[Serzi]

Yes. Whatever bees or wasps I have swarming around in my head they STOP whenever I pole. It’s like a natural tranquilizer or something for me. When I can’t pole for long periods of time due to work, illness, interuptions, or whatever I find myself extremely depressed and hyper-sensitive. I often daydream entire pole routines just to keep myself from getting too down.

[Serzi]

Went to a few strip-clubs in my time just for the fun of it. For the most part, each place was completely different. Went to one in Wisconsin that was kinda old fashioned. (brass stationary poles, big theater style main stage, played country music, pretty much only served beer and shots), Had decent prices but was a bit drab and none of the girls knew how to pole. Personally knew one of the dancers there at the time and she used to bruise the hell out of her legs experimenting w/ the poles so she stopped trying. Bruises aren’t sexy to horny old men, apparently.

The other clubs I went to were in Detroit. Quite a different experience altogether. These clubs played rap and mainstream pop music, they had runway stages everywhere (no main stage), drinks were expensive but usually pretty damn good, poles varied from acrylic to stainless to who-the-hell-knows. Dozens of dancers, saw only three who were poling. Those girls, however, had MOVES. One in particular did a crazy combo from like ten feet in the air. (knee-hold, butterfly, dangerous bridge, shouldermount, carousel spin-thing all the way to the floor) She was so in the zone it took her a moment to realize me and a guy had tipped her. She crawled over, did an elbow-stand, clapped her heels, smiled, and said “Thanks, baby.” For as much work she was doing I couldn’t believe there weren’t more men tipping her or even watching. At another club, I got in some mild trouble. I was there for a birthday party, some friends were very bored and wanted to see my pole moves. We asked a bouncer (yeah, I know…no need to lecture me. I know now.) if it’d be okay for me to play around on the spinny pole in our VIP room or whatever. He said no prob. I busted out a few moves and spins, nothing great, when in came the cavalry. It was due to insurance reasons, they assured me, but they didn’t kick us out or anything. Still, I was kinda pissed that we had been told “No prob.” when it clearly was. The dancers at this club did not have a private dressing room, they had to change in this tiny ladies room open to the customers. Thought that was bs as it was obvious the club spared no expense on other aspects. Dancers are the main attraction, they ought to have their own dressing room. lol

Oh, and we bought my (female) boss a lapdance. That girl was TALENTED! She did these weightless looking handstands and splits, she did some crazy booty shaking, was very professional, very charming, and it seemed like she was having as much fun performing as we were watching. Wasn’t pole but I was impressed.

[Serzi]

The movie “Suicide Kings” has a part in a strip club where some chick is actually inverting and doing tricks.

The Rob Zombie remake of “Halloween” has Rob Zombie’s wife (Sheri Moon Zombie) doing a back-hook spin.
++
The movie “Exit to Eden” has a scene w/ some pole dancing in it.

The music video “Violet” by Hole.

There’s plenty of others but I can’t think of many at the moment.

[Serzi]

The pole itself is about 7′ tall. The B-pole has been cut to fit my home. A replacement B-pole for outdoor use is something I never got around to but completely possible. It is not as tall as it would be without the modification, but it was the only option I had to be able to pole in my home.

[Serzi]

I thought Natasha did an exquisite job representing the althetic grace of pole on National television and I'm very grateful she side-stepped the whole "stripper controversy" (which, btw, almost always gets brought up on tv and drives me insane because it sometimes takes over the entire show). She almost even corrected them by using the word "exotic dancer and, well, I just found Natasha's presence very professional and charming.

I was surprised at the cradle-spin lesson. That move took me almost six months just to be able to lift/tuck into properly without bruising my hipbone or looking like a dying sloth, haha! Then I remembered that some moves come more naturally to others. (for instance, my first real move was a very ungraceful CKR) Maybe the cradle spin was the first move Natasha learned, or maybe she was just trying to show how difficult pole really is, or…possibly…she felt the fireman spin has been tried-and-true on tv for so long that it was time for a new move to take the beginner spotlight. lol

I don't really know what to think of the whole publicity and "coming out of the closet about pole" thing. I have very mixed feelings about it because it seems like once you make it politically correct and it becomes big name business they take the heart and soul out of it. It becomes something other than the pole dancing I know and love because you have to cater to the masses and give the people what they want. I'll say right now that, when it comes to pole, I CAN NOT DO THAT because this is my shelter from the masses and that bs way of judging and thinking. So, it seems, there goes my dreams of ever being recognized by USPDF, you know? Possibly not an entirely bad thing but, still, it would've been nice to feel it was at least possible for me to get on that big ol' stage and give it my all. 

