Pole Class: Day Thirteen

Today, Amber kicked my ass in Total Pole. I can always count on Thursday and Saturday classes to send me home in aching pain. In addition to a cute three-step move she taught us to use while walking around the pole, we focused on the power climb, Spinning Scorpio and a Front Knee Hook twirl. I definitely made an attempt at all three, but it wasn't a pretty sight. After class, I went home and drowned my sorrow away in breakfast food. Yuuuuum.

Lips

The other day I was at a lounge and saw a girl that was super attractive, and the bright red lipstick she was wearing just made her stand out even more. Even though I don't wear lipstick because of where I work, I do own lipstick and I'm starting to collect them just like I collect my shoes!



I went to MAC with the intention of getting the new Lady Gaga lipsticks as birthday presents for my girlfriends...but they ran out and they still don't have them in stock! boo!! So I ended up trying on lipstick after lipstick. And I like fun colors! I brought home a listick (Rebel) and lip gloss (Purple Rage). I love the intensity of both of the colors.

Birthday Gifts

This year I've received some very fun birthday gifts! On Wednesday's night class Twirlgirl surprised me with a really cute glass with an image of a girl pole dancing! She said that whenever she's in NYC she goes to this shop that sells them...and other naughty things.



Another girlfriend gave me a pair of over-the-knee red boots! These pair of boots had a story behind them and a very naughty one too!


As always, it was not easy taking pictures...



The pair of vinyl-ish boy shorts I'm wearing were something I got online when I was going through my latex and patent leather phase. I have no idea why I buy these things...they end up collecting dust in the closet.

Latest Shoe Obessesion

I promise that I don't sit around all day looking at platform heels...it's just that when something inspires me I go try to find the same exact pair. While I was watching an interview on Youtube about a pole dancing project that fuses artistic dance with pole dancing, I couldn't take my eyes off a pair of pink see-through heels like the ones below...only that they had ankle straps. Help me find them please!



While I was scouring my favorite site for pole dancing shoes I stumbled onto some other ones that I haven't really seen before. I could totally wear the gold and silver ones out and wouldn't look like a stripper!




AND I love the gladiator-style platforms. Especially the black and gold ones! I know exactly what I can do in these...CLIMB!

Pole Class: Day Twelve

Really this is my 13th, but I'm not counting my 5-week series class because then it throws everything off and I'll end up getting confused! Last night was Sultry Wednesday and I loved it! As always Ellen taught the class (and Cat was there too!)

I loved this class because Ellen did exactly what I wanted without even asking! I love that! What I loved about last night's routine is that she incorporated a climb. Since I'm getting better at climbing the pole, thanks to my marvelous red shoes, I want to use it more often and didn't know how to insert it into a dance. What would be really cool is to learn how to twirl into a climb. I saw another dancer try it out and was jealous...

At the end of class, Twirl Girl and I took some photos...in class I was able to practice the Cross Knee Release which I'm slowly becoming comfortable with. I'm also slowly becoming comfortable being bruised all over my body too! Hehe.

Set the Mood...Naughty or Nice

Why I Love Pole Dancing

Pole dancing is not just for strippers any more. No matter what your body type, skinny or fat, tall or short and even bowlegged...you can and will dance. I've seen all types in my classes. While your assets may determine if you can do some moves easier than others, in general the more you dance the easier it becomes and the more strength you build. Eventually with enough practice you will get the moves down, and that's what I love about pole dancing so much. Anybody can do it! Guys too!

When I first started, I didn't have any upper body strength to lift myself up. I didn't have enough core strength to do inversions. Honestly, I didn't want to become muscly or have a lot of definition in my body. But I've become really proud of all muscles I've toned because now it just means I can do climbs, twirls and inversions better!

My first class of a 5-week choreographed dance class last night really showed me how much I've improved since day one. And for me, any improvement is good no matter how small! The class had a lot of beginners and first timers that I have never seen in the other classes that I attend, so when I saw the expression on one girl's face when they saw Christina and Ellen twirl around the pole effortlessly it brought me back to my first Total Pole class. I was like, that was me just eleven classes ago!!

Even though I come out of pole classes bruised (and sometimes even cut!), I absolutely love it!

Ok, are you ready for the SECOND reason why I LOVE pole dancing? Because of the SHOES!!!! OMG. I cannot describe how much I love platform heels. It's like costumes for your feet! Here are all my recent obsessions I found all on Snaz75...

