Before I get onto the main content of today's blog I wanted to give you a date for your diary: Sunday 19th September - 5pm - Derry's Cross, Plymouth. I will share some more information with you nearer the time but the event planned is part of a national event to protest against the Pope's visit to the UK. There are lots of different groups joining the protest and each group has their own reasons for doing so. There are already a large contingent of Catholics ready to join the protest as they are disgusted by the Pope's recent conduct. My personal reasons for joining are that I do not agree with the Pope's dated views on homosexuality, neither do I agree with the Vatican's use of power to cover up child abuse. The fact that the Pope still opposes condoms seems almost medieval in today's modern times. I also find it repulsive that we, the UK tax-payers, should have to fork our nearly 20 million pounds to fund such a visit. I will share full dates, times and activities of the Plymouth Protests within the next few weeks.
Onto some more cheery subjects; Firstly thank you to the This is Plymouth website and the Herald Newspaper for their recent coverage of the art of dance. My blog was featured in Wednesday's paper and the art of dance also got a mention in the business section of the Herald too.The art of dance re-launch is scheduled for the 4th September so get that date in your diary and feel free to invite your friends and family. I will share the full timetable of events with you very soon as well as linking to our fabulous new website!
Yesterday my husband and I had to travel to Exeter to collect 4 second-hand x-poles, seeing as my husband has been playing chef this week I decided it was my turn to treat him, so we stopped for a spot of lunch in the lovely Devon town of Ashburton. Our first stop was one of the local bakers ( I have forgotten their name but will pay them a visit soon and give them the credit they deserve) where we purchased home made rye bread and a traditional white farmhouse loaf, both loaves were gorgeous!
Next stop was the fabulous No.14 in the centre of Ashburton. I ate the most gorgeous fish pate I have ever tasted (see picture above), the pate is an award winning recipe form Ashburton's acclaimed Fish Deli. Ashburton is a beautiful market town full of independent traders, it makes a great day out and I hope to return again very soon where, no doubt, I will be eating some more fish pate!
I must quickly share a picture with you of My Nan's lodgers new puppy Zimba - as you can see he is just adorable. He is now 10 weeks old and I am very jealous that he is not mine.
Best I sign off now to do a little more work as well as planning a very evil session for my Monday night 6.15pm advanced students. My Tuesday 7.30pm students will be learning a new pole dancing routine that I hope they will enjoy. I will blog again ASAP.
It seems that nearly all my blogs are either about pole dancing and health issues or about eating and drinking, so today I will write about something completely different; Whilst my cousin, Val, was staying with me we spent some time going through old family photos as well as my Nan's diary from my birth year. I wanted to share some of the pics and text with you, partly because they are special to me and also so that you can have a bit of a laugh at my expense and at my extremely frizzy hair Extreme frizz photos to follow)! Today's blog will focus on my Nan's diary entries and my first few weeks and then I will share some very embarrassing pictures with you within the next few days (a few of them are already on facebook!)
Lets start with the entry in my Nan's diary announcing my arrival into this world: Lesley doing my hair at 2.30pm. Cancelled. (apologies to my Nan that my arrival resulted in her hair appointment being cancelled!) Samantha Leigh arrived 12.10am. Bill rang to let us know. Norah rang 12.30am! 5lbs 5ozs."The next diary entry records the actual moment my Nan received the call announcing my birth; Bill rang 12.15am with news of the arrival of Samantha Leigh at Devonport Hospital- Lesley and Samantha doing very well. Watered Plants with Doreen. Nice to know that my arrival did not negatively affect the plant watering!
From what I am told of my birth I was 6 weeks early (I have always been impatient!) and was jaundiced although my Mum just thought I had a lovely tan, not too sure what she thought of my yellow eyes? My jaundice caused a little concern and so I was transferred to Freedom Fields Hospital 3 days after my birth. The following day my Nan recorded this: Lesley rang 7.30am from Freedom Fields. Samantha having heat treatment for 24 hours and on drip feed. Wanted to contact Bill but no visiting today as doctors were due to tour the wards etc. Watered Plants at Lanternberry with Doreen. Once again the plants were spared from dehydration!
