Beat the late-summer heat and tune into your extremities for Point & Flex Month! We’re building hand grip, wrist mobility, foot conditioning, and heels technique. Plus, guest workshops, sexual wellness, body connection breathwork, and our rescheduled Showcase on August 16th. Dive into our new lineup!
As the end of summer heat continues to bake the studio, the poles can still be a bit slick. Instead of fighting friction through a whole class, August gives us the perfect excuse to stay low and tune into the details of our extremities that transform good movement into intentional lines. Welcome to Point & Flex Month!
Throughout the month, our classes will focus on the power, precision, and mobility of your hands, wrists, feet, ankles, and the limbs. We’ll be breaking down hand strength and the subtle mechanics of different grips, building wrist mobility to keep your joints healthy, and conditioning our feet and ankles for stability. You’ll explore how to execute intentional lines and shapes, because good lines don’t always mean a pointed toe! From learning dance heels technique to mastering explosive momentum while wearing platform heels in kipping workshops, we’re giving your limbs some much needed focus time.
Plus, August is the perfect time to build fresh skills from the ground up! We have a stacked lineup of Intro and 101 series hitting the schedule, whether you are stepping into a brand-new apparatus for the very first time or looking to brush up on foundational mechanics. And by popular demand, we are welcoming back Butts & Guts after its last run sold out, to keep your core and lower body ready for all the demands in dance and life!
In this edition:
Studio Announcements: Upcoming closures & events
Feature Classes: Workin’ limbs, and rockin’ heels
Guest Instructor: Faeinis the dance nymph!
Beyond the Movement: Body Connection, & Sexual Wellness
More Specialty Classes & Series: Starting in July thru mid August.
Studio News: A thank you, and some set procedure updates
Studio Announcements
Upcoming Studio Closure & Registration Policy Reminder
Labor Day Closure:
The studio will be completely closed on Monday, September 7th so our staff and instructors can enjoy a well-deserved day of rest.
Holiday Weekend Registration:
Classes will run exactly as scheduled from Friday, September 4th through Sunday, September 6th, but we are enforcing a strict 6-hour registration cutoff before class (rather than our usual 2 hours).
If an emergency pops up first thing in the morning or you need a last minute spot, text the studio line ASAP so we can try to get you in!
Holiday Reading: Honoring All Labor
While you are hopefully catching some rest and downtime over the long weekend, we wanted to share an article that aligns deeply with the history and heart of our studio.
As many of you know, Cleveland Eclectic Dance is proudly sex-worker founded. Beyond my years as a stripper, I also spent time providing erotic body services. Those lived experiences deeply inform how we value body autonomy, labor rights, and inclusive, shame-free spaces at CED.
Labor Day was created to honor the contributions and dignity of workers, but historically, the labor movement has often left out the very people who built and shaped the dance styles and types of embodiment we choose to practice. We have far more choice and agency in our chosen recreation than many sex workers have over their jobs and personal lives due to the risks inherent to their work, and yet, they are the reason we have Pole and related movement forms in the first place. It simply shouldn’t be that way. The more informed we are, the better we can speak to others about what we do, where it comes from, and how to honor and support bodily autonomy and choice.
This Labor Day, Let’s Recognize The Work Of Sex Workers
Please give it, and the other linked articles within, a read and reflect on how we can all advocate for body sovereignty and solidarity across every form of labor. (Please ignore the image links that aren’t loading; all the subsequent article links work!)
– Roxi
Summer Student Showcase: Take 2
As many of you know, summer storms rolled through in June and knocked out our power at the absolute last minute, forcing us to cancel the showcase. But the show must go on…2 months later!
After polling our performers and staff, we have selected Sunday, August 16th at 5:00 PM as our official new date.
Since this pushes the date out by nearly two months, we are treating this as a full do-over and opening sign-ups back up!
Want to Join the Lineup? Since you now have extra time to polish a routine, anyone is welcome to submit a number! We accept all acts, not just those from formal choreography series. Contact Lisa for the sign up form. Sign-ups close August 6th!
Already Signed Up? You are still on the performance list! We will reach out 10 days before the event to confirm you’re still good to go.
(Note: our showcases are private events for students, staff, and their invited guests.)
Featured Classes for August
Heel Dance 101
Thursdays, August 11th-September 15th
5:30-6:30pm In Studio Only
This beginner-friendly series is designed to teach the fundamentals of heels dance in a supportive and empowering environment.
Students will learn proper heel technique, balance, posture, walks, turns, body awareness, floorwork basics, all performance quality while building strength and confidence each week.
Leg Hang Clinic: Inside, Outside, & Beyond
Wednesday, August 12th
7:00-8:00pm In Studio Only
Mastering Leg hangs is your ticket to feeling secure, confident, and creative while upside down. In this workshop, we are breaking down the essential mechanics and troubleshooting any plateaus you currently have in these shapes.
