Our final minutes prior to going on stage have arrived. With trembling hands we take a few backstage photos of ourselves. Shrouded in our dramatic satin capes, we conceal ourselves behind the stage curtains waiting for our moment in the spotlight. Hearts pounding and breathing heavily we wait for our music to start…
It has been a long road getting ourselves to this point of readiness. Encore! Pole Show is a fantastic event encouraging diversity in pole performance. Elite dancers from all over Australia and New Zealand vie for the honour to perform at Encore. Established by SarahJade from Blush Dance School and Kym from Pure Pole Angels it is building on its very successful first year. Some of the routines have a political message, some have a strong narrative, some are very funny, some routines incorporate video or live singing – women, men, groups – all perform on the night. The one thing they all have in common is their incredible athleticism and mastery of the pole.
Selection to perform at Encore is by video audition. At Miss Fit Dance Studio we are always looking for new ways to present pole dancing. Our original concept was to put together a routine combining tango and pole dancing. Our performance group spent hours with Matthew Aker from Arthur Murray Dance Studio learning the finer points of the Promenade, Cameo and La Poetta. The challenge was then to incorporate Tango steps with our pole moves, using a cut down version of Cell Block Tango. We rehearsed every weekend for around 7 weeks to put together our finished product, and performed it at the Miss Fit Christmas parties.
A video of our tango performance was sent off with our Encore Performer Application. We were not overly confident with this audition – the video quality wasn’t great, the costumes looked a little dull, and our dance just seemed a little flat. However, we had auditioned successfully for Encore! 2012 so the organizers knew our style and our ability to put together a classy group routine. We waited nervously for their decision.
The thrill of being selected for Encore! 2013 was exhilarating – what a buzz! Particularly when we heard who the other successful performers were, we knew that we were part of an elite group. So we decided to come up with a completely new routine, using the Good vs Evil theme that we were using in our pole dancing classes that term. The teachers in our performance group, The Miss Fits, were all involved in selecting the music for the routine. Our two “bored housewives” complete with hair in curlers and polka dot dresses are seduced and corrupted by four evil and sexy witches to reveal their dark sides. Music by Queen and dramatic pieces from movie themes set the mood for our sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic pole performance.
The large contingent of Miss Fit supporters in the audience are in full voice, cheering wildly and boosting our confidence as we stand behind the curtains. The music starts and we’re off! The “bored housewives” have set the scene, then the four caped witches eerily make their way onto the stage, engulfed by smoke haze. The wives dresses are torn off, and blond wigs removed to reveal their vampish side in sexy black leather bikinis. The rest of the routine seems to fly past, a few minor glitches, but overall we are very happy with our performance. The best part is the great response from the crowd. What a thrill and a relief to have it all over. The many hours of planning, organizing, rehearsal and re-working of the routine have paid off.
Encore!!!
