In your pole journey, you will fall in love with other dancers. You will envy their strength and movement. You’ll want to be just like them. You’ll want to meet them and pick their brain for ways to improve your craft. In the sport we call these our pole crushes.
My first two pole crushes were my two first teachers, Phoebe and Rani. These women inspired me beyond words. They were GORGEOUS women, inside and out. They were SO PATIENT with me. I was likely a horrible student, who wasn’t coordinated but wanted to try really hard. With no dance background and very limited physical activity before starting pole in general thanks to lots of knee surgeries, I started “way behind”. They never let on that I was a pain to teach. They always answered my million and six questions with a smile. They always made me feel like I could accomplish my next goal and pushed me to expect myself to achieve.
With Phoebe and Rani after the 2007 Christmas Show
Phoebe was a trained dancer, ballerina style, and she was beyond beautiful and kind. She had this warmth about her that just made anyone within a mile want desperately to be near her and have her like you. She taught me technique without me realizing it was happening. She made classes simple and fun. She made pole seem achievable. Her legs were an envy of mine (and still are….) because she had a gorgeous pointe and extension that I simply do not. Phoebe was grace, every movement was unbelievably soft and delicate and gorgeous.
Rani was funky awesome and electric. I don’t know what her dance background was, but she had spunk. Her classes were upbeat and fast paced and had a drill Sargent feel to them. Yet she had this sweetness to her that when you were frustrated she made you laugh and do it again. She was excited about pole and made you excited. Her abs were an envy of mine (and still are…) she executed aerial moves with an incredible ease. Rani was power in every movement she made.
These two women shaped who I am as a dancer and teacher. I’m so grateful for Facebook because I’m still in touch with both of them. Phoebe is actually taking her pole to the competitive circuit and doing very well. I LOVE watching their progress as I work on my own.