[Runemist34]

I have heard that the Jade split was named for Jamilla Deville, who invented the move, because it’s Ja for Jamilla, and De for Deville.

[Runemist34]

I strongly agree with Veena and Webby- I don’t think that it’s polite to belittle someone’s decision… especially when you haven’t quite gotten your facts correct.
I’ve had ONLY Lil’ Mynx poles, and my first I had for over five years. It only fell down due to my own error (and never completely, it was surprisingly safe in that it just slid a bit at the bottom), and I had no issues finding studs in the ceiling to put it up into, or simply putting a little bit of polyfilla into the place my pole was when I moved… very often, when I was also doing the polyfilla in all of the other holes from tacks, posters, and the occasional accident.
The only time I’ve actually seen a Lil mynx (or, indeed, any pole) on Craigslist around here was when I put mine up for sale… because I’d purchased an SV pole, which is also a Lil Mynx.

I can completely appreciate, Quancutie, that you love your Xpole and that it works amazingly well for you. I can agree with some of what you’re saying! However, I think that choosing when and how to say things is very important.

[Runemist34]

Aaah! I think I’ve seen those in some videos, but I can’t really remember who put it up. I keep thinking I’d like to get one, one day, when I have some kind of expendable income (once I enter the land of fairy tales!)

[Runemist34]

Is this a pole, or a set of lights? Maybe a link would help?

[Runemist34]

Are we talking stretching after a workout to prevent muscle soreness and maintain flexibility (and in the morning to get the cricks out of your joints) or… flexibility training?
I’m assuming the latter, and I’ve heard it very often that, much like strength training, you need to take rest days when doing flexy training. You can incorporate those into your 30 days, though, because it is still part of doing the training!
Also, please be sure that you’re fully warmed up before engaging in flexibility training. Either a super hot bath or shower, or a good warm up at least, to prevent straining muscles and such.

Good luck!

[Runemist34]

Highly recommend Veena’s ab challenge! It’s been a super good one for me! I really need to get back to it, too 😉

[Runemist34]

Lil Mynx has been my only pole for about 5 years now! I rent, so I learned to fill in the hole from the bolt- doesn’t take much, just a bit of polyfilla or spackle. Most people don’t even know it’s been there! And, it’s super easy to put up and take down if you need the space or have sensitive guests.

[Runemist34]

As far as I have heard, most poles that fall outside of the 8′-10′ range need to be custom cut- which often means they’re permanent, they won’t be able to be put up anywhere else. You would likely have to purchase a new pole if you wanted to have one that was adjustable after that.
It can be a pain, but you can always call up the companies and ask them about it. Lil Mynx can be reached by e-mail, too, and I know Xpole US is said to have fantastic customer service.

[Runemist34]

I can understand your concern, but I think you should be alright.
I was previously dancing on a 50mm (I think) Lil mynx pole, stainless steel, and that was ALL I was used to. All I had ever danced on. When I went to Iceland and visited Eva at her studio, however, she had thinner poles. At first, I thought “No way!” My hands are fairly large, and I have a lot of leg, and I believed there was no way for me to find it, let alone grip it.
However, the Studio Veena pole that I now own is thinner than my beloved 50mm, and I was concerned at first… but, I love it now. It’s actually easier to grip, better to use, and nicer on my hands.
I think it takes some getting-used-to, but I also think that you will be fine with your pole, once you get it up 🙂

[Runemist34]

Kyrsten is right- the number of hours you need to put in all depends on you. When it comes to almost anything that requires practice, it depends on HOW you practice, more than it depends on how MUCH you practice.
I’ve learned this a lot while learning to play music, too. It’s been… a bit frustrating 😉

As for the abs engaging… While I’m unsure of the effects of C sections exactly, are you able to find and engage your core in any way? Maybe you’re engaging and don’t know it?
One of Veena’s Ab Challenge exercises are really good for this sort of thing- doing a kind of shoulder mount from the floor. No swinging or anything, and coming down with lots of control. You hopefully will be able to bring those muscles back that way!
Best of luck 🙂

