Tuesday, April 30, 2013

My Audition Today


(By the way,I'm using an app for the first time to write this post. It's blog press from my iPad. So if it looks a bit different, that's why.
My home club in the valley has had the city they are located in prohibit dancers from smoking outside of the club. They say it makes the neighborhood look bad. Umm...it is BAD. Therefore, the dancers have to smoke in the bathroom lobby of a tiny club. Also, management has smoked in their little office for years. The bouncers and management can smoke outside. We can't. I ponder this: This is a double standard, mais' no?
Having been away training for the most of the last 3 months, I had grown accustomed to the air in my open home in Santa Monica, the humid but relatively clean air of my dance studio and hanging out in the pretty much smoke free city that I live in.
I went back to work for six hours eight days ago. The second hand smoke was so bad that I had to cancel my dance classes the next night and I still have the remnants of the cough the shs initiated. Plus, the 405 is still giving me a headache, I'm not a fan of the valley and I can use a change of scenery.
A dancer from my smokey home club told me about a little place in Oxnard, CA giving it raves. I called there last week, told them I'd like to audition. They said I could come in during the beginning of the week. I emailed them pics and a recent vid. They actually called me in to work a Friday night! I couldn't make it, but I was flattered.
I decided to make the hike up there today. It is twice as far as my home club, but I was in traffic for about the same amount of time. I would rather be in traffic by the beach then on the icky 405. I was much less stressed when I arrived.
The place was small, the lighting pleasant (not dark and cavernous like my home club). A very cute blond w/ pink ends, Elizabeth, greeted me. She said the managers weren't there. I was a bit disheartened at first, since I told them I would be coming today. There was a misunderstanding: Elizabeth thought I wanted to work, I told her that wasn't the case. She called her superiors and they gave her the ok to audition me. All 3 girls were very attractive. Elizabeth told me I was pretty. The biggest of the 3 girls, Blaze was very friendly. When I got dressed, she said she loved my body and asked about my workout. It has been years since I've had such a friendly reception from women I may end up working with! I'm wondering what the 'catch' is, lol!
I danced, they loved my pole work (I didn't do anything!), the guys throw a little $$ my way, so my lunch and latte were paid for:-) I'm pretty sure I'm hired and I'm not picky about getting weekend shifts. I forgot to ask about tip out or house fee. The girl that recommended me to this place said that we get a wage, but then pay some of it back?? I can't really remember.
Two more girls came in while I was leaving: a thick platinum blond and a very tiny red head. They are all cute and of course younger than me. Way cuter than the girls they have on their site. We'll see what happens. Blaze actually extended her hand to me to shake hands! THAT IS A STRIP CLUB FIRST!!
I'm keeping one day a week for now at the smokey place. There is a place in NoHo that I love working at, but they ask so much $$ from us to work there. I'm always welcomed there and that's a nice thing. If only the $$ was better:-(
The club scene is changing so much in Los Angeles county. I read recently that there is a site in which web cams are inserted on stages and in dressing rooms in certain clubs. The site is shaky now because it's new, but so was myspace, youtube and FB. This is the future.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:W 5th St,Oxnard,United States

Saturday, April 27, 2013

This is What I Was Working For!

Since the beginning of February, I cut down my work load, trained like a crazed person, gave up my snowboard season, lost money..all so 500 paying people could see me perform solo for less than 3 minutes on stage.  I spent money on a designer costume, sessions with choreographers and rented studio space.  
The biggest compromise was not seeing my non dancing friends and being away from this blog.

The following is a link to my unlisted performance on youtube:
http://youtu.be/jBxodPJXrjk

It's far from perfect.  Do I regret it?  No.  I was frustrated and injured for a good part of the time.  I think I learned how not to injure myself and approach preparing for a performance in a less painful way.

If you get a chance to take a look, critiques are more than welcome:-)  I will be 54 next month.  Keep that in mind while watching my vid (if you have time to).

I'll be writing more soon.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Forgive Me But It's Been Over 3 Months Since My Last Post

 Hello!

Yes, it has been this long.  I promised myself I would keep writing, but then the Sundance Festival happened, then the Burlesque Hall of Fame auditions that had to be in by February 4th and finally the chance to audition for a solo spot in the studio I have been training at for the last year and a half.

I sacrificed my snowboard season because I had to cut down dancing at work in order to train and not injure myself so I could compete for a solo pole dancing spot in a sold out venue that seats 500.  I'm lucky to have a loving partner who basically has supported me financially since January.

I've been living simply and training nearly everyday.  I injured myself twice in the process.  Including the night of my audition, just 3 hours before.  I went anyway after searing pain, tears, ice packs, two viccodin, 1/2 a xanax and four sticky heat packs on my back.  Got there nearly an hour early and warmed up.  I messed up a sequence, I was racing to end where I wanted to.  I only had once chance.  I left thinking I really messed up.  I had a 3 hour rehearsal for something else in the morning.  To make this story shorter, I got the solo spot.  Yet, I haven't been able to really train all week because of my injury.

I sacrificed my blog, my winter fun (and mostly his, he lost a lot of $$ on our Mammoth memberships), my time with my non-dancing friends, income at work for 4 minutes of stage time and possible clout in the world of pole acrobatics.  And I may not get the clout part.

I apologize to what readers I hopefully still have.  I may not make another post until after April 20th (4/20, ha-ha), but I will try.

I have Coachella next week, so I need to research a lot of bands.

I'm still not sure if I regret doing this.  I don't think so.  During this journey, I've been picked up by another dance company, I've learned how not to train too hard, even though I am injured I've increased my stamina and strength.  Although I have a lithe, muscular body, it's covered in bruises so I don't show it off very much.  Ah, the irony.

But I will be back to continue the story of Dorien Grais and the effect that working at Richard's Lounge had on her.