Steven Retchless blew us away in Stockholm with his Pole Art performance. Luckily he followed us to Finland to give two workshops at the new Vertical Club.
I attended the TRIXXX workshop described below:
TRIXXX
INT/ADV 75min
This class is all about the TRIXXX! This 75min workshop will PUMP YOU UP!!! With a detailed breakdown of power moves, flips, inverts, twists, contortion and introduction to original and creative new moves. if your above beginner come take this awesome class. The “trixxx” will be modified to fit your level. I know you can do it, I believe in you so, LET’S DO IT!!!
I walked in just as they were finishing the previous workshop, 8" Spike. It looked like a lot of fun! I wish I could move in heels the way Steven does. Even more I wish I could move like he moves barefoot. Goddammit.
It seems that Steven really wants his students to learn in his workshop. He continuously walked around the classroom, giving pointers and tiredlessly redemonstrating the moves.
Steven taught us the spin combination that he did at the beginning of his Pole Art 2012 routine. I shared a pole with Pole4Fit teacher Carmen, who nailed the spin quite quickly. Luckily we've kept on practising it in her classes.
I usually never do this but I had to have a photo with Steven Retchless - and post it on Facebook. And yes, those are his pants on the floor. He specifically wanted to take them off for this photo.
All in all, a great workshop. Everything from warm-up to cool down was original, very Steven-esque. I'll have to work on the butt cheek lifts, impressive stuff! All the tricks or variations of tricks that we learned were new to me, which is exactly what I hope from workshops. If you have the change to attend Steven's workshops, do it! Very inspiring.
Natasha Wang had just won a runner-up title at Pole Art the previous night and came to the North Pole studio still wearing the beautiful braids. She was met by 12 enthusiastic students, among them our group of five Finns.
The workshop description was:
Natasha Wang
"Signature tricks"
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Price: 450 SEK (~53€, $68)
Class description: This tricks class will focus on unique transitions on and off the pole, innovative aerial tricks, Chinese pole techniques, as well as movement that transforms the human body into beautifully strange shapes. This will be a barefoot class, as we’ll be executing tricks that require all parts of the human body -- including the bottom of your foot!
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After a thorough warm-up we started with a beautiful but painful side climb variation. We practised several tricks that were completely new to all of us, such as the transition (more like a dive) from standing on the pole to scorpio (a.k.a. inside leg hang). We also practised several variations of the meat hook (see photo of me below) and from that flipping yourself back right-side up and grapping your front leg (see the quick snapshot of Natasha demonstrating this transition below).
Natasha has astonishingly beautiful lines, even if she's just quickly showing how something is done.
Natasha is also one of those teachers who does everything to help you get it just right.
My take on the meat hook.
Pole4Fit's students and teachers were all smiles after the workshop.
What an inspiring, fun and useful workshop! We all agreed that this was money well spent. Thank you Natasha!
Pole dancing has gotten more and more popular, even in music videos. Here are some that I know of, please share if you know more!
Enrique Iglesias feat. Usher - Dirty Dancer has more than 57 million views on Youtube, and luckily those dancers are actually good!
2 Chainz feat. Nicki Minaj - I Luv Dem Strippers is more... Well, what do you expect with that title? It's not all booty shaking, though.
Diplo feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex - Set It Off has AERA dancers Marlo, Mina, Nadia, Reiko, Michelle, Kyra, Autumn, Danielle and Crystal in their video. But honestly, what's with the description "Thanks to Director Ryan Staake we may finally know the answer to how many strippers it takes to get to outerspace"?
If you didn't make it to Stockholm and even missed out on the live stream provided by Poleranking (what's your excuse?) you can now watch the videos here. You definitely should, as PoleArt 2012 exceeded at least all my expectations - and that is saying something!
As you will know by now, Oona Kivelä won for the third time, followed by Natasha Wang as a runner-up. In the male category Saulo Sarmiento won, followed by a tie between Evgeny Greshylov and Steven Retchless.
In evaluation, equal emphasis was put on technical difficulty, execution, choreography and originality. The judges seemed to be as overwhelmed as the audience. Lu Nagata admitted that some artists brought her to tears and Anna de Carvalho commented that there was a lot of originality and many elements that had not been seen before. Serena Mon De Vienne told us how glad she was to see contestants trying to explore their own dance. She also said the evolution in pole dance has been so fast that it seems like 10 years have passed in the short history of PoleArt. It was Marina Cavallini who captured my thoughts the best using the word contemporary. She said the pieces were very strong, impressive, professional, breathtaking - and more contemporary than we have ever seen before.
