Can you imagine that you can do comps just for fun?

Part 2 of this glorious chat with studio owner, comp organiser and performer, Emma Coffey. In this episode we talk more about the build up and the aftermath of comps, and why compete, is it worth it, and what can you get out of the experience.

In this episode the quality of judging comes into conversation…how it feels to be one, how we‘ve been confused about some reactions in the past, and how to take in on the shoulder and move on.

The one holding the thing together…

Being a compare is a really interesting role to be in comps. You’re the face of the day, the one who everyone goes to to delay time, to give the info, the speaker of the bios and the source of laughs, holding the day together. But how is it when your’e an instructor, owner and competitor too?

Chatting to the glorious BEXIITA, she tells us the highs of comparing, how it feels to be the one behind the mic, and also some amazing tips that could help how you use your bio to help!

Work the camera, show us you’re gonna work the crowd

Join the wonderful Emma Coffey as she chats about her starts as a stripper, how she loved the experience and how the original stripper technique can be shaped for the right person.

An incredible human, the organiser of 3 yearly competition, a showcase, coach and owner of Empower Pole Fitness in Alford, Lincolnshire, she offers a warm and well rounded approach to the world of competitive pole, pole for performance, and pole as a profession. Also offering some unmissable top tips to your video entries, and your performance in sexy pole competitions.

Who Is Swag? We Don’t Know Her.

Finding technique in ballroom dance initially, Jakub smashed magically into our lives with a generous serving of flow, heels and in unstoppable quick whit. Co-owner of Leeds Pole Dance, competitor, judge, compare and instructor, Jakub worked his way through leading Polish Competitions (the country he was born), and then into the UK scene.

In this episode there is a big emphasis on keeping the rhythm of the story, making it flow (literally and emotionally) and loosening up.

An incredible insight into not being too deep. It’s just pole. It’s not real life.

This is a very special podcast, where I’m gonna share with you some of my true secrets to getting to know your music. So we all hear very differently, and we catch on to different sounds in the music. Some of us can count the music, and some of us have absolutely no rhythm, but pick up on sounds and grooves in the music. So really this is more of a tutorial, inspired by a great Lab I taught in July. You’ll learn some very basic musical counting, taking as much as you can from the lyrics, and finding great melodies in the music to catch…all making your choreography so much more dynamic!

Ok, so it’s really easy to get all caught up in the process of making a new competition routine, but you have to remember that this whole process is really about growing, improving and (ideally) enjoying it all. Now, thats not easily done! And most of time it’s because we end up faffing about with the minor details, instead of focusing on the fun of it, the mistakes, the idea of winning, the playing to the crowd. Its not actually life or death, it’s pole dancing. Which is painfully fun,…right?

All stories are for sharing, thats why they’re stories. Otherwise they’d be secrets. This episode is about what it really means to offer up your act to an audience, and giving away that piece of you. And, more importantly, how you can make the audience work in your favour.

You know that feeling when you head into the kitchen for, lets say, your keys, and then automatically go stare into the fridge for 2 mins, and wonder how you got there? Yeah, thats the real life equivalent of going into the studio, the the intent to start a routine and just fan girl on instagram, and waste time.

This podcast is about trying to not let time be wasted, but also not to put yourself under the pressure to create anything. Making work isn’t about being 100% successful every training session!

Right, so this one is a bit of a toughy. So, we all have some hard truths, some skeletons, so harsh realities in our lives, and also we’re all very brave when we wanna take these ideas to the stage. Creating an idea from a truthful place is a great thing for emotional, personal and mind blowing work…but…we need to be careful. Are you sure you wanna go there? Are you sure you can do your story justice? Well, heres some things to look out for, because telling the truth was never easy.

Its that time again…there’s that comp / showcase you wanna perform in, the deadline is getting close and you’re still wondering what the hell your story is. Right, let’s talk about how to care a lot less about the idea, and more on the process of how to find one.

Physical theatre is something that pole dancers have been accidentally performing in the style of since the birth of pole theatre, we just never named it that! So, here’s your mini historical guide to it! And a load of ideas for inspiration so you can go forth and research.

Have you ever worried about going to the studio or thought you’re not strong enough to start pole dancing? Fair, but the only way you’re gonna get strong at pole, is by doing pole. Or anything for that matter! Logical right? This podcast is about the logical approach to going to a studio, or a gym, and finding a new outlook so that fear of the event doesn’t get ahead of your experience and growth!

The studio will still exist, if you go there or not. So you may as well fill the space with your own energy!

The first podcast about character building. When we make characters (even if they're a version of ourselves) we need to answer some basic questions to get the most of of them. And you'll find that this can aid you in some many movement a scene building techniques!

This is a really mini intro about where to start when you want to begin the journey of a new piece of choreography. Theres hundreds of ways, but this minicasts gives you a warm up into some options!

Loving what you're hearing? Join Club SODA, the online community that opens up your world to movement, theatre and storytelling, lead by award winning choreographer, Sophie Duncan - www.soduncan.com/sodasy

Recorded before Public Showering was a thing, this minicast is about the troublesome task on finding the right music for a piece.

Heres a taster: find something that has shape and changes in dynamic, no one like a flat liner. Don't just choose it because you like it...because believe me, you wont by the end of it anyway.

Loving what you're hearing? Join Club SODA, the online community that opens up your world to movement, theatre and storytelling, lead by award winning choreographer, Sophie Duncan - www.soduncan.com/sodasy