Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
-
Jeesh Veena, I can’t believe you did all that… over and over again!
Maybe this year you should find one of those overly-pretentious singers who did this song, who draaaag it out super long, so you have time for each move! -
As Veena said- the Carmen Electra pole is basically a scam. It’s advertised as being able to take your weight, but it CAN’T and I have heard of some very bad falls when that pole gives up it’s job.
I’ve found that the Lil Mynx poles, like the SV pole, are awesome on carpet! They grip really well.
Personally I find the powder coating to be extremely grippy, so it’s awesome for practicing holds and things. I can do more on this pole than I could on my stainless steel- I was a bit nervous about grip on that one. 🙂 -
For some of the places I’ve lived in, simply taking out the nearest lighting fixture and sticking your head in there is enough- they’re often about 16 inches apart, and all run in the same direction. If you can see one, it’s enough.
However, I’ve had some places that have joists in WEIRD patterns, funny spacing apart, and such. We just kind of had to guess and hope- you can often tell, if you’re putting a screw in, by the feel of the drill. It’ll give constant tension if there’s something constant you’re going into. If not, then you haven’t found one.
Another place I lived in was VERY old, and in fact had real wood for the ceiling. I got an extra-long screw for that place, because the wood was thick and I wasn’t sure if I would actually reach the joist with the normal one. That kind of ceiling, though, was incredibly sturdy. Best pole anchor I’ve had in a long time.
Best case, though, is stick your head in an already-made hole, like where the lights come out of. 🙂 -
It’s a really, really difficult thing to say which is the “best” pole. It depends on what you prefer for grip, how you want it to mount, and your climate. Some people find Titanium Gold to be the very best for grip, and others prefer chrome- still others like Stainless steel, and powder coated.
For mounting, you have the Lil mynx which has one screw into the ceiling (in my experience, very easily covered over if you move out of the place or are renting), and X-pole which goes up by pressure alone. Both have their pro’s and con’s, and both have a strong fan following. There is also Platinum stages, which I believe is like X-pole, and also has a fairly strong following.
Personally, I’ve used Lil Mynx exclusively for my dancing, and have never been let down unless it was from MY error- such as not getting the fitting correct, or not realizing that the joist it was going into was metal, and thus about a quarter of an inch thick (remedied by fortifying the mounting point). I’ve recently switched from a stainless steel pole that I had for over 5 years to the new StudioVeena pole, which I love. It’s got a bit of a squeak on the rotating setting, but… it doesn’t really bother me when I’m dancing.
As RebelRaiser indicates, people do love their X-poles. I haven’t had much experience with them, so I cannot say for sure. I’ve heard good and bad things, as I have for all three of the manufacturers.Do your research, take a chance!
http://www.lilmynx.com/
http://www.platinumstages.com
http://xpoleus.com/ -
I know exactly what you mean about “hanging” in a spin! Definitely check out Veena’s discussions about shoulder engagement- they’ve changed my life 😛
I also know how you feel about strength and doubt. I also doubt my own ability to move up into harder moves, and to be strong enough to do things like the Ayesha, or the caterpillar. I’m still struggling with the inverted crucifix! However, I think that it has more to do with the way we engage out muscles… as well as being patient and understanding to our bodies about what we’re asking them to do. Some of us build slower, and some of us have different struggles… but I think we can do it! 🙂 -
Funny how people make those silly assumptions, hey?
I laughed pretty good at that story when I ready it 😉
With the bruises, I tend to show them off if they’re in visible places. I’m like “HEY DID YOU SEE MY BRUISE?!” and then I explain how I got it, what I was doing, and how much it hurt. Often followed by an “I did it though!” Sometimes I’m so in-your-face about pole dancing with people!I think that if I had a whole bunch of bruises and people started suspecting my boyfriend, they would just have to see us together to understand. He’s smaller than I am! He’s totally strong and I can’t knock him down, but he doesn’t look like it. Long hair, svelte figure, he doesn’t look like the fighty-type. 😉
I would laugh if it was suggested 😛 -
Teaching this kind of thing in the context of Pole dance is something that likely won’t happen for a long time. Diagrams and books on the subject of “Anatomy for Pole dance” comes from things that are, in my experience, highly mainstream and well-documented by a very scholarly community. Kind of like Yoga these days.
