So much to tell you

Well what a week, I had my last day with the BBC3 team yesterday and will miss them both terribly even if I don't miss the cameras! On Wednesday, My Mum, Suzy and Itamar went to the Mussel Inn and had the most glorious meal and then last night Sid, Jo, Suzy, Itamar and I ventured down to the Waterfront for a lobster supper which was simply divine, it was nice to spend some time with the BBC crew without the cameras and to showcase to them some of Plymouth.

I have just received a load of pictures from Miss Pole dance Uk 2008 and the Pole Divas South west qulaifiers 2008, thanks to James at tsavophotographic.com for the lovely images from Pole Divas and Jason Parlour for the Miss Pole Dance pictures:

You can check out all the other pictures on the art of dance facebook.

Other events this week included the arrival of a beautiful parcel from India from one of our students Kate Tolliday, Kate is a veterinary nurse who is volunteering in India for 6 months. Kate sent us some temple flags as well as some fresh Indian tea leaves and a lovely postcard keeping us up to date on her work in India. Hopefully Kate will send us some pictures so I can share them with you.


Yesterday saw the Flexi funksters aka the University of Plymouth pole dancing club taking on the Eggheads and winning £16,000, congratulations girls I am so proud of you! You can watch the episode here. Yesterday also saw me visiting the council chambers to meet with Councillor Linda Bowyer to air my concerns about new 'pole dancing legislation which could affect my right to performance pole dancing. I raised the following concerns: Firstly that lap dancing clubs are using the term 'pole dancing club' to make them seem more socially acceptable and this has a knock on effect for the fitness pole dancing industry, secondly that I agree with the need for new legislation for lap dancing clubs and thirdly to question why I am not allowed to perform at council events such as Lord mayors day. Linda answered all my questions and I was more than pleased with how the meeting went. Linda will be taking my concerns back to both Plymouth City Council and higher government so I will keep you posted on developments.


On Tuesday, Hayley and I performed at the Echo Centre in Liskeard with a fantastic group of individuals - I will report back on this in full detail next week!

On Wednesday I renewed my sponsorship of world champion Muay Thai fighter Christi Campbell, my sponsorship means that Chrsti can continue to have extra maths lessons at home to help her with her pending GCSE's - sorry Christi!

I should take the time to dispel the myth about Tracey Simmonds at Miss Pole dance, I was led to believe that Tracey came 2nd and not 1st because her song was longer than 5 mins, but apparently this was not the case, the DJ did fade the song out at 5 mins, I still think Tracey should have won. To make matters worse I found out that I was placed 10th out of 13 in the finals which I am absolutely gutted about. I am not allowed to see my scorecards but was informed that my highest score was a very respectable 102.5 out of 120 but my lowest score was 54 out of 120. I am not allowed to know which judge gave me such a ridiculoulsy low score and the discrepancy between scores suggest a problem with the judging. I really believed I had done better than 10th but will have to wait to see the DVD to review my judgment. On a positive note i have just heard that Tracey will be down in Plymouth in Jan / Feb so I am looking forward to sharing pole dancing tips with the master herself!

After the hecticness of being followed by cameras for 4 weeks I am finally able to catch up with some admin! I also have the whole day of on Sunday which is fab and am hoping to finish of my working day tomorrow with a sports massage! it will be back to work as normal on Monday with a very early start due to the facts that I am on BBC radio Plymouth with the gorgeous Gordon Sparks from 8.30pm till 9pm. I am staying of the pole for the next few days but will be back with a vengance on Tuesday!


I still have loads more to tell you but need to disappear off to do the wages for the end of the month! I will leave you with this picture of me doing the rocketman at the Miss Pole Dance UK finals.Stay Healthy,

Sam x

More videos for you.

I forgot to get someone to video my performance last night but I did manage to capture Jo, Tamar, Nicole, Hayley and Sue. All danced brilliantly and it is a shame the videos are so dark - hope you can still appreciate the wonderful performances! Thanks to Annabel for letting us have the venue. Happy Birthday to Rosanna and congratulations again on your engagement.

Pole news from a very bruised and aching person!

