TJ Phoenix (They/Them)
Personal Trainer + Pole Instructor
You may have seen TJ perform with the Va Va Vixens (Louisville’s premier variety and burlesque troupe) and has been performing with them since 2013. You may have also spotted them in local shows such as Bourbontown Burlesque, We Are The Weirdos, Harlots & Hellions, The Bizarre Bazaar, Boots Off Burly Brawl/The Petticoat Peepshow, and Nerd-esque Burlesque.
TJ Phoenix has been burning up the dance floor for roughly 30 years. They really learned to fly when they added pole dancing to their repertoire in 2016.
You may spot this Phoenix soaring at Freestyle Fitness, the local Dance Studio & Fitness Center they own in JTown, that has been serving the Louisville community since 2011! There, they teach pole and is the head personal trainer.
TJ Phoenix is a nerd at heart and loves Cosplay, Renaissance Fairs, and RP games. They joined the Ulfhedinn Vikings in 2019, a Viking-themed entertainment group performing skits involving stunts, steel, martial arts, music and more. With Ulfhedinn TJ plays a berserker by the name of Freka “The Hungry One/The Wolf”... Mind your ears...
TJ Phoenix runs River City LARP and is also responsible for Freestyle Productions, bringing you shows like Nerd-esque Burlesque; a local and traveling Nerdlesque/variety troupe, dedicated to fulfilling your wildest fandom fantasies!
Follow TJ Phoenix:
FB: @FreestyleFitnessKY, @FreestyleTJPhoenix, @NerdesqueBurlesque, and @RiverCityLARP
IG: @FreestyleFitness
YouTube: FreestyleFitnessUSA
TikTok: @FreestyleTJPhoenix
Rikki Little aka “Pixie Pistola” (She/Her)
Pole, Chair, and Flexibility Instructor
Pixie Pistola began her pole journey over 20 years ago and has trained multiple champions. She has been coaching movement arts since 2003 and is certified in pole dance & fitness, hulahoop dance & fitness, and sport yoga. Pixie has performed pole & aerials all across the country and is the producer of We Are the Weirdos variety show. Tale has been told that she was born upside down and spinning!
Mallorye Cheers aka “Sweet Nightmare” (She/Her)
Twerk Instructor
Mallorye was born and raised in the Home of the Blues, Memphis, Tennessee. She moved to Louisville in 2005 to pursue her education at Sullivan University. She received three degrees: 2 associates and a bachelor’s.
Mallorye would later find interest in pole dancing and aerials as hobbies. These hobbies would later open the door to her burlesque debut. She started off as kittening, stage help, and being a hype-girl for a variety of different burlesque shows throughout the city. She would then go on to audition for the Va Va Vixens.
Mallorye made her debut with the Vixens in 2018 and you can still see her perform today. Known on the stage as Sweet Nightmare, she can always be seen showcasing her “round brown” and showing off her self taught twerking skills.
Lydia Sharp
(She/Her)
Pole Instructor
Lydia has been dancing and moving in some capacity since the age of five. She began her movement journey with gymnastics, competing for seven years. After stepping away from gymnastics, she ran track and danced with her school’s dance team—activities that sparked a continued love for fitness and movement that she maintains today.
Just before graduating college in 2018, Lydia discovered aerial arts and pole, and she hasn't looked back since. Although she spent several years traveling for reasons unrelated to pole, she took the opportunity to train with instructors across the country. This exposure allowed her to explore a wide range of pole styles and learn from a diverse group of experienced dancers.
Today, Lydia seizes every opportunity to expand her pole knowledge. While her favorite aspect of pole is learning new skills, she also thrives in performance settings. She can be seen dancing with Tenebris Danse Collective and Corvina Cabaret, or kittening at local shows.