Art of the Catwalk

Written by Michele Nereim

Girls sit on the floor, threading the straps of their pole heels. They strip down to sports bras and pole shorts and take a few warm-up spins. At first glance, you might not pick visiting instructor Allie Cox out of the group. Average height and clean-faced, she could be the cute girl who used to sit next to you in science class. But don't be fooled. When Allie touches the pole, a sexy sway comes into her hips. Gracefully, she mounts a handstand or twirls into the Rock-star spin. She whips the crowd into a frenzy when she lowers her body into the Iron X, holding the difficult position and playfully waggling her toes. It's no wonder she earned her USPDF Pro status this year. Quick as Clark Kent in a phone booth, she transforms from girl-next-door into Pole Goddess.

Allie opened the workshop by addressing us: "What do you want to learn?" We shifted back-and-forth on our tottering heels and looked at each other, not sure where to begin. We wanted to learn everything-that's what had brought us, Art of the Catwalk's advanced students, this far. Allie did not disappoint. Soon we were all squeaking down our poles, doing our first drops. Sad Girl Drop, the inverted drop, and Allie's very own Phoenix Drop. We attempted the Rock-star and did triple combinations built on the Twisted Ballerina Spin that were dizzying to watch. Once class was over, Allie stayed behind, taking the extra time to answer our individual questions. I left smiling and exhilarated, feeling like I'd learned a semester's worth of pole moves in one evening. And that's what Allie strives to do: help you tap into your inner beauty and strength and walk out with it into the world. "Helping someone feel better about themselves is like getting paid for me," she says, and it's evident in her instructing.

Allie's power as a teacher is in her attention to details. She offers a meticulous eye and scores of technical and practical advice. As we tackled splits and stretching, Allie outlined some guidelines: in your lunge, don't extend your knee over your ankle; never stretch cold, because, like rubber-bands, muscles snap when cold and stretch when warm; flex your engaged muscles at intervals to tire and relax them. Allie's hard work and success are an inspiration, and she says she derives her own inspiration from a quote by Wayne Dyer: "When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way." Above all, she advises aspiring polers to remember to have fun.

Didn't make it out to the last Allison Cox workshop at Art of the Catwalk? Allie says she'll be back! In the meantime, you can check out Allie's classes at www.OnlinePoleLessons.com.