Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
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Awesome idea! I love it!
I totally want to give a shout out to Veena and Webby- they're both always there when we have questions or need help! They both do an awesome job with this site, and I hope they know how much we appreciate it! <3
Also, totally third the motion about Randy at Lil Mynx! He's the only one I've dealt with, but he's always replied to my e-mails, and told me what they're up to on a product I've been pining for! (Granted, I may not need that product with the launch of the SV pole!) I know how hard it is to get through planning and production of a new product, but he's been patient and kind with me and all of my asking!
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Your doubts are, unfortunately, incorrect.
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Personally, I prefer to see the humanity in everyone. Even nazi's.
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Worse than a foot-nazi is a grammar-nazi, and you have no idea how difficult it is for me not to let that side of myself out. Sometimes it causes me physical pain.
However, I find that any kind of nazi is helpful in a way- they're letting you know that you can improve! The only trick is that THEY, obviously, can also improve. If you're finding them impolite, or rude, or straight-up insulting, call them on it. Don't be mean (you don't want to be a nazi yourself!) but tell them "I understand you're getting distracted by my feet, and I'm working on improving my toe-point! But, please be aware that there are nicer, more encouraging ways to tell me, and those ways will actually gain better results." If they flip out at you, then it's THEIR problem!
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That's totally the thing I'm talking about. I understand how it's done and what it's mean to look like, but I don't like it. When Aerial Amy is demo'ing that one from the floor? That's the move I call "the vagina monster," especially when you walk your butt forward. O.O
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While I can't speak on things like "musicality," or properly embodying your music, I know a lot about nerves!
For anything from a dance performance to a presentation at school, I get nervous like a mother cat! It's pretty bad… I have anxiety already, but those sorts of things ramp it up really far. I've had anxiety attacks over it!
So, here are some of my tips and things to keep in mind:
1) Remember that you WANT to do this! Say it to yourself in your head. Write it down. You WANT to. It's very important!
2) Breathe. Whether you're right behind the curtain, just before your actual performance, or just going to practice, or even just thinking about it at random (my worst time is just before I go to bed), remember to breathe deeply, into your belly. If you sing, or have done, it's a lot like that! This has been proven to reduce anxiety… and I certainly see the improvement, within moments. It'll also help teach your mind that you don't have to be so scared of it.
3) You're not nervous… you're Excited! One trick that came from Rosie Bitts, who taught me burlesque dancing. I was surprised to find it actually did help! Keep saying it to yourself, telling other people, etc. You might actually discover that you ARE excited to do it!
4) Remember that you are your worst critic… and that they usually aren't paying as close attention to you as you are. You may THINK that they will all see the flaws, the lack of something or presence of something else… but that is likely not true. I've been pole dancing for some time now, and every time I see a video of a dancer, unless I'm being intentionally critical (like someone needs help with a move), I generally just sit back and enjoy. Even when people ask me to look and be critical, I have a difficult time picking up everything I potentially could.
5) Eat. Seriously, eat food. Without food, you are much more prone to nervousness and added stress. When you feel healthy and full of food, you will be much more content, and much less apt to stress. Eat something before your performance, eat throughout the day, just keep doing it. Doesn't matter what kind of diet or whatever you're on: Hunger will not make you calm. Period.
Hope that helps!
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kate92: I totally agree with you. Any kind of general leg-wiggling makes me cringe a little.
Moves I don't like? Well, the "vagina monster" floorwork move comes immediately to mind! Lol!
There are a few moves that I know that aren't really done or discussed around here. I learned them from back in my studio-going days. I know them, I can do them (they're fairly easy), but I don't do them because they're… too blatant? Ugh! So there's the "Pole pump" which is very obviously a "LOOK! I'm humping the pole!" move. Do not like! There's also the "money shot," which is a sit with your back against the pole (usually directly after a pirouette), and then you open your knees… you know, for that "Money Shot"?
Umm, for more well-known moves… I'm not terribly fond of the Caterpillar, or the Iron X. The latter is impressive, but doesn't really "wow" me the way I think it's meant to.
