Bazaar Things Happen After Dark!
We Went, We Danced, We Rocked It! At Bazaar After Dark Neenah, the apparatuses needed to be taken down a few times due to rain delay, but a little rain could not damper our good time! Bazaar After Dark Neenah was a total hit for the community and Aerial Dance! Aerial Dance has participated in Bazaar After Dark a few times before, but this one was different. This Bazaar After Dark however, duos on hoop were encouraged to join in the fun! In all there were three co-ed student doubles and a few other student doubles! I was blown away by the turnout of students who came to Bazaar. Not only the doubles who came out, but single performing students who wanted to share their skills with the world! The shapes, lines, and routines presented by all were absolutely stunning. What really brought joy to the members of Aerial Dance, were the children who found seat front row and center. To watch their eyes bulge, to hear their Ooo’s and the Ahhh’s, it was like we were creating magic right before their eyes. It brought joy to my heart. I could see it in the eyes of my fellow students, Bazaar was an experience that those children will take with them as they grow. Who knows, what spark we lite inside! We showed the community that not only can women be aerialist, but men too! Breaking down barriers is what we do! First Time For Everything I personally have never performed on any apparatus in front of an audience on anything other than a pole. I am guilty of going to Bazaar and being terrified to get out there and perform. Something about being up on stage in front of many makes my skin crawl. This Bazaar was different though. This Bazaar, I had a friend and partner to rely on. I know that having a partner is not the same as going it alone, but it is the next step closer to perform on my own. Steve has gone to several hoop and conditioning classes at the studio and enjoyed them. When the opportunity came about for doubles to perform at Bazaar, I wasn’t so sure he would bite. He has always been a good sport, but this was big. He would be going out of his comfort zone to perform with me. It would be a first for both of us, like always he was willing to jump in head first! His passion for our sport grows with each passing experience. I know that many women at the studio have significant others who support them, but are not willing to go to co-ed classes. Here is the tidbit of advice I have for you. If your significant other is not willing to come to the studio with you, maybe you have a aerial sister who’s got your back. Many students are looking for a doubles partner. If you don’t know where to start to find one, reach out to your instructors. They may know of someone who is also looking for a doubles partner too. Performing with a partner takes some of the pressure off you. So if you are looking to perform and are nervous, doubles are a great place to start! Keep that in mind as the next Bazaar After Dark approaches! It may be your opportunity to shine! To all of you that performed at past Bazaars, you make the difference for our studio! Your dedication to our sport is remarkable! Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to show the world how incredible you are and the support we provide for one another!
Getting to Know You – Sara
In January of 2017, one of Sara’s coworkers asked her if she wanted to join her for a beginner pole class. On a whim, Sara said “yes.” After only a year and a half at Aerial Dance, Sara joined the instructor team in June of 2018. What’s even more impressive is that Sara has no other dance or fitness background! She was never a dancer, gymnast, or much of an athlete. Pole and the aerial arts are the first sports that have ever made her truly excited to pursue fitness as a lifestyle. Sara doesn’t have a real particular favorite move but she is excited about Butterfly which she is currently polishing. Another move she is working on and will be very happy to check off her list is Figure Skater. She’s getting closer but the mechanics of the move are still eluding her. She often reminds herself that “everyone’s journey is different, and that the only measure of your progress is against yourself, not those around you.” For girls who are just starting their pole journey Sara says, “Remember you’re here to have fun – relax and breathe because you’re going to be great!” For those who have been doing pole for awhile and are having some struggles Sara recommends that you revisit some of the tried-and-true moves. Take some time to focus on making improvements to the details of moves you’ve got nailed down. Also, write down specific goals of one or two moves/tricks/sequences that you want to accomplish and when. Break them down into specific steps or seek guidance on what to do to reach toward those goals. “Take time to step back and reflect on all the amazingness you’ve accomplished and give yourself the credit you deserve!” While Sara loves the challenges, benefits, and joys of all the different classes offered, she has really fallen in love most with Hoop. She fell in love with Hoop because she feels truly beautiful and inspired when she plays on the apparatus. She has enjoyed sharing her love of Hoop at the Bazaar After Dark and says that anyone on the fence about performing should “Just do it! You only live once so seize all of the opportunities that you can!” One of the best things to happen to Sara at the studio was sharing her love of the aerial arts at her happy place with her Momma! When she’s not at Aerial Dance she cares for the dogs and cats of the Fox Valley as a Certified Veterinary Technician. She is also a fur mama to 3 kitties and a sassy Corgi. She enjoys visiting her family, having outdoor adventures, and riding her motorcycle. Some fun facts about Sara are that she really loves sushi, and corgis, and cats. She loves the smell of “fresh” after rainstorms, and men’s body wash. True Autumn is her favorite season and the wood of a State Park is one of her favorite places – especially at that time. Don’t ask her to pick a favorite State Park, she can’t. If she could live any place that she has traveled to, she would move to Valparaiso, Chile. Lily of the Valley, daisies, and sunflowers are her favorite flowers and Despicable Me (the first one!!) is one of her favorite movies. One of her favorite feelings is the natural high and perfect mix of complete control/lack of control that she finds through motorcycle riding and the Aerial Arts.
