[Rouge_LAmour]

LOL.
My husband has been tape logging and one of my best buds is digitising for the Kiwi version!!
So yes, we’ve been watching out for their names.

Wasn’t Rachel Hunter doing that show at one point??

[Rouge_LAmour]

terribly cheesy but terribly tempting: "Bad Boys", the theme song to the TV show Cops? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

"I shot the sheriff"?

"I fought the law"? (Clash version is great)
"The Call up" again the Clash…

Chick Habit by April March. (Admonishment of a boy with a chick habit / serial womaniser)

not sure of the song, "woop woop, dat’s de sound of da police" Ragamuffin / Dub

NWA, "911 don’t work"?

"State trooper" (?) Bruce Springsteen?

[Rouge_LAmour]

I second the Mac purchase. They are slightly more pricy, but hold their value.
I’m currently using a 2.5 year old 17" MacBookPro with Leopard 10.5.6, it’s better than many laptops out there now and the IT geeks I used to work with loved to play on it – these are hard core Windows boys too.

Wonderfully easy to use, drag and drop is the theory.
And you’ll get iMovie, which is a really good domestic product. Beats Windows Movie Maker.

I am biased towards Macs as we have 2 at home and one at the studio. Yes, we have higher spec machines, but that’s because they’re used at professional levels.
A Mac Book should do you fine for what you want to do.
Get a DVD burner as the disks hold more data and you can get better compression rates.

[Rouge_LAmour]

you’re welcome.

This is what this site is about (to me anyway), being supportive and helpful.

[Rouge_LAmour]

totally jealous https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif and proud that you finally got it.

Congrats!

[Rouge_LAmour]

I have both the electra that Lola has and these http://howcool.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25_1352&sort=4a&filter_id=19&page=3&max_display=10&sort=4a&page=3&products_id=4023

the knee boots I’ve worn for daily stuff, in the office etc. They aren’t the shiny PVC therefore don’t stick to the pole but look great with knee length skirts / dresses.

The spike ankle boots are PVC and great for climbing. PVC sticks to the pole really well. I do drops and kick in them with no problems. They were great for minute taking in meetings, somehow the senior managers seemed to behave themselves when I wore those… (maybe it was being 6’4" in them??) The heel at speed can cause lacerations, so be aware of where people are.

The most important thing is to get footwear designed for dancing. Normal street footwear isn’t designed with the reinforcing required to cope with what we put our footwear through.

The shank in dance footwear is stronger. The shank is a piece of metal that reinforces the sole. Ballet dancers break / shave down the equivalent of this in their pointe shoes so the shoe will bend. Which is why pointe shoes don’t last long.

Single sole units will also help, these are stronger and the heel is less likely to snap off, unlike multiple unit soles where the heel is separate, causing a potential stress area.

Finally, dance footwear has a rocker last. This is where the sole under the ball of the foot is curved. This makes walking in them easier and gives far more manoeuvrability than normal shoes of similar height.

Yes, I used to work in footwear retail and had to learn about footwear construction as part of our training.
The only other tip I can give for heels is to walk on the ball of your foot and use the heel for balance. Basically on tip toes and to seriously stretch the calf and Achilles out afterwards to prevent snapping and tearing when back in flats. My mother was a 4" stiletto wearer for decades and when she wore flats for the first time in many years, she snapped her Achilles walking down stairs.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Side splits:
Frog stretch. Which is on your knees, with legs apart at 90deg from your body. Lean down.
also ensure you work the hip flexors, so what I call the figure 4 strech, or what looks like a x-knee release is great for those (Stand near your pole on the base if you have an x-pole or other with the metal "Circle of death", bring one foot above the other knee, then sit. pull your hips away from the pole, and obviously hold onto the pole).
This will also stretch your glutes. (Maximus and minor).
Also buddy stretch. Sit on the ground with legs apart. Get another person to match your feet and pull each other forward, taking turns. This stretches the inner thigh.

