Meet Keith (trippy) Taylor | Pole dance professional & Kinesiologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keith (trippy) Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keith (Trippy), can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve been in the pole dance/ aerial arts realm for over 9 years now. Opening my own studio has always been a dream of mine. I’ve always been passionate about pole dancing ever since my very first class. I wanted to provide a space unique and dedicated to pole dancers within the community. My vision for the studio ‘Opolence’ was to be a one stop shop. Providing structured classes for all levels, health and wellness services like stretching, and also doubling as a rental space. You can rent the space for anything you can imagine.. host a book club, have a photoshoot, host a workshop, the possibilities are endless. The name choice was derived from the word opulence which means luxuriousness. Which how I want everyone to feel internally when they enter and exit the studio. I want everyone to feel welcomed, confident, empowered, rich, and happy when they step foot through the doors of the studio. I chose the location of Burbank Ca because there is a lack of pole studios in that immediate area. Living in the valley often times studio classes are fully booked or you’ll end up traveling far to other studios across LA. This location is great for pole dancers and aerialists living in the valley. Opolence is a community and resource space for polers, aerialists, dancers, and creatives. Opolence is a versatile boutique style studio that offers classes, private rentals, wellness services, and more! A safe place for people to express themselves, feel safe, feel good, train, teach, learn, and even shop.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started pole dancing in 2015. One random Chicago night a close friend gave me a call and said “Hey, we took this pole dancing class yesterday and are going again tonight, I think you might like it, you should come”. I responded, “I’ll see you in an hour” and the rest is history! Pole dancing quickly became my biggest obsession. I loved everything about it. It is the perfect blend of athleticism, grace, sensuality, and dance. I remember after leaving my first class how surprisingly difficult it was. I never knew how much strength, coordination, flexibility, and fluidity that was needed in order to accomplish some of the moves. Most of all I was shocked at how much it HURT! The skin friction alone is one of the hardest parts to get used to. However, despite all of that I was instantly hooked. It took me a while to be completely open about my new found hobby, considering how taboo it felt to be a black queer male that was pole dancing. It was almost unheard of. As far as I knew at the time I was the only one. However, after a few months of starting pole dancing I knew this was something I planned to seriously continue. I ended up discovering there was a whole pole dance community online that I had no clue existed. I found and started following pole dancing pages on instagram (back when videos were only 15 seconds max) and learned there were other pole dancers all around the world, both male and female, and even competitions for it. My mind was expanded into a whole new world. This is what helped me become more open with my family and public about my new hobby. I gained the confidence and started posting my own pole videos online and to my surprise received a lot of positive feedback. During this period I also increased my weight training regime and grew a new found love for stretching. I was always sore so stretching was what gave me the most relief. This also prompted me to want to learn more about anatomy and technical dance disciplines such as ballet and modern dance. I enrolled back into school after a brief break and decided to major in Community Health & Wellness (B.S.) and also took up dance as a minor. Throughout my undergraduate studies I would train and teach pole dance 4-5x a week, participate in dance classes, while simultaneously learning about human anatomy and physiology. My pole aesthetic comes from my fascination with ballet. I specifically enjoyed the visual aesthetics of ballet, a pointed toe, and a line made all the difference to me. I really wanted to incorporate that into my pole dancing. Creating shapes, abstract transitions, and fluid movements were what I found to be most fulfilling while pole dancing. After my undergraduate studies I decided to continue my education by applying to graduate schools in California. I knew California was big on Kinesiology and movement science which drew me to the west coast. Not to mention the warm weather. I was never a fan of Chicago winters so the weather alone made the decision to leave a lot easier for me. I applied and was accepted into Cal State Northridge where I majored in Kinesiology. Graduate school was tough due to the COVID pandemic. My first semester was a normal semester pre-pandemic (Aug-Dec 2019). My second semester is when the pandemic started. That was rough to say the least. All classes transitioned into virtual classes, meaning no hands on work and being alone in an apartment style dorm. My saving grace was having my home pole. My roommates had moved out so I had a 2 bedroom apartment to myself. I took the pole out of my room, set it up in my living room area and poled for hours on a daily basis. It’s what kept me sane in some of the most unpredictable times for all of us. In 2021, I graduated and earned a Master’s Degree of Science – Kinesiology. Since then, I’ve been teaching at multiple studios across Los Angeles county and at the start of this year (2024) I opened my own studio space which is now ‘Opolence’. Having my own studio space has been a long time dream that has now come to fruition. It feels so fulfilling to have created a space specifically for pole dancers to thrive! Like anything in life there have been many challenges along the way but what I’ve learned about myself and life is that sometimes to have to “fall forward”. Mistakes and obstacles will happen no matter what journey a person is on but the important part is to continue to move forward despite those challenges. Back in 2015, when I first started my pole journey I would’ve never imagined that in 9 years, I’d have become a pole dancing champion, teacher, scholar, and now business owner. Pole dancing has given me a reason to believe in the unimaginable. Who would’ve known that what started off as a fun hobby would turn into my full fledged career. Pole dancing gives me similar nostalgic feelings of playing on the playground as a kid and is now turned into my life’s passion. I am forever grateful.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Majority of my family is from the Chicago-land area. Thus, the biggest differences between the midwest and west coast is the weather, landscape, and culture. When family members or friends come to visit a few must go to places include hiking Runyon canyon, the Observatory, Santa Monica pier and Venice beaches, the Hollywood walk of Fame, WEHO of course, Santee Alleys, Beverly hills, Rodeo drive, Malibu, shopping on Melrose ave, Sofitel (Monday jazz night), and some sort of rooftop bar/restaurant. LA’s blend of urban city life and nature is probably the most unique aspect to me. We don’t have trails and hills in Chicago lol. If time permits other places around the neighboring areas of LA that I would take visitors to include, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Long beach, or even a quick drive to Vegas!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Sending a special shoutout to my amazing support system including my parents, grandparents, fiancé, best friend and mentors. My parents and grandparents have always been a huge part of my life and upbringing. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I’m aware that I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for their sacrifices, constant encouragement, and love. Opening a business is not cheap, my parents were my first investors into my business. They were a huge part in me being able to fund the startup costs of my company. They have always believed in me and even as an adult, still are willing to help me when needed. I’m forever grateful to have parents that have always supported me, believed in my dreams, and have helped me achieve them.