If you are newer to Leg hangs, we will focus on building a rock-solid foundation. If you already have your hooks down, we will dive into smoothing out transitions, like switching between inside and outside hangs, moving from Gemini to Swan, or exploring variations like Flatline Scorpio. Pike and Straddle Hip holds are on the menu, too!
HIIT for Ankle Strength
Thursday, August 27th
6:00-6:40pm In Studio & Online
This class will teach you a circuit workout that will help you develop ankle strength to support your dance (and heel) habit.
We’ll give exercises and modifications based on ability, and will use our breath to move us through a full body workout with special focus on our legs and hips.
We will start with a gentle, mobility warmup, and then jump into three rounds of exercises, each with four exercises per round. You’ll work hard for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest between exercises, then repeat. All moves can be modified to your fitness level, but be prepared to sweat and work hard.
Kipping Up with the Cor-dashians: An Intro to Kips
Saturday, August 29th
12:15-1:15pm In Studio Only
Kips, ahoy!
Let’s find some fun, dynamic ways to get down on our knees! We will look at the foundations of how to land some very gentle kips before moving up with some more aggressive drops.
Heels (preferably with closed toes or other toe protection) and knee pads are REQUIRED for this class for safety reasons.
Guest Instructor Spotlight: Faeinis
We are thrilled to welcome Faeinis (FAY-in-iss)—a zill fae and fusion dance nymph with a passion for finger cymbals, high fantasy aesthetics, and theatrical dance! Currently frolicking between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, she is a member of RAD Raks Dance Company, a Dance Cohesion Stage 3 Trained Teacher, and an AFAA-Certified Group Fitness Instructor.
Rhythm into Motion: Cued Cohesion Belly Dance
Sunday, August 9th
1:15-2:45pm In Studio Only
In this 90-minute introduction to April Rose’s Cued Cohesion belly dance format, students will explore how rhythm, movement, and group improvisation come together in a fun and supportive environment.
We’ll begin with an introduction to finger cymbals and learn the maqsum rhythm. Students will learn two cued cohesion moves that utilize the same belly dance hip-work making it easy to focus on musicality and group connection without needing a large movement vocabulary. We’ll also explore core Cued Cohesion concepts including turns and traveling.
This workshop is open to everyone — whether you’re an adventurous belly dance beginner, an experienced dancer curious about improvisational formats, or simply interested in rhythm and movement.
Beyond the Movement
Sexual Wellness
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.
The Pursuit of Pleasure
Saturday, August 22nd
12:15-1:30pm In Studio & Online
This workshop invites participants to explore how pleasure shows up in their bodies, relationships, and daily lives. Blending discussion, reflection, and embodied exercises, The Pursuit of Pleasure centers joy, consent, curiosity, and self-connection as foundations of sexual wellness.
Participants will learn inclusive language around pleasure and desire, unpack cultural messages that shape our comfort with pleasure, and leave with a personal “pleasure plan” for integrating delight, agency, and body-positivity into their lives.
Body Connection
Dance and athletic conditioning are only part of the equation when it comes to inhabiting your body. Our Body Connection offerings focus on somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and internal awareness. They give you dedicated time and practices to tune into your body. Cultivate a deeper, more compassionate relationship with yourself that supports every move you make on or off the apparatus.
Inner Currents: A Breathwork Experience for Embodied Flow
Thursday, September 3rd
6:00-7:00pm In Studio & Online
Beneath the surface of movement lies a quiet rhythm—your breath. Inner Currents is a breathwork journey designed to help you reconnect with your internal flow, soften resistance, and awaken embodied awareness.
In this workshop, you’ll explore the subtle power of your breath as a tool for emotional release, nervous system regulation, and deeper body connection. Whether you’re a pole artist, a movement lover, or simply seeking space to exhale, this experience invites you to turn inward, listen closely, and let your breath guide you.
No experience with breathwork is necessary—just bring your body, your breath, and a willingness to meet yourself where you are.
More Specialty Classes & Series
Belly Dance 101
Mondays, August 3rd – September 14th
7:00-8:00pm In Studio & Online
Your starting point into the world of belly dance taught from a Fat Chance Fusion standpoint with some Cabaret style. During the 6 weeks you will learn all base belly dance movements, and finish the session with a mini dance!
Belly Dance 101 is created to give brand new students a solid foundation to continue on in our weekly belly dance class. Students wishing to review basics are also welcome. This is a 6 week semester course. Please contact us before you register if you can’t make it to all six weeks.
Lyra 101
Wednesdays, August 5th – September26th
6:00-7:00pm In Studio Only
Lyra 101 is a 4-week series designed for the aerial-curious! This class is all about moving with and on the lyra – an aerial hoop rigged from the ceiling – and how that may differ from other activities such as pole.
Great for total beginners to dance and fitness, as well as those looking for a thorough review of basic lyra techniques, this workshop will adapt to meet students at their individual level.
