VerticaLove Presents The Canadian Pole Dance & Artistry Showcase
I remember 4 and a half years ago going on youtube watching videos of the pioneers of pole dancing. I remember that I used to secretly wish inside that I could be strong like them and perform like they do….
Now I’m sharing a stage with them.
One of my pole friends put on her facebook status,
“4 years ago when I started pole dancing I wondered if one day I would get to share the stage with all these strong women. Tonight my dream came true.”
Yes hun, we are living the dream!
All I can say is THANK YOU Fran for organizing this event! Thank you Shelly for MCing. Thank you to the sound and lighting guy. I forget his name but he was such a nice guy! Thank you cleaning the poles, Pole Kittens! Jane, thanks so much for helping me with the start of my routine! She made sure to alert the sound guy when to start my song when I was inverted in a tuck at the top of the pole. Thank you all you acrobatic artists who made this event a beautiful night. Thank you pole celebs, Cleo, Amy and Karol for traveling far distances for our event!
My performance.
Aerial Amy!
Cleo!
Monique!
Shanyn!
Jane’s performance.
I will update this when more videos upload!
Read MoreMy First Suspension Yoga Class
So I finally took my first suspension yoga class last Sunday. Why I never took this class before is pure stupidity! I should be taking this class regularly because it will greatly help my pole training. Perhaps it’s because I have no time for anything extra in my life. LOL! The class was on a day which was my only day in a week to sleep in so I was just too difficult to make it out to suspension yoga. But last Sunday I hauled my ass out to SASS and tried out suspension yoga, by Shanyn. Wow I’m so stupid for not doing this sooner! :p
For those of you who have never tried or heard of suspension yoga– basically suspension yoga is yoga but done aerially with the use of a hammock or suspension yoga swing. The best thing about suspension yoga compared to regular yoga done traditionally on the floor is that suspension yoga is way easier on your back! I don’t normally have back problems but lately I’ve been noticing some tightness in my back. And because I still suck in the flexibility department, regular yoga is such a turn off for me. Traditional yoga is uncomfortable and like torture for me and I just cannot get into it regularly. With suspension yoga, my back feels amazing, I feel much more relaxed, and I have way more success stretching and working on my flexibility!
After my first class taught by fully certified Shanyn Pollard of SASS, I’m sold! Suspension yoga is awesome! It greatly compliments my pole training! I never want to take a traditional yoga class again. I want to stick with suspension yoga. I may even buy my own suspension yoga swing some day.
Here is a video of Shanyn practicing.
ANYONE can do this! There are no fitness requirements. Some of the holds or moves may look tricky or hard but everything is progressive and Shanyn won’t throw you into something you are not comfortable with. I even found a few things challenging and I was not able to do a certain position but Shanyn has modifications for everything and she will show you an easier way to do something.
I cannot wait to take my next class! 
Say YES to All Sizes! Why I’m against the anti size zero campaign.
Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to Katie Green. Her heart is in the right place and she wants to make the world a better place for women and media by saving girls from going down the eating disorder road. But I don’t totally agree with her campaign ‘Say No To Size Zero’. In fact, I’m quite offended by it.
Lemme explain.
When I did have an eating disorder, my lowest weight was ‘way under 90 pounds’ (don’t wanna say what it was in case I trigger people) at 5 foot 3. I was definitely in the BMI range of 15-16. I was a size zero. Not surprising.
Now that I’ve put on weight in a healthy way and gained a huge amount of muscle, my weight is sitting around 115-118 pounds these days give or take. My BMI is around 20. But guess what? I’m still a size ZERO! Maybe smaller! GASP! Surprised now?
I swear I am no longer anorexic. If you look at my naked body, it screams MUSCLE! People suffering from anorexia would not have the muscle mass that I have. I have very little body fat but my regular periods prove I don’t have too little body fat. If you don’t believe me, check out my pole dancing videos. That should be enough proof that I am not anorexic anymore. People with anorexia cannot do what I do and there’s no way I could do what I do if I was still anorexic.
So why am I still a size zero? Because I HAVE A SMALL FRAME! My hips are narrow, like really narrow! My rib cage is small. I’m just small boned all around. This isn’t my fault! I was born this way. I would have to eat unhealthy to put on body fat the wrong way to take me out of size zero.
My small frame does not cause eating disorders. Size zero models are not the problem. And by banning naturally smaller framed girls is discrimination. Period.
