- Introduce yourself in a few sentences: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do, what do you like to do in your free time, your region, your favorite places…
My name is Myriam, I live in Alsace in eastern France near Colmar.
In my professional life, I am a specialized educator within a mobile hospital team working with people with disabilities.
I am also a member of an association combining aerial disciplines (pole dance, aerial silks and aerial hoop) and music, and another historical reenactment association.
So I'm quite busy during my free time!
When I perform I use a stage name: Absynthe Lafée.
- Where does your stage name, Absynthe La Fée, come from? Why did you choose this name?
This nickname came from a slightly burlesque dance group that we formed for a while with some friends, and we were looking for names in the style of the "Moulin Rouge" of the last century; Lafée because I have several fairies tattooed on my body.
- What led you to pole dancing?
Pole dancing became an obvious choice when I discovered this discipline at a friend's house who had a pole dancing pole; we practiced at her house for "fun" at first and I quickly caught the bug and got a pole for my own home.
There were no courses in the area at the time (it was 2008!!) and I learned through YouTube tutorials and occasionally went to Paris to take classes.
Ref.:
- What do you like about pole dancing?
What I like about this discipline is that you work on both strength and flexibility in a fun way: it is a difficult discipline that requires regularity but leaves room for artistic expression through dance.
- How long have you been practicing this sport? And how did you get started as a pole dance instructor?
I am fortunate to be able to teach my passion today, and have been since 2011; at the time I was contacted on a forum for enthusiasts by someone who wanted to set up courses in different regions of France; I accepted and was thus the first to give courses in Alsace, first in Strasbourg and then in a dance studio in the Mulhouse region.
Since then, other schools have opened in our beautiful region, and thankfully so, because this allows us to make our discipline known to a wider audience!
- We've seen that you've done a lot of competitions, tell us a bit about your competitive experiences and your achievements.
In 2014, I wanted to get into competition because I needed new challenges.
And then the competition is an opportunity to travel, to meet other enthusiasts and to live your own moment on stage.
I have thus had the opportunity to perform in London, Milan, Amsterdam and Zurich.
In July 2018, I won the silver medal in the Artistic Master category at the European Championship in Zurich.
This competition is organised every year by the PSO (the Pole Sport Organisation) and I will participate in the one in Amsterdam next December accompanied by one of my students.
- Do you practice other sports on the side, for fun? We've seen that you've taken up running for several months now, where did you get the idea to run?
In parallel, I am very sporty: I like martial arts, especially French boxing, running and yoga.
Running is a long-standing story for me: I've been doing it since I was 14, introduced to it by my father.
I participated in several 10km races before pole dancing; my latest challenge was to have run the Colmar half-marathon last September in less than 2 hours 30 minutes.
A very successful first experience that I intend to repeat!
Running allows me to work on my cardio for competitions but also to unwind!
- What do you think is the best place to run in your area? A favorite spot?
I love running close to home: I live in a village and we have a very pleasant path along a river! And you can easily run more than 20 km there without being bothered by traffic.
- Where and how did you discover the Noliju brand? And why did you want to represent the Noliju brand?
I discovered the NOLIJU brand thanks to one of my former pole dancing students: I immediately loved the design, the colours and the comfort that the material provides.
I think the brand is trendy and, getting back to the design of the clothes, they really reflect my dynamism, and that's why I would love to represent the brand.
Furthermore, this would allow loyal customers of the brand to discover our wonderful discipline of pole dancing and – why not – to try out the NOLIJU shorts for their first class!!
This is by far my favorite pair of shorts from the brand: they are super comfortable and just the right length so they don't slip down while not revealing too much of my anatomy. 
- What is your favorite item of clothing from Noliju? And why?
It's also my favorite pair of shorts from the brand: they're super comfortable and just the right length so they don't slip down while not revealing too much of my anatomy (laughs).
- Noliju is a brand for everyday champions who excel every day between their work, family life, and various activities, so tell us a little about your work? What do you do? What do you find most exciting about your job?
As I mentioned in my presentation, teaching pole is not my main job; I am also a specialized educator within a hospital mobile team which also allows me to work with our patients, social connection, the organization of daily life but also the discovery of adapted sports disciplines.
So my days are well structured between my passion, my professional activity and my two children aged 8 and 14.
It requires a bit of organization, but I'm a bit hyperactive by nature, so I'm keeping my spirits up!
- A sports project for the future?
In the future I would very much like to try an interregional competition which could give possible access to the French pole dance championship which takes place every year.
But to achieve that, I'll have to work very hard because the level is very high!
- One last word?
To conclude this interview, I would like to quote Antoine de Saint Exupéry: "Make your life a dream, and your dream a reality."
Nothing is impossible when you truly desire it and put in the effort…my dream was to teach and perform on stage and I achieved it: you must always believe in yourself!
