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X-Pole Girl Marlo Fisken Talks to Vertical

IPC: Year of the warrior : Hong Kong

The International Pole Championship was held in Hong Kong for the first time on Thursday March 15, 2012. For the past two years the IPDFA, led by Ania Przeplasko, presented the event in Tokyo. This year, Ania along with head judge Natalie Tekanawa of Australia, wanted to do something different.

The IPDFA is known for their professionalism and their ability to orchestrate a classy championship that includes male and female solos, doubles, and disabled competitors. Even though organizing a pole event in a foreign land where the stage requirements are complex and many competitors need extensive documentation is no easy task, the event was beautifully run. The flawless Jenyne Butterfly opened the show with a dance to traditional Chinese music performed by a live singer. Immediately after, a team of traditional Chinese dragon dancers filled the stage, manipulating a 40-foot glowing pink dragon and blessing the stage and performers with good luck. I was just hoping the dragon made the poles nice and sticky.

As with every competition there was a frenzy of preparation and the dancers faced a number of physiological symptoms: jet lag, stage concerns, and nerves from months of energy funneled into one performance. As each competitor took the stage, everyone in the room focused with them – watching, and waiting to understand their message. Many competitors in this elite international competition chose themes such as bravery, battle, exploration, aggression and forces of nature for their dances. Even the competitors who choose to tell a story of love, comedy or nature, reflected the fighting nature of the young men and women of IPC. As the show went on I thought, “Why are so many competitors gravitating towards either themes of battle or conquest?”

Maybe in a sport with no ceiling, competitors relate to songs that instill that pre-battle adrenalin rush. It’s difficult to compete as a soft and gentle character, and in this particular competition every single solo competitor was a power person. No showgirls or showboys, no super bendy people. Female pole athletes appear to be pushing themselves to be as strong, precise, and as dominant as possible. The men are too, but that is to be expected. The women are raising the standard at an

incredible pace. It’s exciting and empowering. The thing to remember is that in performance, it comes down to impact. What does the audience remember? Sometimes costumes, sometimes mistakes, but we always remember performances that made us FEEL. Rarely does the audience remember what exactly was done on the pole. Sequencing for the purpose of “showing off” will never be more effective than sequencing for the purpose of precision, direction, and most of all emotion. Most of the winners did exactly that. Advice to future competitors: steer clear of passes at the upper limit of your abilities unless you have plenty time to rehearse and guarantee their execution. Instead, work on your emotional expression. So far I have not been to a pole competition where there is no score for showmanship, performance ability, audience engagement etc. Until that point, competitors that stand out will always be those that unabashedly face the audience, express themselves in earnest, train mentally and physically like mad, and adhere to their theme from start to finish. Bravo to the IPDFA for organizing another great championship and congratulations to the winners!

Thank you for your hard work and contribution to this form of sport and art!

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Q & A with the One and Only, Jenyne Butterfly

BY NICOLE CHERRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID D’ANGELO

It’s never easy to catch a butterfly, especially one who’s poised to take over the world. Our cover star, for our sixth issue, is one of the most elusive of all butterflies. You have all seen her dance and move with grace and strength. If you were lucky enough to spend time with her, you would find that her innovative performances are only a piece of this amazing woman filled with energy, inspiration, love and smiles, introducing.
Another exciting day of jet setting across the world, I caught up with Jenyne Butterfly as she was boarding a plane to Stockholm, Sweden, to perform at Pole Art 2012. “I’m so excited for this amazing event, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone in my upcoming documentary!” says Jenyne. For the past year, she’s been producing & directing her own documentary of her trav- els through the her eyes. I wanted to hear in her own words, how Jenyne became a household name in within the community, and helped to bring this controversial sport to the mainstream.

vAF : When did you first EXPLODE onto the scene?

JB: My first notable achievement in pole was in 2009, winning the first ever US Pole Dance Championship. About a month, later I placed 2nd in the 2009 World Pole Sport Finals. I am the 8-time champion in Pole-a-Palooza., my favorite local Vegas competition, It didn’t take long for me to realize that competing isn’t my chosen avenue, and I have dedicated 100% of my time to creating artistry on stage for shows.

vAF: Who was your first inspiration that drew you to pole dancing?
JB: When I saw pole for the first time, it was Pantera Blacksmith per- forming 11 years ago. She was entirely my inspiration and started 3 months later, after figuring out I could create my own moves and style. I entered my first competition plaacing 2nd to Pantera.
Just over a year after, in 2003, I built the very first pole studio in Seattle, which was initially just a place for me to train myself.

