SFPD Student of the month: Stacey Shkuratoff
SF Pole & Dance’s student of the month this July is the one and only Stacey Shkuratoff, who has been poling since January, 2015. Stacey is a front-end developer at Popsugar and spends most of her free time working on The Janky Barge or dancing on Chester, the Art Car. Here’s a look into her pole journey!
SFPD: Stacey, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Stacey: Sure! I’m a 30 year old Canadian transplant and I work at Popsugar as a front-end developer. I became a computer engineer sort of by accident, but it was a happy accident since I decided to stick with it. I love programming because I really like seeing when something I’ve built actually works and makes someone’s life easier. I’ve also always wanted to design thrill rides and hey, it might happen someday now that everything is run by computers.
SFPD: What led you to start poling?
Stacey: I’ve always been active (I was a cheerleader for 11 years), but when I started pole, I was in the honeymoon phase of a new relationship and getting “squishy” (said with love). At that time, I decided the path to less squish was trying a new sport. I enjoy strength and dance related activities, so I thought doing tricks on pole would be a good option. I tried a class at my gym which was included in my membership and really liked it. I’ve been poling ever since!
SFPD: And how have you developed as a pole athlete since?
Stacey: I was able to pick up a lot of tricks early on, but have hit a plateau for the past few months. My biggest limitation is flexibility, especially in the splits department, so I’m focusing on taking flexibility classes at SFPD on Monday and Thursday evenings to overcome it. I’m also not the most graceful dancer, so I’m working hard on transitions for pole choreography to make my routines more dynamic. I’ve taken Tiffany Mockler’s Pole Choreography class and I love it!
As a person, pole has made me a much more confident. In cheerleading, I competed in groups. Competing alone in pole was incredibly scary, but I managed to get through my first competition (PPC Level 3 Championships) this year, which was awesome. I’m hooked and I plan to keep competing!
SFPD: Do you see any parallels between being coding as an engineer and performing as a pole dancer?
Stacey: Not really. I feel like a work I have to keep a straight face and maintain a more masculine persona while at pole I can let my emotions go and most certainly blow off some steam. The energies are very different…and I appreciate that.
SFPD: What is one of your favorite pole memories?
Stacey: My first performance was on Chester. I didn’t know what I was in for at all. I was told to just come and do a performance and that everyone was really nice. When I showed up, there was a GIANT fire horse I had to perform on. It was MASSIVE. I’m definitely not afraid of heights anymore, that’s for sure!
SFPD: That’s amazing! Now, let’s do some rapid fire questions. What’s your favorite pole trick?
Stacey: Sneaky V transition (where you move your leg in between your arms) into butterfly!
SFPD: What motivational quote drives you?
Stacey: “Screw motivation, what you need is discipline.” from this article.
SFPD: Finally, what are your #polegoals for the future?
Stacey: My next competition is in Seattle this November — and I can’t wait! I’d also like to set up a play date with Chester and The Janky Barge so I can dance for all my friends. The community aspect, is after all, one of the most parts of the pole dance world. Since we have kind of an underground sport, everyone is a little quirky and super friendly, just like me!