I want to also shoutout my loving Fiancé, Cellus. We have been together almost as long as I have been pole dancing. He’s been there for the ups and the downs, and is still one of my biggest cheerleaders! He’s literally witnessed my pole journey from when I was a baby pole dancer at my first studio in Chicago to now witness me opening my very own studio. His encouragement, hugs, and belief in me always helps to give me the jolt of confidence I need when I’m having moments of doubts. He truly is my rock and LOML <3

I want to also shoutout my best friend and sista, Selena. We’ve been friends since middle school. She has seen the true evolution of me. She’s always been the friend you can call for anything! A very intelligent, witty, and caring person who always goes above and beyond for the people she loves. With her background in business she’s played a huge role in the success of me opening my business from helping me secure funding, creating my website, and even brainstorming marketing ideas. I wouldn’t be as successful of a business owner if it wasn’t for her guidance, love, and knowledge. Thank you sisss!!

Finally, I want to give a very special shoutout to Siren Pole Dance Studio. Siren’s owner Josh has been a true gem and inspiration. Josh and the Siren team have been mentors to me throughout the process of me opening Opolence. Carving time out their schedules to help give me advice and tips on how to become a successful entrepreneur and the in’s and outs of running a pole studio. In life it’s important to surround yourself with individuals who inspire you and I’m beyond grateful for the assistance and mentoring that I’ve received from them. Thank you!!

I want to also give a huge shoutout to Secret Pole Dance Studio for being my first LA pole home. They are the first studio that offered me a job to teach pole dance in Los Angeles. The owner, Diamond, has welcomed me with open arms and everyone there both students and instructors, are so supportive. I have really found my sense of community within the studio. From day one they have felt like family to me. I love my Secret team downnnnnnn! Thank you for loving me and providing a space for me to teach my craft while allowing me to be my authentic self! ”

Website: https://www.trip2opolence.com

Instagram: @trip2opolence_ and @_trippytrophytaylor

Other: Business IG page: @trip2opolence_
Personal pole IG page: @_trippytrophytaylor

Image Credits
All pole dancing images – Photographer: Knocking Bird Creative – IG: @knockingbirdcreative

Photo of me in white shirt and glasses – Photographer: Robert Adamson IV – IG: @rgaiphone

Photo of me in green shirt – I don’t not have the photographers information. (sorry)