[Rouge_LAmour]

Oh I’m so jealous! I just got married this past October, and I didn’t get any sort of bachelorette party at all… /quote]

I’ve been married for 2 years + and didn’t have a hens party. refused to. So you can feel safe in the knowledge that you’re not alone.

This year, I have taught at more hens parties than I have ever been to in my life!!
Over them until next season!!

[Rouge_LAmour]

I second the chrome is more slippery.

we have 2 titanium at the studio, 45 and 50mm.
I like the 45 as my hands are smaller, but that’s for learning the move, once I have it, I move to the 50mm steel.

Some I go straight to the steel, like laybacks. I always teach on steel and do crazy, show off tricks on the titanium, especially now as we’re heading into winter and grip goes to poohs.

Gold is more grippy than silver titanium, but in the US, gold is the only option…

My crazily good student does most of her work on our 50mm titanium. It’s her favourite.

[Rouge_LAmour]

She was incredible!!
It’s nice to see more non-athletic bodies out there doing harder tricks.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Is there a school nearby you could also have a session at?

also remember hand positions, I’m seeing a lot of women who have hands too close together at the moment.
2 months ago, it was something very different…

[Rouge_LAmour]

Yay to Fleur, Veena and Trina.
Now Aunty Rouge’ two cents.

I can’t invert as I don’t have that strength in my abs – yet. But I know what it is and how to fix it.
I can invert by flinging my legs up and hoping for the best, then pulling myself up by my shins. Not good.
hands get stuck by the knees as I can’t lift my hips above my head.
Also explains the sprained big toe… (kicked the pole at about 8′)

So to invert properly, means a lot of hard work for some of us. And I completely agree about taking your time to ensure you have the strength, it will pay off at a later stage when you can alley oop / basic invert from up the pole. Flinging or jumping is merely using the ground to get you up, once up a pole, you need to use your abs to get up. For us, inverting is near the end of beginner level, when just about ready to go into intermediate. That’s anywhere between 6 weeks and 2 years. I’ve had one student doing the Jamilla split after 5 months, but she’s incredibly strong, very athletic and had crazy strong abs. I have others that after a year are still not ready to invert.

I’m tough with my students, I won’t teach them to invert, but will let them do the conditioning exercises mentioned. But then, I have other tricks up my sleeve that I teach, like different moves, stretching, freestyle etc. Not having a tutor to say, hold back and correct technique is difficult. If in doubt, don’t do it, the injuries are not worth the perceived glory. I’ve seen advanced dancers fall on their heads from inverts (not Lisa Lewis either, she’s just trashy), I’ve injured my shoulder from not being ready and bad technique. So we are cautious with good reason.

So, when I say "invertin’s for crazy folk", I mean it. Don’t do it until you have the strength in your abs and upper body. There’s other far more cool things to do at the earlier stages: aerials, routines, laybacks (again, needs strength and don’t do it unless you’re really sure or have had a lesson), sexy stuff, holds, climbs…. the list goes on.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I have the lace ankle boot on this heel (or very similar), it’s really stable.
Just remember to walk on your tip toes and use the heel for balance.
There is an electra boot, which is a lace up. That may be better if you have a smaller diameter calf.

Any good boot or shoe repairer can take the seams in, the trick is to find a very good one.
I’d go into a really fancy and expensive shoe shop and ask who they use to do repairs.
It’s likely to be a good provider as they won’t want to lose reputation.

[Rouge_LAmour]

a lot of products will create a build up on the pole, windex, no-scrub etc.

Methylated spirits (google it) or water are the best.

[Rouge_LAmour]

we got second in our heat, woo hoo!!!
Haven’t made the finals, but who knows with Peter Jackson picking wild cards!
apologies for crappy typing, have kitty on one arm and she’s sitting on the track pad, making typing tricky.

yes THAT mr Jackson…

[Rouge_LAmour]

Jamilla’s dvds are really good. She’s a great teacher and breaks things down very well.

