On April 1st Blackstage, a collective of Black excellence in pole dance, brought the United Kingdom’s pole industry together in Clapham, London: it was their second show and, having missed last year’s one due to a friend’s birthday, there was…
Ultimate Fantasy is a pole dance showcase and event centring beginner performers. Organised by my Akila Pole Studio student Rich, it was a wholesome, raucous night of fun showcasing how much beginners have to offer – and the pole industry…
In January, when getting a haircut, I found out that a patch of my hair was missing. I was truly devastated, and feared I was on a downward trajectory towards irreversible change. This made me reflect on how important towards…
Cassie Pickersgill is a tall, leggy, box dyed redhead pole dance instructor and performer, the other half of The Pole Nook pole photography and dance studio, as well as a sex worker and a theatre trained dancer with eight years…
The Oh Collective is a pleasure, intimate and lingerie brand on a mission to open up conversations about sexual health and intimacy taboos. I first heard about them during Emma-Louise Boynton’s Sex Talks at Shoreditch House, and was intrigued by…
I have been asked to judge the Sexual Freedom Awards 2023 after having won in the Activist of the Year category in 2019. It’s a huge honour to be invited to do it, and I want to make sure those…
Pole dancing in a safe space can enhance our experience as dancers beyond the fitness, performance, self-confidence results that are usually linked with taking up pole. But what does ‘safe space’ actually mean, and how does it apply to pole…
What makes a good online pole dance class? This post was requested by a few of my followers, since lockdowns may be mostly over, but online pole classes are very much here to stay. The pandemic has massively changed the…
2022 has been quite the year! I feel like I have grown so much and not just because I turned 30 this month. So content warning: this is a parade of highlights. I’ll talk about the struggles, but if largely…
Akila Cristiano is the owner of one of London’s newest, most successful pole dance studios. She is also a friend, a fantastic boss, a self-taught pole queen, a neurodivergent instructor and an all-round ray of sunshine. I’m super honoured to…
