" title="Andrea James Lui"> Andrea James Lui

Continued from Pole Camp… Is that like Band Camp?

I’ve just had a fresh taste of that good ol’ Pole Camp pain as Anastasia Skukhtorova and Evgeny Greshilov swung by Arena Pole Studio for a couple of workshops… their babies will be so magnificent… but that’s fodder for another time.

My second day at WA Pole Camp began bright and early with Anastasia in… Contortion… *crrreack crrrack* She was obviously going to sprinkle us with pixie dust so we could all bend into a Rainbow Marchenko by the end of the hour; and I was relieved to be off the pole and on the floor – to give my underarm bruises from Alex Shchukin and elbow bruises from Carlie Hunter a break. Now, I’ve done a lot of stretching in my time – a lot – but Contortion is some seriously next-level shit. Anastasia guided us through a series of exercises that not only increase flexibility, but build the strength to support that flexibility. Many of her exercises were reminiscent of the Bikram Yoga postures of which I am so fond, but with variations that intensify them “to the maximum!” Anastasia is a sea of back-bending wisdom – exercises assisted by walls, chairs, straps… I hope I can decipher my notes as my brain was still a bit mushy from Pole Camp Day 1. Anybody have any idea what “sofa dog bow” might mean?? Please send help…

My next workshop was the torturous Elbow Grips with Carlie Hunter. I enjoy a good elbow trick as much as the next poler with sweaty palms, but I mostly avoid one-armed spins lest I slide several inches down the pole as my body swings around limply… So I was pretty eager for some tips on Carlie’s signature trick: The Devil’s Elbow – aptly named for leaving your arms looking like an injection drug addict’s. Suffice it to say – I did not nail this trick on the first try… or the fifth try… or when I got home, the fiftieth try… I did however, promise to send video when I do… Stay tuned… it may be months from now… but seriously, stay tuned… ;)

My afternoon got real sexy in Liquid Tricks with Luxe and Dominatrix with Steven Retchless. When asked if we could film Steven’s demonstrations, he mentioned that he was a bit camera shy… which is understandable given the volume of images taken of these pole celebrities – there’s a high likelihood of yielding blurry, one-eyed pirate shots like this selfie gem I took with Luxe. At least one of us looked good… and you should see her bend in half backwards – even more amazing! I did snap a pic with Steven as well and I can confirm that he is as beautiful in real life as he is on the internet… and his metallic blue sneakers have flashing lights.

 
Finally: Tumbles & Drops with Venessa Clack. I can’t say enough about how much I want to do this class again. It was the first time I ever felt safe dropping – I knew exactly what was braking, where and when. Venessa showed us how to spot the floor, stay safe, and look awesome. My only regret was that after 5 hours of training that day, I was too beat to try each trick more than a couple of times. I really hope to cross paths with Venessa again… I do on Pole Camp Day 3… but I really, really hope to cross paths with Venessa again in the future-future…

Come back and visit me next week for WA Pole Camp Day 3 ***spoiler alert: I flew home with Alex Shchukin!!!*** \(^o^)/