vAF : What inspired you to make pole a career?
JB: Cirque du Soleil’s talented artists have been the fuel to my cre- ative fire. They showed me, early on in my pole life, that hard work pays off, and you and that it is possible to make a living on stage as a professional performer. I would have to say that the encour- agement and expert advice from my professional dancer fiancé Andrew Ball has been a huge part of me getting to where I am. He pushes and inspires me to be better every day. With the amazing growth in the industry and creativity, I stay focussed every day to
“stay on top” and keep moving forward.

vAF : Who are your biggest supporters who keep you grounded? Your Rock?
JB: “My Rock?”. ( laughing ) I just got a rock on my finger this year from my previously mentioned, extremely handsome, fiancé. He has definitely been my biggest supporter. Especially since he quit his job to work with me full-time! He is my tour manager, head of merchandise sales, personal sports therapy masseuse, keeps me eating right, and is doing the international filming for Pole Movement, my documentary. But there are so many others I have to mention: My best friend Amy Raven has been a big help to me, in learning about nutrition, inspiring me to stay focused on career, love myself and my job, to just be happy and healthy over- all. She is currently providing me with a home in between tours and I don’t know where I would be without her: my soul sister. One more major thanks to my assistant Juliette… She has done so much work to get my office organized and tours planned.

vAF : Can you recount a moment when you realized the impact you have made on pole dancing?
JB: Just ONE moment??? I realized I was reaching people around the world, and touching others’ lives, when girls were getting tears in their eyes just meeting me. They would tell me that my videos were changing the way people perceive pole dance.: di- rectly affected their families and relationships in a positive way. I have worked extremely hard on getting pole out there for others to experience as well. I love my job and feel grateful for every mo- ment! But I can’t take all the credit for what is happening here… Every single studio owner is to thank! Without them providing a safe place for people to gather and practice, I wouldn’t be able to pass on this passion on to my students.

vAF: We heard you were approached to participate in a few real- ity shows, but decided to film your own. Why do all the work?
JB: A lot of directors and producers have approached me. I per- sonally feel a very special attachment to my view on pole and wouldn’t want that to be portrayed, swayed, or altered in any oth- er way. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a control freak, but I don’t know if the vision I have could be created by someone else. I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to participate in almost every single major pole event around the world, and it has all happened so fast. The only way to capture it correctly was just grab a camera and go! I am still studying and collaborating to make sure the past, current, and future of pole is presented in the perfect way.

vAF: What’s on the horizon for Miss Butterfly?
JB: I just completed my first book! It’s called Vuelo, meaning flight or wing in Spanish, and can be found at www.vuelobook.com. It’s a photography book containing pictures of poses on my three
apparatus, showing the direct connection and similarities of pole and aerial. I hope it gets seen by many and can help with credibil- ity and appreciation for this art. My VERY biggest most exciting news ever is that Cirque du Soleil asked me to create a character to perform in their new show celebrating the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. They are such an epic company, the absolute biggest and best, for live entertainment, in the whole world. I am grateful to be taking this step in my career, and it couldn’t be more perfect at this time! I will be playing a role on a new appa- ratus, as the only female solo of the show, and happy to be back home in Vegas.

vAF : What has kept you striving to continue to raise the bar in pole dancing?
JB: Watching myself, actually! I am a pretty tough critic and every time I see one of my videos, I think of all the ways it could be better.

vAF: What tips do you have for staying healthy and strong?
JB: Eat right, drink more water, rest up, get massages often, soak in the tub, and spend hours up in the air, stretch, stretch, streeeeeeetch, spend time with friends, laugh, wear sunscreen, and PLEASE recycle….the earth needs to be healthy too.

vAF : What are your must haves for pole?
JB: I never leave home without my yoga mat, resistance band, Light Activewear shorts and top, Lululemon long sleeved warm- up shirt and pants, leg warmers, iPod, creativity notebook, baby wipes, and hand lotion for after practice. Every time I get to use X-poles it makes for a better performance, hands down.

vAF: How do you get your workout on? JB: You can follow me in my workout sessions on www.polean-
daerial.com. I try to spend 2-3 hours, 5 days a week in the studio. vAF: What cross training activities do you do?
JB: My schedule also includes practice in yoga, gymnastics, aerial silks, and lyra.

vAF : What advice do you have for those striving to make a career in pole?
JB: Well if you would like to make money and use your skills as a career path, you can submit to perform with my company! Mariposa Entertainment Artists, booking pole dancers and aerial- ists around the world at special events.
Find Nicole @ nicolecherry.net

