Words by Sky Sirens Owner and Founder, Katia Schwartz | Content Warning: Mental Health Challenges

I’m Katia. Some of you may have seen me around the studio, others have been taught or photographed by me over the years. Nevertheless, I am the owner and founder of Sky Sirens. I’m not a big company, it’s just lil ol’ me with an amazing team and some big responsibilities. I believe that life is not linear. We experience cycles that allow us to reflect, reinvent and rebirth ourselves. When we look at our life as a series of cycles, and not a series of linear pathways - we are able to exist more optimistically. There are no wrong paths because our life is a journey with many opportunities of reinvention. With coming to the end of one cycle, we can feel hope and promise that we are moving into a new one.

Someone special told me something very interesting recently. It was that life revolves around seven year cycles. Upon looking into this further, I read that there are many belief systems that surround this theory: philosophical, astrological, mystical, biological and pedagogical.

I’ve always loved the number seven because it occurs in nature, culture, religion and art. There are seven wonders of the ancient world, seven phases of the moon, seven deadly sins, seven days of the week and it takes the human body seven years to replenish old cells. In April of 2023, Sky Sirens will turn seven.

I began my dance journey when I was eighteen, my first year of being an adult. I spent the next seven years learning my craft, performing and soaking in all that the industry had to offer. I’ve always been creative, but in dance I finally found an outlet that challenged my perfectionism. The beauty of dance is that it’s fleeting. You move in the moment, and once the performance is over - you can’t change it. It forces you to enjoy the process, which can be difficult for those who feel stuck in perfectionistic loops.

My following seven year cycle began at twenty five, when I opened Sky Sirens. During this time, I not only shared my craft with others - but I grew exponentially as a person.

When I look back to seven years ago to when I opened Sky Sirens - I was barely an adult and so naïve. If I had a crystal ball, and looked into the future of 2023 - I would have never believed our achievements. Sky Sirens expanded to a second level of our Crown Street building only two years after opening. This allowed the business the opportunity to double in size. We went from a small team of six, to our current team of forty during our seven year journey. Starting with only sixty-something students, we now have a student data base of over two thousand.

We’ve been through multiple renovations, which allowed us to create extravagant backdrops and scenes that the world of Pole, Aerial and Burlesque had never seen before. We were one of the first studios in the world that prioritised highly aesthetic, interior branding with a strong vision for decadence and difference.

Not only were we the first studio to pioneer the teaching of aerial apparatus in Stripper heels - we were one of the trailblazers in the movement of highlighting Pole Dancing’s Sex Work roots. Allowing Sex Workers to tell their stories, educate and inspire in the first panel of its kind “Disrobed”, we also provided a safe space for any sex worker to practice in our studio free of charge.

Our Heartstoppers event was the first trio affect of Aerial, Pole and Burlesque in Sydney (if not the whole of Australia) for amateur and professional performers to showcase their art in a variety show framework. Our event, Glory Box was also the first amateur and professional showcase of Aerial, Pole, Shibari and Burlesque that actively and explicitly celebrated Sex Work and sensuality. In all our events, we also advocated for fair payment of all performers, even solo beginners and amateurs entering community performance spaces. This was a first for the industry, as often dancers are expected to work for free.

Our efforts to build our community and defy industry standards also extend to Sky Sirens being the first Pole, Aerial and Burlesque studio in the world to offer Scholarships for First Nations people and those who are in financially challenging circumstances. We also created a NFP program, partnering with ‘Fighting Chance’ that gave adults with Intellectual Disabilities free fortnightly use of our space to learn aerials and socialise.

We were recognised for these efforts, among other initiatives that we have employed at the studio in the 2023 Telstra Business awards where we were NSW Finalists in not one - but two categories “Building Communities” and “Accelerating Women”. We were one of 29 businesses selected from over 20,000 applicants.

From creating branded clothing lines, extravagant photoshoots, paid blog posts and student story campaigns - we have achieved so much in the last seven years. If I had a list of everything that I would ever want from the business - we have done it.

It’s no question that the past few years have been extremely difficult for everyone, especially small business owners. Running a small business as a sole trader, in a pandemic without any substantial assistance from the government has taken a toll on my mental health. Working so hard has created a huge imbalance in my life. Currently, I'm not giving my body and mind what it needs to thrive. I'm also not fostering relationships with friends, and I’m unable to be present with my partner. In addition to this, I’m not even dancing anymore.

