Taking You Out Tonight With Stellar On Broadway

This blog post is actually a month overdue but I still think it was well worth writing and featuring, despite that summer has been long gone. Like my past two other summers, this one was rocking, due to Stellar Year 3. This summer was spent with some tanning and intense Frideath marathons in preparation for our annual show. Body pains and bruises, bring it on!

One of my favorite tricks - the knee hold for our Stellar Sign shoot. Photo by James Oliver

Last year's theme was rockstar, a theme close to my heart since I love rock music. This year's theme was another fun and exciting theme - Broadway. Each class would be dancing to showtunes from broadway musicals such as Cabaret, Legally Blonde, Grease, Sweet Charity, Dreamgirls, and Rent.

Our class was chosen to dance to one of my favorite songs - Out Tonight from the musical Rent. When I found out that that was our song, I started squealing with delight. Out Tonight is actually one of the songs I've actually considered performing for my pole competition. However, the song was too long for the competition requirements and it has already been performed onstage. Also, Mimi is one of my favorite characters in Rent and given the chance, I'd audition for Mimi if there was another stage performance for Rent. I fell in love with the character while watching Rent since there's so much fire and passion in her, and she really lived each day as if it were her last.

For our photoshoot, we had to channel sexy Mimi-meowness with leopard print, black leather, big hair, and curls. Of course since there were no pole moves involved in our shoot, it was perfectly okay to bring on the accessories and cat ears and leggings. Up to this very day, I still eye leopard print thingies at the mall.

During rehearsals, it was a mixture of excitement, pain, and kilig moments. We had our number choreographed by our teacher, Kayleen and she did this amazing routine that showcased all our strengths, lengths, and made us look really fabulous onstage. I loved that the dance was sexy but not like over-the-top sexy but safe enough for younger audience to watch.  Of course there was the inevitable pain of our bodies after rehearsals, perfecting tricks, and little accidents such as scraping our climbing legs. One funny accident I had was banging my head on the pole during a wild hairflip. I have resolved to watch out for a pole surprising me each time I rehearse from now on. That probably was my most painful injury up to this very day.

Despite doing this for 2-1/2 years, there are always new things to learn, such as doubles and transitions. Since we had our superunli program that summer, we took that opportunity to get stronger by attending our flexibility and conditioning lessons every Friday mornings as well as aerial classes to strengthen our upper bodies (for silks) and back-of-knees (hoops). We also took pole with heels classes to know and have the feel of dancing with shoes on while keeping our toes pointed. Pole Stars Workshops were there so we learn more tips and tricks from international pole celebrities. I will always remember what Crystal Lai taught us in her Pole Artistry workshop to make our splits look nicer, "to clinch our butt cheeks like it's closed for business, turn hip out and squeeze our hoo-ha."

Doing doubles is a new thing for me. I took one doubles class before, during Valentine's day. An important thing was stressed by CD, that in doubles, we don't think just of ourselves but also our partner, to make our number look pretty. For example, we have to make sure that in doing our doubles spins, we have to spin at the same speed and know where to land. If we don't control our awesomeness by spinning too fast, we may bump each other. In doing doubles tricks too, I can't slack and crash, because we may not be able to do the trick. I should also make sure to hold on to my partner or else she will fall.

Photo by Michael Gonzales

Photo from Ann Dajon

When I posted this photo in Instagram I was like, the only reason you should step on your friend is during the Double V, with the purpose of making her jade look really flat. Hence you look pretty in photos.The Double V (shown above) is a perfect example of why I can't crash or slack. If I just go, "I'm so tired from this trick. I think I'll just fall down," I might fall on my partner and injure her.

The day of the performance is giving out our best, it's time to put what we've worked hard for and perform to those who want to see us perform. We had all support from our co-classmates, who encouraged us to 1. Join stellar and 2. tell our weak points, strong points, and tiny mistakes so we get to be super sabay-sabay, even if it's just late or early 1/2 count. Our teachers were there to make sure our toes are pointed and make sure that we're never injured, even staying up late for our rehearsals up to 12 midnight and making our dances (love you Kayleen!) while making sure their own numbers and the numbers of their other classes are in check. Our teachers are indeed are superwomen in all so many aspects.

