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USPDF March 2010 – Pro and Amateur Nationals
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Pole Choreography workshop: In an hour and a half, you will learn a choreographed routine incorporating tricks and transitions. Amber will break down each movement so that it is appropriate for all levels and will teach you her signature balletic style which emphasizes extensions and fluidity. Amber will also teach you some key choreography concepts that will help you develop well balanced routines on your own!
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cool…thanks fleur…looking forward to both of your workshops https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
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Hi everyone!
I’m taking one of the contortion workshops with Stephanie Abrams, but I’d like to have a private lesson as well! Anyone want to share one? preferably Friday morning or between the amateur and pro comp?
can’t wait to meet you all https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
Ines -
Hey everyone…
I have some unfortunate news about your saturday workshops.
As you all know Body & Pole is not affiliated with the USPDF or with NY Pole Dance studio. We are a brand new studio in NYC, and a completely separate entity from NY Pole Dance.
I booked the girls a couple of months ago, knowing that they are coming here for the USPDF competition. I waited for all of them to give me the thumbs up, then waited for the USPDF to come out with their workshops schedule, and based on that, I scheduled the girls in a way that did not interfere with their USPDF classes. At no point did I think this was going to be an issue as I knew there was nothing in their contract saying they can’t teach at other studios. I also figured there are going to be so many women coming to NYC for this that the NY Pole Dance workshops will not be enough for everyone to be able to take a workshop with these amazing women.
With that said, a couple of weeks after posting the workshops on my website, I received a call from one of the instructors telling me that they all got an email from Wendy and Anna, the founders of the USPDF and the owners of NY Pole Dance, telling them that they are not allowed to teach at other studios that are not affiliated with the USPDF while they are in NY, between March 18-20th. I have been trying to fight this for the last month, but it seems that the USPDF girls, think that they own the instructors and can forbid them from working at my studio.
Once Wendy and Anna found out that they booked workshops at my studio, they told the girls that if they chose to do so, they will cancel their workshops at NY Pole dance, and not pay their hotels and flights to NYC.
It is completely illegal and wrong on so many levels.
I asked the girls to all stick to their commitment to Body & Pole, but it seems that one by one they are buckling under the pressure that the USPDF is putting on them. They are bullying them because they know they can.
The girls have worked really hard for the competition and fear that Wendy and Anna will sabotage their chances to win if they work for me on Saturday.
I sent the USPDF girls a letter from my attorney telling them that what they are doing is not legal, and even sent a very long email to both, practically begging them to let this go, as all their workshops are full, and as the representatives of the USPDF they should support all studios, not just their own. I told them it is not about me or my studio, it is about all the girls that had already signed up for these workshops. They didn’t even bother to reply.
I called several times, but they will not take my calls.
I canceled Karols’ Saturday class as she only had a few girls signed up and she insisted that I cancel it. I can’t blame her, as she has been under so much pressure from them. They also send out a contract retroactively last week, for the girls to sign now, saying they can not teach at my studio. Messed up, I know.
Both Alethea and Jenyne have expressed that they are too scared to fight with Wendy and Anna and that they would like to cancel the Saturday workshops at Body & Pole. I told both of them that they had a commitment to my studio and to the students, and that I will not cancel the workshops. I am torn and don’t know what to do.
I am trying to get in touch with Felix to see if I can fly her out here for 2 workshops on Saturday, instead of the ones with Alethea and Jenyne, but she hasn’t responded yet.I am so disappointed at the USPDF and the fact that they are not doing what they are suppose to do, which is support the pole dance community and studios. They very clearly don’t care about anything but making money off of all you girls. It is so wrong that they simply don’t care that I have 24 women signed up for these classes who might not be able to afford their prices, and that might not be able to take workshops as they are all full at NY Pole Dance. I have tried everything, even looked at other spaces to run these workshops on Sunday instead, but there is too much overlapping in the schedules that it is simply impossible for me to do that. I have been breaking my head trying to find a solution for this.
I am trying to please everyone and I can’t. This has been a horrible month for me, dealing with this nonsense. It is so uncalled for. There are enough women for both of our studios to have full workshops and be happy. But Wendy and Anna are just being greedy and selfish and frankly I am really disgusted by their unprofessional behavior.I am so so sorry that this is what might be happening, I am doing my best to try to make up for it one way or another.
Feel free to contact Wendy and Anna directly to let them know how messed up this is.This is not the instructors fault, nor Body & Pole. This is all happening because Wendy and Anna will not let them teach here on Saturday.
