Pioneer of Pole: PANTERA!

Pantera is definitey a friend to Twirly Girls.  She was also one of my first pole interviews.  After she kindly answered all my questions, I had a few more.  I tried to break out of the mold a little and start tailoring questions more to the individual.  Also, many interviewees listed Pantera as an inspiration and pioneer of making pole dancing what it is today.  Pantera has indulged me in my second request for an interview and for that, I will be forever grateful.



Catch up on previous Pantera posts here:



http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2011/08/panteras-visit-to-twirly-girls.html



http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2011/09/pro-spotlight-on-pantera.html



http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2011/11/pantera-blacksmithnude.html



Now, here is Pantera, Pioneer of Pole!



You are one of the pioneers of bringing pole dance/fitness to the mainstream. According to your bio, you started as an exotic dancer in 1999. What made you decide to leave the clubs and start your journey of becoming the World's Most Famous Pole Dancer?



Let me say I've never left the clubs.  I perform at events in strip bars all the time.  If there is one thing I am not is ashamed of my past and where it has brought me today.  I firmly believe that knocking the exotic foundations or the people that made this art form so popular is the most ridiculous thing as many respectable pioneers who were or still are strippers.  To quote Jesus, "Let the person among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."



All that being said when I won the national title there was nothing left for me in that world.  I loved the performance and I wanted to do more of it.  I wouldn't have been able to do it without some of my dearest friends and long time business partners.  As always its the people behind the scenes, the trainers, teachers and family who deserve the credit. I am just the face.



Who are other pole pioneers that you admire?



I respect the other pioneers because of their success and contributions. I admire people for different reasons.



You have traveled the world, bringing the joy of pole dance to so many people.  Which country is your favorite and why?



That is too hard to answer. The world is a place full of tradition, heritage, customs and attractions and I have been fortunate to witness and be apart of so much of it.

From Pantera's Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/PanterasPoleWorld

You have one DVD called Pole Tricks 101, but I heard that a second DVD was going to be released soon.  When will that DVD be released and what will it be called?



There will not be any additional DVDs. I am hoping to do an internet based library of moves, progressions and personal training. Although I love to travel I am getting older and I love being at home more and more. Living out of a suitcase is losing its luster.



Your tattoos are so amazing.  What is their meaning?



My tattoo's meaning is solely for myself. However, there is a note on my fan page with answers to many questions if you are curious.  [Note: see below for link and copy/paste from the fan page.]



Tell us one thing about you that people might be surprised to hear.



I'm amazingly prudish and shy. :) Not kidding



What does 2012 hold for you?



2012 hopefully holds the key to where I will put down some roots and a permanent pole.



Please visit Pantera's fan page on Facebook.  You can read her note about her tattoos here:



https://www.facebook.com/notes/pantera-blacksmith/full-body-tattooall-your-questions-answered/243618632327696



Full Body Tattoo...All Your Questions Answered

by Pantera Blacksmith on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 1:02pm 

Yes, they are REAL tattoos.

"My heaven's what did you do to your body?" is a question commonly asked by older ladies. I look down at myself and back at them and ask if this is a trick question.

100+ Hours. I decided that triple digits were impressive enough so I stopped keeping track.

I do not know how much it cost. I just pay the man and he makes me more beautiful.

There was no specific design or lay out. I go in, he draws something. I like it or I dont. He erases what I don't like and makes something else happen. Its tattooist designed, Pantera approved.

Tattoos are more painful in some spots than others. Yes, it hurt.

The artist is Jack Carter. He does not work in a shop so if you want him, you'll have to go through me. No retards please.

Jack is the only artist I've ever had. A bunch of my friends were getting work by him and I liked it. If it's not broke don't fix it. I guess you can say I got lucky.

The tattoo itself has meaning only to me. To you, its just a bunch of scribbley lines.

No I am not done.

Yes I am crazy.

No I do not plan to explain anything to the children I will not be having.

The only pattern I can wear without looking extremely busy is zebra.

On a daily basis people ask me all these questions at least once.

It was not done in one sitting.

The first piece was done around my left boobie over ten years ago.

The second piece around my right boobie.

My parents found out after I had already completed the front torso. My father now calls me the "Circus Lady."

