I'm a Bad Kitty Blogger

Hi followers,

Just a quick post to let you know I've been cheating on you. I am officially a blogger for Bad Kitty's website. See, I have a badge and everything:

The new Bad Kitty blog went live last month, and I've had three articles posted so far:

• Moving (like to a new town, not like on the pole), yes that whole thing is the title, discusses what it's like to move to a new area as a poler (something I've done several times), and some tips for finding your place in a new community.
• Why does my cat want to pole with me? is a fun little article I've been wanting to write for some time. Seemed appropriate to submit it for the Bad KITTY blog!
• How to rest. is a lecture and set of tips that some of you need very badly! :)

You can see the full list of my articles on the Posts by Pippi page. I crafted my next couple of submissions over the weekend, so there will be more there soon! Oh, and you can also see my blogger profile.

Anyways readers, I admit I've been cheating, I'm not sorry, and I don't want to break up. Let's make this 3-way happen.

Studio Review: Onyx Pole and Aerial, Sandy UT

For my second studio visit of my Utah-and-a-little-Idaho trip, I signed up for Pole 4.0 at Onyx in the suburb of Sandy. Or, I tried to sign up. The class was listed on their mindbody page, but the signup button wasn't enabled. I emailed them and the receptionist, Ashley, got back to me to let me know that they only start signups 2 days before class, but she would put me down. (That was helpful, because I wasn't bringing a laptop with me, and mindbody sites are difficult enough to navigate when you have a computer, let alone when you just have an iPad!)

So on my last day of vacation, I drove out to this industrial-looking strip mall in Sandy. This buliding has some interesting stuff going on! In addition to Onyx's pole and aerial studio. They neighbored an archery school, a fencing school, and... I forget, martial arts or something. You can really stay busy here! By the way, it's a little hard to find the school itself. You have to drive a spiral around a giant parking lot looking at buildings that look more or less unoccupied. But you'll know when you find it, and there's plenty of parking! (I love these spacious, non-urban places for that. I have no idea how to parallel park.)

I entered the studio and was faced with kind of an awkwardly small reception area with a closed door. Maybe they were trying to maintain the temperature of the space, or maybe they were trying to shield polers from peeping toms. But I introduced myself to the receptionist and she confirmed that I'd be taking class with at least one other student. She also showed me around a bit--bathrooms, changing area, and which pole area we'd be using. There are actually 2 separate pole areas here: a closed-off studio with 50mm poles and a row of 45mm poles on the main aerial floor.

The aerial space was filled with silks students on many fabrics. I also saw some students playing on lyras, and I assume there were trapezes--didn't really check, was concentrating on the 5 poles on the other side of the room.

Usually when spaces are "pole and aerial studios," you can tell they are a pole studio with some other apparatuses added as a bonus. You can tell because the ceilings are too low, the crash mats are too thin, the instructors don't have a solid background in circus arts--and circus spaces and pole spaces just feel different. Circus spaces are opener and dirtier and busier. Pole spaces are more contained, more controlled, and (ironically) have a more clean-cut presentation. Onyx felt more like a circus space to me, which is where I am in my element. Although I have way more experience and skill at pole than circus, I have way more formal training in a circus space than a pole space. (Although I will say that their crash mats seemed thin to me. A believe in cushioning!)

I got dressed (by this time the airline had delivered my luggage, unlike for my other studio visit--See Studio Review: La Bombe) in the dressing room. The dressing room was actually just a changing screen in an open room of cubbies (also common of circus studios). While putting my stuff away, another student walked in who I could just tell was my classmate. She had huge muscles--even bigger than mine! Her name was April and we spent some quality time chatting while waiting for class to start. She also showed me where I could buy a cute ponytail holder from the merch area (I usually keep some in my wallet but I was empty), pictured below.

Soon the instructor Heather showed up, who was very pretty and flexible. A third student joined as well, whose name I didn't catch but who was petite and adorable. (I don't mean that in a condescending way, she was just cute, like an anime schoolgirl!)

Warmup was brief and to the point: mostly leg-related stuff/jumping around to get our heart rates up. This is pretty much how I warm up my classes for pole conditioning, so it works for me.

The tricks were varied, but unfortunately they were mostly things I would never actually do: moves that require more flexibility than I have (a splits thing, Titanic, an Allegra combo--yeah I can Allegra, but it doesn't really look good if you can't do the splits) and things that irritate my wonky shoulders (Phoenix, a kicky-swingy thing in twisted grip). But there's not much you can do about that in a classroom setting, so I was a good camper and tried everything! The good news is that the moves were actually advanced. Like I've said before, you really never know what you're going to get in an "advanced" class from studio to studio. At one place I've taught, getting to the most advanced level means you can invert. At all. The other students were also legitimately advanced. You didn't feel like you were in a mixed-level class like can happen. (Then again there were only 3 of us, which makes that easier.)