Photo from Ann Dajon

Aside from making our dance look pretty, we all have to look pretty too ourselves. Let's face it, if our dance looks badass with all the choreography and tricks but we looked like we just woke up and decided to just pole today, it won't be as bombastic as it should. So we all had to look pretty, but this time, not prom princess pretty but fierce catlike pretty - from costumes down to the last lock curled and teased. For our Mimi look, I suggested we use warm, bronzey colors since she's supposed to be bronzed and honey-colored. I practiced first the look on Kiara, which had warm smokey colors and glitter and exaggerated our eyes with Fascinating kohl pencil and full falsies. Our cheeks were warm peach contoured heavily for stage and I chose a warm orangey red for our lips -MAC Lady Danger.

Photo by Shane Bellare

For my costume, I bought a leopard print top at Embelish in Podium and cut it up to midriff length. My shorts were a gift from my designer friend, Lizanne Cua. To make our costume look not-so-bare, our classmate Ann made these tie-up laces herself. Ann has an amazing talent for putting costumes together and she sews them by hand. I swear, one day this lady will be making costumes during pole competitions.

photo by James Oliver

Aside from our Out Tonight number, I also joined the Striptease number where we danced to Be Italian from the musical, Nine. This dance, choreographed by the Polecats choreographer Mara Andres  used scarves instead of  sand and tambourines as the musical and film did.

(By sheer coincidence, I also worked backstage in the makeup department in the stage adaptations of Nine and Rent, but that's another story)

Photo by James Oliver

Whether as Saranghina or as Mimi (oh yes, I danced to two numbers that day. The photo above is from our Striptease number, where we danced to "Be Italian" from Nine), when our turn came to dance, I just went there and did my very best and put my game face on. I love dancing and I'm performing to a thousand people out there and performing for our teachers, classmates, and production team who made this show possible.

When I was out there, it was hard to explain but all stage fright just vanished when the lights went on and music started playing. The four minutes onstage was a lot of fun and giving my 150.7895423274788513218748%  Maybe because I've always wanted to be Mimi, but the chance never put itself. Maybe because the people who were physically present watching us there in SM Skydome were those who support what we love to do. It may be new Facebook and Instagram photos. Or maybe, it's because I'm doing something which makes me happy and healthy and brought in so much positive energy in my life. Like Mimi, I was living each moment and as Saranghina taught a young Guido, firing up life and loving with passion.

Ask any cheerleader or dancer I grew up with, I'm in no cheering team, varsity team, or dance troupe in my life EVER. No athleticism, no split, no backbend, but forced by circumstances and stereotype to be shoved into the safe never-to-be-injured and sprawl your legs to a split zone. I came to pole by accident late in my life. At one point, during the times when I struggled to doing my twisted jade or working my shoulder mount, I wished I traded my straight A's for a dance background or stronger core. Yet really, I wouldn't change my pole story. Each dancer has a unique story, and we're all in the same process of making it awesome with one goal - to be stellar and to shine. And in writing our story, we're all together in doing so.

Stellar Year 3 - Stellar on Broadway is an opportunity that I'm glad I took. To those who watched, even though the makeup has been removed, the X-stages folded away and the moments lived on through photos, videos, and social media feeds with a month to date, I thank all for braving the rain and traffic just to watch what we worked hard for that summer. To my very understanding clients and readers why this blog has been on hiatus or how it takes me quite a while to reply to your queries, thank you for your patience. To our teachers, classmates, polemates, and pole friends outside the school, thank you very much for pushing us to do our best, for believing, and sharing our journey with us. This kitty is truly happy.

Photo by James Oliver

See you all next year! #stellar We win!!!!

Gigs: Polecats At the 2nd Avenue Launch

I was thrilled and honored to do makeup for my teachers, the Polecats again, this time in one of their performances. This time, 2nd Avenue invites the Polecats to perform for the launching of their latest series, "The Playboy Club." This is a wholesome event set for prominent media partners of 2nd Avenue and the audience was really excited to see what's in store for them.

I got to the venue (Palladium) at 6 pm and just in time, I was able to see them rehearse. I was given a peg beforehand and their costumes shown to me but it was great to see their number so I get a "feel" already of the look before my brushes, muscle memory, and brain start working. Just like an actor, I have to be in "character mode" doing the makeup.

X-stage properly set with sandbags: Check!