Anyways, I may add to this topic later. I've had a lot of thoughts and feelings about this. Still, I would like to congratulate and thank Natasha for her beautiful performance on "The View". That had to be very nerve-wracking and she took to it with a very natural, professional attitude the entire time. 🙂

 

♥~*Serzi

[Serzi]

Wish I could help w/ your question but, as an original X-Stage owner, I have a question for you. I didn't realize you could just buy the Lite base, is it on the official site somewhere? Maybe I haven't looked on there hard enough, but how much did it cost you?

[Serzi]

You already know my thoughts on Showcases vs. Competitions, but I'll say it once again…we NEED more showcases. However, the budget/profiteering opportunities were not something I really give much consideration to. I'm too much of a dreamer not a do'er. I would suppose that, from a business perspective, competitions are more profitable than showcases and that's probably a big reason why there's not very many of them. That's a damn shame. Now it's becoming like I'm too poor to take part in EITHER of these pole events much less classes. Ughhh…back to my little pole room…yet again. 🙁

[Serzi]

"I'd hate to see pole dancing turn into baseball with pole dancers yelling at judges the way we yell at umps." -Charley

 

Me either, but the visual I got from that was quite hilarious!

Pole comp judge chompin' on a cigar: "YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!!!"

Competitor spittin' chew at judge's feet: "WHAT THE HELL?! WHADAYA MEAN I'M OUTTA HERE?! ARE YA F***IN' BLIND?!!!"

Audience: "BOOOOO!!! HISSSSS!!! BAD CALL!!!!!"

Pole comp judge: "I AIN'T F***IN' BLIND!!! YOU'RE OWWWWWWT!!!"

 

LMAO!! xD

 

 

[Serzi]

There's a journal entry I wrote about ten years ago when I was sixteen years old. During exam week I crashed from about 40 hrs of no sleep and I had a very vivid nightmare about being a stripper. (Mind you, this was way prior to any pole community that I was aware of and as far as I knew at the time pole dancing was only in strip-clubs.)

 

Although I may someday dig out that journal and post the full entry in my blog, for now I'll just give you the basic jist of what happened. I was on a stage in a club and I was dancing pretty much nude on a pole covered in spikes. I did not have any idea about actual pole moves so in the dream I was just climbing, grinding, sliding and spinning or whatever but everytime I did I would tear huge sheets of my legs and inner thigh skin to ribbons. There were people I knew in the audience who were watching me; my ex-boyfriend, my teachers, classmates, friends, family, etc. Which of course was way more creepy than the fact I was mutilating myself on this pole and bleeding everywhere, but somehow unable to stop.

 

There's a lot more that happened, something to do with a blue light and little kid wearing my ex-boyfriend's White Zombie t'shirt but I don't remember all the details. Like I said, I'll probably post the rest in a blog at a later date. Either way, I think that my interest in learning to pole probably started somewhat with the desire to overcome the fear and shame I felt in this horrible, stress-induced dream.

 

~*Serzi

[Serzi]

And don't get me wrong, I am always chomping at the bit when I see the top competitors do their thing. I do feel that competition is necessary to evolve and progress and that it can be a positive thing. I just wish that there were more venues for polers to showcase their talents without that element always taking the center stage.

[Serzi]

If my shorts move, chances are, my undies will move with them. Fortunately, despite my broad hips my pelvis is rather dainty (which may or may not change after I have this baby, who knows) and so I've never given an outright free-shot…that I am aware of. I've come close a few times, but I tend to only wear boyshorts that have some slight leg to them and that gives me a little extra assurance that I won't be flashing my great divide.

As for underwear, for the most part, I figure "What's the point?". I mean, if my thong just rides up anyway and makes a wedgie twice as uncomfortable then I'm not going to wear one when I practice at home. Half the time my boyshorts ARE underwear anyways so…idk. Of course, anytime I've been at a studio or the two performances I participated in I've worn boyshorts under my boyshorts just out of common courtesy. Still, it does not offer me much reassurance against bearing my all if they ride up far enough. When one does the other one often has as well…at least in my experience. DOUBLE WEDGE-PICK, HAWWWWWWT!!! lol

~*Serzi

[Serzi]

Yes, thank you Charley. IPDFA is held in Tokyo and Worlds was held in Zurich, Switzerland this year. I think Worlds was held in Jamaica the previous year, wasn't it? Hmmm…well, anyways, yes they are two completely different international pole competitions but I didn't always realize that. CONFUSING.

