Friday Night - 8/29/25

Maggie Ann - Headliner

Maggie began pole dancing in 2011 and fell in love with the artistic expression she found with it. Within a few years, she entered the competition circuit, earning titles including 2015 PSO Nationals Champion and 2015 Pole Classic Champion. That same year, she opened her own studio—a space dedicated to creative exploration, connection, and the joy of movement. Now, after nearly a decade away from performing, Maggie Ann returns to the stage, ready to fall down the rabbit hole and tell you a story that will feel like a dream. 

Fiona Fire

She tastes like heaven and burns like hell. Fiona Fire has been setting stages ablaze for nine years with her signature slow burns and smoldering gaze. She’s an instructor at Chrome Fitness and the creative force behind Kelsey Truex Design, offering social media management and graphic design tailored to the pole industry. When she’s not shaking ass and stealing souls, Fiona is likely curled up with a good book, headbanging to rock music, button-mashing through video games with her husband, or spoiling her sassy yellow lab.

 

Leah Franklin

Leah grew up in Columbia, Missouri while studying dance & theater her entire life. She graduated with a BFA in dance from Stephens College and eventually found herself joining the Muse family—at first as a student, then as a teacher, and now as manager. Leah has been pole dancing for 10 years now all while competing, performing, and teaching all over the nation. She is going on year 5 of managing her own production and entertainment company, Bittersweet Productions. Her favorite professional endeavor is co-choreographing and performing in the annual #professionallysexy show, Vertical Desires.

Mallory Barnes

Mallory is a Missouri native who started pole dancing in 2017. She was active growing up, but had no dance or gymnastics experience when she started pole dancing classes. She fell in love with both the artistry and the power-based aspect of dancing. She describes her style as dynamic tricks and combos with unique transitions sprinkled with sass and spice. She’s performed in group pieces at Vertical Desires for the past four years, and is thrilled to debut her first-ever solo this year. Get ready for a performance full of sexy nostalgia and signature flair!

 

Masha King

Masha has been on the dancing stage since a kid as her mother was a ballet-dancer and a choreographer and involved her daughter in the dancing world. However, after years of searching for something inspiring and empowering, in 2013 Masha discovered pole dance and all the different forms and shapes you can do with it. It’s been a long journey: practice, workshops, championships, photo and video shoots, and meeting and working with a lot of wonderful and talented people sharing that one love to pole dance art. Today she is happy to share her vision and feeling of music by performing in pole shows and teaching the art of pole dance at the Springfield (MO) Aerial Fitness.

Mayhem & Molly Meru

Mayhem (They/She) and Molly Meru (She/They) are based in Chicago and have over 2 decades of performance experience between them. They have both been on the Vertical Desires stage before but this will be thier first performance together. Putting the Sex in asexual this duo commits fully to the feeling of the movement to bring the characters to life through dance.

 

Melissa Schrader

For 15 years, Melissa has been exploring the art of pole dance, finding power, grace, and freedom with every move. Dance is her canvas for raw self-expression, where bold energy, rock-n-roll spirit, and dynamic style all come together. Returning for her fifth performance with the Vertical Desires cast—an incredible collective where passion and badass artistry collide—Melissa is inspired by the way confidence blooms and unique styles emerge through pole dance. This time, she’ll reach for something higher, only to be pulled in by a presence that tempts and influences from the shadows.

Samantha Ivy

Samantha is a performer, entertainer, and instructor currently based out of Southwestern Utah with a background in theatre, live entertainment, and FM radio. A pole dancer first and foremost with additional training on lyra, aerial silks, Chinese pole, straps, and corde lisse, Ivy has taught for a variety of studios in Mississippi and Utah since 2018, now specializing in workshops and personalized private and semi-private instruction. Past shows include The Mynx Pole Dance Extravaganza, El. Ex. Productions, STL Pole Show, Steam Heat Burlesque, O’Haras Drag, and varied corporate entertainment.

Saturday Night - 8/30/25

Sasja Lee - Headliner

Sasja embarked on her pole journey in 2009 with no athletic or dance background, She later became 2013 California Pole Dance Champion, 2014 National Aerial Pole Art Champion, 2014 Ink-N-Iron Champion and 2017 Pole Theatre Iceland Classique Pro Champion.

Pole dance opened many doors for Miss Fierce, including the opportunity to perform at Coachella Music Festival with recording artist Halsey and music video with Fergie, under the guidance of world renowned choreographer, Fatima Robinson. Sasja also choreographed a pole segment for the French Montanna tour, as well as appeared on Telemundo, Lifetime, Justin TV and a Fiat commercial.

Sasja has shared her love of expression through movement across the nation and abroad, teaching workshops with emphasis on technique, as well as the necessary mental component, as she believes true growth occurs from the inside out. Her mindset around pole dance has expanded to teaching pre-recorded lessons on YouTube, as a way to reach more like-minded movers across the globe, in hopes they will also find their true passion and live unapologetically fierce.

Bailey El. Ex.