Tony Shoes Piping Hot in Pink ($38.99)



Tony Shoes Piping Hot in Black



Tony Shoes Bulleted Sandal 431 in Black ($95.99)



I really want them in white! And I'll make the bullets work on the pole!



Pleaser Delight 601T...I just thought it was cool that they were BLUE! ($39.99)



Ellie Shoes 609 Edgy ($51.99)



Ellie Shoes 609 Edgy on Model

I Feel Pretty

I just signed up for Poletential's 5-week "Pretty" series taught by Christina (and Ellen!) to learn a choreographed dance, because I'm not that great at free-styling. I bet if I had my own pole it would be a lot easier to practice a dance though!

The class was packed, mostly with faces I've never seen before in the drop-in classes. Since the class is themed Pretty, Christina is going to focus a lot on form (pointed toes! chest out! arch that back!) and incorporate a scarf into the dance. At the end of the class we practiced the dance with the scarves...lets just say that it wasn't Pretty.

We didn't get to practice this move in last night's class, but we're going to do a climb into a Ballerina . Ellen helped me with contorting into this move. It's like become a human pretzel on a pole. Once you're comfortably on the pole, you move the top half of your body to the front of the pole (it hurts at first!). Then you grip the pole high with your left hand and let go of your back (?) leg.

Step 1:
Stand arms length away from the pole (on the right side of the pole). Move your hips to the music. Slide out right leg and back.

Step 2: Three-point turn and kick one leg while you hold onto the pole. Inside leg steps to the left and kick again.

Step 3: Walk around the pole into an Attitude Twirl. For this step you can pull off your scarf and hold it out with your left arm while you spin around the pole.

I seriously can't remember all the steps...but I do know at some point we climb the pole, do an inversion and do all these other moves I don't know the names too! Gah!

Teeny Weeny Micro Bikinis

I absolutely love the fit of Malibu Strings bikinis! I have the worse time finding a perfect fitting bikini set since so many retailers size up to accommodate the sizing pattern of our nation. Basically what happens is that an XS turns into a Small and nothing fits how it should.

A few weeks ago I ordered a bikini set from Malibu Strings in size small after getting a good response from their customer service when I ask if a small would be appropriate for my body. I FINALLY got the bikini set in after patiently waiting for it, but it's not like I'm in any particular rush...I just hate waiting.

I'm really happy with it and now I'm thinking of getting a neon set too! Too bad I won't get to use the Winter Sale discount : (



Malibu Strings Hologram Malibu Micro Bikini in Neon ($29/piece)

Pole Class: Day Eleven

As always, Poletential's Total Pole class taught by Amber was great. Every Saturday we're taught new twirls, climbs and inversions.

We started off with an Inside Spin. For this twirl you use your outer thigh (inside leg) to roll against the pole. Your thigh and leg should be parallel to the ground and as you pick yourself up with both hands you lift up your outside leg.

Then we moved onto the Corkscrew. I really like this twirl because it's a lot different from the other ones we learn where we face the pole. For this twirl you use your outside leg to swing out your hips to the front of the pole so that you can wrap your body around the pole as you spin down. This twirl gets painful when you do it repeatedly since your armpit is gripping the pole. I have bruises all over my arm still from this one. But it was fun!

Our next move was a climb into a Cross Knee Release. This is very similar to the cross ankle release, but instead you leave your thighs crossed as if you were sitting and then lean back so that your knee touches the pole and your tail bone is resting on the pole as well. Once you're in this position, you're safe to lean back and let go of your arms.



Lastly, we learned how to go into the Butterfly from an inversion. Things to remember when getting into this move include keep your booty out and square your shoulders before you let go of your leg. I was finally able to get into this move at the end of the class, although I don't do it as graceful as Amber.

Spring is Here!

This is my "glamour" post if you're wondering why I'm blogging about clothes all of a sudden...hehe. So ever since the new Burberry ads featuring Harry Potter actress, Emma Watson (AKA Hermione Granger) came out, I have been dying to see what it would look like on me. FYI: The ads include her brother!


I know that Burberry isn't the only place to go for a spring trench coat, but my petite size will tell you otherwise. The spring 2010 Burberry Prorsum line is absolutely beautiful!!




Cotton Knotted Epaulette Trench Coat ($2,595)




Cotton Gabardine Reef Knot Trench Coat ($2,795)



Urban Outfitters also has these fab leather skirts that I think I NEED in black and pink ($58)...