Makeup: Check! Makeup must-have is dark MSF (to contour), lip seal, MUFE Eyebrow corrector, MAC studiofix, and glittery eyeshadow. For their look, Myla told me that they wanted hot pink lips with smoky eyes.

Makeup artist and canvases (that's Kayleen) with me: Check!

I wanted a clear space to give them at least some privacy with their preps so we turned an available washroom's corner to a makeup corner.

Amaya goes first. Doing makeup on their shows is somewhat different from doing makeup on their photoshoots. They both need to be long-lasting since they'll be cooked under hot studio lights. Since they'll be dancing some numbers, makeup should really last long, so I used MAC paint pots to make their eye makeup hold, MAC fluidline, Fanny Serrano Two-Way Foundation (which I've tried and tested during the Stellar Summer Show. Did not fail AT ALL!) and Fix+ to set makeup while making it look natural and meld with the skin instead of it looking powdery. Since lighting is quite dim, I have to be stronger in application here than in photoshoot makeup, like deepen the contours, intensify the eyes, and exaggerate the lines a bit so they don't look all washed out. At the same time, it has still to look pretty instead of clownish.

Others are OC with eyes, others are OC with lines, I'm super OC with base makeup and contour. I want skin to look flawless and perfect.

By performance time, Polecats Amaya, Myla, Kayleen, and CD are already prepped up for their number.

I could hear a lot in the audience going "Wow!" and a lot were whipping out their cameras to take photos. I can't help but be happy and proud of my teachers - all four of them (Myla in beg1, Amaya in beg2, Kayleen in Beg 1 and Pole Mix and now CD in Intermediate 1). This is definitely pole dancing that takes away the sleazy and focuses more on the artistic and acrobatic.

Their super nice jades which made me do split exercises when I got home.

Special thanks too to Police Bennett and James for helping them out and being ever-so supportive. James took most of the photos you see here.

Thanks to the Polecats for letting me do your makeup for this event (you can read their post here)! Glad you girls loved it.

While at it, I'd like to plug their anniversary show, Polarity, which would be this Sunday, October 16 7:00 p.m. at the Philamlife Theater in UN Avenue Manila.

Visit Gen Studios Ortigas or contact 0917 701 POLE(7653) to buy tickets.

Spinning My Way To Fitness

I’d like everyone to meet my dance partner, he’s tall, he’s thin, and he won’t complain even if I wear the skimpiest of all skimpiest shorts. In fact, he doesn’t move at all.

Everyone, meet the pole.

I’ve been taking pole classes from the pole dance company Polecats for a few sessions now. Now before you think dim lights and gyrations and body waves, pole dancing is not just for strip or gentlemen's clubs. Pole dancing is a kind of performing art combining dance and gymnastics. It’s not your usual gym with complicated machines or high-impact running nor is it for those who want the easy way out to a perfect dancer’s body. Usually seen in strip clubs or in circus performances, pole dancing requires skill, strength, and a lot of body coordination. And you thought it was just gyrating on a steel pole fastened from floor-to-ceiling right?

Prior to my first day in pole, I was given guidelines.

One was the outfit. Shorts isn’t just a suggested outfit, but a highly-recommended outfit. And it was funny, they told me to bring the shortest shorts I possibly have (i.e. commonly known as p.p. shorts.). As I’m notorious to have every pair of shorts be too short for me, I thought that it was going to be an easy task to just grab a pair or two from my shorts collection. Well, whadya know? They were still too long. The shorts for pole dancing are usually boyleg shorts, just like boyleg bikini bottoms, or the shorts worn by volleyball players. They should hug the skin tight so as to avoid any accidental stuff peeking through or wardrobe malfunction when you do your climbs or inverts. The requirement for it for being really short is that in pole dancing, it’s the skin and strong limb muscles that are used to grip the pole so the dancer doesn’t fall off the pole as fabrics get slippery. Of course in time, as the dancer becomes stronger, she could wear tights, leotards, and sometimes pants, like the dancers in YouTube. But while being a beginner, short shorts are the way to go.

