Pole Dancing in Utah ????

I know I told you a bit about the controversy earlier...but here is just one of about a dozen stories fox 13 did on the event.



We were also fortunate to be covered by KSL news, Standard Examiner, Davis County Clipper, Salt Lake Tribune, and shock radio.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I just can't wait for it to be over:)

Here is a column that a journalist did in support of our event:

Count us among those intrigued about the Miss Pole Dance Utah competition slated for May 16 at the Davis Conference Center in Layton.

It's an athletic event. That's what dancing is, athletics that requires strong physical conditioning. While they pole dance, contestants will have to be dressed and stay dressed. Any so-called "wardrobe malfunctions," says Meagan Burroughs, whose Ogden dance and fitness studio is one of the sponsors, will result in immediate disqualification and a quick hook off the stage.

Still, a county official has expressed concern over the potential prurient appeal of the competition. Davis County Commissioner Bret Milburn wants to know more about what exactly a pole-dancing competition is. As we mentioned, we, too, are interested.

But Milburn is concerned it's adult entertainment. After taking a peek at the event's Web site, misspoledanceutah.com, the commissioner said, "I have an issue with how it is portrayed on its Web site. It doesn't show me any sort of athletic component to it. It doesn't speak fitness. This speaks something else."

We went to the Web site. There is an attractive woman dancing in a manner that might be considered akin to gymnastics. The site makes it clear the Davis event is trying to move pole dancing from an entertainment largely considered prurient into an athletic competition.

We have to disagree with Milburn's assessment that there is no athletic or fitness connected to pole dancing. We'd be willing to wager a fitness bar that Commissioner Milburn can't imitate the athletic move of the pole dancer on the Web site. We know we can't.

All joking aside, in the past few years, pole dancing has become a preferred option toward physical fitness for many women. That's why there will be many women at the May 16 event. Some will be there with their teenage children, as ages 12 and under will not be admitted. The pole dancing will focus on the physical aspects of the competition. Those seeking a prurient thrill will be disappointed.

"This is just tricks, no hips involved, no bootie popping, no provocative movements or sexual gestures, including touching yourself," Burroughs told the Standard.

We'll be very disappointed if this event doesn't stay on the conference center's calendar. We don't want it to suffer the same type of prejudice that has hampered mixed-martial arts cage fighting, another athletic competition that is rapidly growing in popularity but has been shut down by officials who are out of touch with the changing culture in Utah.


Below is a letter to the editor that an obviously closed minded individual wrote concering pole dancing and it's one degree from prostitute:

Rationalization is "to create an excuse or more attractive explanation" (Webster's). It hides true motives behind a fake explanation which its users hope others will buy. The Standard Examiner editorial board provides a fine example in their support of public pole dancing, with the disingenuous excuse that such entertainment involves athletic moves and is "akin to gymnastics." Uh huh.


The counter to rationalization is to find the main purpose or motive. What is the main purpose of pole dancing? Anyone old enough to vote knows it is to erotically entertain. Duh. Grondahl's cartoon on the same page deftly demonstrates this point: the man watching the dance rationalizes, but his wife is smart enough to see through him. I'm sure that many accomplished prostitutes are able to perform athletic moves akin to gymnastics. Perhaps we should have a prostitution skills competition? The difference is one of degree only.


The editorial derides "officials who are out of touch with the changing culture of Utah." They seem to think that changing culture is necessarily good. They have demonstrated their blindness to the negative effects of some culture change, however, in their own paper. Once the Examiner had a strong ethic of honesty in requiring all authors they published to identify themselves by name. Now they publish anonymous sniping at letters to the editor, somehow in the name of free speech. It has the opposite effect of course. It takes greater fortitude to put your name out there when you know it may be attacked, even more when the attacks are anonymous, and worse, with the attack implicitly supported by the paper. This is indeed changing culture; from responsible to yellow journalism. I suppose there will be attacks and ridicule of this letter. Anonymous of course. That way the Examiner can claim they have nothing to do with it, while giving tacit support and endorsement. Rationalization and changing culture indeed.


David A. Cook
Syracuse

Pole Dancing Controversy

As many of you already know, Davis County commissioners are trying to ban my pole dancing competition on may 16th at the Davis Conference Center. Many news outlets have been following the story including FOX 13 news, The Standard Examiner, Salt Lake Tribune, and KSL news.

Since this is my blog, I'm going to say what I want to say about this happening.
The athletic women who are competing in this event are not strippers! They are women who are on a mission to change the way this world looks at pole dancing.

Did you know that pole dancing was origionally a circus event? In europe, a gentlemen's club decided to put one in their establishment. The rest is history. All we are doing is taking the pole back to its origional roots.