Despite Sky Sirens’ achievements, the past couple of years has completely broken me and I've never felt more alone and sad. Working this hard does come at a cost. A couple of weeks ago, I hit rock bottom and I realised that something needed to change. As such, I made the decision to close Sky Sirens indefinitely. This means that Term Two will be our last ever term.

I've always been afraid of finishing things. However, I've come to realise that finishing something doesn't mean that you've failed at it. I don't know who I am without this business, as everything I've ever been proud of has been connected to Sky Sirens. My identity is so tangled up in the business that I don't know who Katia is anymore, and I need to find her. Having your whole identity connected to something that is supposed to generate commercial gain is so damaging and scary. I often think things like, "what am I without Sky Sirens?".. "am I even good at anything else?" - this is such negative self-talk and it's all a result of not being able to properly "live" with balance alongside having a business. 

I've been hanging on for so long, because I know that Sky Sirens is one of the only places that some people feel safe. However, I also realise that people sometimes see me as a role model. Honestly, I am pure chaos so this is hilarious - but nonetheless, my actions do send a message to the community. Working this hard, and hurting myself for the sake of everybody else is not something to be proud of. Being depressed, anxious and alone because of work/life imbalance is not something to celebrate. 

I want to put myself first, and choose to live. I want to separate myself from something that my whole identity is publicly tied to. By doing this, I hope it will send the message that no matter how deeply you are connected to something - it's okay for you to step away. We are not our careers, our relationships - our histories. We are humans, deserving of love and freedom - and honestly, I hope this choice will reinforce to people that it's okay to put yourself first. 

Sky Sirens' biggest contribution to our community is the empowerment of knowing that you are worthy of being respected, heard and seen in all spaces. You deserve to have your pronouns respected, to have financially accessible options available, to have amendments made for different bodies, to feel proud and have respect for the lineage of the artform that you’re learning. Sky Sirens has set the bar extremely high of what the community should expect when they exchange their money for a service. I want other spaces to use the framework that I have created to form a better standard so that the community can access this everywhere - not just at Sky Sirens. 

I can't express how sorry I am for this news. Witnessing how happy the studio makes you all, seeing your confidence and relationships grow has been the most magical experience of my life. I know this decision will impact some more than others. But please know, that this decision was not made lightly. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for all the support, kindness, love and joy you have gifted myself, my team and the studio throughout these seven years. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity of meeting you all, and watching you flourish. I will never forget all the incredible humans that shared the space, and made this community as special as it is. Thank you all so much.

The first seven years of my adult life I learnt very valuable lessons about my craft. I taught myself to dance, to create and that lead me to inspire others. The next seven year cycle was about sharing my knowledge with others, and giving opportunities and creating platforms for performers to express themselves and be seen and heard in the community. I’m currently transitioning into my next seven year cycle. Although I am experiencing grief for Sky Sirens - I am also hopeful for my future and what the next cycle will entail.

For those wondering, I don't have any intentions of selling the business, as I don't believe anybody else could run it the same way I do.

It would greatly hurt me to see the business make unethical choices, to gentrify Pole Dance or erase the framework I have put in place to make Sky Sirens special. Although financial gain from selling would greatly assist the debts I accumulated in Covid - money will come and go. But ethical choices is worth more to me than any amount of money. I started Sky Sirens from nothing - which means I have the capacity to create something wonderful, even from a bunch of crumpled up five dollar notes at a Strip Club.

In addition to this, I don't want to limit my possibilities for the future. My intentions are to pivot the business when I'm ready. I need time and space to heal myself. I want to find myself again. I want to have friends, and feel connected to other humans again. I can't do that with the responsibility of the business on my shoulders. 

I do have some ideas for the future, to make a different version of Sky Sirens. I'm going to move into the space of social enterprise, as I feel community impact can be created through more avenues than just dance.

I’ve included a personal excerpt from my childhood diary, that details what I want to be when I grow up. I think I’ve achieved most things - perhaps not a singer, but definitely being a Siren is like a Spice Girl? It’s evident from a young age that my love for sharing and teaching has always been special to me. Being inspired to do many jobs has always been my goal - and I would like to take the opportunity of this next cycle to explore them. I truly feel that my contribution and work in this space is done.

I'm going to take a pause, look after myself and reinvent Sky Sirens as soon as I feel better. I'm actually really excited about what the future will hold for me - I can't give too much away now, but I'm so eager to tell you all what my new plan will be. And yes, it will involve a place where you'll get to share your love for dance.