Trade the routine for a Shap-ril scene. 📐 We’re popping into spring by modifying traditional poses into something entirely new. Whether you’re hitting the Lyra, leveling up your pole progressions, or exploring sexual wellness in our “Beyond the Movement” workshops, there is a space for you to create your own masterpiece this month.
Find your Angles & Flow through your Curves!
April is here! After a month of building our internal architecture with Arch Abness, we are ready to move into Shap-ril. This month is all about the lines we create and is an artistry focused month. We are taking traditional poses and holds and modifying them into something new, creating space for more play with musicality, creative transitions, and different targets for our strength and stretch. This month is also the ultimate preparation for May, where we turn our attention to a shape we all love: the booty!
In this edition:
- The Summer Student Showcase: Performance Season is officially here.
- Supporting the Local Community: Shimmy Mob Hafla.
- Signal Cleveland: local news piece about CED!
- Guest Spotlight: We welcome back Professor X-tina!
- Beyond the Movement: Sexual Wellness & Adult Education.
- Featured Class: Lyra is an amazing apparatus for Shape exploration.
- More Specialty Classes & Series: starting in April thru mid May.
Get Ready for the Showcase!
As we head into May, you’ll notice a lot of choreography series hitting the schedule. These are all gearing up for our Summer Student Showcase on Sunday, June 14th.
You can always take a choreography class just for the fun of it with no pressure to perform. However, if you want to share your art, now is the time! We accept all acts, not just those from the choreography classes. Start working on your number now and let us know if you need any help bringing your vision to life.
Facebook Event: View and Share the Event
Hafla Admission: $7 to $10
Performer Signups for the Hafla: Email Roxi@clevelandeclecticdance.com (Hafla only)
Donate via Venmo:
Important Note: When using Venmo, please include a note specifying if it is for Hafla Admission or a Separate Donation to CRCC.
Join us for the ShimmyMob Hafla.
Saturday, May 9th | Doors 6:30 PM, Show 7:00 PM
Each year on World Belly Dance Day, Shimmy Mob brings together Teams of dancers from cities all around the world performing the same choreography to raise funds for victims of abuse.
Aminah is leading our Cleveland team this year as they learn the choreography for a daytime performance somewhere around Northeast Ohio; we’ll share “where to find us” in the next newsletter.
That evening, we gather at the studio for a Hafla, a celebratory party for dancers and supporters alike. Even if you have never tried belly dance, you are welcome to come join the party, and you might even find yourself in a hip scarf by the end of the evening!
All proceeds the Cleveland Team is raising during ShimmyMob, which includes the Hafla, goes to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
CED in the News!
We are so proud to be featured in Signal Cleveland’s recent piece, “Explore how exotic dance can improve physical, mental health.” It is a wonderful look at how movement at CED helps us reclaim agency and build confidence.
The Evolution of a Name: Reading the article’s title provided a perfect “teachable moment.” For those newer to our community, we actually changed our name from Cleveland Exotic Dance to Cleveland Eclectic Dance a few years ago. While the article uses the term “Exotic Dance” throughout, that phrasing never actually came up during the interview. It was a choice made by the publication, likely as a convenient mainstream term to reach a wider audience.
The global pole community is currently in a deep conversation about phasing out that term due to its complicated history. Changing problematic language that often people do not realize is othering is a process; mistakes will be made, and we believe those should be handled with grace and an intentional response. We are still deeply grateful to Signal Cleveland for helping us share our mission with the rest of the city!
Guest Instructor Spotlight, Professor X-tina!
Christina Loper, aka Professor X-tina, is a dancer, instructor, and actor based in NYC with over 15 years of dance experience and 3.5 years of dedicated pole training. She specializes in Edgework Technique, Low Flow, and Freestyle movement. With a background in performance art, Christina blends technical precision with creativity, encouraging students to explore their own unique ways of moving. She focuses not just on the “how,” but on the “why” behind each movement, helping others connect deeply with their bodies and artistic expression.
We are so excited to have her join our Regional Guest Instructor rotation. We are welcoming her back in Cleveland this May with 2 amazing workshops about Heels and Ass, 2 of our favorite topics.
Are you a midnight ballerina or other adult professional?
Contact Roxi for a SWer discount on X-tina’s workshops before signing up!
Intro to Pole Heels
Sunday, May 3rd
1:15-2:45pm In Studio Only
Build stability and confidence in your heels. Whether you want to brush up on fundamentals or start fresh, this workshop provides the tools for a solid foundation. All levels are welcome!
Velvet Cake
Sunday, May 17th
1:15-2:45pm In Studio Only
Come dive into the essence of your most powerful ass-et in this low flow/floorwork workshop. Get ready to tap into how you can use your cheeks to your benefit, both technically and aesthetically.
Get ready to draw from the power of the peach and have some serious fun in this all booty, all powerful workshop!
Beyond the Movement
Our sensual, erotic, and sexual health directly impacts how we move in the world and how we take up space. These class offerings create a space to decenter the external gaze and the performative pressures that so often dictate how we show up. Additionally, we are creating a safe space for conversations about things we “aren’t supposed to” talk about. Sex Ed is severely lacking among all age groups. Pride & Pleasure is here to give you the resources you might be missing, the space to talk about it, and way to bring more joy and healing to your life.
Sex, Words, & Power
Wednesday, April 22nd
7:15-8:30pm In Studio & Online
This workshop takes us back in time to help us understand how and why we talk about sex the way we do in 2026.
