Lady is a vamp

So who’s in charge between the return of Dancer and Prancer to the North Pole and the arrival of Cupid?

Why, Vixen, of course.

It’s common to set New Year’s

resolutions to trim down, tone up and gain

confidence, and more adventurous folks often resolve to participate in activities instead of merely watching them. If your own resolution was to become more efficient in 2009, then you can achieve all these goals at once by heading over to Shergold Studio for the new Cupid’s Closet series.

The dance studio is offering a pre-Valentine’s Day crash course in mastering sultry dance moves and looking great in a photo shoot. And although the training is packaged for women who’d like to impress a significant other for Valentine’s Day, instructor and studio co-owner Erica Shergold said that it’s fine to sign up for your own reasons — no sweetie required.

“In fact, we encourage the women to come in with the goal of doing it for them,” Shergold said.

The classes fall under the studio’s E-Fit Dance program, which uses elements of exotic dancing to increase physical conditioning.

The Cupid’s Closet program starts with the Pinup Posing Workshop at 1 p.m. Sunday. It’s designed to help women prepare for a va-va-voomy photo shoot on Jan. 17, but Shergold said it’s also ideal for women who are tired of hating the way they look in photographs.

Of course, models and dancers always look great in photos, but “it’s not because they have these amazing bodies — it’s smoke and mirrors,” Shergold said. “You can learn to show off what you have and not show off what you don’t want to show.”

Looking good in family photos, group shots at work events and other images can be a simple matter of knowing where to place your feet, arms and hands, Shergold said. Simply standing at an angle can present a leaner figure to the camera, she said.

A basic lapdance and striptease workshop is available at 2 p.m. Feb. 7, followed by an intermediate workshop at noon Feb. 8.

The events also will be presented at different times at the studio’s Harrisonburg branch.

There’s a minimum age of 18 for the dance workshops, but no maximum.

“My grandmother’s in the classes,” Shergold said of one 76-year-old student. “I’ve seen a college student and a grandmother become best friends in my classes.

“Most people think, ‘Oh, strippers,’ but most of them are not. They’re just regular women. They’re lawyers and stay-at-home moms and grandmothers.”

Shergold said the classes help many students carve the “me” time they crave out of hectic schedules that revolve around children, husbands, work and other responsibilities. It never hurts to remind Mom that she’s one hot mama.

“I’ve had a lot of women tell me these workshops and these classes get them in touch with themselves,” she said.

Women of all shapes and sizes have enjoyed past workshops, so don’t stay away simply because you’re not built like a Barbie.

The fitness value can’t be overlooked, Shergold said. She found out how good a workout exotic dancing can be when she learned pole dancing, an E-Fit Dance offering that’s not part of the Cupid’s Closet package.

“I was pretty fit before I started doing the pole classes, but I was really missing upper-body strength,” Shergold said. “It develops your upper-body strength and your core.”

The Pinup Posing Workshop is $25, and the related photo shoot is $225, which includes an hour of professional hair and makeup time, an hour-long professional photo shoot and three retouched photos on glossy paper and CD.

The lapdance workshops are $35 each. Women get discounts of $10 for signing up for two events, $15 for three events and $20 for four. For information, visit http://www.EfitDance.com. For registration or details, call 975-4611.