Anyways, if you’re really interested in it, I think the best way to teach yourself about this is to really mire yourself in the mechanics of body movement, figuring out how muscles work together and all of the interesting things we have in our bodies other than muscles. Things like the Twisted Grip, for example, uses our joints and muscular structure “against itself,” causing a kind of lock- very, very dangerous if you don’t have enough strength to keep your joints in the right place, or slip the wrong way, because you could break or pull something very bad.
Once you have all of the information, you can always look at a variety of pole dancing moves, which are very well-documented and displayed by Veena’s lessons as well as a few others, or even go to a studio and ask for a few demonstrations of certain moves. Have a conversation with a whole bunch of pole dancers, ask them to tell you what muscles they’re using, what they’re focusing on when they do a move, where the pressure is. If they’ve ever hurt themselves or seen others hurt, and where/how that happens.
Gathering information can be exciting and interesting, especially in this context!
Who knows, maybe YOU will be the first one to write the “Anatomy for Pole Dance” book 🙂 -
Ahh, as always my time has been riddled with issues (mostly my ankle being stupid), but… I’ll be working HARD on it after I move and have things settled. I’ll be working on it all December, and I’ll finally be able to post pictures and videos because… well, because I frigging want to! So there!
I did have quite a bit of progress when I was working on it before, and hope to get back to that point when I start up again. It only seemed like an inch or two… but it felt like MILES! -
From what I’ve seen, a lot of it has to do with extension- allowing yourself to reach with your arms, to move them around way out, because it looks a lot better.
For pretty hands, it’s often with the first, third and forth finger (so pointer finger, ring finger and pinky) extended out, though relaxed, and then the middle finger is pointing slightly down from those. The thumb is also pointing forward, but relaxed.
It’s… sort of hard to describe…
You could do a Google search for “ballet hands” in the images, and you’ll find some good pictures. This is also often used in things like belly dancing, as well. I’m not super sure of the picture links on the forum yet, so… yeah.
For graceful arm movement, I find that it’s like an “arm wave” the same way we do a body wave. Shoulder, then elbow, then wrist and then fingertips. Often it’s done a bit faster and less exaggerated as the body wave.I would say, best way to get a feel for it is to look up lots of pole dancers you really like, and watch just their arms. See what they do, see when they do it, learn about the movements. You could also look for belly dancing and such, because graceful arms are things almost all dancers strive for!
-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
-
I have one pair of pole shoes, and they’re Ellie brand- I love them, they fit me really well. It’s a bit surprising, as I tend to have “wide feet for a woman,” according to most shoe brands.
I actually broke my shoes the second time I wore them, however. Stupid mistake on my part, and some pretty loose ankles, and ripped the strap right out of the shoe. Had them repaired, however, and they work and look good-as-new! (Funny thing was that they were repaired for free, because the place I went to pretty much only ever gets work boots and stuff. Imagine me, coming in with a hot pair of black stripper shoes! The guy was pleased, I think!) -
I simply cannot picture this in my head, but I am absolutely intrigued! Please post a video when you get it! 🙂
-
Hey!
It can really suck when your pole is unavailable, and there isn’t much for resources to get your fix…
It sounds to me like you’ve got a pretty good handle on things, though! Gym membership, yoga, and a bit of pole in a studio, and sometimes that’s all you need for a bit 😉
I’ve experienced a lot of time off pole- going back to it can be pretty challenging at first, but I find often that the muscle memory sticks around, and you pick up those old mental notes to yourself (“Oh yeah, I put my hips THIS way!”) fairly quickly. Last time I came back to pole from a brief hiatus, I was back up to speed within three or four sessions.
Keeping yourself moving and working with things like yoga and weights will keep you from losing your strength, too 🙂 -
Handstand
Gemini
Scorpio
Inverted Thigh hold
Improve/Strengthen: CAR, Basic Invert
Slowing down and getting my sexy on 🙂 -
Definitely insurance, and a waiver would probably be good, too.
Some “mood lighting” can occasionally be good, and women think they look best under red or purple lights. Not too strong, but just that hint of colour can do wonders.
Otherwise, it sounds like you’ve got a solid plan! Good luck, and good on you!