The argument about lap / pole dancing clubs continues this week as Plymouth gets it 4th lap dancing club. I was pleased to read this article from Herald reporter Mary O'leary which points out that what we at the art of dance do is not the same as what goes on within the lap dancing clubs. I have a meeting with Councillor Linda Bowyer on Thursday next week to discuss new legislation regarding pole / lap dancing to ensure that the wording of any new law will not adversely affect my right to pole dance, to air my concerns about why I am excluded from various events such as Lord Mayor's day and to question why none of the councillors who are voicing concerns about such lap dancing establishments have ever actually been inside one.

On the subject of pole dancing I think I am over training slightly at the moment, preparations for Miss Pole dance saw a dramatic increase in the amount of hours I spent on the pole and I am still keeping my training regime up for Pole Divas, In addition to this I have been teaching a lot and performing including a 2.5 hour stint on Thursday night at the Saints party - read Jo's blog for more info and check out the BBC docu next year for footage from the event! I also managed to add about 8 hours teaching to my exercise timetable and am performing tonight at Annabel's. My legs resemble that of a Dalmatian and my shoulders feel as though they are about to fall out of their sockets. I would like to say that I have a day of rest tomorrow but am cornering at UCP Marjon for one of sid's fighters - no peace for the wicked.

The TV crew are still with me and yesterday we had the pleasure of doing interviews in glorious sunshine on the Hoe, It made me proud to be Plymouthian and I took the opportunity to take the cameras along the main waterfront as well as the Barbican including a visit to Cap'n Jaspers for a fresh Barbican crab roll. Next week should be the last week of filming so I can get back t a bit more normality in the workplace but I will miss Suzy and Itimar as they have been such a pleasure to spend time with.

Like me Tamar is going through the usual set of stresses and worries about the pending Pole Divas championships. You can read Tamar's latest blog by clicking here.

You can probably tell by today's blog that i am feeling physically exhausted so will stop writing for now.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

More from Miss Pole Dance UK

Well it is back to normality for me today after the recent stress of the national finals. I ventured out briefly on Saturday for Mel & Mia's fabulous 30th birthday but was extremely tired so didn't stay out long. Here are some pictures from the night, Jo & I are pictured right and Mel, Rosanna & Mia are pictured below left. Everyone looked amazing! There are many more pictures on Mia's facebook album As the costumes were so stunning we are going to arrange an art of dance social with the same theme very soon - Watch this space.

On the subject of Rosanna you may want to check out her blog features her Exeter student Nicole Windley performing at Annabel's discotheque in August 2008

If any of you were not booked in for this Tuesday's lesson due to the presence of the film crew then fear not as the crew won;t be down till later in the week and will not be filming lessons till next week.

For more details about Miss Pole Dance 2008 check Puss's blog, it explains why Tracey didn't win! The picture shown at the top of the blog is of myself and the rest of the competitors at Miss Pole Dance UK 2008- I am the one far left.

Did I mention that I had the coolest Mum in the world - how many of your parents have seen Pantera in the flesh doing a death lay? I also observed my mum talking to a pole dance teacher during the competitions and discussing the various moves in great technical detail with my Mum explaining that the Gemini was still her favourite move! This is what my Mum witnessed. Here are a few pictures of Pantera taken during her 10 minute showcase at the end of the evening, the first is the elusive death lay and the second is Pantera new take on her old bow and arrow pose. I must take this opportunity to welcome Pantera to the art of dance facebook group.

Jo is on the road to recovery but I want to wish her get well anyway - get well soon Jo!

Before I sign off to beast my students for the next 2 hours I wanted to draw your attention the the following article which I found on the internet whilst searching for pictures of this years competition, you can read my comment below the offending article to get my viewpoint. I just hate the assumption that pole dancing is all about dancing for men.

Stay healthy,

Sam x

Miss Pole Dance 2008 from my point of view

The run up to the finals of Miss Pole dance 2008 did not go as planned,Wednesday was my day of rest to clear my head before the competition but various events conspired against me including my chaperone Jo being taken very poorly - Get Well Soon Jo. By 10pm on Wednesday evening it was not only Jo that was unwell, I was sneezing, coughing and generally feeling like poo, I also managed to bash my finger on a door frame resulting in lots of swelling and bruising and a general inability to use my finger on the pole! As a result I slept badly making Thursday morning less than the best start for the national finals of a pole dancing competition.

