Dancer performs on stage using aerial chains.

PoleCon Exhibitor Spotlight: Black Box Creative

February 9, 2024
Colleen
Interview

All exhibitors spotlighted have previously vended at a PoleCon event.

Thank you for being a vendor at PoleCon! Can you tell us a little more about your brand?

Black Box Creative is a studio space born to offer individual movement artists a space to teach, rehearse, create, and share their art! We support a diverse and knowledgeable staff of regular instructors as well as visiting artists and instructors. We also have an in-house boutique where we stock goods from small minority owned businesses! We also house Optic Onslaught which is a guerilla style media company run by Shelbi and Zoja of Black Box. They aim to provide photo and video services that feel safe, make you feel incredible, and and bring your creative ideas to light! Follow them on instagram.

Is there something that defines your brand that unique to you?

We truly aim to offer our instructors an open forum for creative expression and each of them have developed their own specific class types and fields of expertise! This often results in classes that are very uniquely themed, feature surprising music choices, and focus on refining technique but mainly building one’s own creative expression. Our boutique is a great one stop shop for supporting small queer, POC, or Women owned businesses. Many of our own students sell goods here as well! Optic Onslaught is run by our in-house badasses and creates gritty, dreamy, and stunning imagery for performers and clients of all backgrounds! We support SWERs and aim to provide a safe space for dancers to practice and learn as well as for content creators to create without a fear of compromising their safety or content.

How do you want people to feel after interacting with your brand?

Surprised, invigorated, and pleased that such an alternative option exists! We want every weirdo to feel welcome, incredible, and seen!!

Anything else you want to share with PoleCon attendees?

We love PoleCon and can’t wait to see everyone there! You’ll have the opportunity to see some of our instructors perform, shoot with Optic Onslaught in the photo room, and shop goods from our boutique collection at the booth!

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Colleen

Colleen Jolly is an entrepreneur and a pole dance enthusiast. She has been poling for 13 years, is the CEO of PoleCon and the Executive Director of the IPIA. She teaches pole, lyra, floorwork, and mobility online and in-person in the DC metro area. She has been active in leadership roles in several international businesses over the past two decades and is also an award-winning pole dancer, artist, writer, and speaker. She is certified in several movement modalities and wrote the book "Mobility for Pole" to help pole dancers move better.

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