I couldn't agree more - and couldn't be happier about it! This year was exactly what PoleArt is about. The venue, Göta Lejon theater from the 1920s, was stylish and exactly right for this event, and many performers seemed to have found the pole dancer in them. Many pieces were contemporary dance where pole was just one element of the dance. Patryk Rybarski, Evgeny Greshylov, Oona Kivelä and Laurence Hilsum all had dubstep(ish elements) in their music and showed some locking (or vogueing) moves, very trendy. There are always top tricks in all competitions. In last year's PoleArt the shoulder mount - outvert -flip was all the rage, this year we saw several starfish and chopsticks.
Below are Poleranking's YouTube videos with my comments - Please note that they are my personal opinions and feel free to comment and discuss! The videos are in the same order as they were performed in Stockholm. The first posts contain the first half of the videos, watch this space for my take on the remaining half!
Intellego Pole Company started the night with a performance that I personally found a bit disappointing - after their captivating performance in PoleArt 2011 my expectations were sky high. Their performance was called Female Exhaustion and called for freedom and democracy. I couldn't help but think about Pussy Riot in Russia. Very contemporary.
Patryk Rybarski still is a Dancer with a capital D. He danced to dubstep and showed us some cool locking moves, but his pole technique is still not quite clean. At the end of his act the poles seemed to be a bit too slippery for him and we even witnessed the only ass wipe of the night. But when he masters his pole technique in a year or two, there will be no stopping this guy. Can't wait.
Tracey Simmonds had a fierce look - Lisbeth Salander (of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy) instantly came to mind, not a bad look for a competition in Sweden. Tracey didn't disappoint with her unique trick combos and solid floorwork.
Rafaela Montanaro started with a super strong one-handed handstand. The latin pop song she used was tacky but the rhythm sure was catchy. This style is what Rafaela does best, the same thing she always seems to do, but maybe it isn't right for PoleArt. However, I've never seen a pole dancer put more clothes on in the middle of her performance, so that was original. Take a look at the one-minute solid aysha combo in the end!
Phoenix Kazree blew our minds away with her mesmerizing performance. She portrayed pain or hurt, a classic theme, but she did it beautifully. One of the most contemporary pieces of a contemporary night.
Go to Poleranking.com to see read the entire post and see the rest of the videos! You don't need to register to view the post and the videos, but please do and share your opinions!
PoleArt will be held in Stockholm in less than a week, on Saturday the 25th of August. PoleArt is widely considered one of the most prestigious international pole dancing competitions, and this year the list of competitors is even more impressive than ever before.
Female Competative Category
Anastasia Skukhtorova, Russia
Laurence Hilsum, France
Maria Luz Escalante, Argentina
Natalia Egorova, Russia
Natasha Wang, USA
Oona Kivelä, Finland
Phoenix Kazree, USA
Polina Volchek, USA
Rafaela Montanaro, Brazil
Tracey Simmonds, South Africa
Male Competative Category
Evgeny Greshilov, Russia
Patryk Rybarski, Poland
Saulo Sarmiento, France
Steven Retchless, USA
Wilson Alexander Meija, Colombia
Many of the ladies and gentlemen are familiar from IPC 2012. Actually, of the competitors only Natalia Egorova and Polina Volchek were new names to me, so I took a closer look at them.
In Natalia's application video she starts with a hula hoop and then shows some very impressive tricks, making me think that she must be a former gymnast. There was a gymnast by the same name, but I think she must be older than this Natalia... Nevertheless, very impressive for someone I haven't even heard from previously.
Polina Volchek didn't sound familiar to me, but Pink Puma I know! She has a distinct style that will divide opinions, especially here in Scandinavia. She's something that many will consider very sexy and I certainly envy her flexibility. She's been pole dancing for only a year but has 10 years of experience in rhythmic gymnastics. Well, at least she's not one of those gymnast-turned-pole dancer whose background you can tell from a mile away. Even though Polina represents USA in PoleArt, she is actually a native of Ukraine and has even been on Ukraine's Got Talent.
By the way, what is that trick called that Polina does at 2:05? Natalia Egorova also did that in her application video.
When I started blogging about pole dancing just two months ago I decided to do so in English. I wanted to reach out to all pole dancers around the world and let them know what it's like to practise pole dancing here in Helsinki. To be honest, I did hope that someone would ask my blog to be featured at a popular pole dancing site or something. I mean, if I could even find a pole dancing site that didn't send a strong stripper-vibe. And I did. Or they found me.
