Come along to the show next weekend and support the rising stars! Find me in the crowd after my show and say hi and let me thank you in person for supporting all of the amateurs who are growing an artist within.

Tickets available here.

Solotude 3!

May 1, 2016 /

solotude 3 poster

The team at Sydney Pole are at it again! Solotude 3 will hit the Vanguard on June 19th!

This night is an opportunity for amateur and semi-pro dancers to perform in a more public space than the studio. The last two Solotude events were an absolute blast and I am so excited to have been invited to perform once again!

You can see my first Solotude performance here. And there are shots of my Solotude 2 performance in the gallery.

Come along to see a fabulous night of pole story telling and performance art in the grand venue of the Vanguard!

 

Tickets available here!

 

Choreography Workshop

December 17, 2015 /

Choreography intensiveHave you ever dreamed of taking the stage for a solo performance? Do you have a list of songs that you would love to dance to, but don’t know where to start? Would you like to share your vision in a supportive environment with fellow polers who can help you refine your ideas?

Join me for a Choreography Intensive at Sydney Pole on Sunday 27th December!

Learn how to unpack songs, sequence your favourite tricks and combos, and put the finishing touches on your routine!

The workshop will consist of two parts, 45 minutes each. Using a song of your choice, I will lead you though a step by step process that will teach you to listen to and identify thematic and musical elements of a song, and use them to enhance your performance concept.

During the second half of the workshop I will teach you floorwork and pole exercises that will help you connect to your music and ensure your routine is as unique as you are. These techniques will be useful for choreography to any genre of music and will help you find movement and expression in your own body, revealing the dancer within.

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Ok, yes! It’s a shameless plug for my workshop! But I’m so excited to be able to give back and help inspire others to get up and dance! I believe that I have a strong appreciation for musicality, clean lines, and genuine expression, and would like to offer a productive and supportive space to help others bring their performance ideas to the stage.

If you’re in Sydney or know a dancer who might be interested, let them know!

Book in through Sydney Pole

Open to all skill levels and dance experience!

Solotude 2!

September 15, 2015 /

solotude2Here we go again! Riding the success of the first Solotude in June, the awesome girls at Sydney Pole are running the showcase event once more!

 

To celebrate having my caboose on the poster twice, I’ve got a sexy routine in the works that’s all about big heels, hair flicks, and being a woman!

(and it’s a great distraction from comp prep!)

 

Miss Summer Trick Star

September 1, 2015 /

poster croppedNot quite sure what I’ve got myself in for but I’ve entered Miss Summer Trick Star – a pole dance competition held in Canberra each year.

I’ve entered two other pole comps in the past (PDA Secret Life and Sefton Pole Dance Comp). As much as I love showcase and the space the perform without the pressure of a comp, there are a few useful insights I have gained from throwing myself at the judges.

1) Feedback – Unless you attend more than one studio it’s likely your main audience are always the same people. And in true pole family fashion, they are endlessly supportive, encouraging and complimentary about your pole talents. I don’t make this point to suggest that your pole family are lying to you, but it is sometimes very difficult to find someone who can give you constructive criticism. In a competition scenario, the judges are most likely seeing you dance for the first time, and their feedback can offer valuable insight into areas for improvement or to highlight things that you might not know you were doing so well.

2) Motivation – Training for a competition is hard work. But once you commit, you’re locked in. With enough time to prepare you are more likely to nail that trick you’ve always wanted, or polish that transition. You’ll be more focused and more motivated to succeed.

3) Networking –  Once again, unless you train in multiple studios, it is sometimes hard to meet other pole dancers. Your competitors, despite also wanting to win, are generally super friendly, and already love pole as much as you do! They might also be able to teach you a new trick, let you in on the latest grip aid secrets, or let you know of other performance opportunities and workshops coming up.

4) Photos – who doesn’t love professional shots of yourself dancing! Many competitions have a photographer to shoot your routine, and the cost of the shots is often included in the competition fee.

So I’ve got about 10 weeks to prep before the comp. I’ve already chosen my song, now I just need to train some new tricks and get creative with the choreography.

Watch this space!

Showcase!

June 7, 2015 /

IMG_0820Four years ago (when this photo was taken!) when I walked into Art of Pole studios on Parramatta Rd, I would have never anticipated pole dancing would have affected me the way it has. I didn’t even know who Jamilla Deville was, but as soon as I saw her spinning and twirling with such grace and strength, I felt it shake something up inside of me.

Despite the Art of Pole studios being rather small – a single room, 50mm static brass poles, wooden floors, and an outdoor toilet! – Jamilla and her team were keen to run studio showcase events. They valued the idea of offering students a safe and supportive place to dance.

This ethos has been threaded through the studio as it has changed locations and changed hands. The owners, teachers, and students all recognising that showcase is a chance to foster aspiring dancers and offer a space for performance that is not a competition or paid gig. It’s a space for you to get up on stage, dance your way, to your music, in your style.

Daunting? Yes!

Hard work? Yes!

Worth it! Hell YES!

My first showcase was at the Vanguard Theatre in Sydney’s Inner West. I danced to Numb by Portishead, and my biggest trick was an Ankle Grab (AKA Bat). Could I have placed in a comp with that routine? No way! But in the showcase environment, it was more than welcome, a sign of the studio’s acceptance and interest in hearing a new voice.

I’ve clocked up over fifteen solos since, all performed in the container of security and support that is my studio. I now have many more tricks than a straddle to an ankle grab, but the essence of that dance is still woven into my new routines. In that first performance I learned about choreography, interpreting music, conveying messages with my body, stage presence, facial expressions, costume, hair, make up … the list goes on! And the stage, lighting, backstage energy, sense of community, I was hooked!

A fortnight ago was our most recent showcase at Sydney Pole. I was invited to dance as part of a small group in what was aptly named the “Proposal Dance”. A friend surprised her pole dancing partner with a “Will You Marry Me” dance! We choreographed a short routine and then brought Kat on stage for her surprise. It was magic! And it highlights the whole showcase concept – it’s about community, acceptance, support, and openness.

My pole journey started with a showcase performance. Every time I get on stage I learn something more about myself, and more about dancing. I am so grateful for the studios who offer this as part of their program and highly recommend you get yourself into one! Or at least come along to watch at Sydney Pole sometime, I’m sure you’ll get hooked too!

Oh, and yes, she said “yes!”

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