Sorry Katie but your size zero problem is not really the problem. The problem is sexism, society, media and the modeling industry.
Stop saying no to size zero models and say YES TO ALL BODY SHAPES AND SIZES!
The real problem is The modeling industry has a DIVERSITY PROBLEM! They only allow a certain look into this industry. If the modeling industry was diverse and if the modeling industry celebrated all shapes and sizes, then women who are trying to get into this industry would not be doing drastic unhealthy things to make their bodies unnaturally thin when their bodies weren’t meant to be thin. Instead, we should be seeing all kinds of women in runway shows and women feeling comfortable in their own skin. If the modeling industry celebrated diversity, then young teens looking at vogue or other magazines would not feel pressured to be thin because thin models would be a small percent. Teens would see more average diverse bodies in magazines and would think whatever their own body looks like must be okay!
I wanna see curvier women in Victoria’s Secret. I want to see flat chested women. I want to see muscular women. I want to see runway model’s thighs rub together. I want to see a booty! I want to see women with stretch marks and some cellulite. I want to see strong empowered women!
If we saw all kinds or women in the modeling industry, then every woman in the modeling industry would not be starving themselves to be a size zero because size zero models will be a small small percent. While naturally super thin girls do exist, they are still a small percentage.
By the way, the BMI scale is out dated and not a proper health indicator tool. But that’s another rant for another day…
Katie Green + Say No To Size Zero = FAIL!
Read MoreNew Pole Trick Maybe?
So a couple weeks ago I was playing around at SASS studio and I accidentally slid into this! Ta-da!
I’ve asked around if anyone has seen this before. I asked on Facebook and on Studio Veena but I didn’t find any information about this trick.
I got into this from a pencil and then I straddled. I hooked one foot onto the pole and I released my bottom hand and arched to grab my foot. The main contacts on the pole is a death grip in my foot and a tight grip with my dominate hand. My back maybe touching the pole but doesn’t give support.
If you want to try this trick but you are struggling, try the dangerous Brian trick first to build up strength in your foot.
Perhaps in the near future once I’ve mastered this too, I’ll create an video tutorial.
So has anyone else seen this trick? Does it have a name?
Read MoreBring It On Spring!
(Opinion) I’m so glad winter is almost over. It was a brutal winter. It was so dark and so cold and I think I saw the sun like.. twice in the last few months?
This winter validated I don’t belong in the North and belong somewhere hot and sunny. I’ve always suffered on and off with anxiety and depression but this winter was constant! Since December I’ve felt this heavy weight on my shoulders. I felt this constant negative humming in my brain. It was depression that just wouldn’t lift and give me any break. It was constant for months! I think I had a severe case of seasonal affective disorder. I hate winter! AHHH! I wanna live where there’s sun all year round! I was so depressed this winter I couldn’t even celebrate my 30th birthday. I was so depressed that I just laid in bed for days/weeks and cried. I just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. I donno what I’d do without my hubby. He is my constant strength in my life. He’s always there for me. He is the only person in the world that has always been there for me! Sometimes I think he doesn’t ‘get’ mental health only because he has not experienced it or know anyone that goes through it. But he never gives up on me, even when I give up on my self.
My health this winter also sucked. I was sick since my first pole competition end of September that lasted a couple months. Then I had about a week relief but then I got sick again for another 5 weeks. I think I was healthy for a week out of the entire winter. WTF! I haven’t been in this poor health in a few years!
Coincidentally for the first time in 10 years I stopped tanning in moderation. I went 6 months without the sun or UV lights touching my skin. Coincidentally I was not taking as many supplements as I used to. All I was taking about about 5000IU of D a day, probiotics and some omegas. I really don’t think this is enough. During those couple of years where I wasn’t getting sick– I was tanning, I was taking greens, berry antioxidants, a super strong multivitamin, D, B, omegas, and I had done some expensive detoxes. Coincidence? No I think not. Now you may disagree if you want but I truly believe a diet super high in nutrition prevents sicknesses. I know tanning had a huge effect too.
So I went tanning about 3 times now in 2 weeks and my eczema cleared up. For the first time in 10 years I broke out in eczema! Vitamin D deficiency? I think so!
Because this winter sucked so bad, I didn’t workout as nearly as much as I wanted to. I hardly practised for my pole performances. I did very little activity in between. I tried to eat as healthy as I could but of course I don’t think it was enough. My summer abs somewhat disappeared. I know they are still there and just hiding under some fat. But that’s okay. I’m totally okay with that and I don’t really care! LOL! I’m still pretty fucking ripped for 30 years old! Oh and I finally got the splits for my 30th birthday. That was a real treat!