I will be continuing to add onto this post as the tattoo continues to grow

If I happened to miss a question please feel free to ask :)

 

Thanks @Jack Cutter

The Wonderland Girls

When I went to Pole Show LA in January, I interviewed as many of the dancers as I could before the show.  Today I want to focus on one act in particular.  Four girls performed "Wonderland."  I was only able to interview three of them on camera, so I caught up with the fourth via e-mail and wanted to put their story together here in one place.

“Wonderland” was an Alice-in-Wonderland inspire routine danced by Audra Bennett, Lindsey Kimura, Sienna Spalding and Adrienne Strauss.  Sienna also wrote and performed the music for the piece and created the art in the background.

Lindsey Kimura aka Lindsey X-Pole

Sienna Spalding

http://www.siennaspalding.com/

Adrienne Strauss

 

Audra Bennett

photo copyright @malyssasomerville ~ http://instagr.am/p/mgLSP

How long have you been pole dancing?

2 years and some change



Do you teach pole dance?  If so, where?

No, but I have subbed at BeSpun.



What else do you do to keep your body in shape to pole?

Hiking mostly. Although I am starting a new cross training regimen including free weights.



Which trick is your nemesis? 

Handsprings!!!!!!!!!!! I still can't do them. I've landed probably a handful out of hundreds of attempts. haha I will get it by summertime!!



It feels like the pro/competition pole dancers are all going the route of contortion and extreme tricks.  Do you feel like something is lost from pole dancing when it is all tricks and no dance? 

To some degree yes. I feel like that's my opinion and my view on what pole is to me. The more gymnastic dancers are amazing and inspiring, but  my favorite dancers are the ones that blend various dance styles and strength moves to really impart how beautiful pole can be as an apparatus.



What are you looking forward to in 2012?

Coming back from this injury stronger and better than I ever was before in pole. :)

Wonderland performance:

http://www.alloyimages.com/

The International Pole Convention 2012

Pole Convention is coming to California!

The International Pole Convention of 2012 will be held at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott on June 21-24, 2012.  I am very excited to attend.  There are certification programs, workshops, speakers, amazing vendors.  It is somewhere that I can go and pole geek out for four days straight without anyone making fun of me.

Pole Stars are coming from all over the world to teach workshops and give private lessons.  I am especially looking forward to meeting Felix Cane!  There will also be workshops with Vertical Joe's Fitness, Oona Kivela (recent winner of International Pole Championships), Moses Carroll (creator of Pole Dance Network), Kelly Yvonne (Girl Next Door - a pole dance soirée), Marlo Fisken (Body & Pole), Rebecca Starr, Hanka Venselaar, Annemarie Davies (United Pole Artists), Lou Landers, Alesia Vazmitsel (Britain's Got Talent), Steven Retchless (America's Got Talent; Body & Pole; all 'round amazeballs pole dancer), Claire Sterrett (Pole Story and Vertical Art and Fitness Magazine), Jeni Janover, Stephanie Skyy, Alethea Austin, Jack Gaffney, Rebekah Hennes, Alesia Vazmitsel (2011 Pole Dance Champion), Cleo the Hurricane, Anastasia Skukhtorova, Melissa Woolever, Collette Kakuk (OC Pole Fitness), Lizz Schofield (PFA), Amber Ray, Bobby Goodfellow, KT Coates (Vertical Dance), Natasha Wang (one of my favorite pole people in the world), Pantera, Rashida Hobbs...and with the event still months away, they keep adding more amazing people and workshops!

Featured solo performances by:  LuAyne "Lulu" Brown (US), Roz Mays (US), Lena (Russia), Lorinda Coombs (US), Crystal Belcher (US), Carlie Hunter (Australia), Natasha Wang (US), Pantera (US), Bailey Hart (Australia), Phoenix Kazree (US), Taylor Grace (Australia).

THEN on Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 PM, there is the Bad Kitty Fashion Exhibition Show & The Showcase Of Stars.  Bad Kitty will present their latest Pole Fitness wear on today's best Polers. Afterwards, The Showcase begins with performances from the featured Pole Stars from this year's Pole Convention.

This year, Pole Convention has also chosen the following local charity to support:

Each year, the Convention chooses a local charity to donate to. In 2012, we will be supporting 'Writegirl', a local LA-charity helping young women express themselves through writing. 'Writegirl' offers mentor training and the opportunity to help a young teen to develop her creative writing. This program equips a young girl with communication tools to confidently navigate the challenges they face. Read more about the program at www.writegirl.org.

