[Runemist34]

Ah, Mindy, this is exactly what I meant! I agree, it shouldn’t JUST be one or the other! It should be whatever we want it to be! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cat.gif
And yes, Swing dancing can be quite sexual. I remember it in highschool! I could only dance with one guy though (and he was gay, and thus not attracted to me) and he made me feel like a yo-yo. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Runemist34]

Amcut, I totally agree with you! When I dance, I feel the same…sometimes it doesn’t come, and I get frustrated. But sometimes, when I can let go, I dance and it’s like I become the movement, everything flows…
I think about it in a similar way to my writing. When I write, and it doesn’t come easily, I’m frustrated. I start and start and start again, and just can’t seem to get the words, the mood, the right flow. The writing goes off track from what I wanted. But, when it works…oh, the words just come, the sentences in my head full formed, I can hear it in my head, see the scene and the conversation, the tension between the characters. I become the story outlet, rather than the godlike figure deciding what to write down. Editing comes later, this is pure energy. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
Sapphire, I have E sized boobs. I feel your pain! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
One day, my hope is that I have freedom of movement, flexible and strong enough to do anything I want with the pole, the same as my mind is strong and flexible. That way, I can do any move I want, any move I feel is the natural progression from the last. It’s hard, though, eh?
I’ve seen lots of amazing dancers that don’t do the "sexy" thing, and lots that have! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Runemist34]

Holy wow! I loved all those dances! Incredible flow, and I also liked that they didn’t really do much climbing, or inversions…something more for those of us who aren’t there yet to go for! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif Beautiful, thank you for sharing!

[Runemist34]

You know, I’ve always believed that sexuality, and sensuality, is a part of good pole dancing, but also that it can manifest in many different ways for different people.
We’ve had a few dancers come out and say "I can’t dance sexy!" and I, personally, think it’s an unfortunate social bias. Touching ourselves (such as running a hand down from neck to hip and up again), splaying our legs (helicopter, anyone?) and other things I can’t think of right now don’t HAVE to be part of a dance to have the dance be sexual. On the other hand, for some people these things are very sexual.
Everyone has their own version of sexuality, we’re all different in how we attract our bedmate, whoever that may be, and that person we attract likely doesn’t think much of it. For some women, it’s the vulnerability, the absolute drop of that "big, strong person" part of ourselves, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, to be seen and known by others. For other people, it’s doing something taboo, something that we "shouldn’t do," whether it was our family, our society, or ourselves that say such. For yet others, it may even BE that big, strong person that is our sexy self! Feeling powerful, tall and in control!
What I’m trying to say is that I agree entirely…I like the sexy side of pole dance, I enjoy it very much. I think one of the reasons Felix won the world championship was because she IS sexy, in her own way, and people could see that.
Now, as I said before, the people we attract by being sexy may not think anything of it, they might just think "That’s sexy!" However, on the flipside, people may look at that person being sexy and go "I don’t think that’s very sexy." They aren’t the type of person we would normally attract, and they don’t see what we’re doing as "sexy" at all…but that doesn’t mean we aren’t being sexy!

So, my conclusion (I didn’t mean to go on and on!) is that everyone needs to explore and learn their own sensual, sexy selves, because it’s not the same for everyone. I love the idea of exploring that aspect of our own dance, though!
To say that "Pole dancing is just for fitness!" is, for me, for people who either have another outlet for their sexual selves, or they’re afraid to be "labelled" or whatever, and don’t want to delve into that aspect.

Thank you for saying something about it! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Disclaimer: Just my opinions. This can be a touchy subject, and I don’t want anyone offended https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cat.gif

[Runemist34]

That was impressive, sensual (in a masculine way!) and enjoyable to watch! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Runemist34]

Good to know! Thank you so much, ladies, this really helps. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif

[Runemist34]

now if I could get the strength and conditioning too even without weight loss I could live with that.
Haha, my husband and I have a little agreement with that…I don’t get thinner, and I’m allowed to do whatever I want! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
Honestly, though, he just wants me to be happy, and if I get thinner, he’ll live. He’s told me so. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif
Looking at your pictures, Jen, you look like me, if I was able to do most of those poses! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif At least in body-type. And I think you look good! Maybe that’s what we should do…find all the girls that are shaped the same, and then we can all talk about what we like about each other! Even the thinner girls who have butt envy. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif
Seriously, though, booty shaking is haaard! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Runemist34]