 

As I said, I think we need more showcases with bigger venues and publicity. That's not to say that competitions don't have their place and purpose too, but there are a lot of really great dancers who either do not wish to compete or probably would at least appreciate more non-competitive atmoshperes to share their talents with the world. The pole community is so supportive, talented and diverse it would be nice to have big budget national or international showcases to reflect that side of it. I feel awkward about competitons because they typically do not reflect what I love most about pole dancing (but that may just be my own opinion). This is why I was never a sports-fan because even if I do favor someone or some team over another. I've never had the urge to be like "OUR TEAM RULES, YOURS SUCKS! OH, YEEEEEEAAAAAHHH! IN YOUR MOFO FACE!!!!" which would strike me as kinda ridiculous when it comes to pole dancing anyway.

Idk, it's different strokes for different folks and all that but I just feel that the true nature of pole is so…non-competitive…or maybe has a more meaningful competitive edge. For the most part, we are appreciative of everyone's abilities despite our differences in taste and I do not know anyone (nor would I want to) who revels in another polers' misfortune when they are disqualified or fall short of their goals in a competition. Quite the opposite, I hear so many people coming back from the USPDF Nationals talking about how great and unique every single dancer there was and how much they enjoyed being there! That is what I feel is the true essence of pole (the LOVE of pole) and just being able to see everyone perform. When it comes to the judging aspect it seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable…I can't imagine the inner struggle those judges go through! I mean, no matter how air-tight you set your rules or how fair you feel your judgement is you KNOW some people are gonna be pissed off or at least disagree w/ you.

 

Anyway, blahblahblah. All this has just been running through my mind lately w/ all the talk after the USPDF Nationals. Then I saw that comment on Felix's video and I realized "You know, this competition/judging aspect really does not reflect accurately or positively on the inner pole community. It's misleading to anyone who may be interested in taking up pole and it probably scares a lot of people away from ever starting."

[Serzi]

I'm not 100% sure, but I am pretty sure that the comp where Jenyne fell was at the one in Zurich. I do not know anything about how either of these competitions are judged or how the competitors are chosen. That's kinda what I was trying to find out, lol! It appears that no one really knows for certain, wow. Makes me feel even more sure that I have no need to compete…EVER…we need more showcases!!! That's so much more what our very supportive community is about anyway! 😉

[Serzi]

Hey, thanks for looking into it for me! I bet you're at least 90% right on w/ your rivalry theory! I hadn't even considered that! I was thinking there was something about the competition itself (unrelated to Felix not winning first place) that was causing people to go off on it. Anyways, thank you for the details, Runemist! 🙂

And, Charley, I hear ya on the pole kitchen lately! LMAO I'm all for criticism and questioning things (that's how you find answers and keep judges fair, lol) So long as it's constructive VS. destructive criticism. I wish more people would put themselves on the line by giving details on how they formed their strong opinions rather than just spouting out some nasty crap as though it's the gospel truth without illuminating further. Like it or not, we all have our favorites but I can't stand when people whip theirs out at me like they think they have a bigger d@*! or something. Haha!

[Serzi]

I tend to observe and take in a lot when I watch videos. I make it a point to comment as thoroughly and as often as possible because I know how much it helps me progress when others do the same. I try not to criticize or offer advice to any shortcoming unless the uploader says it themselves and is specifically asking for help on how to improve on something. It's extremely important to me to not make a negative comment on anyone's performance or videos, but to offer my own brand of constructive criticism when it is requested.

There have been instances where I have blurted things out as harmless as "That was great! It'll be even more incredible when you perfect that move!" and I've actually offended a fellow poler because she thought it looked spot-on. Then it was like "Oops, I suppose I shouldn't have said anything especially when I can't even do that move yet." even though I meant well with my previous comment and wasn't trying to upset her. One should always proceed with caution when offering anything but absolute support and positivity. I think that's why most people avoid criticism altogether, constructive or non. 

However, when someone seriously does ask for advice I have no problem giving them a detailed report on my observations. I'm a visual junkie; I LOVE to watch pole videos and share my over-analytical findings in the hopes that it may give the artist that extra something they couldn't quite put their finger on by watching it themselves. Even if it's a move I can't physically do yet, my mind is like an encyclopedia of pole information I've absorbed and of favorite videos to offer as visual reference. There's nothing quite so rewarding to me as finding a use for my attention to detail and hearing somebody say "Hey, you were totally right! I tried what you (said or sent for me to watch) and I got it!". 

So, basically, if you ever want to use me as a consultant please feel free to ask. Be specific if there's something you feel you're having difficulty with so I know it's okay to offer my opinion or send links to other videos. It's not to compare yourself to, but to inspire and derive alternatives into and out of moves that may not have come to mind otherwise. 😉

 

*~Serzi