Meet the woman behind Los Angeles’ longest running pole dance show, Kelly Yvonne of Girl Next Door!

How did you get into pole dancing?

I got into pole dancing for the fitness potential and, at the time, I was a retired professional dancer. Ultimately (and unintentionally) pole dancing revived my performing career!

You started Girl Next Door, Los Angeles’ longest running pole dance show. Tell us about the show and how you it got started!

Girl Next Door – a pole dance soiree – is an artistic pole dance showcase that explores the whimsical and sensual side of the everyday woman. I got the idea for the show shortly after I started taking class because of the eclectic mix of women drawn to pole dancing – each had a unique professional background from electrical engineer to administrative assistant, from mother to publicist. As a result, I created a show based on this concept to give them a safe, public platform to share their artistry.

Girl Next Door Highlight Video

Do you teach pole dancing?

Currently I do not teach regular pole dance classes, but I am hired for private lessons and choreography. I do, however, teach regular dance classes to kids ranging in age from 8-20 years; I teach hip hop, ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, etc.

How do you take care of yourself, given all the dancing you do?

As far as my personal regimen outside of teaching, currently my focus is pole dance and I train 3-4 days per week. I also mix in mixed martial arts fitness and an occasional hip hop or jazz dance class.

How would you describe your personal dance style?

I have a variety of dance styles that I like to perform and it largely depends on the type of show or my mood. However, I would describe my favorite dance style as “Lyrical Storytelling,” which infuses contemporary dance movement with theatricality to convey a message or emotion to an audience.

Favorite makeup tip:

My favorite make up tip is a cleavage enhancement trick that I learned while dancing in the NBA. Take an eye shadow that is a few shades darker than your normal skin tone; use a brush to apply the shadow below the inside of each breast; blend well; and voilà! From the stage, it will give the appearance of enhanced cleavage!

Barefoot, sneakers, or platform heels?

Barefoot all the way!

Favorite grip enhancer:

My current favorite grip enhancer is Dry Hands.

Pole dance move that made you proudest to learn:

My proudest pole dance move to learn was the “lean back” or “the bat.” It’s a simple move of falling backwards with the pole gripped between the thighs but I am SO afraid of falling backwards that this was a HUGE feat for me! It’s still not perfect, but it’s definitely a work in progress.

Pole dance pet peeves:

This is a tough question, but I guess it would be someone’s unwillingness to see the endless potential of pole dance as BOTH sexy entertainment and an art form. Many people still believe that pole dancing is only for strippers but I believe that it is for EVERYONE regardless of gender, profession, religion, etc.

Favorite treatment for bruises and sore muscles:

I recommend hot showers or saunas. For extreme cases, rest/time off is the best remedy.

Favorite music to pole dance to:

My favorite music to pole dance to is lyrically-driven ballads, for example, “Father Figure” by George Michael, “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin and the like.

Weirdest place you’ve ever poled:

Drais at the W Hollywood Hotel.

Pre-performance rituals:

Before any performance I like to visualize the routine with my eyes closed. In my head I watch myself performing and executing each movement as I would like the audience to see it. This helps me walk on stage confidently despite pre-performance nerves.

Who would you most like to have in the audience when you pole dance?

Leonardo DiCarpio!

Who is your hero or role model?

Oprah Winfrey is my role model; I aspire to become a professional philanthropist like her someday.

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

“Do something that scares you every single day!”

Favorite pizza toppings:

Mushrooms, olives, and extra garlic.

Cupcakes or ice cream?

CUPCAKES!

Strangest pole dancing question/comment you’ve ever received:

“Why aren’t you a stripper?”

What do you like to do when you’re not pole dancing?

When I’m not pole dancing, I am choreographing or working on creating the next Girl Next Door show!

Anything else you’d like to share:

COME TO THE SHOW! There are is only one more performance in 2010 – Sunday, December 12th (One Year Anniversary). For more information, visit Vinyet Productions.

For those of you lucky enough to be in LA, indulge yourself with a Girl Next Door show. For the rest of us (at least, those of us on Facebook),here’s another video of Girl Next Door.

Photos with black background by photographer Mike Quain.