Her DVD’s also have bits on conditioning the body for pole, stretching, strengthening and stuff like that.
plus she puts moves together as you progress through the DVD.

Veena’s lessons are a great cheap way to learn too. The strength work can never be started too early, along with the stretches. This will start to get you ready, but if you’ve never done pole, it will still be shock.

[Rouge_LAmour]

WOW!!! It’s you…. yes, we more Rubenesque women watch you and think, she does it so well….

um, only thing I could think of was shoulder mounts / respect from the floor…

Sucky on the low ceiling…

[Rouge_LAmour]

to cut or not, what a dilemma.
I’m not the tiniest, yet I’m lucky to have finally got over my body image. Being late 30’s and having a husband who thinks I’m beautiful no matter what size I am has made a huge difference.

I’ve yoyo’d form 50kg – 120kg, at 5’9 that’s going from skeletal Angelina to big Kirtsy Alley.
There are a couple of things I’d happily change, but they don’t bug me, and they are….
If my boobs get over an F cup, then I go on the waiting list for a reduction.
And before you all go, no that’s fat gain, every time I shrink, I gain cup size and it stays, already at an E.
Ergo no running for me! I’d also love them to be perky, but no, they can show me where my toes are when I stand up.
and I can see what a facelift would do, but there’s no way that’s ever happening. Not when I still get ID’d for alcohol (at nearly 38 I’m pretty happy about that! Esp when legal age is 18)

However, these aren’t important things. I also have a puku*, which like Veena, sticks out over my yoga pants, which is bad as my parents both have / had CVD.

Pole has helped me lose weight (20kg to date over 18 months), and I totally agree with Veena that slow and steady via good nutrition and exercise is the way to go. Surgery is the quick option, but does it address bad habits?? Fix that nasty sugar addiction? Address the body image psychological issues you actually need to address? Our society is addicted to the quick fix, but that doesn’t break habits.
Surgery has it’s place, but ensure you’ve done everything else you can first.

however, as I’m now working at Ministry of Health, the fat over the lower abs is there to protect your uterus and other reproductive organs. Therefore, if it doesn’t shift, there’s a deep-seated biological reason for this!
and if anyone wants any boob flesh, I have far more than I need, to spare!!!

*tummy. the bit that hangs over, the muffin top etc. Maori for tummy. Gotta get te reo into the site somehow!

[Rouge_LAmour]

Second in our heat as Audience Favourite!!

Now to the city finals…

[Rouge_LAmour]

right, I’m grumpy, tired, freezing cold and have had a pretty insane week. More on that later….
therefore, punches will not be pulled and apologies if toes get trodden on but I have size 11 feet.

Glitter sweetie, the only mental challenge you have right now is your body image.
address that and you will find pole much easier to deal with.

When I have a fat day ( or 2, 3, weeks on end, eternity…) pole is dreadful, I can’t even do a fireman.
When I’m feeling good about who I am and my looks mean nothing, it all comes together neatly.

So yes, it is in the mind, but not quite the part where you thought it was.

And as an amazing dancer I know, Polly, said to me (which did blow me away), she loved watching me dance because I had grace and flow and a lack of self consciousness. She wished she could do what I could.
OMG, you should see how she dances. Jawdropping grace and strength, oozing sexiness.
And that is pretty much how we see your dancing, graceful, strong and sexy.

E-Cuddles and e-cupcakes until you get better. Pink, vegan, margarita ones

[Rouge_LAmour]

Aunty Rouge with her 2 cents (with currency conversion Kiwi 5cents)

Go see a Doctor, the pain shouldn’t be there after this long.
Women have been known to dislocate ribs inverting, that is why we try to put it off until you are strong enough.

So, go see Doctor and leave inverting for crazy folk like Veena and Fleur and Berty and Glitz and Sascha and all the others who do it strongly and safely.

Come, join those of us who refuse to invert.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I feel privileged to have witnessed said invert https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif

and took the obligatory shot on my phone…

Yay, Sassy monsters here now too!