“Divine to me feels like Themyscira, the home to Wonder Woman and her Amazon family. There is so much love and support that is given without judgement not only for dance but for life. I feel incredibly safe whenever I’m in the studio and I LOVE that.”
Miss June 2018: Priscilla
Occupation: Property Management
Your motto or favorite quote: I have a mantra that stays on repeat in my mind, “Imagine me, I shall not exist if you do not imagine me” by Vladimir Nabokov from the novel Lolita. The quote that feels good to me is “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” by Maya Angelou.
How long have you been pole dancing at Divine? Oh my goodness, I just looked at my attendance and time flies! I joined the beautiful Divine family in the fall of 2014.
Did you have any previous dance or fitness training before starting pole? I’ve always been a type of athlete and only missed one school dance from the 3rd – 12th grade. 😊 I’ve also tried at least one dance class in a vast array of genres with line dancing and Korean folk dancing taking up about a year of my life when I was younger (my mom was really into both).
What made you decide to take pole dancing classes? I had befriended a new co-worker with the intention of welcoming her to town and we decided that our shared interest was dance. She found a Groupon for Divine and the rest is history.
Favorite class? (spins, inversions, or boudoir), and why? Boudoir all day every day! I love that from the get we’re stretching, dancing, feeling our bodies both by touch and with emotion. There’s so much support in the energy of everyone moving to their own beat, it’s often overwhelmingly beautiful. I’ve been told that my every day movements in life can be somewhat dramatic but in Boudoir, every movement is celebrated and encouraged. Plus, I LOVE crawling across the floor.
What is it that you LOVE about pole dancing at Divine? I absolutely love the feeling of kinship within the community. Divine to me feels like Themyscira, the home to Wonder Woman and her Amazon family. There is so much love and support that is given without judgement not only for dance but for life. I feel incredibly safe whenever I’m in the studio and I LOVE that.
Platforms or legwarmers? Legwarmers!
What are you currently working on technically? Ooh, I have a hard time committing to consistently attending technical classes. I would like to finally pass out of basic inversions this year and possibly work some climbing/inverting into my dance but even thinking about this now is giving me some anxiety haha. Boudoir is life!
What are you working on artistically? Staying in the moment. I’d like to maintain the mindfulness and intentionality that I have during Boudoir warm up when I dance. There is a slight change in how I hear music when we transition to dancing in groups or individually for each other that I’d like the power to overcome.
What is your favorite move? Pretty much anything that involves my entire body being on the floor. 😊 I really enjoy crawling and slowly sliding down the wall with my back pushed up against it. Those moves embody so much yearning for me.
What is in your pole bag (ex: grip aid, journal, etc)? Ok, I have a pole bag but I rarely dig into it. I’ve got dried bananas, a Divine journal, leg warmers, the biggest jar of grip aid that will probably last me 5 years since I hardly ever climb and headphones.
Do you have a favorite song to pole dance to? If I’m ever at a loss, I Miss You Now by Stereophonics always seems to ground me.
We LOVE music at Divine. What 3 songs would be featured on the soundtrack to YOUR life, and why?
1. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris. This song was my anthem growing up and remains relevant. I can see this playing in my everyday life. I relate to the lyrics and the general feel of the song. I’m definitely starring in a 90’s rom com.
- Three Plus – Honey Baby. I’m an island girl at heart and Hawaiian Reggae lives deep within me. This is all of my groovy sun-shiny chill days.
- Deftones – My Own Summer. You’d hear this playing every time I was angry (not often) but it perfectly captures any rage that I have. I usually put this song on repeat when I’m super mad, eventually the song sounds angrier than I am and that’s when I know I’ve cooled off and can attempt communicating my feelings.
Guilty pleasure: Weekend marathon of Hallmark movies, I’m a sucker for romantic storybook endings.
Final Question:
Any inspirational advice you would like to share with new polers? First, welcome to the family! Second, move at your own pace and dance however you feel. Even with all the support and encouragement at the studio, I think that it can be easy to fall into a kind of a rut and start comparing your progress or movement to others. No one else matters when it comes to your dance; it’s your journey, it’s your expression, it’s your power. Climb the pole, don’t climb the pole, do the same movement over and over… it’s going to be beautiful no matter what because your truth is beautiful. <3