The convention is put on by Jessalynn Medairy.  Jessalyn hasn't officially been part of my blog, however I did post one of her photos as motivation once:  http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2010/08/sometimes-you-just-need-to-step-away.html.  She owns Pole Pressure in Washington, DC.  

I realize that I am not only a little baby pole dancer but also still an itty bitty baby blogger.  I will not even try to hide the stars in my eyes as I run around the convention geeking out over the amazing talent that will be there.  

If you are coming to Pole Convention, let me know.  I'd love to meet!

March posts for The Pole Dancing Shop

In February, I updated everyone on posts I had written for The Pole Dancing Shop:  http://lolorashel.blogspot.com/2012/02/lolorashel-posts-on-pole-dancing-shop.html



I thought it might be time for another update of my posts on their website.  You should look around once you're there because there are many other great bloggers contributing!



What Are Your Pole Goals?

http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/what-are-your-pole-goals/#.T3NANtlZqAg



International Pole Championship 2012:

http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/international-pole-championship-2012-preview/#.T3NABtlZqAg



Pro Competitors vs. Pole Fitness For Fun:

http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/pro-competitors-vs-pole-fitness-for-fun/#.T3M_6NlZqAg

Pole dancing is not for the faint of heart....or the big boobied?

On Sunday, with the help of my pole sister Kat, via Skype, I did a reverse handstand on the pole, and was actually able to walk my hands backward, my legs up the pole and inch my body back toward the pole.  That means I may actually be able to caterpillar soon!!  I got SO excited.  I didn't think I was strong enough to walk my hands backward and I had never before properly wrapped my legs to actually help me walk my hands around. 



So last night, in the studio, alone -- and on hard wood floors -- I turned on the video camera and excitedly climbed myself up the pole backwards.  I wrapped my legs.  Then my arms suddenly felt tired.  I panicked.  I took a head dive out of the move and whacked my shoulder.  Hard. 



What the hell?!  I JUST did that move the night before with NO problems!  And what the hell?!  Why is my first instinct to dive onto a hardwood floor?!  Lesson learned...no more new moves when I'm alone in the studio.  Pole dancing is definitely not for the faint of heart!



On Facebook, we were recently talking about how pole dancing is also not for the girls with gigantic boobies (it actually started as we laughed about an illustration of a T-Rex trying to do push-ups with tiny arms).  There are a few moves that I have a hard time with because my boobs get in the way of my arms.  Some of us were talking about how, if you think about most of the pros, they are all somewhat flat chested (no offense, ladies...it's a blessing!).  There are not a lot of gigantic, fake-boobed ladies in the pro circuit. 



I may call myself an Amazon but I can't actually lob off my boob to improve my performance.  But it got me thinking about how pole dancing CAN be for everybody but not all moves are. 



I'd love to hear about how people of all shapes and sizes get into their favorite moves.  Do your shorter legs help you invert?  Do your longer legs allow you to pretzel into amazing tricks?  Tell me all about it!

Luenell learns to pole dance

On a beautiful evening down in Los Angeles, California, I was very lucky to be at BeSpun for Pole Show LA.  Sitting behind me was someone I recognized.  I couldn't place it but I knew she was SOMEONE.  The very short blonde hair...  I racked my brain.  Then it hit me...FRENCHIE DAVIS!  I don't watch a lot of TV but I remembered her vaguely from American Idol years and years ago and heard she was on The Voice.  I was certain that Frenchie Davis was sitting behind me at Pole Show LA.

Ummm....WRONG!

Not unlike asking a woman if she is pregnant when she's just chubby (I've always said, unless you see a baby hanging OUT or her body, never ask), don't tell a celebrity who they are...unless you know with 100% certainty.

I was schooled.  Quickly.  And on Twitter.

The lovely lady sitting behind me was Luenell, the hooker with a heart of gold from the movie, Borat.  In my defense, I haven't seen Borat since it came out six years ago!  Ahhh but there is no excuse and I feel very lucky that Luenell has tolerated me ever since.  I found out she learned how to pole dance for the upcoming movie, That's My Boy with Adam Sandler, so I wanted to include her in my blog.  Since she travels a lot for movies and her comedy tours, typing her answers out for me wasn't an option.  We tried a Skype session but the audio somehow wasn't recorded.  Then Luenell came to town on tour, so I loaded up Rita and some camera equipment and off we went!  