With 2 hours before the train was due to leave and me in floods of tears desperately wanting to pull out of the competition I called my mum to ask her to accompany me to London which she did, Sid reassured me that I would be OK and that he would support me even if I did pull out which if course I refused to do so off we went, accompanied by the BBC crew, to the station. On arrival the air of doom started to shift as Suzy announced that we couldn't film in standard class so we would have to move to first class. Things improved from there on, a first class ride to London with free refreshments started to lower my stress levels.

We caught a taxi straight from the train to the venue, Scala - see picture above right - , and rushed inside to check out arrangements. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by Pantera and then treated to a professional hair do by Staffords of Soho, I didn't catch my hairdressers name but she successfully straightened my hair giving me a fab new look - I almost didn't recognise myself!

One of the great things about being part of Miss Pole dance is catching up with various people from the industry, it was lovely to see the gorgeous Glamour puss again and to meet people like Tess who I have only chatted to on forums. I also got to see the lovely Deb Riley - 2006/2007 runner up, Amber Rosia 2006/2007 runner up, Lisa Williams 2007 runner up, Tracey Simmonds - 2006 winner, Leanne Rostron & Jolene Whiting as well as meeting new friends such as Melissa Ranford. Poor Annie Norris was feeling unwell so didn't participate this year but will be in the finals of Pole Divas. Sally Ann Giles was also unable to attend but will also be at the finals of Pole Divas. I must say that I noticed a distinct improvement from Jolene Whiting since I saw her perform last - nice one Jolene. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog Alesia was just mesmerising to watch but for me Tracey stole the show. Debs put on a great show but I actually was a little disappointed as I know she can be so much better, unsure if she found the pole a little slippy? Don't get me wrong she is one talented pole dancing lady. I will post some video links as soon as I have them and am sure the DVD will be amazing.

Two small criticisms of the show, firstly the Burlesque acts were truly awful, I have seen many burlesque acts in my time but now it seems that people think Burlesque is just taking your clothes off: there is so much more too it than that! My other criticisms which I will raise with Pole Passion was the two Olympic judges, apparently they had never seen pole dancing before apart from in clips on the TV. At a national level we need judges with pole dancing knowledge and experience. Apart from that the night was amazing and I can't wait to enter again next year. The BBC3 crew who were with me hope that the event will be televised in Feb / March but I will let you know when I have something more definite.

Whilst am on the subject of competitions I wanted to give you a quick update on Miss Pole dance Australia which was won again by Felix, check out this video - see the clips towards the end of the super strong and bendy Felix in action plus check out these pictures.

On Friday my Mum and I had had a few hours to take in London, we popped to Charlton Street market so I could buy some gloves as I was freezing. We had both slept badly and were both very tired, we enjoyed some lovely lunch in a fab health food shop selling gorgeous chickpea and hummus pumpkin seed rolls and smoothies. We also wondered through the gardens of the British Library where I took this picture of 'Newton' after William Blake by Eduardo Paolozzi 1995:

After what seemed like an eternity on the train my mum and I arrived home and I was finally able to get a good nights sleep. I will post some pictures and videos from the comp ASAP. Thanks again to my Mum for stepping in at such short notice and for being an absolute star as always. Also great news in that Jo is feeling better and will be back misbehaving again very soon.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

I fell off

As you can gather from the title of this blog my routine didn't quite go as choreographed. I fell during a shoulder mount hook pose (for those of you who don't understand the terminology you can work it out from the pending videos). The rest of the routine went really well and overall I am really chuffed with my performance. Before I expand on the evening let me tell you the results

1st: Alesia Vazmitsel
2nd: Tracey Simmonds (should have been first in my opinion)
3rd: Deb Riley

Obviously I thought Tracey had it in the bag as her performance was like no other that I had seen, it was simply breathtaking. Alesia was stunning and I have to say that both dancers were head and shoulders above the rest of us.

I don't know my final placing but would hope that I got in the top 5, although I am unsure how my fall would have affected the final scores.

All the competitors gave their best and just taking part is a great opportunity. I will tell you the full story later as I have to tell you all about my fantastic mum and all the other wonderful people who have played a part in the last 48 hours. Off to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Stay healthy,

Sam x

Miss Pole Dance..........