Bailey El Ex is a St. Louis based pole dancer, flexibility instructor, and proud stripper. She has competed and performed across the US since 2016. When she isn’t training, teaching, or studying for school, she is taking naps with her dogs or trying to conquer her TBR.

Corey Elyse

Corey Elyse has performed, taught, and competed extensively since joining the pole community in 2014. Currently residing in Indiana and teaching at Chrome Fitness, her pole journey began in Missouri at Muse Pole Fitness. She holds such titles as 2023 PSO Artistic Professional National Champion, 2024 Pole Theatre USA Pro Comedy Champion, 2024 Pole Theatre USA Pro Drama Champion, and more. Corey is excited to return to the Vertical Desires stage as a soloist. Corey loves to tell a story through prop usage, bendy shapes, and grip-defying moves. She looks forward to making your dreams come true.

Jordan Mazur

Jordan Mazur is the owner of Muse Pole Fitness and creator of Vertical Desires. She fell in love with pole while in her classical dance journey, and after turning to pole dancing full time she wanted a way to mesh what pole had to offer by creating a fully sexy professional show. Jordan has many competitive titles including 2018 North American Pole Dance Champion, 2018 Pole Theatre Canada Pro Art Champion, 2017 GPC Floorwork and Low Flow Champion, and 2017 CPC Exotic Champion. She cannot wait to bring her newest, sexy edition of Vertical Desires to the stage.

Leah Von O’Daera

This Queen of the Underworld has been pole dancing for 14 years, best known for her heavy dark gothic influence and storytelling on stage, she is one to captivate your soul and drive your mind further beyond normal realms. Pole Professional/instructor, Dark Performance Artist, Contortionist and Erotic coach, she is one to go beyond the normal societal boundaries. Prominent representative of the kink/fetish society, navigator of senses, explorer of boundaries.

Natalya Nightshade

Natalya Nightshade (she/her) is a Florida based pole artist known for her seductive sensuality, mesmerizing details, and one of a kind stage presence. An avid performer and occasional competitor, Natalya has shared her intoxicating flow around the world, teaching, performing, and competing nationally and internationally. Her titles include 2nd in Dance Filthy USA Semi-Pro Division, 3rd in Dance Filthy USA Professional Division, and 1st in the Old School Division — as well as 1st Overall — at Eden Pole Competition in London. 

With nearly a decade pole dancing, Natalya is a skilled freestyler, a lover of all things sexy, and a movement artist on a mission to put the Dance back in Pole Dance, championing low flow, embodied movement, and unapologetic authenticity. As an instructor, she uniquely combines her deep passion for exacting technique, attention to detail, and the spaciousness of freestyle and self-expression to help her students become the best dancers they can be in body, mind, and spirit.

PoleticSong

PoleticSong is a sensual storyteller based in San Francisco. She’s the owner and founder of Songbird Dance studios, since 2023. In this performance, she’s channeling Chinese folklore and coming to steal your souls: luring and devouring with your every twist of her body.

 

Rebecca

Rebecca has been pole dancing for over eight years, starting her pole journey at Muse Pole Fitness in Columbia, MO. She moved to Colorado last September and quickly found herself a part of Denver's vibrant pole community; she currently teaches at Studio 3sixT. She was a finalist in the Semi-Professional Pole Comedy category at Pole Theatre USA this year and the winner of PSO Central 2025 Professional Level 5 Artistic category. She's excited to embrace her sensuality on stage, and hopes to leave everyone with the most pleasant of dreams.

 

VDXII GROUP PERFORMERS:
Abby W, Amy Keilholz, Lilith Lithely, Libby Doe, Moxie Havoc, Caitlyn Hulett, XXXTINA, Dana Danielle, Fiadh Dubois, Emily Kunz, Hilary Jade, Jada Lee, Maddie Hattie, JESSE, The K-Grenade, Katy Stevens, The Flying Ace, Katybug, Kayla, Layah Salas, Madison Thompson, Mallory Barnes, Maya Harris, Randi Savage, Becky D, Furmom, Sophie Marie Dixon, Susie Temptress, Ryn Static, Victoria VanderPlas, Maxx

Previous soloists include:
Abbey Eff, Alethea Austin, Anna Kia, Bailey Elizabeth, Brian Wolf, Brittnai Pytlar, Bunni Thompson, Carly Child, Corey Elyse, Dalton Rhodes, Danielle Violet Carroll, Dark Angel, Duo Lila, Elizabeth Carmine Black, Elizabeth Tuazon, Gemma Lux, Highly Unstable, Hilary Jade, Jordan Kensley, Jordan Mazur, Karol Helms, Kirstie Ellerbe, Kyrsten Grimm, Leah Franklin, Leah Von O’Daera, Lisa Michelle, Lyndi Rongisch, Masha King, Mayhem, Mel Hyde, Melissa Schrader, Michelle Mynx, Morphine Contortion, Nadia Nirvana, Natalya Nightshade, Natasha Wang, Rachele Ribera, Sarah Jade, Saskia Klunder, and Shay Williamson