Biznik Blog

Biznik is a business network for people who are passionate about what they do for a living. And Krisha CatZen is definitely one of those people. She’s a pole dancing instructor and founder of Seattle’s first pole dancing school, Pole for the Soul. And to hear her describe it, pole dancing isn’t just a great way to stay in shape - it’s meditative, empowering, fun, and yes, sexy. So…let’s hear her describe it!

Q: A lot of people work out so they can feel sexy. With pole dancing, it seems you can achieve both at the same time. Is that the idea? 

Definitely!  I’ve tried other forms of working out, from walking and running to weight lifting.  You can certainly gain a lot of confidence from the improvements these activities eventually make to your body, but they aren’t always fun and not everyone feels sexy while lifting weights over and over again.  Everything about pole dancing is sexy, from the stretching and floor work we do in my classes to warm up, all the way through to the end where students learn to dance, spin and even a bit of striptease.

Q: How did you learn to pole dance? 

There is a dance club in Capitol Hill with a pole for it’s customers to play on (it’s just there for customers, there are no paid or professional dancers).  Before I could dance, I used to admire the men who pole danced there.  When men pole dance, it’s very Cirque de Soleil-ish; mesmerizing and beautiful.  One day I worked up the courage to walk up to one of these pole dancers and ask them to teach me a trick.  He did, and the first time I went spinning around that pole, I felt like I was flying!  I was hooked instantly and I kept coming back every weekend to ask the men who pole danced there to teach me a few of their tricks.  Eventually I wanted to learn more than they could teach me, but there were no pole schools here in Seattle.  So I took a month off work and drove down to Los Angeles and took an intensive pole dancing course at the famous S Factor studio there. 

Q: Your business name, Pole for the Soul, implies that it’s not just about physical fitness. How is pole dancing nourishing on a deeper level?  

I think pole dancing is a spiritual experience on more than one level.  In the classes, women often discover a part of themselves they never even knew existed.  And the more they learn in classes, the more opportunities they have to delve deeper into this undiscovered territory and fully embrace and express it.  They leave feeling more beautiful, expressive and free than they could have ever imagined before the class.  Learning to embrace and appreciate every aspect of yourself is incredibly empowering and nourishing to the soul.
 
Pole dancing also gives women an opportunity to push past what they thought were their own limitations.  At first they see women spinning and flying around the pole or hanging from the pole by one leg, and they think; only strippers or dancers can do that.  I teach them that preconceived limitations like that can be completely shattered and they can in fact do those amazing things.  Breaking their own barriers and accomplishing something they thought was impossible, gives women an sense of empowerment that goes far beyond just feeling sexy.  And this feeling of being unlimited and powerful changes us permanently, from psyche to soul.
 
There are also some similarities between pole dancing and meditation.  Mediation can be challenging because it often requires the mind to be perfectly still.  People study for years trying to learn to quiet the mind and be totally present in the moment.  But when you are spinning on a pole, you are completely present and free of thoughts.  It’s almost impossible to think while you are spinning.  So there is this magical feeling of flight combined with perfect calm and total stillness and presence of mind.  It’s very much like mediation.

Q: What are the origins of pole dancing? 

It probably originated with the Maypole dance, which was originally a Pagan fertility dance before later becoming a common folk dance in Western Europe.  Pole dancing was introduced to strip clubs in the 80’s.
 
Q: How do your classes work, where are they, and when is the next class starting? 
 
Intro classes are taught once per week for 6 weeks.  Each class is an hour and a half and starts with yoga inspired warm ups and floor work and progresses into pole moves and spins.  The purpose of the classes are not to learn to dance sexy for some one else or memorize a routine to perform.  Instead, they are about learning to slow down, move in an entirely new way and tap into our sensual sides, using the pole dancing and floor work as a way to free and express that inner beauty and sensuality.  My studio with 3 poles, mirrors and a surround sound stereo system is located inside my Queen Anne home.  I have outgrown my small home studio though and I’m shopping for a larger dance studio.  Classes are currently in session and the next 6-week session begins in January 2007.  I also offer 2-hour pole parties, which are different than the classes.  Women generally book pole parties with their friends for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, or just for a fun girls’ night out.

Q: Once you’ve learned the moves, are there any poles in Seattle where dancers can stretch their stuff? 

The Vogue in Capitol Hill has a pole, but they are moving and changing their name in January.  There is also a dance club in Capitol Hill called Sugar (not to be confused with “Sugars” which is a strip club) that has poles on the bar.  Z Bar in Renton has a pole and the Wild Palms in Pioneer Square used to have a pole (I don’t know if they still have one).  A Mexican restaurant in Lake Forrest Park called La Hacienda has a dance floor with a pole.

Krisha’s website, which lists her upcoming classes, is www.poleforthesoul.com
 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 at 1:20 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.