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Denisa: Is there some award you’re proud or happy about?
Pantera: When I won the nationals, the very first pole dance competition ever I won in 2003 or
2002. I don’t remember. It was a national title and I always remember it being so fun. Because of all
the girls. It was my third year competing on national level. My first year as a dancer I went to the
nationals and my second year I went to the nationals and the third year I won. In those three years
every time when I’d go I always got to spend all this time with all of these amazing performers. They
were so stunning. And a lot of the moves I do I named after them because they were the ones that
did the moves first. So any of my moves that are named after somebody are named after girls that I
have worked with and then they just claimed those moves or they were named after girls that actually
did them and I learned from at these competitions. And all of these competitions it was like you did
it with each other, it did not even matter who won at the end. Everybody was just excited for you and
happy for you. Except of the first year, there was like 30 really upset girls. I was one of them. But it was
so much more fun and that is the reason why I stopped competing now. Because now it’s so serious.
Even competing isn’t fun anymore. And I get it, I know why. I know why they’re serious, I know why
they want to win. I know why they want to be a part of these amazing stages, amazing platforms, I
get it. But it’s just not fun anymore. It’s not just fun. For me it’s not just fun. I don’t have fun in that
environment. Every time I talk to people the are like “Oh my god, I want to vomit”. How can that be
fun? I don’t remember a girl in these titty bars competitions saying I am going to vomit. It was all
smiling and joking, it was just good fun.
Denisa: I have one last question for you. You have a really unique and beautiful tattoo what inspired
you to get it?
Pantera: When I was really little I always used to draw all over myself. When you’ve got some kid that
draws over themselves watch out. I just always wanted to have a full body tattoo. I knew I will be all
covered in them one day. And I had a few original designs that I wanted to do but then I grew up and
I see them. Like I wanted to have a dragon and then I saw somebody had something very similar to
what I would want. So I just went to a tattoo shop one day and I had no idea what I wanted and the
guy tells me “OK, cool, look through these books”. And there was girl with a tribal tattoo. It might just
have been the boob. Probably not. But she had a big tribal tattoo going over the top of one of her
breasts and it went through the center, down her abdomen and to the left and it was just beautiful. So
I said: “I want that but I want it like this and this and this”. So he drew it up and I slapped it on. A week
later, I was in the chair getting the other one done. And for the motivation I always wanted one. And
for the continuation I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I am quite happy about the outcome.
Denisa: So you never regretted having it done?
Pantera: No. Never.
Denisa: So I think I exhausted all my questions, I heard a lot of interesting things from you so thank
you very much.
Pantera: The pleasure is mine.