1994-2024 30 Years as a Pole Dance Instructor!
“Put your right hand up high on the pole, take a step, and swing your leg and wrap it around the pole, and then take your other leg and pick it up, weeee; and that’s how you do it!” Instruction was as vague and easy, as I began teaching women how to pole dance in December 1994. I made simple flyers and put them under the dancers' hotel room doors every Monday when the new slew of six exotic entertainers arrived for the week.
I had only been dancing for two months, and really only had one move I was prepared to teach. But I was so excited to offer my new fundamental knowledge I had acquired being a newbie stripper because there was no one there to teach me. And quite frankly, no one had ever heard of anyone teaching pole dancing before.
“There’s no such thing as a pole dancing school, you just get up there and do it.” The club waitress told me. That’s crazy, how can this be?! These women are so beautiful, surely there’s some place offering guidance or someone teaching pole tricks, and these costumes! Where on earth did they come from? Full sequin dresses and pantsuits often with a theme; and these ladies are performing 18 minute shows. And let’s talk about their high heels. They were 4-6 inches with no platform! I had to figure this out, and quickly.
On my 19th birthday, I decided to make the trip to the mainland from Vancouver Island and performed in an amateur exotic dancing competition in Port Coquitlam, BC. Performing under the name Sky, I placed 2nd against a girl who had been stripping for about a year. She was great on the pole, slim, and was clearly a crowd favorite. I however, was not a crowd favorite, but I definitely had some good cheers and laughs as I danced in a white sweater dress, and 14 hole steel Doc Martin Rangers. If that wasn’t enough, I took my whip and whipped the stage during Like a Virgin by Madonna. An agent from Stripper Entertainment who frequently visited amateur nite, picked me up and represented me as that’s how it was in Canada in the early 90s.
“You're cute, and you’ll lose a little weight.” I was slightly insulted, but also grateful. I desperately wanted to fit in and be the super star showgirl dancers they all appeared to be. Fast forward 30 years, I lost 40 pounds (in the first 4 months of dancing), performed and taught in Europe, Australia, Asia and have made Las Vegas my home. Come visit me for a class, and I guarantee you my instruction for the Fireman spin will be much more detailed.
Thank you for joining me today for this little read back in time. Circle back here anytime you want a dose of Fawnia or Pole Fitness Studio!
