Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Bajic.
Natasha , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Brass Ovaries is a multi-functional aerial arts studio in Austin that strives to expose our clients to the vertical world. We seek to maintain an attentive training facility so that our guests are free to explore their true selves. We are open to all women, men, and trans-identified persons no matter your race, ethnicity, age, shape, size, or fitness level. https://www.brass-ovaries.com/
I started Brass Ovaries, a pole and aerial arts studio, 15 years ago in response to my PTSD diagnosis. As a disabled vet, I needed to rebuild my life after leaving a six yearx army career. The physical outlet of pole fitness allowed me to process feelings and emotions that I had blocked out. It gave me something to look forward to and more importantly it gave me endurance and community when life felt hopeless. The company name, Brass Ovaries, reflects on what it took to cope with PTSD. I wanted to introduce pole to others to help with their own healing, growth, and self-exploration. I have a drawer full of thank you letters and testimonials from clients talking about how much Brass Ovaries has changed their lives. People who were suicidal, overcoming addiction, leaving abusive relationships, or needing strength to make the decision to better their situation, have improved through our studio support system. Our studio transforms lives and a living testament of that is ten of our employees are former students. They loved how much pole transformed their lives, that they wanted to share it with others.
Brass Ovaries has been a leader and unifier in the pole community for over fourteen years. The studio was one of the first in the United States to teach male/trans/binary students and I have spoken at the International Pole Convention to encourage other studios to open their doors to everyone. Being inclusive is important enough to us that it is part of our mission statement. Our studio lives our mission statement through the staff that we hire. Of 13 employees, five are BIPOC, one is a permanent resident from Russia, three are LGBTQIA, 13 are women, and 1 is a disabled vet. As a studio, we are deeply involved in local activism to support our mission statement. We regularly donate classes and services to various Austin organizations that advocate for women, health care access, BIPOC, queer, immigration legal aid, and various other social justice issues.
Being the first pole studio in town, we are doing our part to Keep Austin Weird. We promote healthy alternatives to people who want to do something a little different. Our studio is home to five US Pole Sports Federation (USPSF) officials who judge pole competitions on a national and international level. USPSF is the governing body of Pole Sport in the USA with the primary goal of assisting POSA (Pole Sports & Arts World Federation) in getting Pole Sport into the Olympic Games. We train pole athletes to help them compete on the world stage. We also make our space available to the Austin Academy of Burlesque, a female/BIPOC-owned business. Currently, there are two burlesque schools in the state of Texas and only 42 schools in the United States. By providing their burlesque school home, we are helping ensure that the art of burlesque continues for decades to come. https://austinburlesqueclasses.wordpress.com/
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
During COVID, our pole family lost a way to give back to the Austin community and the opportunity to elevate many marginalized communities. Currently, the injustices that are happening in a multi-level system are stacked against vulnerable communities and the best way our studio can help dismantle that system is to continue to keep Brass Ovaries open so social justice warriors can find their voice.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We won a grant from Texas Women’s University for Female Veterans. We were able to help students source their own home poles.
Description of the company’s need to undertake the proposed project.
The power of pole dance and the community around it has been healing students for years. Pole allows one to explore artistic expression, engage in fitness/mental health/self-care, all while building community with other students and instructors. COVID derailed a lot of people’s fitness routines causing an adverse impact on one’s mental health and wellbeing. As a studio, we transitioned to virtual classes for 6 months to help stop the spread of COVID. What I noticed was our most financially vulnerable students were no longer able to take part in fitness classes since they did not have access to home poles. I also noticed that it was rare for the students who had poles to own a crash mat. All of our in-studio classes have crash mats and competition-quality poles to keep our students safe. Switching to zoom classes without spotting and mats was something that we had to incorporate into our lesson plans.
Normally for in-person classes, we offer financial-based scholarships or internships to help everyone enjoy pole but we were unable to serve this vulnerable population during the closure. The problem is quality home pole equipment and crash mats are very expensive ($375/$400 for a pole and $250/$300 for a crash mat). Not everyone has that large of an amount to invest but almost all students have a desire to have a home pole to practice safely. I want to be able to offer a way for students who can not afford to make such a big investment a way to purchase their own pole and crash mat through no interest rate payments.
For the project, I chose Xpole Xpert 45 mm chrome poles because they generally last ten years, retain their resale value, and are an industry leader when it comes to safety. I also chose Lupit Crash Mats for their high-density foam and the handmade quality that can withstand impacts without sliding.
Texas has one of the largest collections of pole studios in the US and Austin has more pole studios than any other Texas city. A common problem is a lack of certified pole instructors available for hire. The cost of getting certified is generally $500 and up depending on the program. I chose to team with Xpert training to sponsor seven scholarships for aspiring Texas pole instructors who can not otherwise afford the cost. We will provide the space for two days of training of the new instructors and will assist in obtaining employment for them. Pole Instructors generally make $20-$50 per hour for group classes, $37.50-$100 for privates, and can make extra tips when teaching parties or workshops. BIPOC are most at risk of being under-represented as pole instructors. By creating lifelong fitness habits through pole and training a certified workforce we can help under-represented instructors continue the efforts within their own communities.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Moving every two years because I was a military brat!
Pricing:
- $40 for drop-in classes
- $80 for private lessons
- $350-$500 for private parties
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Brass-Ovaries.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brassovaries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brassovaries
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brassovaries
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrassOvaries/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brass-ovaries-austin-2
Image Credits
Photos by Celesta Danger