We spent most of the class on static, but switched to spin as the class went on. As many instructors do, Heather had us end the class with improv to a song she put on. The fun part (besides poling and dancing of course) was that the silks classes were just finishing their warmups, so some of them sat and watched us and acted impressed. My ego appreciated it! (Especially because freestyling is where you realize how out of shape you are...)

We were working on that transition where you descend from a cupid to an inside leg hang (I had learned it at a pole jam in Boston) and I was feeling nice and grippy so I had April take a pic of my cupid in the studio:

The Q-sit pic at the top of the post was actually my resting position after the cupid. Q-sit is a nice resting pose! Oh, and it's hard to tell from the pic but the mural in the background says ONYX.

After class I went to the Red Rock Brewery. Crappy veggie burger, but, beer!

I felt like this studio had a really nice vibe. It was refreshing to be back in a real circus space, especially on my primary apparatus. I love doing silks too, but there's no place like home, and home is on the pole.

STATS:
Onyx Pole and Aerial, Sandy UT
Equipment: 5 45mm convertible chrome X-Poles ~12ft in main aerial space, 8 50mm chome Lil' Mynx poles ~8ft in separate pole room, several silks, lyras, etc.
Amenities: Cubby room with dressing screen, bathroom without showers, reception room, big merch section, lounge area
Drop-in Price: $5!!!!

Photos of studio by me, photos of me by April

Facility Review: Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

My regular followers might recognize this story (see Facility Review: Dillons Russian Steam Batch): About a year ago I trekked out to Dillon's bath house in Chelsea and met a visitor from Idaho. I told her I wanted to visit Idaho when I went to Utah for commencement, what should I do there? She said without hesitation: "Go to the Lavas!" So I said, "OK, I will!"

Now, it shouldn't be a surprise that someone you meet at a spa suggests you to go a spa. But the sauna lady wasn't alone in her enthusiasm. On my first evening out in Salt Lake City, after my class at La Bombe (see Studio Review: La Bombe), I was enjoying a drop-dead amazing meal at the Red Iguana while being subjected to the conversation of a young set of double-daters at the next table. One of the young ladies was from Idaho, and as her date awkwardly tried to make conversation with her about that, one of the men blurted out "I LOVE LAVAS HOT SPRINGS!" and they all jumped in with "I KNOW! ME TOO!!" A good omen.

I finally made it to the Lavas a few days later, conveniently still sore from class at La Bombe and from hiking Bryce Canyon the day before. It was my first time in Idaho, and as I turned off the highway to approach the springs I saw little farms with horses outside and ACTUAL RED BARNS. I'm a city girl and finding out that scenes from my childhood Fischer-Price playsets and Richard Scarry books actually exist is a mindfuck.

I was confused going into the Lavas park. The first thing you see after the colorful welcoming arches is a large building with an indoor pool. I tried to go there to buy tickets/get visitor information, and the kind cashier was as confused as I was until he realized I was looking for the hot springs which was in a different part of the park. The Lavas also has the indoor pool and a rumoredly epic Olympic swimming pool (which hadn't opened for the summer yet).

Lava Hot Springs, ID is actually it's own town, and in addition to the pools it has a little downtown area of a few blocks lined with small hotels, restaurants and ice cream parlors, and a few gift shops. And at the end of the main street were the hot pools.

The hot springs were nothing stupendous to look at. There was a handful of pools partially covered by red tents. I guess I expected something called "the lavas" to be more naturey and less circusy.

My all-day pass was $9 and I rented a towel for something like $1.50. (Seriously, why am I going to bring a beach towel from Boston to Idaho.) The locker rooms were pretty bare-boned. There were curtained stalls where you could get dressed (particularly modest people in this part of the country I guess), an area with trough-style showers, and coin-operated lockers. Word to the wise, you only get to lock it once per 50 cent deposit, so don't plan on grabbing your phone out of your locker every 20 minutes!

The hot springs consist of a variety of pools at different temperature. A regular was explaining that the hottest pool, all the way on one side, is where the water comes up, and then it's circulated down to the other pools, which are gradually cooler as the water gets away from its source. She also said that the company sometimes adds (fresh spring) cold water to keep the pools at the correct temperature as needed. There were two smaller jacuzzi pools that were quite pleasant until I noticed a man giving himself an intimate massage with one of the water jets. However, I should point out that unlike most of the spas I've reviewed, this place is fully coed and fully non-naked, so I wouldn't expect any other funny business. (There were private and couples' massages as well though, so I can't speak to that!)

The crowd seemed to be largely Utah- and Idaho-based, with some foreign tourists and plenty of characters. The first people I saw were a couple of Japanese bikers, and there was a family of Native Americans who had previously lived in Alaska. Also, Idahoans have a lot of tattoos.

My one problem was that I had a pretty hefty sunburn from hiking Bryce Canyon the day before. The good news is that I had been wearing long jeans and 3/4 sleeves, so the sunburn was only on my face and forearms. But that meant I had to walk around keeping my arms out of the water, which was comfortable to awkward depending on the height difference between the underwater sitting steps and the edge of the pool. So my advice is to try not to get a sunburn before you go to a hot springs because OW.