[Runemist34]

I’ve seen some people reach downward, hooking the back of their armpit and transitioning it right into something like an inside leg hang… I’ve also seen it turned into… sort of a figurehead, but with legs straight and pointing back? You could bend your back (if you have a bendy back like that) and go right into a shouldermount…
Granted, most of these examples are pretty extreme, or take a bit of courage 😉

[Runemist34]

I think this is a really interesting question for a lot of us to grapple with, and I’ve seen a few of the ladies here come to a lot of very interesting conclusions. Mostly, I’ve noticed the answer is personal, in that we can’t really provide you a proper answer on how to get your groove back, but there are a lot of suggestions to be made in how other people have done so!
My first thought is toward how you’re going at your training. Are you seeing it as just trick training, where previously you had been dancing and not worrying too much about tricks? Or vice-versa? Our intentions when training seem to change from studio to home, and I’ve noticed it being a source of contention with ourselves- basically, what was it about pole dancing that got you interested, and is it still something that keeps you interested now? Are you filling that need with something else (especially considering you do a lot of other things!), and now have to find another place for Pole to fit?
Next, is some amount of structure for your home workouts. Being completely unstructured is good for very few people, and not many progress going at it in that way. Things like having a pole journal can really help, as you can write down goals, what works and what doesn’t, and tailor your workout easily into something that you really enjoy. That isn’t to say that you need to be totally structured, either- if you suddenly find some inspiration in a song, you can dance to it and really get into it, unlike in the classroom where you are listening to your instructor.
Lastly, make sure that you’re not burning out. It happens to the best of us, and sometimes we simply just don’t notice it happening. Physical burnout is often understood to be “your body just giving up,” but you also have to think about mental burnout as well. Dancing, and problem solving (like, when you’re trying to figure out a move) can be taxing on your head as well as your body.
Also, if it is a particular move or group of moves that you’re having issues with (like, you’ve hit a physical plateau and don’t feel that you’re able to progress further) you can change your focus. Instead of learning new tricks, see if you can work on stringing tricks you already know into something that you like, or making them flow better. This will both increase your strength, and give you a stronger understanding of pole dancing, as we’re constantly learning about the art.

And, of course, be gentle with yourself. You’re not a machine, and sometimes you just need to go at it in a gentler way.

[Runemist34]

Wow, good question! I searched both the PDC Syllabus, as well as the Pole Dance Dictionary and I couldn’t find it in either one… though I’m sure I’ve seen that move before!

[Runemist34]

I think that, unfortunately, a lot of it is that most women are victims of the social standard of beauty, instead of promoting it.
The idea of having no body hair is definitely something perpetuated by our society, and I actually cannot say if it affects pole dancing specifically. I don’t enjoy having hairy legs, personally, so I can’t say if it would cause issues with grip or hair pulling.
Otherwise, on the idea of having a slim build… have you SEEN Jamilla? She is BUILT. Her shoulders and arms are actually quite large, and it’s (as far as I can tell) downsized quite a bit in her pictures, either by the pose selected, or by photoshop (I don’t know for sure).
However, yes, most of the women pole dancing at the very advanced level are quite slim… because they require a lot of muscle in order to achieve those moves. Muscle is harder to keep up than fat (or even less muscle), so the body uses much more of what it eats to keep them up, rather than storing it for later as fat. Also, they engage in a rather high level of activity, which means a lot of exercise in all ways- strength, flexibility and cardio vascular. This means that any fat they may be storing is quickly eaten up.

Otherwise, I have found the occasional difference in those stereotypes, but not much. I found one woman who was beautifully voluptuous and curly-haired, which was lovely to see (as I am both of those). I know that we have veeners here that are of darker skin, curly hair, and different body types and weight.

But… I suppose it would be nice to see a few more “super advanced” women, and men, who break out of those beauty stereotypes.
Perhaps you can set your sights on being one of those to break out 🙂

[Runemist34]

Augh, well… I suppose I’ll start looking for a different browser! Firefox is just letting me down these days. Thanks Webby