In this episode of Strip Journey, I talk with Pauline, a Frame Up dancer and studio owner from Paris, France. After being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that forced her to stop dancing, Pauline rebuilt her relationship with movement by studying pain management, biomechanics, yoga, and Pilates.

She eventually found her way back to dance through floorwork and Frame Up, and today she runs a training center in Paris focused on a holistic approach to dancer training. We talk about resilience, training with limitations, teaching beginners, and building an inclusive dance community. Pauline also shares her experience competing at Stage 18+ and why she believes dance should be about expression and not fitting a mold.

A powerful conversation about persistence, identity, and creating your own place in dance.

Pauline’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatfrenchgirlsaid/

Pauline’s studio The Field: https://www.instagram.com/thefield.paris/

00:00 Introduction01:10 Pauline’s dance background and diagnosis04:00 Rebuilding movement after Ehlers-Danlos syndrome06:30 Discovering floorwork and Frame Up09:00 Opening a holistic dance training studio in Paris12:00 Learning Frame Up in Europe and building community16:30 Teaching beginners and mindset in dance20:30 Competing at Stage 1824:30 Training, recovery, and pushing physical limits29:30 Finding her dance style and inspirations33:30 Advice for new dancers and final message

In this episode of Strip Journey, Morana speaks with Polina Petropavlovskaia, a Frame Up choreographer, director, and official representative with a background in hip hop and experience in stage shows and TV dance competitions. Polina shares her journey into Frame Up and how joining Agny shaped her first steps, her move to Barcelona after an unexpected career transition, and her experience building the style in Europe. She discusses concept-driven choreography, the role of acrobatics and film in her work, differences between dance cultures, and her future plans for dance films, collaborations, and community growth in Barcelona and beyond.

Polina’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p_petropavlovskaya/

Frame Up Barcelona: https://www.instagram.com/frameup_bcn/

In this episode, Morana speaks with Vienna-based frame up teacher Daria (Dasha) Gendina. Daria shares her journey from 15 years of competitive figure skating to becoming a frame up teacher in Vienna. She talks about how her sports background shaped her movement style, her path through training and teaching, and what it took to build a frame up community from scratch in a new city.

The conversation covers her approach to teaching beginners, combining acrobatics, flow, and ballet-inspired details, as well as her views on consistency, filming as part of the learning process, and developing an individual style. Daria also reflects on competitions, student progress, and her plans to continue growing frame up in Austria.

Daria’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gendosska/