I spent maybe an hour, 90 minutes hanging out in the pools, then got dressed and walked around the town a little, then back to the pools for another hour plus. And I have to say, my soreness ceased. My sore lats from poling and quads from hiking were all better as I drove back to Utah. Worth the $9 and the 2-hour drive.

STATS:
Lava Hot Springs, Idaho
Amenities: Multiple pools ranging from 102-110 F, locker rooms/showers, towel and swimsuit rental, massages available at extra cost, nearby indoor pool and Olympic pool (not included in hot springs admission)
Drop-in Price: $7-9 for an all-day adult pass

Photo by me

Studio Review: La Bombe, Salt Lake City

I went on an actual vacation! Long story short, I got my master's online and decided to show up to Utah State for commencement. It was mostly an excuse to go to Utah, because I'd never been and I get unreasonably excited about going new places, and because I love mountains. (I don't ski or anything, I just like to look at them!) My travel plans got switched around a bit, leaving me with some free time, so I decided to use it for pole, natch.

Some people (who don't know Charlee Shae Wagner) are surprised when I tell them they have pole in Utah. This is a crossroads of stereotypes: Utahans as Mormons, Mormons as prudes, and pole dancing as sexually explicit. There are actually many pole studios in the greater SLC area, and choosing would have been difficult if I wasn't so otherwise busy. There were only a couple options where a class at my level fit into my schedule, and I took both of them.

The first studio I visited was La Bombe in Salt Lake City proper. Judging by the name, you'd expect a sexy-centric boutique fitness studio, but that wasn't my experience. Rather, the studio was the more stripped-down, simple style--the kind of place where you know you're going to get a good workout. I arrived early and chatted with owner Amanda (who let me borrow her Dry Hands because my luggage was delayed, and a shout out to the Charlotte Russe shop at the mall for having cheap pole-able clothes!) while waiting for class to start. She showed me around the studio: there were 2 pole studios, one with 5 poles and the other with 6. (I think... My notes just say "11 poles"...) I also noticed that there were piles of 4-inch pole crash mats. That is so refreshing. I can't tell you how many studios I've been to that have no crash mats whatsoever.

I got dressed and started warning myself up a bit before the instructor Summer came in. I was disappointed that there weren't more people to meet, but a second student, Katie, showed up a bit later, and we made a happy trio of tricksters.

Summer's warmup was the first one I've ever taken that I 100% agree with. It was very joint mobility-centric (which is how I warm up myself and my students for tricks classes), with plenty to get the heart rate going. It got as sexy as "sexy pushups" but not as sexy as booty shaking. There was no static stretching. A little tribute to Marlo's Prancy Feet but no using up your strength on exhaustive abs routines before you even get into the air. And then there was some aerial style warmup climbs and inverts, plus a couple warmup tricks during which she was probably just feeling out my level (shoulder rollovers to kneeling, true grip handsprings).

The class was "pole playground" and advertised as multi-level, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I definitely didn't expect what I got, which were a ton of crazy tricks I had never even seen, let alone attempted. I mean sure, we discussed some "basic advanced" stuff like Janeiros and Marion Ambers (stuff that's not easy but is common vocabulary), but there was a lot of stuff where I was just like, WHAT. And as much of it came from my fellow student as from the instructor.

It was more of a pole jam-style class, but still I tried to stay in "student mode" and not show off or try to start teaching (although I did demo my flippy thing from that last routine I did). I think it's healthy for instructors to stand back and allow themselves to be taught sometimes (see Teachers Teaching Teachers). And of course Summer and Katie had plenty to teach me, so it's not like I was playing dumb.

I wish I could tell you what we worked on, but I don't know the names of most of the moves, if they even have names. I did have them take this video of my shoulder invert-hand on the ground switch so I could see if I was doing it pretty. (This move I think I had seen a video of before but I don't think I had played with it.)

Yeah yeah I know, point your toes. I'm going to give up on my right foot. I'm quite pigeon-toed on that side so it always ends up looking sickled or flexed or some combination.

The class was only an hour, but we hung out tricking and chatting for an extra hour on top of that. Now that's the sign of a dedicated pole community! All in all the experience was humbling. Normally I'm a big city girl and I feel like I'm heading into the sticks when I leave home, so to find that level of polery in an area that seems so remote to me is surprising and uplifting. And again, like making yourself be a student, it's ego-dashing. It's so easy for polers in their home clubs and regional scenes to feel like big fish. But remember that a fish can't see where the big ponds are. They might be an ocean, or they might be a Great Salt Lake.

STATS:
La Bombe, Salt Lake City
Equipment: 11 45mm chrome X-Poles, about 12 feet high. Divided into 2 studios.
Amenities: Reception area with stuff for sale, lots of crash mats, bathroom without showers
Drop-in Price: $13 for the first class (I think $18 after that)