In the last week I feel my energy coming back a little. I have been doing some home workouts and getting back onto that pole! I’ve started running again with my dog when the weather isn’t shit. I ran just over 5K this morning. I have a big pole performance coming up in June in Hamilton at the Lyric Theatre. VerticaLove Presents The Canadian Pole Dance & Artistry Showcase June 14th and 15th. I’m not sure which night I’m performing yet.
I’m really excited for this spring and summer because there is soooo much going on in my life. Pole, working out, running, work, doing some other side jobs (home renovations). Awesome.
Winter Showcases
It’s only February and and I’ve already been in 2 showcases this year. YAY! And I still have a big big one in June and perhaps some little ones in between.
At the end of January, SASS Studio put together a student showcase for our family and friends. For most of us, it was their first time performing in front of an audience so this was a big deal. It was an awesome turn out that night. A lot of people showed up. Even my pole dancing mother in law performed in the group performance! I’m so proud of my pole mommainlaw!
Last night was the Vertical Love Teaser Showcase. The Canadian Pole Dance & Artistry Showcase is putting a big big 2 night show in Hamilton this June at the Lyric Theatre. There are going to be some big names there that weekend too. Aerial Amy and Karol Helms just to name a couple! GASP!!!!!!!!!!!
So any ways Vertical Love was a great event. Wow it really takes a lot of work and teamwork to put together events like these.
U By Kotex
All I can say is BRAVO KOTEX!
Thank you Kotex for creating this whole campaign promoting ‘period positive’. Thank you so much for promoting anti-shaming, dispelling the myths and educating us about vaginal health.
Um yeah you Kotex people are pretty awesome!
One Billion Rising: V Day 2013
ONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.
ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY
ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION
On V-Day’s 15th Anniversary, 2.14.13, we are inviting ONE BILLION women and those who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders.
What does ONE BILLION look like? On February 14th, 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.
ONE BILLION RISING IS:
A global strike
An invitation to dance
A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends
An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers
A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given
A new time and a new way of being
Calling all pole dancers and aerialists! Doesn’t this just make sense to you??? Doesn’t this just feel so right??????? I’m sure many of us have our own stories, or know someone who has been a victim of sexual violence. We live a rape culture where sexual violence towards women is tolerated and a social norm. THIS IS FUCKED UP! I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ANY MORE! Sexual violence is so tolerated that even when I was sexually assaulted, I couldn’t even admit that I was sexually assaulted until yesterday! Yep, yesterday. And this happened over 8 years ago! Because society taught me to point out all my mistakes leading up to the assault so I blamed myself entirely so that it wasn’t even sexual assault to me. This fuckhead probably doesn’t even realize what he did was sexual assault! And this is the biggest problem in society: some rapist don’t even know they are rapists for fuck sakes!
Look at the stigma pole dancers still face today! I believe the stigma we face is pre-violence. Well think about it…! Strippers are treated like they are subhuman without any rights and if something happens to them it’s their own fault! This stigma makes sexual violence towards them tolerated! Pre-Violence! Strippers have little to no protection when they are at work. Well strippers are human beings too so they also do deserve rights and protection and free from violence. As pole dancers we may also be blamed for our own safety. How about raising a new generation of people who will respect strippers? Not dehumanize them!
But anyhoo, One Billion Rising just feels so right. So my plans are to create a pole dance video dedicated to this whole global movement and tag the hell out of it with #1billonrising. I would love to see other pole dancers participate. Who’s joining me?
Check out this website for more information. http://onebillionrising.org/
Read MoreLet’s Get Naked: Sheila Kelley at TEDxAmericanRiviera
All I can say is YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMEN!!! Afuckingmen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! W00T! Go Sheila Kelley!
“Strip away all those false pretences and the ideas you have about the female body. And I need you to strip your minds wide open.” – Sheila Kelley
Read More“The pole is a symbol for the next and forth wave of the feminist movement……The personal reclamation of the female body and sexuality within… IT’S CRAZY RIGHT?!?!?!!!! The stripper pole representing the feminist movement! That’s got to have some people rolling in their graves!”
mrsnaughtywed
mrsnaughtywed
mrsnaughtywed
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