Neon Bikinis

I have a hard time saying NO to myself. And the problem just keeps getting worse when it comes to neon. When I saw this neon bikini by Victoria's Secret I felt like it was already mine.

Now that I'm comfortable wearing neon shoes, I'm definitely going to start experimenting with some neon bikinis too. I know that they aren't terribly popular, but I'm obsessed. And I feel like this is only the beginning for me...

What's great about this set is that it's only $15 for the top and roughly $14.50 for the bottom. Sweet!! I just hope an XS fits me. Victoria's Secret sizes tend to run a little bit bigger on me. Do I here "make it work?"

Sublime

I got home last night and a lovely surprise was waiting for me by the door. My new "lime green" glow-in-the-dark platforms! I didn't get to open the box until I got to the studio, and when I did I was shocked at how high the platform was and how more yellow it was than green.

I tried to convince myself that 7 inches isn't too high, but once I brought them out I got the same response from the dancers. But I put them on for class and I walked out with no broken ankle! For the size they are, I was surprised that they didn't feel like weights.

The only issue I have now is trying not to look like a hooker. Haha.

BTW, I do plan on getting a pair of these hot pink glow-in-the-dark 5 3/4 platform heels that everyone seems to have. They'll definitely be more tame.

Pole Class: Day Eleven

If you want to get your ass kicked in pole class then go to Poletential's Tricked Out Pole (TOP) on Thursday nights. This class will work out every single muscle you have in your body...your gluts, abs, obliques, back, shoulders and every single joint you have too. By the time Ellen was done with us, my hands were shaking at the end of class. This class is great if you like a challenge and don't want to be bothered with the pretty twirls, this is gymnastics territory.

This was my first tricked out pole class taught by Ellen, who also instructs Basics on Mondays and Sultry on Wednesdays. I think everyone rotates to instruct this class so that they end up teaching this class once a month. But I love all the instructors and they all have their own unique style of teaching!

I learned a lot of new things in last night's class. I actually requested that Ellen teach us this one move I saw a girl (Amy) from a youtube video do in her dance which looked amazing. She got into a cross ankle release and bent all the way back to hold onto the pole...and she was spinning around the pole at the same time! So cool!!

Sooo...for safety reasons we didn't do this move. If there were about 7 Ellens I think we might have been able to. Haha. If it's your first time doing this move, you definitely need someone to spot you.



Afterward, we did some air inversions that I wasn't too great at. I was able to air invert at the end of class, but it was the cheater version where I use the momentum of my legs versus using my core muscles to do an upside down sit up. From the air invert, Ellen taught us how to get into an Apprentice...



...and then into the Butterfly...



Needless to say, I did not get into the Butterfly because I was too busy trying to figure out how to lift myself up with 7-inch heels on. Haha.

Ellen saved the best for last. Twirl Girl made the request to learn how to do a Cartwheel Mount after witnessing her brother do it on her own pole at home without any training! Guys' center of gravity is carried up high which makes it a lot easier for them than it is for us...so no fair!



My left wrist was in a lot of pain after this one, and I didn't even do it!

MAC and Lady Gaga Team Up!

Nothing makes more sense to me than shopping for what you love and simultaneously donating money towards a cause. MAC is teaming up with Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper to promote two new Viva Glam lipsticks. When you buy any VIVA Glam lipsticks or lipglass, every penny of your purchase will go towards helping men, women and kids affected with HIV and AIDS. Spending money never felt so good...

Hong Kong Strip Club

So this year just keeps getting better and better for me (knock on wood). When I started fitness pole dancing, my ultimate goal was to perform when I mastered enough moves. What's funny is that the pole kept putting me in my place whenever I went anywhere near it in the beginning. But luckily, my quest to go to as many drop-in classes as possible at Poletential is finally showing results. I was climbing the pole like a monkey last night!



Well I wanted to share with all my readers that a really exciting opportunity has come up for me! Activision (creator of Guitar Hero for those of us who don't play video games) is hosting an event in San Francisco next month where they will be promoting their new video game True Crime that takes place in Hong Kong. I put clips from the teaser trailer for you to get a better idea of what the video game is going to be like...



For the event they want to recreate the Hong Kong strip club scene in the video game, and that's where I come in! And I have to thank my lucky stars that I'm Asian because that's what definitely helped me get this gig. I'm definitely no Amber! I'll be dancing with three other girls, taking turns two at a time. The great part is that Estee Zakar will be dancing with us!!! Amazing!!



