Tag Archives: Performance

Paradisaea Adult Student Showcase – Winter 2021

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Our Sunday night Silks class agreed that we all would like to perform in a little showcase at the end of our December session (following Covid protocols). I also was able to invite a student that I have been teaching privately at my home studio to perform. It was going to be her first performance ever, so we worked on her routine together.

Covid numbers had been increasing and there was talk of new restrictions being implemented. I debated participating in the showcase because I was a little nervous about Covid. But I remembered how disappointed I was when we didn’t perform at the Army of Sass showcase in March 2020. I wanted to be able to live my life a little after 2 long years.

Since it was been 2 years since I performed in front of a live audience, so I was excited but very nervous too. I felt better when I realized everyone was nervous about performing and we supported each other. I was also so excited for my student performing and I was a proud pole momma that she came out of her shell to perform.

I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare routines for the showcase. I used a chair routine I was currently teaching, since it was familiar to me, but I didn’t have an ending for it so I freestyled the last part of the routine. I wore sequined elf slippers and had lots of fun with them in the routine. I had a beginning for then pole routine planned out, the rest I freestyled. I was more nervous with the pole routine but overall, I was happy how both routines turned out.

December Performances

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December was a very busy month as I had 3 performances! The first one was at Southsides Bar in Fort Erie for a Ladies Night. I did this in 2016 with the SASS girls and that was the first event I did with them. This time though, I am a more confident and stronger performer. There was 5 of us girls that took turns playing on the pole to promote the studio. An old friend of mine was there and I made a few new friends, which made the night even better. The studio owner even got me to dance to a Snoop song. Honesty, when the MC announced me as a dancer of Snoop Dogg’s, I beaming with pride of my accomplishments.

The next performance was at a showcase for the Army of Sass dance showcase. Army of Sass is a separate dance company, but they were using the SASS studio to practice, so they invited the SASS pole girls to perform in their show. We had 9 of us performing, so we did various elements, including pole, acro and chair. My piece of the performance was with the chair. It was neat having so many of us on stage together and all coordinated with different elements.

The third performance, which as a day after the Army of Sass performance was for the Paradisaea After Dark winter showcase. I choose the song I’ll Be Home by Meghan Trainor because it wasn’t as corny traditional Christmas song. The routine was a combination of floor work and chair, which a lot of movements were from the Army of Sass routine, and then ending with some pole silks, again, pulling from previous routines. Because this performance was the day after the other one, it was easier to use choreography I was already familiar with. After the show though, the concept of the show was explained fully to me, it was an 18 + show, so I could have had a sexier routine. I kept the routine pretty tame, knowing the issues I have had in the past with being too sexy at a Paradisaea showcase. We all had a laugh that i was pretty conservatively dressed than my normal for performing.

Dragonfly – November 2019

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The owner of SASS asked me if I would be interested in performing at Dragonfly nightclub that is located in the Casino in Niagara Falls. I felt honoured for being asked and jumped at the opportunity. I arranged a time to come set up the pole before the club opened a few weeks before the event to try out the logistics to see if it would even work. It took some brainstorming, but we finally figured out a set up that worked well for the club and my safety.

I was so excited but yet so nervous to be a solo performing being featured at a club. I stressed a lot over my outfit and spent hours trying on practically everything I owned. I ended up buying a new outfit from the Stag Shop a few days before the event as I was not happy with anything I had. I worked out thought, as the Stag Shop was a sponsor of the event.

I got there an hour before the doors opened to set up the pole. My husband came with me to make sure everything was ok and then left to watch the kids at home.

My first performance started at 11:00 and I did sets of 15 minutes until 1:00. Everyone who was worked the club was so great to me. I had my own security at the pole and was given all the free drinks I wanted.

The club has the coolest lights on the ceiling and when I climbed to the top of the pole and overlooked the packed, sold out club under the lights, well, it was such a high. Watching the crowd react to my tricks was just amazing. I had girls in the front just in awe of me. I even made some tips.

By the end of the 2 hours I was completely exhausted. My feet hurt so much and I had a few blisters. I called my husband to pick me up right after I was done, there was nothing more I wanted than my bed!! It was way more physically demeaning than I had expected it to be but at the same time, so much fun!

SASS St.Catharines Grand Opening Showcase – October 2019

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For the Grand Opening showcase at SASS, I was in 2 performance, a group and a solo. The group performance was the opening act and I messed up a few movements. I knew I didn’t practice enough but really hoped my muscle memory would take me through. I think my nerves got the best of me so I was happy I was in the back corner of the group!

For my solo performance, I choose to revamp the Lightening Crashes pole silks routine from the June showcase at the old studio. I added in a few new tricks, changed my costume and included my daughter in the routine. My daughter is taking ballet classes, so she danced a ballet interlude while I tied up the silks for the next part of the routine. I loved sharing the stage with my daughter.

End of an Era – June 2019

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The SASS summer showcase was a bittersweet one. That is because it was the last showcase, and very last day at the Stoney Creek SASS studio. The amazing part is the opening of the SASS studio in St.Catharines.

I choose to perform a pole silks routine. It took me a long time to choose a song, ended up getting inspired when I seen the band Live in concert, so choose the song Lightening Crashes. I had the basic structure of my routine choreographed, left the spins to freestyle.