Hi All, just a short blog today as I am off to London for the Miss Pole dance UK finals. Today has not been the ideal day of rest that I had planned but hopefuly tomorrow will go better! I will let you know how things go as soon as I get back on Friday evening!

In my absence you will throughly enjoy Hayley's blog on her recent holiday. You may also want to catch up with the latest Elegantly dressed Wednesday blog from the Puss herself, both Jo & I are looking forward to catching up with Puss tomorrow.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

My lovely TV crew

The lovely Suzy and Itamar - pictured above - from the BBC have just spent their first week with me, they arrived on Monday lunchtime and left on Saturday afternoon, they return on Monday for another week of filming and in total will be with me for 4 weeks. I am sure they will be sick of me by the end of it if they are not already.

Having your every move recorded with the threat of it all being publicised in February on BBC3 is a little daunting to say the least. It is quite difficult to get on with normal day to day admin but both Suzy and Itimar are a pleasure to be around. They have already attended some pole dancing lessons and have the bruises to show for it!

It is very strange being filmed doing such seemingly boring things and you get some strange looks from passers by as you are filmed popping into the local post office or buying a coffee. My neighbours looked very confused when they saw a camera crew filming the front of the house. Even my birds and my cat have been followed by the camera! I won't tell you everything that has been filmed so you will have to wait until February for the full story!

Other art of dance news includes a new video from Rosanna of her performing at our last student social at Annabel's, Nixi has been blogging about the new term at Plymouth University and she s managed to sign up lots of new members for the university pole dancing club and Jo is hardcore! Here is a picture of Jo, Tamar, Rosanna and Nixi at a recent staff training session - I like to keep them all busy! Tamar, who is currently our receptionist and a regular student will be joining the team of instructors in December to help out with the growing demand for lessons, it will be a pleasure to have her as part of the team.

On Wednesday we had the pleasure of catching up with art of dance student Nikki Burns who popped in with her 4 week old son Eddy - he slept through most of his visit despite attempts by myself and Jo to wake him, he did wake briefly to enjoy his first visit to a pole dancing studio and he is officially the youngest gentleman to visit the art of dance! We are looking forward to a similar visit from student Penny Scaffold with her latest arrival Ava. Here is a picture of proud mum Nikki with Eddy.
As some of you may be aware there is an unusual occurrence happening in our skies - the sky has taken on a strange shade of blue alongside a bright shining light - apparently it is called Sunshine! I had forgotten what it was but am now making the most of it as my husband and I prepare for our first BBQ of the year with fresh mackerel infused with chilli's, garlic and lemon juice and accompanied by new potatoes and a lettuce, spinach, watercress and tomato salad! - Pictures to follow.

On the subject of gorgeous food I must mention yet another fantastic meal out at the Mussel inn at Down Thomas, I think I may be addicted to their food! It is exactly a week since my husband and I visited this beautiful little pub, I indulged in a starter of avocado and crab with a light salad and a drizzling of truffle oil, my husband had a main course of steak and kidney pie and I tucked into a huge bowl of mussels with a garlic and cream sauce and a side serving of chips! Words cannot describe how good this pub is, the service is extremely friendly and the decor is fresh. My only criticism is the overpowering chemical sprays used to 'freshen' the air in the toilets but other than that the place is faultless.

My husband offered to pay for the meal - see picture above of him flashing his wallet of power! pictured right is the lovely food accompanied by some equally attractive pints of Morland Old Speckled Hen and Fullers London Pride (a favourite of Gordon Sparks).

I am now off to get some extras for the BBQ and am looking forward to enjoying this beautiful day off. I hope that you get to enjoy the sunshine too,

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

News and other stuff

Sorry for the lack of blogging but life at the art of dance has been rather busy lately. After my recent blogs on bins and lap dancing licensing I have finally had a response from Councillor Linda Bowyer who has reassured me on the subject of licensing but not on the subject of fortnightly bins. Still at least I have had some response. Apparently it may be some time before our bins are reduced to fortnightly which is good for the time being. I must whinge about the free fridge magnet that has been sent to every home in Plymouth, as far as I can see the magnet had no purpose - it doesn't actually tell you which day your bins will be collected and I am sure it cost a lot of money - what a waste!