By the grand old age of 3 weeks I was still causing problems! Lesley rang. Samantha now 6lbs 1.5 ozs. Going on 4 hourly feeds. Eventually I was let out of hospital and ready for my first stay with my Nana; Looked after Samantha, Lesley and Bill at reception for Lord Mayor's Day. Heidi due on heat. Nice to know about my Nan's cocker spaniels pending period!
So as you can see I was problematic from day one! Apparently during my first few years I tried to swallow a razor blade, climbed out onto a balcony roof having just learned to walk, let the handbrake off one of my parent's cars and fell onto a door nearly slicing my throat open. My Old school friend, Claire Lloyd, may remember my antics in the playground at the age of 9 when I walked into a wall and seriously squashed my nose, The nose became flat where the bridge should have been and I had 2 matching black eyes and 2 operations ensued to repair the damage! Apologies to my Mum and Dad for all the stress caused! I hope I am now a little less hazardous now?
Now I have been let loose with the entire photographic family history I should warn all of those on facebook to be aware of being tagged in some old, embarassing photos! I will leave you with this photo of me taking my first steps with my Mum on the grass outside the Moat House on the Hoe.
Sometimes it would be really handy if there were a few more hours in each day. There are so many exciting projects happening within my life right now that I am having problems balancing them out. Changes at the art of dance deserve a blog on their own so you will have to wait for full details of the art of dance re-launch happening from 31st August 2010, you may want to put Saturday 4th September into your diaries.
Aside from the art of dance I have been working hard, with my husband and the rest of the PDC team, to finalise the launch of the Pole Dance Community Advancement and Accreditation Programme which goes live on Monday 2nd August. The AAP is the latest pole dancing passport for all pole dancers across the globe and it allows them to officially record all of their pole dancing achievements including general pole dancing classes, master class attendance, competition achievements and gradings. UK pole dancers also get free Personal Accident cover included with their booklet. I can't wait to start getting my booklet filled up with my list of pole dancing achievements spanning the last 6 years! You can buy your booklet now via the PDC website or from a PDC approved pole dance school such as the art of dance in Plymouth. Don't climb a pole without one!
I know that a lot of art of dance pole dancing students have been asking me for copies of our syllabus or print-outs to help them with learning the moves; now you can access the PDC free on-line international pole dancing syllabus (please be patient when first loading the page as it is huge!!).
So with both the PDC and the art of dance consuming much of my time I have still managed to squeeze in some lovely family moments as my Cousin Val is over from Beirut and her parents (my aunt and uncle) are over from the States. We have a big family meal tomorrow with 18 family members dining at the Crooked Inn at Trematon (see picture below). I am so looking forward to it. It has been a pleasure to show off Plymouth to my family and within the last 10 days we have managed to dine at many of my favourite eateries including the Mussel Inn, The Seafood and Pasta Bar, The Seco Lounge and Chandlers.
So, I will blog again very soon and will look forward to sharing all the new art of dance news within the next few weeks. I must apologise to our existing students for the increased dust and dirt due to the builders but I am sure that all the hard work will be worth it. Best I disappear of to do some more work and spend some more time with the family!
Last night I had the pleasure of judging at the United Kingdom Amateur Pole Performer South Wets heats in Bristol. The judging panel included Alethea Austin, Karen Chaundy Deb Riley, Chantelle Pritchard and head judge Annie Norris.
I arrived at the venue just before 3pm and was delighted to see the lovely Sally-Ann Giles sat in the VIP area. Sally-Ann is an accomplished pole dancer but was taking a night of the pole to compère for the event. Next to arrive was 'Bendy Wendy' herself Chantelle Pritchard, followed by super-strong Karen Chaundy from BodyBarre in Manchester. Karen had the most amazing jewel-studded shoes which she nearly 'lost' after she left me to look after them, I resisted the temptation to flee the club and returned them safely to her!