Expect to interact with the lyra through introductory conditioning exercises, gentle spins, climbs, static poses, and combos.
Intro to Fat Chance Belly Dance
Sunday, August 9th
3:00-5:00pm In Studio Only
Fat Chance Bellydance Style (previously known as ATS) is a style of Belly Dance that started in the 1980’s in San Francisco, California by Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman and is now danced all around the world.
Based on cues and gestures this is a fun improvisational dance that is done in a group of people. In this workshop we will be going over 4 basic slow and fast moves and drill them out and go into the basic formations.
Butts & Guts
Tuesdays, August 11th & 18th
6:45-7:45pm In Studio Only
Spend time focusing on conditioning your core and butt in this two week fitness series, and be able to take away some exercises you can do outside the studio!
What more can we say? This is a super popular series. Sold out in March, so here we are again. Don’t miss it!.
Intro to Burlesque
Saturday, August 15th
1:00-2:30pm In Studio Only
Rather than rushing into choreography and glitter, this class explores iconic burlesque elements such as bumps, grinds, shimmies, struts, and peels. By the end, you’ll leave with a simple set of burlesque tools you can continue practicing on your own
The Intro to Burlesque workshop is open to all experience levels and bodies. No dance background required — just curiosity and a willingness to try something new!
Burlesque 201
Wednesdays, August 19th – September 23rd
7:00-8:00pm In Studio Only
Take your burlesque practice to the next level where you’ll have the opportunity to do a deeper dive into learning about burlesque history and growing trends, use skills learned in burlesque 101 to work on improv and creating your own combos and choreography, work on facial expressions and character building, add a little floor-work to your practice, and spend some time learning how to build your own larger props and costume pieces.
Dance Like a Stripper
Wednesdays, August 19th – September 23rd
8:00-9:00pm In Studio Only
Come join the Stripper Style army at CED!
This is an untamed and explicit 6 week experience that will have you rolling your body, shaking your booty, and loving your body like no other class out there.
Burlesque 101
Wednesdays, September 2nd – October 7th
6:00-7:00pm In Studio Only
Learn the building block movements of classic burlesque. We will cover bumps and grinds, dips and shimmies, walks and poses, peels and combos!
From day one, we will go over how to string classic moves together to create simple and sexy burlesque combos. Students will also learn the art of the tease, and how to elevate the dance through audience engagement, self-touch, and musicality.
This class is a 101 for all levels; whether you are brand new to burlesque or looking to brush up on technique and learn some tips and tricks, all are welcome!
Static Rotations
Wednesdays, September 2nd – October 7th
6:00-7:00pm In Studio Only
Look like you are on a spinning pole without the dizziness!
This is an introduction to static rotation techniques which use hand and grip changes while shifting body weight through hips and shoulders to create transitions and poses that wrap your body around the pole.
Practicing these techniques will bring a seamless look to your static pole work that will have people wondering if your pole is spinning or not.
Intro to Chair Dance
Thursday, September 10th
6:00-7:30pm In Studio Only
Build a solid foundation in chair dance!
By the end of this specialty class you will feel comfortable in a variety of sexy posed chair positions, and will have learned how to connect them in different ways.
You can then take this to add a new layer to a private dance, to use in burlesque, or a good foundation to more acrobatic chair skills in the future.
In the News: Air Quality & Studio Safety Policy
When we tell our community that every body is a “smokin’ hot body,” we didn’t mean it quite so literally!
If you were with us during the recent wildfire smoke events, you know how wild it was to actually see and smell haze inside buildings and the studio was no different. At times maybe worse because of the older warehouse construction. Thank you all so much for rolling with the schedule fluctuations as we navigated those unprecedented air quality shifts last month.
To ensure everyone stays safe and healthy, we have established a clear policy for future air quality advisories using real-time AQI data from AirNow.gov:
- AQI Under 150: Classes will run as scheduled.
- AQI 150–200 (Unhealthy): Class status is at the individual instructor’s discretion. Some of our teaching staff are sensitive to air quality, and teaching physical skills in poor air can be tough. We will attempt to secure subs, but if a sub isn’t available, classes in that block may be canceled.
- AQI Over 200 (Very Unhealthy): For the safety of our entire community, all studio classes will be canceled automatically. It just isn’t safe to breathe heavier in that kind of condition.
Determination Time: Air quality decisions will be made and communicated approximately 4 hours prior to class start times.
Student Cancellations: If you need to cancel your spot due to personal health or respiratory concerns—even if the studio remains open—please text us at our main studio number. No penalties will apply for air-quality health cancellations.
Communication Channels
If we ever need to adjust the schedule or cancel classes due to poor air quality, we will make sure the news reaches you quickly across multiple platforms. First, we will send a direct text message to all students currently registered for any affected classes. Simultaneously, we will broadcast updates directly to our inner student community on Discord, as well as post public announcements across our Instagram and Facebook pages so everyone stays in the loop.