Finally a Master
No, Not at Pole……… I am closing in on a week of graduating from Vitrebo University in La Crosse WI. After a long two years I finally earned Master of Arts in Education. Although graduation was great, it did not come without judgement. Last week Monday, I had to travel and stay on Viterbo University’s campus for the week. This meant that I was not able to go my home away from home Aerial Dance. Sitting through presentation after presentation really drags a person down. Don’t get me wrong the content was great, but 8 hours of being talked at is way too much. While on a break, I was googling “Pole studios near me.” One of my fellow students walked by as I was searching. They stopped a proceeded to do a double take. It didn’t even occur to me to think twice about what I was looking up, but the first words out of their mouth were, “Do you really think you should be looking up stripping on a Catholic college campus?” At this point my jaw hit the floor! I turned around fast as lightening with a reply of, “Excuse me?” Now, I know many of us are accustomed to being called strippers and whatever stereotypical standard closed minded people may apply to our sport. What really set me on fire was the fact that they were so quick to judge. After four years of pole, you would think that I would be used to this kind of judgment, but it still blows my mind……. IT IS 2018 PEOPLE! After explaining that I in fact was not looking up stripping, but was looking for an aerial studio to workout, because I had been suffering all week without one. Their next question was………… How Can You be an Educator Working on Earning a Master’s and Pole Dancer? Again, my mind was sent spinning! I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but instead I chose to educate this individual. I explained to them that Pole and Aerial sports are a way for women and men to express themselves in a safe judgement free environment. That it had helped me to change my view of myself. It is what gave me the drive and confidence to actually pursue my degree. I informed them that the owner of our studio holds a PhD. That our instructors are women who hold very prestigious jobs within their communities. Some of you may chuckle a bit, but think about it. Prestigious means: inspiring respect and admiration. The women who teach us, seek to better themselves by continuing their education to keep us safe. Our conversation continued, I shared how I do pole with more educators than I can count, lawyers, physicians assistants, those who serve in the armed forces, nurses, mothers, and so many more extraordinary women! In the end, my reply for their initial question of how I can be a graduate student and a pole dancer was………. I do it for my students. I do it because it helps me recenter myself. It helps me become the best version of me that I can be. I am able to walk into my classroom a strong and confident woman ready to shape young minds. The saying it takes a village applies more than to just young children. It takes a village to foster someone, to help them see the potential that lies within. At Aerial Dance, that is what we do. We foster and encourage the potential within each and everyone who enters. We unlock power the hides inside. We are beautiful! We are strong! No one can take that away from us! Until Next Time, Janelle
Getting to Know You – Chrissy
Sometimes affectionately called “Sadistic Fitness Barbie” around the studio, Instructor Chrissy started her pole journey back in October 2014. She had always been interested in dance but didn’t have the time to do it while growing up on a farm. When she lived in Hawaii she started to research different exercise places and pole was one of them that came up. She immediately wanted to try it but did not have the confidence to just go and give it a whirl. After moving back to Wisconsin, she finally decided to do something for herself and started researching again. Aerial Dance was the first pole studio to pop up on the search so she signed up for an Intro class. She fell in love before she even stepped in the studio. She was a student at Aerial Dance for just 7 months before she started Instructor Training and has been instructing for just over 3 years. As a kid, she was always interested in learning dance but just didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. She got into lifting weights in 2011 and loved lifting heavy! In 2015 she became a personal trainer and worked at a gym as a manager. “It was a great experience learning how to help different people reach their goals.” Chrissy’s favorite apparatus is Pole. She loves the challenge that comes along with it and lifting her body. Her favorite pole move a shoulder mount, favorite spin is an aerial figure skater, and favorite sequence is anything that involves a superman to a shoulder mount. She loves all the strength moves! While strength moves are her biggest strength, her weakness is her flexibility. She says her nemesis moves are most of the flexibility moves. The current move she is working on most is Fonji. She is determined to get this move and works very hard to achieve this goal. She recommends that students struggling in their journey start writing down some of their own goals. Break those goals into a realistic time frame. “If you try to just focus on one move and not everything that goes into it, it will take longer to reach it usually. Have goals that are geared towards you and your strengths.” She says that to everyone on their pole journey, but especially new girls should just have fun and let you be you! As an instructor, Chrissy loves to teach all the classes Aerial Dance offers. She loves variety when it comes to learning and working out. When she takes classes as a student, she loves her pole classes because Pole was her first love of the aerial arts. One reward of being an instructor at Aerial Dance that she did not expect is the community of women who always have her back, both the instructors and students! “We have something truly special at Aerial Dance and I couldn’t ask for a more supportive group of women in my life.” She says one of the best things to ever happen to her at the studio was that she’s gained some absolutely amazing friends. Chrissy is a full time manager and instructor with Aerial Dance and recently moved to Appleton. She is currently dating an amazing guy who supports her crazy ideas and goals and is helping her reach them. She has 2 cats – Diesel, who she brought from Hawaii (she calls him her grumpy old man cat) and Lil Shit (aka Otto or Lil S) who is her cuddly lil guy. She loves hiking and being outdoors when its nice out and she also enjoys sewing. Chrissy has been sewing since she was 5 and did bridal alterations for a couple years when she was in high school. Her favorite food is any kind of breakfast food but especially doughnuts. Her favorite color is green and she loves the smell of fresh cut hay. A true Wisconsinite, her favorite animal is cows! She loves the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella movie from 1965. Her favorite flower is the cala lily and Chrissy loves to laugh. She loves finding joy in every moment of her life.
Introducing Instructor in Training Kyra
It’s Bird? It’s Plane? No! It’s KYRA! In a few short months Aerial Dance will be opening a brand new studio! With that new studio opening, we are blessed to add some wonderful new instructors to our already fantastic group of ladies!. It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to introduce you to Instructor in training Kyra! Kyra was born and raised right here in the Fox Cities. As a young child, Kyra enjoyed gymnastics.Although, she loved gymnastics at the age of 11, she had to make the difficult decision to stop. For that time in her life, it was the correct choice, but it has left a hole in her heart. Through her life she has moved to many different places. Since 2000 she has moved 21 times. She has traveled far and wide, but Wisconsin will always be home for her. She currently works at one of my favorite places in Appleton, the Free Market! If you have not been to the Free Market, I highly recommend it! Before Kyra actually signed up for Aerial Dance, she had seen ads in Nature’s Pathways magazines. She couldn’t believe her eyes that the small town of Appleton had an Aerial Studio! She hopped that Aerial Dance would be an outlet for creativity and an opportunity to learn the dancy parts. It also was an opportunity for Kyra to fill the hole that leaving gymnastics had left. Kyra stated that dancing didn’t come naturally to here. (At this point, my mind was blown!) If you have not