Wow, Red, that was super, duper helpful! Can I hump your leg? Woops! Did I say that? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cat.gif
Thank you for the pictures and the explanations, it was very enlightening! I think I’ll be saving the whole post for future reference! I’ve, personally, seen mostly the cup grip when I watch others do it, but I could also see the Veena, or Flip grip being used effectively. I’ll try them from the floor and see if any of them work for me! It’ll be another strength thing for me to practice, along with my pull-ups! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Runemist34]

…but in general guys are just happy to actually get to see ANY junk
AH, so true! My husband tells me pretty often that he’s happy with what I’ve got https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
I agree entirely with what you girls have to say, and I sure did like those links!
I think I agree, though, that sometimes we’re surprised by what we see in the mirror, or in a video, because we don’t really get the full effect. I was surprised, in my first video, by how large my hips actually were! I mean, I knew they were big, and I’ve had them measured (for my wedding dress) and I know how big around they are, and that I gotta hunt for jeans most of the time, but I suppose I never really got the "full effect" till I saw me shakin’ my stuff for the camera.
Also, it was…perhaps a bit of a surprise? I mean, I was dancing in shorts this time (rather high shorts, because I wanted to attempt the climbing and sitting again), but I DID look in the mirror for a while with those shorts on, and I didn’t think it looked that bad! But then, on the camera, I did a pose, and the ripple went aaaalll the way up my thigh and ended in my ass. I was like "Holy jiggle, batman!" https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif
But then, as said here and will probably be said in so many other places, it’s more the perception of what is sexy, and changing that so that we are accepting. Any woman can be sexy, I know that, and I think we all know that. Strangely, I tend to be an exception to most of my own good rules, and I’ve been trying to change that.
I really liked what Amcut said, though. We are not an ass, an arm, or a set of boobs, we’re a whole, complete sum of all the parts, one person, and that person is sexy. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif

I also liked the idea of playing up the good points, so no one noticed the bad ones https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif Getting out the camera and the mirror so I can see what looks good, what kinds of things flatter the way I am built, so I can show that off a little more. Not getting rid of the less flattering, but not making it the main focus.

…er, if this is really long and sort of confusing, I’m sorry, I was sick all day yesterday, and I think I’m having an odd reaction to the drugs I took to help me sleep https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Runemist34]

Alright, so one hand is in the front, which is extended, thumb going around the pole and fingers together, and the other arm is bent, and hand is behind the pole. Did I get that right? That’s the "Veena grip?" This is the one I should try? Depending, of course, on how comfortable I am with it. I might be comfortable with another, we don’t know https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif
So, that’s the second way I’ve seen it done, technically. The first is the one with both hands behind, one mostly extended up and one slightly closer to the head, and this one. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Runemist34]

I love the two that are waist high! They would be great for burlesque. Great find https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cat.gif

[Runemist34]

Wow, she’s strong and sexy! Certainly has a great style, too. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Runemist34]

…And this is why I love this forum. You realize, ladies, that this could have totally exploded in some kind of poop-fligning estrogen-fest, and I probably would have been like "Oh yeah, that’s women for you." I’ve worked with, and spoken to, a lot of women who WOULD start freaking out, just because you disagreed! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif
And yet, you guys simply talked it out! It was heartwarming, and makes me wonder if it’s just the town I live in! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
Anyways, I’m not necessarily going to be full-on shouldermounting yet! I know it’s one of the hardest inversions to do, and I know I don’t have the strength for it…but as previously suggested, I might try it from the floor, just to see about the core strength and arm strength required, and also perhaps to exercise those muscles, so that one day I can SM gracefully.
I think I understand Veena’s reasoning behind keeping the hands farther apart, because this can give a person more leverage, and requires less strength (perhaps only slightly), but PDR, could you describe yours for me? Are you suggesting keeping the thumbs and hands together, and cupping the pole behind my head? Or something else?
Sorry, I’m a little sick, and get kind of confused https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Runemist34]

I’ve found that a lot of people like having the mirror, so they can kind of spot-check their moves, and and correct them (if needed) then and there. Honestly, my video is the first time I’ve seen myself dance! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Runemist34]

Thank you! Generally, I wait till all the guys are out of the house (which is hard, ’cause there’s three of them!) although one of them is pretty good about it, and not particularly interested in watching. So, I suppose I kind of developed my style when I was alone!