Great news re Torquay - Kelly is back! Kelly will be taking the week off to recover after her stay in hospital with pneumonia, Kelly will be back at the Bishop's Court Hotel on Tuesday 14th October to resume lessons there.

Oh and did I mention that the BBC are filming antics at the art of dance over the next few weeks! The lovely Suzy and Itimar from BBC3 spent some time with me last week and were interested in learning about fitness pole dancing and the myths that surround it, they are now going to spend some time with me filming day to day activities at the art of dance and learning about different people's viewpoints about fitness pole dancing. I am hoping that the documentary will be a chance to prove to people that fitness pole dancing is not sleazy and is not talentless.

This morning the crew filmed my husband and I having breakfast, I had to avoid the temptation to wash and put make up on for the cameras so be warned that when the programme is aired you will see me when I have just woken up - not a pretty site although I think you will like Sid and I in our fabulous dressing gowns with matching socks!

Of course next week is the finals of Miss Pole Dance UK 2008, the BBC will be filming that too! Talk about extra pressure to do well! My training is going OK with two new moves to add to my repertoire - hopefully I will be able to pull them off on the night! I have been practicing with Jo and Tamar and have another hour to do tonight.

Great news about the Help the Heroes campaign, I donated some art of dance vouchers a recent fundraising night and the vent raised over £4300 for charity! I had a lovely letter of thank you from the Base Warrant officer and I know that the money will go to "helping any casualties during their tour of duty as well as assisting Tri-Service Rehabilitation Centre at Hedley Court"

Sorry for the lack of pictures but my new camera phone is refusing to transfer pictures to my laptop - will investigate the problem and start boring you with some more pictures asap.

As some of you will know Plymouth University made the decision to hold their graduation ceremony on the beautiful Plymouth Hoe, some local's opposed this idea saying that it blocked others from viewing the fabulous panorama but I disagree, this a great promotional opportunity for Plymouth, it meant that the families and friends of the graduates got to see one of Plymouth's jewels : the harbour in full sunshine, those pictures will be sent back to other family members and not doubt distributed on social network sites - what a great opportunity for Plymouth and well done to the university for deciding to hold the event on the Hoe, more rantings to follow including more controversy at Plymouth University.

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Bin Madness

I was deeply upset to read that Plymouth City Council have gone ahead with plans for a fortnightly bin collection, It is already bad enough that the recycling is only collected once every two weeks but now the actual brown waste will be fortnightly too. I live in a small terrace house with no front garden and a very small rear courtyard. In the summer months the bins are very smelly by the end of a week but if I now have to wait two weeks for said bins to be collected then it will probably be impossible to sit out in my courtyard due to the smell of the bins which will of course attract seagulls and rats.

The Council had already made changes to my bin collections by imposing the use of hessian type bags to place the rubbish in, these do not contain any odours, are difficult to clean and are definitely not rat or bird proof. In addition to my concerns over the hygiene aspect of fortnightly bin collection there is the concern for the elderly residents in my street who will probably struggle to lift two weeks worth of rubbish, carry it through their house and place it safely outside their front door.

If, like me, you enjoy eating fresh fish and veg you will know that such items do not sit well in a bin over time, they tend to rot very quickly, the answer for many people is then to wrap such rubbish in large amounts of plastic which is hardly an environmentally friendly option.

I read a comment in the Herald from a council official stating how much better the new services will be - but for who? After reading some literature from the World Health organisation it seems that even in West Africa they have a better attitude towards waste disposal than us, they recommend daily bin collections! In addition to this they reward people who dispose of their waste correctly rather than punishing those who don't. Wouldn't it be nice to have reduction in council tax for being a good citizen!

On my travels I have noticed that most other countries adopt the daily bin option but rather than visiting each house or business there are communal bins that are emptied daily. This means that you just carry a very small amount of rubbish to your area bin on your way to work or just as part of your daily routine, it is simple, effective and much cheaper to run, it reduces the problem of pests and therefore makes for a more hygienic service. Of course this service fits with many communities. The communal collection points have varied bins to cater for all elements of recycling as well as general household waste. The communal bins are generally made of metal making them pest proof.

I think if we want a healthier Plymouth we have to tackle some of the ridiculous policies being introduced by our council, we already pay hideous amounts of council tax so should expect good services from the council in return for our high investment in them. Let's hope the move to reduce our bin collections to fortnightly will not result in another excuse to introduce more stealth taxes.

