Hey everyone…

So this is what is going on regarding the workshops we have scheduled in March. As you all know Body & Pole is not affiliated with the USPDF or with NY Pole Dance studio. We are a brand new studio in NYC, and a completely separate entity from NY Pole Dance.

I booked the girls a couple of months ago, knowing that they are coming here for the USPDF competition. I waited for all of them to give me the thumbs up, then waited for the USPDF to come out with their workshops schedule, and based on that, I scheduled the girls in a way that did not interfere with their USPDF classes. At no point did I think this was going to be an issue as I knew there was nothing in their contract saying they can’t teach at other studios. I also figured there are going to be so many women coming to NYC for this that the NY Pole Dance workshops will not be enough for everyone to be able to take a workshop with these amazing women.
With that said, a couple of weeks after posting the workshops on my website, I received a call from one of the instructors telling me that they all got an email from Wendy and Anna, the founders of the USPDF and the owners of NY Pole Dance, telling them that they are not allowed to teach at other studios that are not affiliated with the USPDF while they are in NY, between March 18-20th. I have been trying to fight this for the last month, but it seems that the USPDF girls, think that they own the instructors and can forbid them from working at my studio.
Once Wendy and Anna found out that they booked workshops at my studio, they told the girls that if they chose to do so, they will cancel their workshops at NY Pole dance, and not pay their hotels and flights to NYC.
It is completely illegal and wrong on so many levels.
I asked the girls to all stick to their commitment to Body & Pole, but it seems that one by one they are buckling under the pressure that the USPDF is putting on them. They are bullying them because they know they can.
The girls have worked really hard for the competition and fear that Wendy and Anna will sabotage their chances to win if they work for me on Saturday.
I sent the USPDF girls a letter from my attorney telling them that what they are doing is not legal, and even sent a very long email to both, practically begging them to let this go, as all their workshops are full, and as the representatives of the USPDF they should support all studios, not just their own. I told them it is not about me or my studio, it is about all the girls that had already signed up for these workshops. They didn’t even bother to reply.
I called several times, but they will not take my calls.
I canceled Karols’ Saturday class as she only had a few girls signed up and she insisted that I cancel it. I can’t blame her, as she has been under so much pressure from them. They also send out a contract retroactively last week, for the girls to sign now, saying they can not teach at my studio. Messed up, I know.
Both Alethea and Jenyne have expressed that they are too scared to fight with Wendy and Anna and that they would like to cancel the Saturday workshops at Body & Pole. I told both of them that they had a commitment to my studio and to the students, and that I will not cancel the workshops. I am torn and don’t know what to do.
I am trying to get in touch with Felix to see if I can fly her out here for 2 workshops on Saturday, instead of the ones with Alethea and Jenyne, but she hasn’t responded yet.

I am so disappointed at the USPDF and the fact that they are not doing what they are suppose to do, which is support the pole dance community and studios. They very clearly don’t care about anything but making money off of all you girls. It is so wrong that they simply don’t care that I have 24 women signed up for these classes who might not be able to afford their prices, and that might not be able to take workshops as they are all full at NY Pole Dance. I have tried everything, even looked at other spaces to run these workshops on Sunday instead, but there is too much overlapping in the schedules that it is simply impossible for me to do that. I have been breaking my head trying to find a solution for this.
I am trying to please everyone and I can’t. This has been a horrible month for me, dealing with this nonsense. It is so uncalled for. There are enough women for both of our studios to have full workshops and be happy. But Wendy and Anna are just being greedy and selfish and frankly I am really disgusted by their unprofessional behavior.

I am so so sorry that this is what might be happening, I am doing my best to try to make up for it one way or another.
Feel free to contact Wendy and Anna directly to let them know how fucked up this is.

I will keep everyone posted. I didn’t want this to happen but I might have no other choice if the girls don’t want to teach for me on Saturday.
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif
Lian
Body & Pole