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF XANDER

MAKE-UP CHRISTINE CHOI, STYLING JULIE GILSON, UNDERWATER SAFETY DAVID FORHAM

Shannon Beach is no stranger to immersing herself fully in her passion. Since the age of four, she has committed her life to various forms of dance, providing the opportunity to work with some of the biggest musical acts in the world, including Cher, Pink, Britney Spears, Leona Lewis, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber.
“Being in the entertainment industry, my life is constantly transforming. I love the challenge to evolve my art and the freedom it gives me to experience life in new ways. I love being pushed as an artist to expand who I am, who I think I am, or what my limitations are.” ShannonBeach.com

Vertical is proud to feature LA based photographer, Jeff Xander, who’s contribution to our Rebirth issue plunges us into a dreams- cape of suspended motion. His underwater view of pole dance, is the perfect abstract symbolizing renewal, resurrection, and trans- formation. Jeff recruited world class aerialist Shannon Beach as his model and collaborator, and the results are simply gorgeous. You can see more of Xander’s work at www.jeffxander.com

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Muriel D’ Aragon boldly brought Pole to her High School, and well, why not?

by Emilee Wilson  Photography by David D’Angelo

While most high school juniors are focused on getting a drivers license, Muriel DeAragon is concerned with improving her flexibility, so she can perform on the pole in her high school talent show. Sixteen-year-old DeAragon has been practicing pole fitness for nearly two years. Her first glimpse into the world of pole was when she arrived at her stretching class. She stretches with the famous bending brothers, Emil and Mario Valentino, known simply as the Valentino brothers. DeAragon says, “One day I walked into class and there were poles up in the studio.It was love at first climb.”She admits to bruising badly in the beginning, but growing up jumping horses helped her maintain a sense of resilience. Once a fledgling ballerina, she has also learned to be disciplined. And being a former varsity cheerleader, undoubtedly shows her passion for gymnastics and school spirit.

You may be asking yourself, “When and where does a sixteen year old get the chance to pole dance?” Well, DeAragon was so adamant about the dance being an athletic endeavor, she chose the vertical apparatus for her independent physical education class. She approached the principal and asked if she could pole dance every afternoon for credit. Imagine an uneasy principal asking his student, “Do you wear heels when you do this?” She confidently responded that it is a form of gymnastics. DeAragon also has no desire to wear stilettos. At sixteen, she doesn’t think it is appropriate and prefers to dance barefoot while sporting a simple ponytail. DeAragon says that after her principal approved her, she was then required to supply fifteen pages of her personal goals, a schedule of hours and an insurance policy. As part of the agreement for her curriculum, she is required to provide a weekly log of her trials and tribulations. Currently, she averages an hour and a half every day on the pole; seven of those hours are required per week to pass the P.E class.

A resident of Santa Barbara, DeAragon is the first female to get pole fitness approved at Santa Barbara High School, an institution that takes athletics very seriously. The school has a reputation for churning out state soccer champions, high-ranking water polo teams, and an undefeated tennis team. She is allowed to leave two classes early and practice pole at home. Muriel is among the brave young women who discovered pole purely as a form of fitness and will defend it as such. She has since found other performers like the captivating Felix Cane, whom she respects as an artist. She aspires to someday dance with the same elegance. The uncomfortable act of approaching a male authority figure, well into his fifties, for permission to dance on a pole for school credit, is truly an example of the end of one world and the beginning of another, an era that will teach high school girls about the benefits of pole fitness instead of hiding in shame from the aged stripping stigma.

Both, her mother and father support her new found athletic endeavor. Her father enjoys staying up to date with her new moves and her mother admits that she partakes occasionally. “It is also a great thing for younger generations to be exposed to,” her mother mentioned. DeAragon’s biggest fan is her cat, Fonzi, who watches her climb to the top every afternoon. The pole, by the way, has evolved from her backyard near the spa. to the living room, and finally to her parents room which has vaulted ceilings. It is here where she is most comfortable and it is a safe place to practice.
DeAragon’s high school sweetheart thinks she is doing the right thing by doing what she loves. He knows how much it means to her and supports her every move. Her male colleagues, on the other hand, give her a hard time, but she explains that there is no grinding and she enjoys exercising. She has become more popular at school because she talks amongst her peers about her vertical studies, perhaps her girlfriends will follow suit in the near future. DeAragon still stretches three times a week and pole dances for an hour and a half every day. She hopes to get stronger and compete in the future. She is optimistic that pole will become part of the stretching class one day at school, but she knows that this will only happen in time and of course until mainstream America accepts it.
Find Emilee Wilson @ www.poleitics.com

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