Whilst on the subject of the council I am still waiting for a response from Linda Bowyer, I spoke to her on the phone briefly about new guidelines for lap dancing / pole dancing clubs. She gave me her e-mail address and I sent her a lengthy e-mail, nearly 2 weeks later and I have had no reply. What is more shocking is the fact that in a recent council meeting the councillors discussing amendments to current lap dancing legislation admitted to never having been inside such a club. So to Vivien Pengelly, Linda Bowyer and Nicky Wilder: it would be my pleasure to take you to such a club so you can see for your selves and then at least you can make a more informed decision. Alternatively I may have a plan for another more public way of approaching the aforementioned councillors... Watch this space.......

Stay Healthy,

Sam x

Bizarre blogging

I thought I would start today's blog with some videos that have amused me greatly:

Here is a man and his ring - it's not what you think!
Sweet Canadian Street Performer - Watch more free videos

Here is football with a difference:
Amazing Street Dribbling Skills - Watch more free videos

Today's blog is a break from my usual topic of pole dancing as I wanted to let you know about a few things that are happening in and around Plymouth, if you are not lucky enough to live here then you should move! Let's see if I can write the whole blog without resorting to pole dance stuff!

Firstly - Salsa: Like pole dancing (oops- I mentioned pole dancing!) there are some great schools and some awful ones, If you want to Salsa in Plymouth then there is only one place to go - Ask the Lordette of darkness herself (that is how she met the Badger aka her lovely husband). Abanico Salsa (some of you may know this company as Salsa South West) has venues across the South West and provide weekly dance classes as well as workshops and social events. Salsa is a great way to lose weight as it demands a good cardio vascular workout. For more info contact Dave or Angus - info@abanicosalsa.com or visit their website.

If salsa isn't your thing or you just fancy a day of pampering then look no further than Buckland Abbey's Ladies day, I won't be there as it is the day of the Miss Pole dance competition! (oops- more pole dancing mentions!) The day will be held in the grounds of Sir Francis Drakes former home and includes makeovers and manicures as well as local produce and crafts and jewelery. Admission is only £2, the event starts at 10.30am and finishes at 4pm.

Great news for Plymouth Argyle fans as the team start to race up the table, they had a great win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, I would like to think that the recent spell of success is partly due to the increased attendance of fans, this is partly due to the mobile advertising that has been travelling around the city - if you haven't seen it or heard it then you must live outside of Plymouth.

If you are at a loose end on Sunday and fancy watching some Thai boxing then why not pop along to the interclub at Saints gym, All are welcome and the event cost only £5 on the door. Champion Christi Campbell will be on hand to offer advice as well her trainer - my lovely husband - Sid Remmer. The event starts at 11.30am.

Lastly if you are feeling a bit flush and fancy giving some money to a good cause then why not doante soem moiney to the charity Action for Children - Art of dance student Drea Lynch - check out her justgiving page! I will be there to take pictures of Drea as she abseils down the side of the civic centre to raise money for the children's charity. I will find out what time she is doing the abseil and let you know -Good Luck and Happy birthday to Drea.

If you have been following Herald's dieting blogger Ellie Hopton then you will have seen pictures of her gorgeous new dog Henry - he is so cute. I have been tempting Ellie into the studio to try some pole dancing so watch this space for more info!! Ellie: if you are reading this why not try a Burlesque session first to ease your way into the pole dancing - I will offer you your first one free!

I promised some of you that I would have some important news last Monday, the news will now be next Monday 6th October so you will just have to wait until then. Will try to blog again on Sunday.

Stay healthy,

Sam x

Victory for Christi

A huge congratulations to Christi Campbell from Saints gym who won her fight against acclaimed Thai fighter Jackie Short. Christi who is still only 15 years old beat adult champion Jackie by a unanimous points decision. To see round 3 of the 5 round fight click this link.

Thanks to Matt Fleming at the herald for the lovely article he wrote about me in today's Herald, click here for the full article.

Sorry it is such as short blog today but if I don't get the wages done I will have a some very unhappy members of staff!

More news to follow including kegel muscle exercises!!!

Stay Healthy,

Sam x