“PHASES was born over dinner and drinks shared by two friends equally passionate about pole as art.” That’s the website text, and it’s true, but in reality, this goes much deeper.

After a year of teaching pole, I took some time to bring focus back to myself and again began dancing just for me. A fellow instructor, Laurel, would often show up to the studio around the same time. Soon enough, we were making plans to dance together. Our friendship blossomed through dance, dinners, and Old Fashioneds in town. 

As performers, we often found ourselves coming back to the same subject - we wished there were more performance opportunities for pole dancers. We wanted the general public to see past pole’s stigma, and recognize it as an art form that inspires confidence, strength, and artistic creation. 

We cherished the grind it took for us to put on that show. “This is what we do for fun” we would, and still say.

I used to frequent a pole show that captured the essence of what we craved. The show took place in a small basement theater, below a chic Mexican restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side. Each production had a theme and unforgettable performances. The artist’s performances were not cliché. They weren’t always sexy. They didn’t always showcase fancy, polished tricks. It was a far cry from the competition stage, which was growing in popularity and served as a safe performance space for pole dancers and athletes. This show was raw, emotional, and told powerful stories. I always left feeling overcome with inspiration. 

One night, I pitched the idea of creating something similar in Portland to Laurel. We both had our skill sets: I dreamed up ideas, she kept me grounded and realistic. And I had finally met someone that matched my work ethic. I was a little shocked with delight when she agreed to take on the show together. The birth of PHASES culminated over beers and ideas jotted down on napkins. 

We are Polers, Humans, Artists, baring our Souls through physical Expression in the Polersphere.

With each step, I expected things to crumble. But we formed our cast, directed a photoshoot, created a website, and stunning promo materials with the help of our talented friend and designer, Alison. We booked a venue, set up ticket sales, even showcased a duet performance. On September 14th, 2019, under a full moon, we premiered our sold out show, “A Moonlit Odyssey,” at Bit House Saloon in SE Portland. 

We cherished the grind it took for us to put on that show. “This is what we do for fun” we would, and still say.

With our first show a sold out success, we dreamed up the next phase. 2O2O: An Exploration of the Seasons was to be a four-show seasonal series. Due to the pandemic, our plans were cut short after a successful winter show. We tried to come up with ideas to keep us moving and creating together, but eventually accepted that a performance collective needs its stage.

We look forward to the day we can reunite with our cast on stage. Laurel and I have remained close partners and friends, discovering new creative outlets and planting seeds in new realms.