For the top, it's any top actually that you're comfy dancing in. Personally, I like tops that aren't too loose. I was wearing a tank on my first day then finally graduated to a midriff top so I get a better feel. (Yes, nice outfits really help get the inspiration going)

Also, it’s important for my skin to be devoid of any moisturizer and oils. No sunscreen too, even the spray kind. Lotion on the skin could cause the dancer to be slipping off the pole even before they start to grip and hold the pose. And lotion in the morning does not wear off by the time the class starts in the afternoon. A big bottle of rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl with no moisturizer) rubbed onto skin helps dry it up a bit, but it's better to be moisturizer or oil-free beforehand. My moisturizing butters, lotions, and oils could be still used when I’m not up the pole, like during the night. Pole attire is very simple: short shorts, a comfortable top, a sports bra for support, and bare feet. Hair? Ponytail it up then let it loose.

The first thing of course in every exercise is to warm our muscles so they don’t get all shocked with the spins and climbs we do. Warm up gives the muscles a headstart and that also includes jumping jacks and lunges to get the heart rate going plus core exercises to strengthen the core. Muscles and limbs are stretched as we familiarize ourselves with the pole.

Beginners learn first how to check the stability of the pole. The pole first has to be shaken hard to see that it doesn't come off. After that, the instructors teach you basic moves. The first spin I learned ever was The Fireman, which involved spinning around the pole inspired by how a fireman gets down the pole during a fire drill. It was scary at first, especially when it’s time to let go on the second leg. I was scared that I’ll be falling flat on my back (i.e. my weak area) or I’ll be rushing myself to the ER or stuff like that.

It was okay to get scared at first, but eventually (like on my second day), I was starting to get used to the spin. It was actually quite fun! Think vertical monkey bars with hips moving, letting the ponytail loose, with Britney Spears’ I’m a Slave for You as your background music. A few other spins such as the Chair, Sexy Secretary, Martini, and Sun Wheel (my personal favorite) followed, all depending on each person's fitness level. Talk about endorphin rush!

Spins aren't the only thing we learned. We learned another challenge - CLIMBS. During climbs, we get to understand the need why it's important that our skin not have moisturizer. Because we need all the grip we need. Climbs are quite challenging because we need stronger muscles. I currently have a hard time climbing too, but of course, it will develop with time. It's fun to finally get to climb up the pole because with the climbs, we get to do a series of amazing tricks.

Of course all these tricks are done under close supervision, and the instructors really guide you to make sure you're doing it right. Guiding is important so the student doesn't injure herself during the process.

Here's Myla. She teaches the 6-7 p.m. beginner's class. She went around the classroom...err...dance studio and checked on our climbs and spins. :)

CD teaches the students the correct way to do The Skater.

It's fun when you get to accomplish a trick. However, of course it's understandable that not all students could successfully do a step on the first (or second or so on) try. Each person's fitness level and body is different. Take me for example. This is my first time to actually join a class, since like I've said my fitness regimen is usually a collection of workout DVDs, so it really takes quite a while. There are some students who are already strong beforehand since they do other fitness programs too, so it really depends. What matters is to just have fun. The strength, with training and practice will develop. I guess the hope for me to do inverts is possible!

And speaking of fun, here are some pictures.

Me prepping before a spin.

Dances. Of course that's why it's a dance class, and dance steps are good transitions to all those tricks you learned in class right? Otherwise if it's just trick after trick, it would look funny.

Here's me with Myla after class. Teaching 10 students and demonstrating routines an hour after and still looking fresh. :)

Yes, we do get blisters after. I proudly call them my battle scars. I love them!

While the 7-8 class warms up, I did a bit of practice and drills .

The planks I learned at Pilates are different from this type of plank. I love that this picture made me look amazingly long.

Is pole dancing only for those who are thin and fit beforehand? Uhm no. It's for anyone who's interested and would like to get into a fitness program that's fun, fabulous, and sexy. I was actually inspired that some of the enrollees also have the same condition as I do with my back and they were able to do inverts and climbs like a pro. I like how the classes are made to be fun and easy and the instructors really hands-on with the student so each student gets it right. What's best is that it's a fun and encouraging atmosphere.

So do I get to do an invert soon? Let's see!

For those interested, Polecats holds classes at Gen Studios, located at 3/F Pearl Plaza Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center. You could call them at 0917-700 POLE for inquiries or feel free to check out their blog at http://polecatsmanila.wordpress.com for announcements. They also have Facebook page.