seen Kyra move, you need too! Her movements are so fluid and have so much grace! It is a true thing of beauty. Starting Her Aerial Journey In January of 2014, Kyra decided that taking Pole would be her New Years gift to herself and she signed up for classes. She soon fell completely in love with Pole. This transferred into a love of Pole Flow and Floor Flow! For the past four years, Kyra has honed and grown her pole skills. With the new studio opening in Green Bay, it only made sense for Kyra to step out of her comfort zone and jump in! Being an instructor was always on Kyra’s radar, but the timing was always just a but off. Finally the stars have aligned and she will be able to start a new journey and accomplish one of her life goals! Kyra brings to the Aerial Dance Instructor Team many skills and talents. She is wonderful person on the inside and out. It has been a privilege of mine to get to know her in class. She is always willing to help and has a wealth of pole knowledge, that I know she is dying to share with the rest of us! Areas of Growth Like most at the studio we have the apparatuses we love and the ones we know challenge us. For me, it is pole and hammock is a close second. For Kyra Pole will always be her first love and hoop follows close behind. She is slowly developing a love hammock and silks as she continues her training. This is the beauty of Aerial Sports! There is always a new challenge waiting just around the corner! I look forward to having Kyra as my instructor! I know she brings with her great strengths as an Aerialist and as a person. Until Next Time, Janelle
Getting to Know You – Alison
In June 2015, Instructor Alison was talking with some friends about taking some pole classes at Aerial Dance, but she was the only one to follow through. However, initially she had more interest in the hammock than pole so she started her journey with the aerial apparatus and gradually worked into pole. She first fell in love with silks. She loved the puzzle of the twists and turns it takes to turn into beautiful poses. She is still amazed when she learns new tricks on silks. As a student, some of her favorite classes to take are Pole and Floor Flow. She loves to learn to dance with the styles of the other instructors and exploring new ways to move. Everyone thinks of and sees moves and sequences differently and she loves to celebrate everyone’s unique talents. She began instructing at Aerial Dance in March of 2018 and loves having the opportunity to share an enjoyable way to stay and healthy. For students who have plateaued and are struggling at a higher level of pole she says that it’s a great idea to share your goals with your pole sisters and instructors. Your instructors can help with the step or progressions a move needs, as well as conditioning that can help get you there. Your pole sisters can be there to encourage you and hold you accountable when you’re feeling frustrated. Also, sometimes it’s good to have a few goals because some moves just need a break. If she starts getting frustrated with a strength move on pole, she’ll take a break and work on a spin or floor sequence. If she feels like she hits a plateau in hoop, maybe she needs to take a break from those classes and work that strength in hammock instead. Alison loves that Aerial Dance has more recently been finding ways for students to perform. Because of this, there are so many ways to just dip your toe into performing before putting time and effort into something like competing. She recommends that, if performing is on your mind, you should come to a more low-key community event, like Bazaar After Dark. It’s a great way to “play,” but do it in public. If you find you like the adrenalin rush of being in the spotlight, sign up for the Christmas show or a competition! She says, “shows and competitions are a lot of work, but the reward of sharing your passion is worth every second.” Outside of the studio she is a General and Choral Music teacher for 5th and 6th graders. She loves board games, reading, TV, camping, and exploring restaurants and breweries, often with her husband. Her favorite color is purple, and she loves giraffes, pie and sunflowers. Her top five favorite movies are Big Fish, Shawshank Redemption, High Fidelity, I Love You Man, and all of the Harry Potter series.