The routine went well, everyone was very impressed with the pole silks. After the show, we took a few group photos as we said good bye to the Stoney Creek studio. I’m really excited for the new studio, but also sad as not all the girls will be joining us at in St.Catharines. Overall though, I’m looking forward to having the studio much closer so I can attend more classes.

Paradisaea Summer Recital – June 2019

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The Paradisaea end of semester showcase was June 15th and the theme was Through the Eyes of Tim Burton.  The Sunday night class I’m in did a routine to a song from Beetlejuice.  This routine was exciting for me, as I got placed in the middle because I was the one consistently getting the tricks.  It was big for me since when I first started silks, I was given easier tricks to perform at the recitals, now I’m being challenged with more advanced tricks and being placed in the center.  I felt like I practised enough and was ready, wasn’t even really nervous. The showcase went really well and so did our routine.  The only disappointing part was I didn’t have any friends or family there to watch me.  I work so hard and I don’t think people realize how much it means to me to have them there to support me.

Dropped it like its Hot – May 2019

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2019 IS my year. Wow. I was hired to dance on stage at a Snoop Dogg concert!!

Lets rewind a bit and start with how this happened. I follow an exotic dancer, Onyx, on social media who has been an inspiration to me. I seen her perform at a few Verticalove shows and she blew me away with her strength. She had posted on Facebook that she was looking for dancers for a few upcoming Snoop Dogg concerts in Ontario. I sent her a message that I was interested in the Sudbury concert. I figured, what’s the worst that can happen, I don’t hear back or get a no. But you never know unless you try, right?

I had forgotten about it as a few days had passed. She replied back 3 days later, asking for my Instagram, so I gave her my handle. Again, a few days had passed and then I got added to the Snoop Dogg Dancers group chat. I got really excited. I called my husband and asked him if he could fly me to Sudbury next week. I explained why, he said make it happen, and he will make sure the plane he just bought is ready to fly. The next day, I was officially confirmed for the Sudbury concert!!

I called my mom and we made arrangements for me and the kids to stay with her in Sudbury for the weekend. During the week, I spent a lot of time figuring out what 3 outfits I was going to wear. I walked around my house in my heels and practiced freestyling to Snoop songs to prepare. Of course I got my nails done and spent some time tanning as well.

The day of, my husband just got the proper documents needed just in time to be able to fly. It was super cool flying in our own private plane to go dance for Snoop Dogg.

My husband went back home as he had to work so he would come back to get us on the Monday. Once we got to my mom’s, we took the kids to the park since I had time before the concert. Of course I found a pole to play on!

I met the other 3 girls at a hotel and we all went to venue together. We had our own designated parking spot in the restricted parking lot. We met the tour manager and he brought us into the arena and showed us our dressing room. This is when everything hit me, this was really happening.

Since the 4 of us were novice to this type of event, we had a few drinks while getting ready to help with our nerves.

We were given backstage passes so we could go anywhere we wanted. There was a table full of food and drinks. We met Snoops 2 regular back up dancers that we shared the room with.

My lingerie outfit was a costume I originally bought for a showcase that I didn’t end going to. I thought it was perfect for this. I felt so sexy in it!

While waiting backstage, watching Snoop onstage and looking out at the crowd, my nerves were in overdrive but so was my adrenaline.

I was onstage for 3 songs: I Wanna Fucc You, Gin and Juice and Drop It Like It’s Hot. The songs went by so fast and then we had a little dark spot to change outfits. The other 2 outfits was a wife beater and booty shorts and a bathing suit. I really struggled changing into my bikini, as it had a lot of straps. Lesson learnt there, make sure costumes are simple to change into.

After the last song, we went back to the dressing room to get changed. I was kinda sad I missed the last song Young Wild N’ Free, as it’s one of my favourites. That is when we we got our $200 US each for performing.

Then….I met Snoop!! We entered Snoop’s smoke filled dressing room, and again, I thought to myself, is this real life? Well it certainly was! He asked us where we all of us are from and we each got photos with him. He was extremely chill and very nice.

As we exited his dressing room, the guy that plays Snoops mascot Nasty Dogg onstage had a massive bag on weed with him. He gave each of us a take home “Doggy” bag of Snoop’s own personal weed.

I had some drinks and food with some of the girls and then went back to my moms. I could barely sleep that night, as I kept replaying the nights events in my head trying to process everything.

While me and the kids were in Sudbury, we visited with my brother and his family. We also went to the Big Nickel and had some fun exploring the area.

The reason why this whole crazy experience happened is because I seized the opportunity when it was available. My photos and videos on my social media that I’ve been building is what got me selected. You are in control of your own destiny. Nobody is going to come knocking at your door handing you opportunities when you are sitting on the couch. It’s up to you to live your best life. Stop waiting and start living!

Devil, Devil: SASS Halloween Showcase – October 2018

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I agreed to this showcase with lots of time to prepare. It took me a long time to settle in a song but I finally decided on Devil Devil by MILCK. I had the beginning of the routine figured out a month before the showcase but didn’t finish the full routine until a few days before the show. I really need to start putting more time in when I do a showcase!

Even with the little time I did put into preparing, it went pretty good. The lights on one of my Aura heels stopped working about half way through the song. That distracted me slightly. I was upset though after watching all the other performances, that mine wasn’t so good. I really need to push myself further.