Hi! My name is Kathy, the writer and director of POLE PLAY: TAKING FLIGHT, and here’s a little bit about me!
I have a masters degree in theatre, teach high school drama and direct high school theatre productions, which is a lot like living in the TV show “Glee,” only crazier and more poorly funded! I’ve also directed several Off-Off-Broadway plays. I don’t remember how many shows I’ve directed altogether, somewhere in the 30’s by now, maybe more, but who’s counting! I’m also a playwright with several produced original plays and two published plays, AN ENDANGERED SPECIES: WAKING UP published by Samuel French Play Services, and MY NATIVE TONGUE published by Scholastic.
I’m so thrilled to be working on this project that combines my loves of theatre and pole dancing! I started writing plays when I was in third grade, during recess as a way of avoiding the trauma of being picked last for playground sports teams. I’ve dreaded exercising ever since, and going to the gym was always pure torture for me! Then a few years ago I discovered pole dancing, and now I can’t wait to get back into the dance studio as often as possible to stretch, push, expand, contract, breathe, heal, release emotions and discover spirituality through the movement of my body!
One day in the dance studio, I was watching the other women pole dance, women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and physical abilities, and I was absolutely stunned at the breathtaking beauty and sensuality of every single one of them! Then it hit me. I couldn’t be the only one in the room who didn’t look like that! It was a totally new thought for me, a new experience of self-confidence and, dare I say it, self-love. I knew in that moment that I wanted to bring a story of a woman’s struggle for self-love, featuring sensual movement and pole dancing, to the stage! And I am so honored to have the most amazing women enthusiastically join me on this journey of POLE PLAY: TAKING FLIGHT! So stay tuned for more blog posts about our experiences!
PS. And I am happy to say, I no longer force myself to belong to a gym!
Amy Kim (Dancer)
Hello blog readers! Welcome to my little introductory entry, where I tell you a little about myself. My name is Amy, and I love dance in all its forms. I'm one of the dancers in the Kickstarter video, and I will be performing in the play itself.
I graduated from college with a degree in business. I am a thesis away from an MA in clinical psychology, and I currently work in a project management role at a firm that does high-end residential renovations in Manhattan. So, in case anyone was wondering--I'm not a stripper. I don't have enough time!
I started pole dancing a few years ago, which is honestly one step removed from movement therapy, in my opinion. Yes, there is a pole involved, but it's really tangential to the idea of the class itself, which is to build women up in confidence and self-love by teaching us that we are all beautiful and unique, and that we are all sensual and sexual beings despite what society (or our self-perceptions) may tell us. Through pole classes, I met Lauren, Ilov, and Kathy, who I have always felt very connected to and I've always admired their formidable creative talents. So when they asked me to be part of this endeavor the only answer was YES!
Through my pole dancing classes, I learned to relish the extension of a leg into a pointed toe and the feeling of soaring around the pole and over the ground. And as I continued my studies my appreciation of movement quickly expanded to wanting to learn more about dance in other mediums. Luckily, living in Manhattan affords me the opportunity to see shows by amazing dance companies from around the world, and I have been taking full advantage. On days when I'm not dancing, or watching dance, you can find me teaching pole dance at SHOCKra studios in Manhattan.
For another example of my pole dancing, please see the video (above)
Lauren Spencer (Producer Pole Play: Taking Flight))
Ah, yes, inspiration in flight! That's what I feel every time I swing, climb and play on a pole. So it makes perfect sense to bring together my love for dance with my background in writing and music. I'm originally from Southern California, but have lived enough of my life in NYC to savor the inspiration this city has to offer. Through my career as a music journalist at Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, along with working for Elektra Records, I know only too well how music and movement can work its magic. While I've lived to express myself through words--having written books for teens and adults, along with numerous articles on lifestyle topics outside of music--I've come to realize in the last few years how expressive dance is in delivering a message.
With that in mind, Pole Play: Taking Flight was born out of the desire to bring a story of strength through words and movement. Specifically focusing on taking back the stigma of the pole as a tool for sexual commerce and instead exposing it as a means of expression and sensuality in a woman's movement and growth. Something that can be shared with all those lucky men out there who know that the key to sexiness is strength and self-confidence. Partnering with Kathy, writer, director and dancer, we've been moving toward this project for a good while. The addition of Amy and Ilov brought home the point that the time is now for the message to speak, spin, shine and climb.