When Life Stinks…
One of the things I love about Aerial Dance is the safety – the safety to tell the truth about what is happening in your life and, rather than judgement, to be surrounded with love, support and encouragement. I’m very raw, honest and real today and I’m able to share this part of my story with you because I know I’m part of a caring, uplifting and judgement free sisterhood. Last Sunday, Paula and I had a heart to heart talk. She told me that she’d been doing some research and she thought my toxic liver disease might be back. She and several instructors had noticed that, despite my showers and deodorant, my body odor was still quite noticeable. While this change in body chemistry is quite normal for moms who breastfeed, I finished pumping for my daughter in February and the smell has remained. She also acknowledged that, because of some health issues, I’ve had to go completely chemical free since pregnancy and that can cause a shift in body chemistry. She knows I’ve been trying multiple brands of natural deodorants but most don’t work well and stay for pole. After sharing her research and some other ideas for me, Paula recommended I go back to my doctor to recheck my liver numbers and to be sure that hasn’t returned. I had an appointment with my doctor but it did not go at all how I expected… “Hey Tessa! How are you doing today? The nurse tells me you came in today because of some liver trouble. Is that correct?” “Um, yeah, well, I think my toxic liver disease might be back. I’m having trouble staying in control of my body odor again and it’s causing some people to be uncomfortable around me. A friend of mine did some research and thinks my liver is causing some problems that my body can’t equalize.” “Ok. Well, are you still chemical free? We had started you on that initially. You made the full switch with the pregnancy complications. How is that going?” “Pretty good. It’s hard to find a natural deodorant that works for my dance classes. I use my essential oils for perfume and toiletries and cleaning. Oh! My sister bought me some body wash from [that store in the mall]. It’s not chemical free but it smells so good! I thought the one bottle once in a while would be ok.” “That could be part of the problem. Your body isn’t designed to filter out the toxins in that body wash. You should stop using that asap.” “Ok. I can do that. Is that it? That one bottle of body wash can’t be the only cause? My friend said it’s been getting worse over the last two months. I know part of that could be because I’m sweating more with heat and no AC in my house or car but I shower everyday – sometimes twice!” “Hmmmm… The last two months… What other symptoms have you been having? Are you feeling the same way you were 5 years ago when you were originally diagnosed?” “I haven’t really noticed much. Some trouble sleeping. Being hungry but nothing sounding appetising. I just figured that was because it’s so hot.” “I don’t see any yellowing in your eyes or anywhere on your skin. Any abdominal pain, itching, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss or change in your urine?” “Some fatigue. I’m almost always tired but can’t fall asleep. I brain just keeps running and running and keeps me awake. I haven’t had much energy lately. I was doing good with losing my baby weight but I’ve hit a plateau. I’d actually be grateful for a rapid drop of about 25 pounds.” “So, you’re tired but can’t sleep, you’re working out and not overeating but retaining weight, and you’re struggling with strong body odor again. And it’s gotten stronger over the last two months? Talk to me a bit about the last few months. What’s been going on since February? What all have you been doing? Anything causing your body stress or anxiety?” “February… Ok… My daughter turned one in February so we had a birthday party with lots of company for the weekend. My grandma was hospitalized and died in March so we had her funeral. I’ve been dealing with some family drama over inheritance stuff since that. Plus, my first close relative died so that was hard.” “I’m so sorry to hear that! Were you still able to have a good Easter? Or did you usually celebrate that with your grandma?” “No, we usually go to Rapids by Luke’s folks for Easter but the three of us were Super sick that whole weekend so we had to stay home. But, it turned out ok. That April blizzard trapped us in Rapids for four days so we all did our Easter tradition stuff that weekend instead.” “Way to make the best of it!” “Yeah, it was nice. It was unfortunate to come home to a flooded basement after such a great weekend. Kinda put a damper on things.” “No pun intended.” “Haha. Yeah.” “Was all your stuff ok?” “Thankfully almost everything on that end of the basement was garage sale stuff and was in bins. So yeah, we only lost a bin of books and a few of my high school and college keepsake things.” “That sucks. So you had a garage sale? How was that? Did you make a lot?” “We made a decent amount. More than last year but still not enough to pay off the NICU bills. We’ve got another $2,000ish to go.” “Ugh medical bills. I hear that! We’re still paying off some of my moms bills. How are things with your folks going? Last you were here you said something about them being separated and your sister living with you?” “If you don’t mind, I Really don’t want to talk about that. It’s just a terrible situation and I can’t talk about it without getting really upset.