Next through the doors was the UKAPP organisers Stacey Sneddon (staceypole/Vertical Leisure) and Kat W (Pole Love). It was great to catch up with Stacey again and lovely to finally meet Kat. There was little time to chat as Stacey invited me to the dressing room for the pre-competition competitors meeting. The rules were simple, everyone was their to support each other, there would be no bitchiness or intimidation, anyone breaking the rules would be thrown out and banned from any future UKAPP events. The competitors were then advised on what they were and were not allowed to do during the evening and then Stacey gave them the chance to ask any questions. The whole thing was professional yet friendly creating a lovely atmosphere.
The lovely Kate Johnstone from Spin City had helped with the organisation of the Bristol heats and her hard work had paid off, it was great to catch up with her again and I will be looking forward to a pole jam with her in the not to distant future.
With just 30 minutes before the doors were due to open I saw two lovely ladies arriving; Deb Riley and Donna Gant whom I had not seen since last competing. Within just a few minutes the gorgeous Annie Norris (head judge) had arrived and we had just a few minutes to catch up before taking our places at the judges table. Last to arrive, but definitely not least was the ever graceful Alethea Austin (USPDF Miss Sexy 2009/USPDF Champion 2010), it is the first time I have met Alethea and she is a truly lovely lady who is extremely hard working, her schedule sounded exhausting! Alethea is currently touring the UK before returning the US for further master classes and workshops. Alethea is famous for both her pole dancing and her amazing chair dancing.
As the doors opened and the spectators started to take their places around the stage, excitement started to mount and I hoped that, as judges, we would ensure that the best person one each section.
Sally-Ann Giles took to the stage to introduce herself, us (the judges) and to explain the UKAPP ethos and audience rules. Sally-Ann is a natural compère and she was fabulous throughout the evening.
Before the competiton commenced we were treated to a stunning performance by Kate Johnstone and the Spin City dance troupe. They performed to Kelis 'Acapella', all wearing black with peacock feather details and amazing eyelashes. The routine was superb.
First up was the performer section; this section is aimed at beginners and the majority of points are awarded for entertainment factor e.g. crowd interaction, costume and dance routine. The performers are given a list of illegal moves to ensure they are beginners and not intermediate level students. For most of these ladies they have never performed in public before but despite this they wowed the audience and the judges, it was a hard decision but the win was given to Rebecca Hocking for her eye-catching boxing themed dance to 'Eye of the tiger'.
The next guest performer was the ever-flexibly Chantelle Pritchard who had been panicking about getting her 'spatchcock', she had only got it once in her rehearsal and was threatening to remove it from her routine but I am so glad she didn't. Chantelle danced to he U2 / Mary J Blige song 'One Love' and it was a beautiful performance including full death lay and the Spatchcock.
Next up was the Intermediate section with points now being allocated for slightly more complicated pole tricks. The competitors were all fabulous and had put some much into their routines. Again it was hard to pick a winner but we had to make up our minds and the win was given to Kerry Low. Kerry's performance included the use of a black ostrich feather fan and her sparkly gold outfit glittered throughout. I am dying to know what song Kerry danced to so if anyone knows please tell me so I can download it?
Before the start of the Expert section it was time for Karen Chaundy to entertain us with another show of strength and flexibility, I love Karen's unique style of dancing which is both theatrical and graceful. Karen danced to fire-starter by the Prodigy and included a fabulous power lift handstand as well as a Chinese Flag, very impressive!
So the standard was about to be raised as we moved into the Expert section. All the competitors demonstrated how the standard of pole dancing is just getting higher and higher but 2 ladies in particular stood out; Kate Czepulkowski and Jasmin (sorry I don't remember her surname). Kate's background in gymnastics gave her a clear advantage and the general view across the judging was that if Kate was going to go professional we should all retire now! Once again, all the competitors were amazing and should be very proud of their performances.
The final section was the instructor section, a new part of this year's UKAPP and a chance for a new instructor to shine. All the ladies were amazing but again 2 ladies stood out for very different reasons. Winner, Varie Anderson - click here for Varie's, performed a 3 minute song starting with a beautiful graceful start then, via a quick costume change, she finished her performance as real rock chick, a very entertaining and accomplished performance. The other instructor, who captured the heart of both myself and Deb Riley, was Spin City Instructor Kate Oldham - click here to view Kate's performance- whose 'Cupid' routine captivated the audience. Kate performed amazingly despite a rotator-cuff injury sustained just days before.