This gig is the reason why I have been busting my ass to go to as many classes as possible. I'm not going to let myself look like a fool on stage!

Pole Class: Day Ten

I just wanted to start off with a shout out to Poletential. I absolutely love this studio and it has definitely changed my life. The group of lovely ladies that instruct at Poletential are amazing and super supportive. There are so many amazing opportunities here...you get a chance to meet professional dancers in workshops, train to dance professionally, and meet people who have the same exact interests as you.

Last night was my 10th drop-in class and I'm more than excited to renew the 10-pack. I have definitely gone really far from Day One when I was in awe of the advanced girls climbing the poles the ceiling of our warehouse sized studio. Another 10-pack is definitely going to improve my skills even more. Every additional class I go to pushes me closer to get my own pole and closer to the studio. Now I really want to represent the studio with Poletential merchandise, which everyone has except for me!!

So last night's Sultry Class was taught by Ellen Lovelace and I swear it's the perfect class to get you in the mood to perform. Without this class I wouldn't know what to do with all the tricks I've been learning. Last night we built on top of last week's class to finish off the dance with some floor work and a climb. You wouldn't think that you would get sore from it, but I when I woke up this morning my rib cage and lower back were feeling pretty tight.

Ellen is perfect at instructing Sultry. I remember my first class with her last week when she was applauding us for our stripper status performance. A room full of strippers! Yea baby. I really can't wait to learn another choreographed dance. Her dances flow so smoothly and really showcase the performer's body to the fullest.

There was one last thing I wanted to mention about last night that has gotten me really excited. I decided to break in my new red Tony Shoes platforms in Sultry Pole because I didn't want to do anything extreme and prevent twisting an ankle. Without even putting the shoes on and trying them out I had a foreboding feeling about climbing in them, and Ellen confirmed my fear. But everyone agreed that they were damn sexy. But the shoes proved me wrong! In addition to being super comfortable (leather feels sooo much better than plastic) they gave super climbing powers! I was up the pole so fast that I even surprised myself! I want to say that it was because I have improved in my climbing abilities but I have to give credit to the leather that gave me grip to climb up the pole. Last night was the highest I ever climbed the pole and it wasn't too difficult at all. In addition to my newfound climbing power, these shoes make it so easy for me to drag the tips of my shoes along the floor as I do laps around the pole.

These are my first pair of Tony Shoes and so far I'm really happy with them. They do make me look stumpy because they're not clear on the bottom. I was actually voicing out my desire to have a white pair aloud in class last night and Ellen told me that white is the (slutiest?...can't remember now) color in terms of stripper shoes. Haha! I had no idea. I figured clear, neon, red, blinking or goldfish heels were more stripper-esque than white. I bet the white ones would get super dirty fast though. I would have to save them for private one-on-one performances ;)

The Joys of Being Femme

I suck at doing my own nails. Last night I had the worst time giving myself a mani and pedi. My nail polish always gets bubbly or I get too impatient to wait for it to dry and end up either smudging it or getting marks all over it. It's one of the most frustrating experiences that I have to go through as a woman. So I'm not going to take it anymore!

One of these days I'm going to treat myself out too Cosmo Spa Lounge. I don't usually get my nails done at a salon. The only time I did was for my senior prom 5-ish years ago. It was acrylic and I never wanted to do it again. My nails are already weak, so to do that to my nails was evil.

I saw pictures of Cosmo Spa Lounge on Yelp and instantly knew that I didn't want to get my nails done anywhere else. A little spoiled? Maybe : ) Hello! 5-star reviews!!

Golden Cheetah Print


Silver Chrome


Silver Bubbles


Chrome Houndstooth


If you go onto their website you'll see from their Menu of Services that they offer only the best in nail products. They use MINX (celebrity status baby!!), 100% pure gel nails and OPI gel color. All of this comes at a hefty price of course, but don't forget the 15% discount for new customers! (can't be used on MINX nails though, boo!). Lets just say that if you're going to get your nails done here expect to be paying at least $100 for a mani and the nail art design.

I went to the MINX website and found these images...

I totally would've have done this for Christmas! Now I'll have to wait...


Dee's Skulls


Black w/Multicolor Pulse Lines


Black Watch Tartan


Black and Silver Lightning Stripes


Silver Lightning


Rattle Snake Skin


Golden Lightning Cheetah


Flowers


Now to choose which one...