Here is the video interview with the hilarious and amazing LUENELL:

Here are some photos (including one of Frenchie Davis...so you too can make fun of me for being an idiot):

 Luenell on stage at Tommy T's in Rancho Cordova for her surprise birthday party!

 Luenell showing us one of the awesome t-shirts that was made for her.

 During the interview...calling me out for calling her Frenchie.

 At Pole Show LA!

 Frenchie Davis.

LUENELL!

Here are some photos from our evening at the comedy show:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/lolorashel/sets/72157629281986422/

Keep up with Luenell at her website, www.heyluenell.com, or on twitter: @Luenell.

National Aerial Pole Art Championship

The last weekend in February, there was an "elite gathering to celebrate the most talented athletes in the nation and the art of pole dance."  The National Aerial Pole Art Championship was held in Las Vegas.  I wasn't able to attend since my brother got married that weekend, but I did watch some of the performances on their live stream on the internet.  Liz from Beauty in Motion Fitness kindly posted her videos on YouTube, so I thought I would share her videos with you!

The bass is kind of over powering but the performances are amazing.  Enjoy! 

Dima Shine (guest performer):

UH-MAZE-BALLS!!!!

Philip Deal:

Very powerful.

Sir D'Lorian "Bad Azz" Fox:

David C. Owen (third place in male category):

Suwasit Ritthiphon (second place in male category and most artistic):

Derick Pierson (2012 Male Champion):

Jenyne Butterfly (guest performer):

Flying Laura (judge and guest performer):

Reiko Makino:

Doneshia "Egypt" Crowder:

Lorinda Kay:

Winter Rainone:

Brynne Route:

Holly "Honey" Miely: 

LOVED this performance.

Mary Ashton (third place in female category):

"Pink Puma" Polina Volchek (second place in female category and most flexible):

Nadia Sharif (2012 Female Champion):

Unfortunately, Bunni Luv's video was blocked due to copyright grounds.  :-(

What is functional strength?

I have heard the term before:  "functional strength."  I've always kind of "gotten" the idea...look, what's the point of doing traditional bicep curls when you will never in your life lift anything that way?  We talk about it all the time in Twirly Tuff, especially since pole dancing requires the use of different muscles than most traditional workouts.  So I thought it would be a good topic for today.



What is FUNCTIONAL strength (or functional strength training)?



Since there are a million websites out there on this very topic, I thought it would be easier for me to just post a few good definitions.



http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Functional-Strength



Common Motions - Utilize motions that are more common in your every day life. For example, how often do you find yourself lying on your back and lifting something heavy over your chest? Probably the only time is in the gym doing bench presses. Instead, work on more common movements or change the exercise to perform it from a more common position. With bench press some examples include push-ups, standing cable press, or even punching motions with a stretch band or cable machine resistance.



http://www.acefitness.org/fitnessqanda/fitnessqanda_display.aspx?itemid=285



In many respects, functional strength training should be thought of in terms of a movement continuum. As humans, we perform a wide range of movement activities, such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing and lunging. All of these activities involve smooth, rhythmic motions in the three cardinal planes of movement-sagital, frontal and transverse.



Exercises that isolate joints and muscles are training muscles, not movements, which results in less functional improvement. For example, squats will have a greater "transfer effect" on improving an individual's ability to rise from a sofa than knee extensions.



Exercises performed on most traditional machines tend to be on the low-end of the functional-training continuum because they isolate muscles in a stabilized, controlled environment. While it may be true that traditional, machine-based exercises are not the best way to transfer performance from the weight room to the real world, it does not mean that such exercises should not be a part of a training program.



For example, "non-functional," single-joint exercise can play a critical role in helping to strengthen a "weak link" that a person may have to restore proper muscle balance. Furthermore, doing such an exercise can allow an individual to more safely and effectively participate in functional-training activities while also reducing the risk of injury.



So if you've heard the "buzz words" functional strength and didn't know what they meant, hopefully this sheds a little more light on the subject.