Before the results were announced it was time for the final guest performance of the night from Alethea Austin. Alethea had bravely (or stupidly as she suggested!) picked a 6.5 min song! The routine started with one of infamous chair dances which she performed brilliantly despite the very wobbly, unstable chair. Alethea then pulled out a series of floor moves, including a very strong and uber-bendy free-standing elbow stand, before taking to the pole and captivating the audience.
At the end of the night the results were announced including the judges award for overall winner which we just couldn't no agree on, we were torn between Kate Oldham and Jasmin and eventually, with the help of Stacey and Kat, were allowed to give them both the award meaning that they both get a place in the finals.
Before leaving for the long drive home I and the chance to catch up with several familiar faces; Robyn Rooke, Josephine Ford and Miranda Goldring. It is such a shame that we only got the chance to catch up so fleetingly but I hope to see them all again soon.
I must say that the UKAPP event is the best organised competition I have ever attended and I really couldn't pick fault with any aspect of the competition. The atmosphere was incredible and everyone seemed their to support each other. I can't wait to get involved with next years event and am so pleased that Stacey and Kat invited me to judge at this years event.
Thought I would use today's blog to upload a few videos from my recent pole dancing practice. The videos should help to explain a few of my lovely multi-coloured bruises as well as giving some of my students a chance to enjoy my pain! Here is the no-handed corkscrew which is definitely not a pleasure to learn:
The Boomerang Leg circles or swivel hips:
One of my favourite spins - The Snake (apologies to the students who learned the snake this week and who now have large bruises and abrasions to their elbows.)
I used to write at least 3 blogs a week and now I am struggling just to get one done. It is not that I do not want to write but that things are so busy with the Pole Dance Community site and the launch of the Accreditation and Advancement Programme (AAP) that time is very limited and the AAP has to be a priority.
Despite limited time I did find a moment to give blood yesterday, it was my 17th donation and I hope some lovely recipient gets to enjoy my tasty garlic infused blood! As always the staff were lovely and they do such a fabulous job. If you haven't already thought about giving blood, platelets or tissue just click here for more information. If you want to be an organ donor just click here.
This weekend will be a mixture of work and fun, I have already had the pleasure of catching up with my brother David and his fiance Michelle as they are over from Australia for a few days as well as seeing my Sister Julie and her husband Chris. Tonight I have a fabulous Golden Wedding Party to attend as my Great Aunt and Uncle celebrate 50 years of marriage and tomorrow afternoon I hope to be able to pop down to the Barbican to see Plymouth's town crier Jack Ringer (see picture above) and his lovely better half. There will various activities including face painting in the afternoon adjacent to the Mayflower Steps, I am hoping for good weather.
Next weekend will be equally busy as I set of to judge at the United Kingdom Amateur Pole Performer competition in Bristol, Here is the judges line-up:
Annie Norris: Pole Divas winner 2009, Pole Divas Runner Up 2007 and 2008 and X-Pole girl.
Karen Chaundy : Miss Pole Dance International winner and British Isle Professional winner 2009.
Sam Remmer: Miss Pole Dance & PoleDivas UK Finalist 2007, 2008, 2009 & founder of the Pole Dance Community site.
Deb Riley: Miss Pole Dance Trixster 2009 and MPD finalist 2006,2007.
Alethea Austin: USPDS Miss Sexy 2009 and USPDS Winner 2010 World Finalist 2010
Click here to get your tickets but be quick as there are only a few left!
Well I must sign off for now as I have to build some emergency quail housing for my poorly Quail!
Healthy living, healthy outlook. Sam is the proprietor of the Art of Dance pole dancing school, born and bred in Plymouth. Sam says: "I have always loved the city, despite what others may say about it I think Plymouth is a fantastic place to live. We are extremely lucky to have both beautiful coastline and gorgeous moorland as well as stunning rivers." Sam blogs on issues of health and fitness in 21st century Plymouth for the www.thisisplymouth.co.uk website.