We will unpack old myths, identify common patterns, and reflect on how the literal words we use shape how we think and feel about sex, erotic materials, consent, and relationships. Participants will leave with a broader understanding of the cultural contexts of sex and with new perspectives on how to discuss sex in their daily lives.
Let’s Talk about Sex
Tuesdays, May 5th-26th
6:45-7:45pmpm In Studio & Online
This series is Sex Ed 101.
We go over things you may have missed in school but should know as a sexually active adult. From anatomy to STIs to communication, we cover all the bases on navigating sex as an adult.
Featured Class for Shap-ril
Lyra Shapes & Challenges
Thursdays, April 6th
6:30-7:30pm In Studio Only
In this class we’ll be covering new and old static poses that bring the drama. We’re talkin’ angles, varied connection points, arches, you name it. Taking this class is great for photoshoots, lyra problem-solving, and building personal goals around strength and flexibility. Come puzzle through new hard things in a supportive environment!
More Specialty Classes & Series
Threads & Weaves
Wednesdays, April 1st-22nd
6:00-7:00pm In Studio Only
This class has started but you can start in week 2! Contact Roxi.
You’ll learn to navigate the space between your body, the pole, and the floor with standing threads and seamless lower weaves. These transitions are the building blocks of fluid, uninterrupted movement but can also be used to give power to your flows.
Pole Progressions: Time to Level Up
Mondays, April 20th-May 4th
7:00-8:00pm In Studio Only
Master the key grips and contact points needed to progress through our leveling system. This two week series is geared at helping you master any missing goal moves and leveling up on both sides (I know, but you’ll thank us), with individual training plans to help you graduate to the next level.
Belly Dance Choreography
Mondays, April 20th-June 8th
7:00-8:00pm In Studio Only
We welcome all students with belly dance experience either from completing Belly Dance 101 at CED, or from training elsewhere, to learn a group belly dance choreography number! The song we will be using this time is “Temmr Henna” by Kara Nomadica. A bold fusion take on a classic, this choreography experiments with dynamics of Fat Chance BellyDance format, Salimpour format, and Fusion style,it honors tradition while adding some sass.
Intro to Floorwork
Sunday, April 26th
1:15pm-2:45pm In Studio Only
Discover essential techniques including body rolls, poses, leg waves, seamless transitions, and more. Whether you want to improve flexibility, build strength, or explore your unique style, this class is perfect for anyone new to floorwork or looking to refine their fundamentals.
Dance Like a Stripper 2: Feature Spotlight
Wednesdays, April 29th-June 3rd
8:00-9:00pm In Studio Only
Take your foundation and turn it into a show. Explore character development, prop and costume elements, and theatricality. Prerequisite: DLAS 1.
Lyra Choreography
Thursdays, April 30th-June 4th
6:30-7:30pm In Studio Only
Lyra Choreography is a class for students interested in adding musicality to their lyra practice. Instead of focusing on how to get into various poses, this class will be dedicated towards learning transitions between poses, moving with intention to music, and making a pose last. Modifications will be made to meet students where they are at.
Floor Fuckers
Saturday, May 2nd
12:15-1:15pm In Studio & Online
In this one-hour class, you’ll explore grounded, raunchy movement that feels as powerful as it looks. The kind of ass up, face down, and all around rolling that leaves the room breathless and the floor lucky to be under you.
Expect unapologetic shapes put into hip driven motion, then all tied together by the end of class into a dirty love letter to yourself. Bring your body. Leave your shame.
CED Family Party: Azz Everywhere
Saturday, May 2nd
1:30-3:30 In Studio Only
Hang out with your studio friends in a relaxed environment with a loose lesson plan. Think of CED Family Parties like an extremely casual sampler class meets open practice.
This CED Family Party we’ll be cranking the Big Freedia and getting an introduction to Atlanta Bounce as well as Dirty Delta style pole dancing. We will start with beginner, Midwest based booty moves, and will expand out from there.
Booty by Créé La Beauté
Tuesdays, May 5th-26th
6:45-7:45pm In Studio Only
Get ready to bounce, shake, and build confidence in Booty by Créé La Beauté, a fun and empowering 4-week twerk series designed to help you connect with your body while learning the foundations of twerking.
Throughout the four weeks, you’ll break down essential twerk fundamentals, glute activation, hip mobility, and different bounce variations. Each class will gradually build on the previous week so you can improve your coordination, stamina, and control while learning how to move with the music.
Grounded Pole Choreography
Wednesdays, May 6th – June 10th
5:45-6:45pm In Studio Only
No climbing, no inverts, no problems. Join Erin for an all-levels, beginner friendly routine with spins, slides and floorwork to dance out your summertime sadness.
This is a group routine that we’ll perform together at the CED Summer Showcase on June 14. Please be sure your schedule allows you to attend all 6 classes.
The Art of Heels: Performance Series
Wednesdays, May 6th – June 10th
6:50-7:50pm In Studio Only
Dancers will learn and develop one full heels choreography, focusing on musicality, precision, fluid transitions, and confident stage presence. Each class will build on the last, allowing you to fully embody the movement while strengthening your balance, control, and performance quality in heels.
The goal is not only to learn choreography, but to explore the artistry, expression, and power that comes with dancing in heels.
Burlesque Choreography
Thursdays, May 7th – June 11th
5:30-6:30pm In Studio Only
You’ve got your bumps and grinds down. Your walk is on point. You’re evolving and improving in your burlesque persona. What’s next??
Take the burlesque basics to the next level! Throughout this 6 week course, you will learn choreography, explore musicality and emotion, and complete one entire routine from start to finish!