Increase
The May Babies edition of Sharkbite Sideshow starts off with pole dancing, as always. This is my first time seeing Nikita Darling perform on the pole, and she's astonishing: easygoing, strong, sexy, and confident.
In some ways, pole dancing is marching the same slow trek to legitimacy that burlesque as a whole went through in the last decade. Not that long ago a dance pole was pretty much the sole domain of strippers. It wasn't so much a challenge for skill as it was a clever way to get rid of clothing. Which is not to say it wasn't possible to perform well, but that performing well wasn't always the major consideration.
A few years later on, happily, the pole is a means of expression and athleticism and skill. I'm reminded of watching gymnasts on the balance beam or the parallel bars: the dancers' routines are full of personality, tension, and grace. Also: hot.
I'm very fond of the annual May Babies shows, because I am a May Baby too. I'm celebrating my birthday in the audience, after a lovely afternoon shooting flowers in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and watching Antonioni's L'Eclisse at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As days go, this is a fine one.
Increase
The May Babies edition of Sharkbite Sideshow starts off with pole dancing, as always. This is my first time seeing Nikita Darling perform on the pole, and she's astonishing: easygoing, strong, sexy, and confident.
In some ways, pole dancing is marching the same slow trek to legitimacy that burlesque as a whole went through in the last decade. Not that long ago a dance pole was pretty much the sole domain of strippers. It wasn't so much a challenge for skill as it was a clever way to get rid of clothing. Which is not to say it wasn't possible to perform well, but that performing well wasn't always the major consideration.
A few years later on, happily, the pole is a means of expression and athleticism and skill. I'm reminded of watching gymnasts on the balance beam or the parallel bars: the dancers' routines are full of personality, tension, and grace. Also: hot.
I'm very fond of the annual May Babies shows, because I am a May Baby too. I'm celebrating my birthday in the audience, after a lovely afternoon shooting flowers in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and watching Antonioni's L'Eclisse at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As days go, this is a fine one.