This is the transcript of our Episode 12: Meet Poler & Competitor, Scarlett Inferno from Pole On The Call that aired Thursday, March 24, 2022.
You can watch this episode on YouTube, or listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite podcast service.
Cris Rivers and Mændy Mac interview Pole Dancer, Performer, and Competitor Terry, also known as Scarlett Inferno! Read her bio below and then listen or watch our interview to learn about this amazing pole dancer.
Let us know how you like our episode and share with a pole friend!
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Follow Scarlett Inferno on Instagram @terrimc223
I retired from a career as an alcohol and drug addictions professional on January 1 2000. just in time to experience the covid 19 pandemic with the rest of the human race! Being that I had been diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure and was entering my late 60's, I knew I was at elevated risk for my health. So, I went on a health kick . At first I walked/hiked almost every day. Then when things opened up a little more I joined a senior hiking group. I actually lost weight during covid! I then began to take beginner ballet classes designed for people in my age group. I had had someone in my class that also took pole dancing classes in the same town.
So in January of 2021 at age 67, I took my very first pole dancing class. Being that I had some medical issues the owner of the pole studio required me to obtain medical clearance from my physician. Fortunately, he was all for it as long as "you're not upside down for 1/2 an hour!"
At my first class I barely survived the warm up. II was such a newbie that I did not even own a yoga mat so I brought a beach towel ( I live at the Jersey Shore after all!). The instructor/owner graciously lent me a studio mat to use. 95% of the exercises she had me do I had never done before, so I was quite a bit lost. I have never been an athlete ,never had a gym membership, never took any regular exercise classes. So just the warmup was new to me!
So, I managed to get through the first class in one piece even thought I could not even get up on the pole. I mentioned to the instructor that attempting to climb the pole brought back my bad memories of failing to climb a rope in gym class as a kid. I had forgotten all about that. Then she said , well "this is harder". So one of my best pole successes happened about 8 months later when I was finally able to climb that same pole all the way to the top and back down several times with the same instructors help!
Ok, this is not turning out to be so short but to continue: I didn’t give up and actually joined two local pole studios. One of them offered a beginner performance series which I was able to join. Five of us who had never performed before worked on a group routine every week for two months and then performed at that studio's spring showcase last year. Well that was so much fun, I have been in six more performances since then, three of which were actual competitions.
I did my first PSO competition last summer, PSO Gemini, it was a virtual competition which is a good way to get into it without the stress of a live show. So we filmed it at one of my local studios with the assistance of one of my best teachers who was also good at doing the video. We did about six takes and picked one to send in. It was quire a trip to watch when they aired the competition and there I was! I did win a gold medal but bear in mind I was the only one in my category and age group “level 1, entertainment, grandmaster." As soon as I finished that I signed up for a live PSO the PSO Northeast in Boston.
I was very impressed with PSO, they were very organized and welcoming in Boston Once again I competed in level 1 entertainment, grandmaster. They combined master and grandmaster age groups in our three person section. Fortunately they had us go on stage at 11 am on Saturday so by lunch time, our anxieties were over! I picked up the bronze medal in that one and had a blast seeing so many great performances. The audience was super and very supportive for every competitor! Heck even the volunteer pole cleaners had people cheering them on!
Besides pole, I also do chair and incorporate chair into my performances and competitions. I now have my own performance chair which I have decorated with pole dancer decals. I brought it to Boston and had two other really good dancers borrow it for their acts. So my chair got way more stage time that I did! And, my chair won three medals Besides our bronze, the two dancers who borrowed the chair both won gold!
As I note on my Instagram page, I identify as trans (transgender). So, I have whole lot of history there! I am not the type of trans person who has had any gender confirmation surgery or has taken hormones. At times I identify as gender fluid. I used to be very politically active in the trans community. I am also 34 years sober and still go to 12 step meetings.
I have been together with my wife, Marybeth, for over 32 years and we have been married for 6 years. We started taking ballet together in the fall of 2020 but when I started pole she just rolled her eyes and said "You're on your own with that!" Except, after she saw me perform and saw how supportive, friendly and enthusiastic everyone in pole seems to be, she started taking some pole classes herself!