One of my favorite quotes:
"Not all strippers pole dance, and not all pole dancers strip".

For those who don't know, I am from Utah and I am trying to host this event in one of the most conservative counties in the state. Wish me luck!

Below are the links to read the news stories. The one that FOX 13 did was great!

http://www.fox13now.com/video/?clipId=3598048&topVideoCatNo=undefined&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

http://www.standard.net/live/news/168306

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5992394

Investor friend

A month or so ago, I was approached by an investor who owns 30% of Ogden property. He is very interested in my studio and has convinced me to move to one of his buildings once my lease is up. This new building is 5,000 sq feet of dance floors!

Since I'm going to have so much room to work with, I will be adding two new styles of dance to my menu. Aerial Silk dancing and the Low Flying Trapeze. Both can be seen in any circus. Aerial Silk is when you suspend yourself 10-20 feet in the air from two long pieces of fabric and the low flying trapeze is pretty much what it sounds like.

Anyway, I am so excited to start perfecting my circus skills.

One day, I hope to have enough money to open my real dream business...a commerical based animal rescue. Basically it's an animal rescue that doesn't answer to the government. In my opinion, I can do much better than the government at saving animals and placing them in homes. And I think I can do it for a profit!

So there's where my head has been all day.

What do you think? Will you come fly on the trapeze, stripper poles, and the aerial silk with me???

DANCE!

The workshop yesterday was so freaking fun!
We started off with a stretch limo ride

Twitch, Katee, and Gev were all there. In case you don't know...they were in the top 12 on last seasons "so you think you can dance"



I don't have any pictures of Katee...because she wasn't that great. Her dance was WAY too hard for almost anyone to learn. She was teaching it as if we already knew it. She didn't take any time to go over moves, and she didn't really talk to us like we were realy human beings. We stopped learning the dance half way through because none of us were getting it so we quit. So she punished us by making us do the dance as a group in front of everyone. I am not normally a quitter...but when choreography is being thrown out at lightning speed by someone who is "above" everyone...I'm not down with it.

Anyway, Gev was great but Twitch was the best! His dance was so creative and he really took the time to go over and over the parts that were difficult. All of the celebrity instructors were given a half hour break in between classes...and twitch chose to spend that time with everyone in dance battles and conversation.



On the limo ride to the workshop, my teacher Jerome discovered that it was a girl's birthday...he decided to follow it up with a kiss and a lap dance. I have never laughed so hard in my life!!!

Anyway it was super fun!

And me, being the skank that I am...I decided to pole dance on the streets of SLC

The final rose!

Okay...so the bachelor totally pissed me off. The freakin' guy picks the cutest girl with a huge personality. The show ends. Three minutes later, the follow up show begins. Two minutes later, he breaks up with her. Two minutes later, he asks the rejected girl for another shot.

WTF!!!

Anyway, drama drama. Gotta love it.

I'm over all the financial shit that happened this week. I just need to remember that there are people sitting in a cubicle who would love to run their dream business. I wouldn't trade any job in the world for the one I have. Who else gets to lap dance, pole dance, do a little photography, host parties, meet celebrities, and get a workout at the same time? All while wearing short shorts and a tank. Definately better than dress down Friday at the credit union I used to work at.

This weekend, I get to go with my very best friends and some cool clients to a dance workshop in SLC. We will get to dance along side of Twitch, Gev, and Katee from So you think you can dance!!! I rented a limo for transportation. We're going to feel like a million bucks...at least for a day:)

Worst week ever!!!

Wow, this week was definately one of those that will go down in history for being so unkind to me.

#1 My basement flooded with 3 inches of water. Carpet pads needed replacing. Total: $400

#2 My landlord sent me a bill for back rent. Apparantely, his accountant forgot to include property taxes in my CAM fees for 2008. Total: $6200

#3 In addition to the back rent, he is also raising my rent each month. Total: $7200

#4 A friend of a friend killed herself. Very sad!

#5 My husbands truck broke. $160

#6 My bathroom is almost finished...but we needed to spend another $500 to finish it!


Worst week ever Total: $14,460

Hmmm. Not real sure how I'm going to manage to come up with it. But, I've definately surprised myself before :)

Anyway, I had a great year last year. I guess I had it coming. I'm kinda glad it came all at once. Get it out of the way so I can enjoy 2009!

What has been your worst moment this year?

Time for a change

Have you ever known someone, or been with someone who should be easy to like or love...but just isn't? The same problems keep popping up only to be shoved in the corner for another rainy day? I am so sick of re-hashing drama. If I am me, and you are you...and we don't get along when we are just being ourselves...then it's time for a change.

No. I am not having marriage problems :)