I will keep everyone posted. I didn’t want this to happen but I might have no other choice if the girls don’t want to teach for me on Saturday.
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif
Lian
Body & Pole -
Hi Everyone,
I’m looking to sell my ticket to the USPDF Championships since finances dictate I can’t splurge on another NYC trip this year. I bought my ticket early, so it’s a good seat (Center Orchestra, Row M, Seat 107).
I paid a total of $93.25 for it, which includes $85 for the ticket, $2.50 for handling and $5.75 for the customer service fee, but I’ll sell it for $85. Let me know if you or anyone you know is looking for a ticket. Thanks!
-Cricket
(aka Natasha) -
I have taken lessons at NYPD (the owners of the USPDF) for the past 1 1/2 years. Unfortunately, As much as I would love to say I support this organization, I want no part of it. Time after time, NYPD (and USPDF) has tried to make a monopoly out of pole dancing, instead of a community that it well deserves. There has been numerous complaints about how she runs her business and her unprofessional communication styles, as well as her forbidding well known dancers from teaching at other studios (other than NYPD) during USPDF competitions. I know first handed that when she is confronted with facts about what she is doing wrong, she goes into attack mode, and will start making up stories to save face. A big example can be seen online as Body and Pole share their experiences with dealing with the USPDF/NYPD.
http://www.bodyandpole.com/bodyandpole/Blog_2/Entries/2010/2/13_USPDF_and_why_our_workshops_were_cancelled.htmlYou can read Wendy’s (ISPDF/NYPD) response here:
http://www.bodyandpole.com/bodyandpole/Blog_2/Entries/2010/2/24_Interesting..htmlI am not affiliated with any studio. I have no hidden agenda here. I just want dancers to be aware of the politics that the USPDF owner is trying to bring into our sport. This is suppose to be a community that fosters learning, not a monopoly!!! There are many federations out there. Please support those that support all. Let karma deal with the ones like USPDF.
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Thanks, Mwincze… it’s nice to hear another point of view.
While I think it’s great that USPDF is so popular, they do seem to have their own agenda instead of a global pole community agenda. I’m going to the competition to support the dancers and take some workshops so I can learn more, myself, but I’m not necessarily for or against USPDF (although I lost my temper a bit when I first heard about the conflict with B&P).
It’s just a shame that this sport/activity/whatever you want to call it of pole dancing is so disconnected. There are a million different studios and organizations and events and and and etc. And I think everyone’s just fighting to be THE pole dancing organization out there. Why can’t everyone just join forces? And I mean just mutually join forces without applying or asking permission to join up.
It just amazes me how much of this stupid crap wouldn’t happen if there was some order in the pole universe…
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All of this has really gotten on my nerves. Both entities have stated their side, and it’s clear that there was issues happening on both sides. Also, both entities have decided to move forward. It’s an unfortunate situation all around, but it’s a situation I’m done hearing about. You have students making "USPSF Sucks" Facebook groups, people creating accounts on website (including this site, but I won’t name names) where you can review different studios just to diss B&P and/or NYPD/USPDF, and this is disgusting. We are (or should be) adults here. If you don’t want to support something, then don’t, but why go through all of the ridiculousness in order to bash an entity?
I hope that B&P and the USPDF can settle their situation and are able to communicate effectively and work together in the future.
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SandyBrown,
You are right. Both places (B&P and NYPD) have voiced their sides and it should be a done deal. My issue, which I stated in my previous message, is that NYPD continues to do things that are unprofessional and are leaving behind a trail of very unhappy people.I know people will always have something to complain about, I get it. When the same theme keeps popping up, over and over again, you have to start wondering why. Moreso, you have to wonder why you should give your hard earned money to an organization that is starting to have a not-so-nice reputation for unprofessional dealings. As I stated in my earlier message, I had my own personal experiences to draw upon, so I’m not drawing conclusions from a trail of online messages. (I can name three other people that I know had the same experiences with NYPD as I did.)
Pole dancing isn’t cheap, and we all spend a heck of a lot of money to learn and practice our craft. I would hate to see another fellow dancer spend potentially thousands of dollars with NYPD and end up feeling the way many of us do. I wouldn’t stop anyone from going to NYPD. Their school is good. But there are places that are just as good, that don’t treat people the way that I, and many others have been treated at NYPD.
p.s. I’ve never seen a site or a group on Facebook or anywhere else that is "bashing" NYPD. Anything I ever read was people like me writing about their experiences. If there are, they should grow up and stop that behavior.
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