Cleo The Hurricane is a two time Miss Pole Dance Australia champion, dazzling audiences with over the top performances and badass stage presence. She knows what it takes to wow judges and take home the prize. Now she shares her hard-won wisedom to help you do the same!
Check out Cleo’s 5 Honest & Maybe a Lil Controversial Tips on Competing below:
1. Going first is not great if you want to win!
WHY? Because the judges have nothing to compare you to and will be very conservative with their point giving. Some comps even take away the score sheets so judges can’t go back and change! Not only this, but comp organisers will tend to put the ‘stars’ toward the end so the audience stays until the end. If there is drinking involved, the audience will go even more WILD for competitors near the end, when the judges get a sense of who the audience likes, they will favour that competitor, this is also because the competitor on stage will feel more confident when the audience is cheering them on, and the judges will see that.
Another point! You don’t want to go first because the pole can be ‘cold’. (See point 2)
How to combat this? Be a fuckin’ diva. Demand not to go first. (Or ask nicely haha) Unless this is your first comp and you are doing it for the experience. Then go first and get it out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of the show!
2. Slippery Pole? First off, if you are stressing that your pole is going to be slippery - STOP!
If you think about it so much you are only making it worse for yourself. Having confidence in your apparatus is JUST as important as having confidence in yourself as a performer. Know what grip aids work every time for you and lather up. Get your pole cleaners to smother the poles in Girlie Grip or Dry Hands from top to bottom if you must. And for pole comps that don’t allow grip on the pole? WTF? Doesn’t a gymnast powder up before hitting the bars in the Olympics? A little tip I used to use is shaving gel and hair spray, topped with Girlie Grip, then more hairspray. SO MUCH grip that my legs will fuckin’ stick together! I mean, how could I possibly be slippery?
Also not going first helps, because the pole will be nice and warm, and if the girl before you looked super sticky? Then keep it dirty! Tell your pole cleaners not to clean it. Your chances of catching some kind of bacterial infection are slim! But then, ew. Your call.
AND if you DO get slippery and can’t perform your routine then freestyle… people love floor fucking these days! BRING IT!
3. Wardrobe Malfunctions happen ALL the time!
Practice with your costume, ask your friend if there is any nip slip when you are upside down. Double sided tape those boobs to your bra anyway just in case! If you have something you want to take off mid-routine, velcro is the easiest to rip off. But figure out WHAT hand to pull from WHAT direction. And practice this! E.G. Velcro is attached going to the left. Your right hand will pull it to the right. KNOW this and PRACTICE! Easy.
4. Go big or go home! But that doesn't include false eyelashes.
I mean don’t use HUGH eyelashes because they make your eyes look really small. A (little bit bigger than) natural length is best with mascara. I’ve gone too heavy once and will never do it again! You want your eyes to look huge on stage! This is also achieved with white eyeliner on your bottom eyelid, with black eyeliner well below that.
5. Don't end your routine with you dying on stage.
Finish with a BANG like you just killed it. Not that you got killed. Fading like a flower puts a downer onto your routine and we want the audience to feel good. This all has to do with the song you choose. Many songs end fading out in the last chorus. Don’t choose a song that fades out, but that ends with a strong beat, so you can finish your routine with a BANG!
BONUS TIP!
What pole tricks to use:
There are so many new tricks out there, but just because they’re new doesn’t make them more beautiful than the old school tricks, or the tricks that you know suit your body.
Don’t leave out the Jade Split or Butterfly/Extended Butterfly, or even a beautiful Scorpio (inside leg hang) because you think they’re too simple. These moves are timeless and look SO much better on stage than a lot of the new twisted (lets put this hand around my back or up my bum for fun) tricks out there. You’re going to stand out with your overall show, not by putting every new trick you can cram into 1 routine.
***This is based on my own personal experiences as a Judge and Competitor and does not necessarly relate to every Pole Comp out there!***
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