The Poleranking site wasn't even open when they contacted me but I already liked them on Facebook - They are almost always the fastest and often only source for up-to-date information on international pole dancing competitions. I didn't have to think about it for very long, of course I wanted to join the prestigious ranks of Poleranking featured bloggers - along with the likes of Aerial Amy and Michelle Shimmy.
Poleranking.com opens today for those who requested an invite, and on Tuesday, May 1, to anyone who is interested in pole dancing! Poleranking is also giving out five sets of Tracey Simmonds' Comprehensive Guide to Pole Dance DVD-trilogies - I already have them and I can recommend them to anyone who has a pole at home but doesn't have the chance to attend as many lessons as they'd like. If you got interested, you should watch the Poleranking Facebook-page for info on the contest!
PoleArt has been held annually since 2009, every other year in Helsinki, every other year in Stockholm. The next PoleArt will be held 25 August this year at Göta Lejon in Stockholm.
PoleArt's 2012 poster appears to be a Rorschach test. I know all I can see is pole dancers.
PoleArt has always emphasised the artistic side and expressiveness of pole dancing. New ideas are welcomed and showcases are awaited as eagerly as the actual competition.
Last year, Heidi Coker used stretchy, red ribbons in a creative way
Swedish Intellego Pole Company's showcase was the most captivating group performance I've seen so far
Hopefully, this year we will get to see something new from each performer. Not necessarily new tricks, that's not what PoleArt is about, but new interpretations, new styles, new music, new costumes.
PoleArt pidetään tänä vuonna Tukholmassa, 25. elokuuta Göta Lejon -teatterissa. Toivottavasti saamme tänä vuonna nähdä jotain uutta jokaiselta osallistujalta!
Cirque du Soleil is known for breathtaking, contemporary shows that go beyond circus. Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour will come to Helsinki in just six months' time, with three shows instead of the originally planned two. The dates to save are 5 and 6 November, but no need to save them unless you get your tickets now - they will be sold out. Felix Canehas been the pole dancer extraordinaire at Cirque du Soleil's MJ tour, but she was replaced by Anna Melnikova after Felix's accident. Let's hope Felix will be back by the time the show arrives in Helsinki!
Felix Cane climbing up the pole at Cirque du Soleil. Felix sure knows if it's dangerous.
Cirque du Soleilin Michael Jackson the Immortal Tour tulee Helsinkiin marraskuussa. Hanki lippusi nyt, jos et halua missata mm. henkeäsalpaavaa tankotanssia!
Apparently we have to wait two months for full videos of the performances in International Pole Championship 2012, which will then be published only at their own site. Luckily Poleranking has treated us to two exclusive previews.
One with previews of all the performances
and another with focus on the Ultimate Champion (don't you just love that title?) Oona Kivelä
Oona's victory was notified by German Spiegel Online and Danish News Break but apparently in the Ultimate Champion's native Finland only Voice found it interesting enough for their website - Despite statements and video clips sent to all media. I guess all the space was required for other Finnish athletes such as Kimi Räikkönen who qualified 18th in the Australian formula1 GP - right before another Finn Heikki Kovalainen who held his own at 19th.
Joudumme ilmeisesti odottamaan Hong Kongin esitysvideoita kaksi kuukautta, mutta tässä hieman esimakua Polerankingin tarjoamana!
It's Friday. Pole dancers around the world are thinking about going out, but decide against it and stay indoors to work on that scorpio / handspring / death lay. At least a lucky few have a friend to practice with, preferably someone with an unlimited stash of Mighty Grip. Jenyne Butterfly and Steven Retchless have each other. It's Shit Pole Dancers Say: "I didn't fall, I graced the ground", "I don't like that move, it's ugly" and ultimately "Do you wanna go watch YouTube?"
Other contestants look on grinning when Tommi struts his stuff.
It's official: Oona K. sure knows how to throw a party. And a kick-ass pole battle with prizes that were far better than the ones that the Finnish Champion got earlier that day. 500 euros cash, a season ticket to Oona's PowerPole classes and a bottle of champagne made even yours truly think about enlisting.
A freestyle battle in a nightclub allowed the contestants to be a little crazy, sensual or even downright sexy. Tommi was the most daring with his high-heeled boots and short-shorts that left little to imagination. He is clearly inspired by Steven Retchless but needs a lot of practice technique-wise.
Anna-Katariina nailed the battle with not so much her skills, which are of course unquestionable, but her divaesque attitude. I bet the champagne is gone already and the prize money is rightfully hers, but I wonder if she has any use for that PowerPole gift certificate...
