Steven Retchless's TRIXXX Workshop @Vertical Club

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.

Please come to Poleranking to discuss this topic!

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IPC 2012 Ultimate Champion Night Out @GYMi

Watching breathtaking pole dancing performances in high definition and drinking bubbly - Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. 

I promised you I'd visit GYMi this year, and an opportunity came up sooner than expected. This time I didn't go for a lesson, though, but instead to see all the 23 performances from International Pole Championship in Hong Kong. While we still have to wait for IPDFA to publish their videos, Oona Kivelä treated us to the videos her team had shot. It's a shame she can't publish them, and I won't pain you by describing the performances while you can't see them yet, but I will say this: The right people won.

I was surprised that Chris Measday won Ultimate Champion in Mens Division, over Wilson Alexander, but Mr. Measday simply owned the stage in his performance. Everything I said about him in my post about Mens Division still holds, but none of it mattered. Wilson Alexander had better technique and even better choreo, but you will know what I mean when you see the show Chris Measday put on. I couldn't stop laughing. If you haven't watched the sneak peaks from all performances yet, do it now.

Thank You Oona K. for inviting us over and congratulations once again!

Oona Kivelä, tankotanssin maailmanmestariksikin useassa yhteydessä tituleerattu IPC 2012 Ultimate Champion, näytti GYMillä videot kaikista 23 esityksestä, joita Hong Kongissa nähtiin. 

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Friday fun: Shit Pole Dancers Say

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?"

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IPC 2012 IWD edition, a.k.a. Boys, Boys, Boys

IPDFA's International Pole Championship 2012 in Hong Kong are only a week away. Now we all know that Oona Kivelä is competing there, certainly about to make us Finns proud once again, like she did in Rio. But since it's International Women's Day, let's take a look at the male contestants first.

The seven male contestants in random order are David Helmen and Chris Measday from Australia, Job Bautista from the Philippines, Colombian Wilson Alexander, Adam Tan from Malaysia, Polish Patryk Rybarski and French Saulo Sarmiento.

It's International Women's Day. Here's a picture of Saulo Sarmiento for you that has nothing to do with pole dancing.

David Helmen originates from Israel, where he studied classical ballet from the tender age of six. He moved to a yoga ashram in New York at sixteen and became a yoga instructor. David has been training aerial acrobatics in Australia for six years. Ballet, yoga and aerial acrobatics - Talk about a perfect background for the pole! David placed third in Asia Pacific Pole Championships in 2011, after only a year of pole dancing. You can see in this video that his pole tricks were still not perfect back then, but he has had over six months to hone his skills. Ballet dancer or not, I'm hoping he'll go for something less tacky than Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake this time.

Chris Measday has been pole dancing for five years and made it to the Asia Pacific PC final three times, but apparently he still won't take his pants off. The result is impressive but not very original tricks that rely solely on his upper body strength. Unfortunately you can also see that he doesn't have much of a dance background, and the choice of song (Linkin Park from the Twilight soundtrack) makes Tchaikovsky seem like a brilliant idea. See his entry here.

Job, a.k.a. AJ Bautista won the Singapore Pole Challenge in 2011. Not a major event judging by the
ambience, and the choreography looks more like a freestyle, but you couldn't tell that he first started dancing as an adult. But guys, lose the pants, it's really good for grip.

Looking at Wilson Alexander's entry video I'm willing to take back my comment on the pants. At least, if you could find something else than Speedos, please. Wilson, an artistic gymnast, has learned pole dancing impressively in only ten months, but all the jades and allegras and what not leave me wanting for some masculinity. Even though you're pole dancing, you can still be a man!

Adam Tan has been training for three years: dancing, mostly hip hop, and pole dancing as well. He does look cool, but in his trainers (!) and jeans he might prefer a Chinese pole. If you watch his entry video, take a look at his Iron-X:s. Me too, Adam, I'm still struggling to hold them myself.

Patryk Rybarski is a Dancer with a capital D. Watching his video I find myself hoping that he wouldn't head straight back to the pole but keep on dancing instead. He's not bad on the pole, it's just that he is not extraordinary either. And his choice of song, Adam Lambert, makes the Twilight soundtrack seen like a classy choice...

Saulo Sarmiento, originally from the Canary Islands, started training gymnastics and dance 11 years ago and is my vote for the winner of IPC's male category this year. Check out his video and judge for yourselves. Last year he won the Compétition Francaise de Pole Dance. It's a shame Edouard Doyé wasn't in that competition, though, and it's a shame he's not in this one, either.

I have to say that I'm a tad disappointed with the male contestants in Hong Kong. They are obviously talented, it just seems that it's too early for some of them to be in a major international competition. The hilarious and über-talented Steven Retchless and the superb Edouard Doyé where both here in Helsinki, competing in PoleArt last October. None of the guys above reach their level. It just goes to show: Hong Kong, Shmong Kong, Helsinki IS the pole dancing capital of the world!


Tankotanssin maailmanlaajuiset IPC 2012 -kisat pidetään viikon päästä Hong Kongissa. Naistenpäivän kunniaksi pieni katsaus miesten sarjan kisailijoihin, joiden taso ei mielestäni kuitenkaan ole yhtä hyvä kuin Helsingissä pidetyssä PoleArtissa lokakuussa 2011.

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Oona K. feats: FPC 2012 AfterParty @The Tiger Helsinki

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.

Photo from The Tiger's website

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