And the good old Butterfly stretch (on ground, feet together and near your girly bits, press knees out wards by leaning on them. Keep back straight.)

forward splits, figure 4 and hamstring. buddy streching is good for this. lie on your back, legs straight. Bring one leg up and pull towards your body. Buddy can help by keeping lower leg flat and pressing extended leg to your body. Work with your pain limits and don’t forget to constantly breathe.
Stretch the quads too.

check veena’s video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZMEGqdgGRs&feature=channel_page
really useful I’ve directed quite a few of my girls towards this one too.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I’ve also heard it referred to as an angel, an aurora and a reverse catch swing.

Pole Addiction have this video of it http://mistress-maya.blogspot.com/2008/03/pole-dancing-dislocator.html?zx=b67eb0df6f083594

I don’t do the sit and spin into it, but that’s cos it’s one of my least fav moves.

So the landing is both feet down first, to get balanced, then drop to the splits. I used my left hand to steady my descent. I did it r/h. Will maybe try to post a vid of it.
Can drop into the jazz or 1/2 splits if it’s easier. (back leg bent, front leg dead straight).
my current party trick is climbing the pole, then dropping 2+m into the half splits. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

Vertical split against the pole is next biggie. Inverts can wait, the splits are far more fun!!!!

@kerrierou: I’ve been able to do the splits since very young (or pretty close to it), my mother was into yoga and I used to do it with her. Frog stretch is great for box or side splits, works the inner thigh and the hip flexors.
forward splits require good hamstring and quad stretching. Veena has a great split stretch on her vids too.

[Rouge_LAmour]

now as to the other questions re grip on the titanium poles, silver is less grippy than the gold.

I’ve used chrome once and didn’t like it that much, far too slippy for me.

As an eczema sufferer, my skin is really dry, which means I need the titanium to "assist" when climbing.
Along with PVC boots, until I’m sweaty, then I can clamber up like a ungraceful, clumsy thing. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
(Don’t get me started on the creams, lotions, dietary stuff. I’m allergic to fowl and parabens mainly).

Rosin is great as a grip aid, but is pretty noisy / sticky on static poles. Keep it for spinning and strength holds.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Titanium x-pole are in either silver or gold.
Wait a minute!! Just to avoid confusion. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif X pole has 2 options as far as finishes go. Titanium which is gold coated. Chrome is silver in color. There is not a silver titanium pole…..at least not that we can get in the US. Do you really have a silver Titanium pole Rouge???IF you do I want to know why we don’t have that option here! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif Oh now I’m really curious let me know Rouge https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Yup down here in little old New Zealand, we can get titanium in either gold or silver.
We have 2 x 45mm, one in gold and one in silver and a 50mm in silver, all titanium.

Chrome is also an option, which some of our students have.

http://www.xpole.com.au is the site

Maybe you’ll just have to come visit us then and take home a silver one. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
polegirlsonia is who we get ours from as she is an authorised reseller.

Clear as mud??

[Rouge_LAmour]

A warm, supportive environment, accepting of all levels and sizes, where no question is too silly.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Titanium x-pole are in either silver or gold.
We have both at the studio and titanium is the way to go. Chrome is slippery and very soft.
Polegirlsonia has a couple of chrome at her studio and rings have cut the chrome surface, ergo titanium being a better choice for durability.

stainless (right grade required) are great once they’ve been scratched up a bit. We have 8 of these and they’re great for learning on, esp as ours are static.

Spring that extra cash on the titanium if you have grip concerns. Gold is grippier, but the silver is just as good.
we have 45mm in both silver and gold and they’re completely fine and our 50mm is silver.
If you’re going to dance with rings on, hmmmm, then get titanium. It will last longer.

Personally, I’m a firm believer in the no ring policy. stops skin getting pinched between them and ensures better grip. I hate dancing with mine on.

OK, my 15cents over and done with. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif

[Rouge_LAmour]

Jacq, get arnica, stat.

It really is the best thing ever.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Welcome from the Antipodes!!

The 50mm x-pole is a good size for males, we use ours (titanium) to teach our new male student and other males who have used it found it a good size.

[Rouge_LAmour]

welcome to the site Andy!!

it’s a great warm place to discuss loads of stuff.

Rouge.