Sini-Sofia is working it...
...but Anna-Katariina, waiting for her turn, couldn't care less and pretends to read a magazine instead.
Oona Kivelä järjesti tankotanssin SM-kisojen jatkobileet The Tigerissa. Ohjelmassa oli tanko-battle, jonka voiton ja upeat palkinnot vei ylivoimainen Anna-Katariina.
Anastasia kindly let us video her tutoring. Not for public use, sorry, but for future references. I'll get back to this stuff in a year or so...
I had seen Anastasia Shukhtorova perform at PoleArt 2011 in Helsinki and when Pole4Fit announced that they had booked two exclusive workshops with her I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Anastasia is undoubtedly one of the most talented pole dancers in the world. This Russian belle placed third in the World Cup in Rio.
Anastasia held two workshops at Pole4Fit, intermediate/ level 2-3 and advanced/ level 3-4. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the first one and hence attended the advanced workshop, which I knew would be too much for me. But Anastasia herself suggested that we film her so that we can get back to the tricks later! Quite an act of kindness, something that not all visiting teachers allow, but I sure wish they would since we usually pay 30-70 € extra for those workshops. We naturally agreed not to publish any of the stuff, but I will keep my videos safe and certainly get back to them later! I want to nail that jamilla into superman into scorpio, preferably without the superman in the middle...
Anastasia Shukhtorova's PR photo for PoleArt2011. Don't worry, she warms up her back meticulously before doing any tricks like this one or her signature rainbow.
Anastasia Shukhtorova piti Pole4Fitillä kaksi workshoppia ja antoi ystävällisesti meidän kuvata opetusta, jotta voisimme palata myöhemmin mm. jamilla - supermies - skorpioni - vaihtoon...
Hanna Kunnas opened the Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012 amateur series and I heard the impressed audience gasping: "Oh I had no idea pole dancing is like this!"
I've had the pleasure of watching Hanna progress from the first geminis to a captivating performer and all I can say is WOW.
The Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012 were held at GoExpo in the Helsinki Exhibition Center on March 3rd. This was only the second time for official Finnish Championships, and it's been a year and a half since the first contest. In August 2010 the title went toOona Kivelä - by a wide margin, I might add. But amazing things have happened in the Finnish pole dancing scene since then. Oona has improved tremendously, coming up with new tricks all the time, but so has everybody else. To my knowledge, Heidi Mäki-Ontto, who placed third in the FC, hadn't even started pole dancing back then!
The 2010 FC was held at Virgin Oil, a smoky bar if there ever was one, and I thought everyone would be ecstatic about the new, much more public location. Apparently though quite a few contestants didn't apply at all for "not being inspired by the venue". And here I thought we wanted to get pole dancing out of smoky bars! Admittedly, light shows were out of the question and from what I've heard organizing the contest at the new location wasn't always easy, but for once we had an audience that didn't consist solely of proud parents, boyfriends and fellow pole dancers!
Results can be found at the TankoSM web site but in short: Henriikka Roo, who made herself a household name by competing in Finland's Got Talent!, won, Oona Kivelä was second and, like said, Heidi Mäki-Ontto third. Personally, I didn't entirely agree on the outcome. I know I'm biased, but I would have placed at least Anne Laakkonen, maybe Anna-Katariina Koponen as well, in the top three. There was a strong emphasis on performance and choreography in the judging criteria, 1/3 each, with only 1/3 on pole technique. I would be happy to see much more emphasis on technique in the national championships. But I guess then we would have to wait for Oona to retire before anyone else could take the title...
There was also an amateur series, which was won by Laura Soikkeli. Rumour has it Laura applied on the very last day before the deadline and was surprised that she even got in. Reality check, girl, you were absolutely superb!
The only 19-year-old Hulda Rankanen didn't get a medal today, but she has plenty of time for that. Her solid circus background shows in the best possible way.
The charming Anna-Katariina Koponen could have easily placed in the top-3. "AK" is my ballet and pole teacher and a constant source of inspiration for me.
Henriikka Roo was on fire today and took home the Finnish Championship title. Congratulations Henriikka!
Tervetuloa tankotanssiblogiini! Tankotanssin Suomenmestaruus 2012 ratkottiin GoExpossa Helsingin Messukeskuksessa. Voiton vei liekeissä ollut, Suomen kansalle Talentista tuttu Henriikka Rinne eli Henriikka Roo, jättäen tällä kertaa taakseen edellisen vuoden voittajan Oona Kivelän.
6:06 PM
Päivi S.
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