Basic Wrist sit and Teddy moves are also a little too blatantly "LOOK!" for me… but I've seen some fantastic variations of them that I LOVE, so there you go.
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*Flail* Awesome!
Looking forward to some great combos and interesting tips from you, Veena! Definitely always looking to spruce up my beginner moves with transitions and stuff, and it should also help me with my intermediate ones that I'm working on!
Thanks!
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I kind of have to contradict the "naturally diurnal" thing. My natural sleep schedule as an adult is going to bed around 2am-4am, and waking up at about 11am-1pm. I tried to change that for more than three years while I was with my ex-husband, and it just didn't work- I was grumpy, tired, listless, and generally felt very unhealthy.
Unfortunately, society seems to assume that most people are the daytime-type, and I get classes that start at 10am, or have to work around that time, too. It's very frustrating, and I often describe it as "Imagine if you had to get up and work at 4am. You wouldn't be happy, either!"
I cannot sleep before 2am. I've tried. I have REALLY tried. My best sleeping time is actually between 5am and 11am. I get the highest quality sleep then.
And that's where the issue is- when you don't get that highly efficient, truly restful sleep, you'll suffer. Loss of energy, focus, and motivation. You may be getting a full 8 hours of sleep, possibly even more, but it won't be the same.
My suggestion would be to make sure you're eating often, and perhaps more than you would consider to be "normal" for you. Not too much more, but a bit more. Remember that you're trying to replace energy that you are lacking from not being able to sleep at your ideal time.
And, if you feel that this sleep schedule will be going on for longer than a month, don't deviate from it, even on weekends. It's really tempting, and it can be really hard to just stay tired when you know you have time to sleep… but you may be able to transition your body to your work schedule. You suffer for the first bit, but I'm told that most people find it gets easier.
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Generally, I try not to push myself so hard that I'm covered in bruises- then again, I don't bruise that easily! I tend to be tough and just brush off the pain, as it's temporary.
Sleeping right after a workout is pretty much impossible for me. If it was a good workout, I'm so high on endorphins that I feel like I never need sleep ever again! So I've got to give it a few hours. I try to practice about 4+ hours before bedtime.
I think we can all appreciate that our guys may be worried for us, but also that they're supportive of us! Women are tough and we keep going, well past the point of "normal," sometimes. We have a different experience of pain, I think. So, perhaps it's good for them to remind us that we've got other things going on in our lives that pole has to make room for, too 😉 And it's up to us to find out our limits and balance life properly!
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When I took a Fitness trainer's course (to become a fitness trainer, though sadly I didn't finish the course!), they talked about strength training and flexibility.
Basically, the thought was that if you trained very hard on building strength and bulk, but did not stretch, your muscles would shorten. I saw a picture of a bicep that was barely an inch and a half- scary!
Flexibility training, however, will NOT take away your strength.
Greater strength is achieved by lifting weights, which gives us tiny tears in the muscle tissue. Our body repairs the damage, and gives us a little bit extra, so it doesn't happen again! That's why we get stronger, and have to step up the strength training- and also why we remain at the same level if we don't train. Without any use of the strength, our muscles will atrophy (shrink), because the body realizes we aren't using those muscles to their full capacity (or at all) and will relocate the nutrients and building blocks to other, more useful places.
Flexibility does similar things by elongating the tissues of our muscle, which is why overtraining on flexibility can be quite bad, the same as overdoing it on the strength.
Thus, flexibility may change the way your muscle tissue looks or is used, but in a good way. Strength won't be lost!
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Well, webby, I'd say you've sold me pretty thoroughly 😉 Now, I just have to dig up the money for it!
Lets hope my job gives me full time hours for this summer… or else I'll have to wait till September to get it! But, now that I know it exists and sounds beautiful, I know my goals 🙂
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It says 'US only,' but does that mean that $45 shipping and handling is only for US, or is it the pole is only for sale in the US?
Also, how's the grip on the powder coat? I often find powder coating to be quite grippy, almost uncomfortably so when it comes to spins!And, finally, is the colour more red, towards the pink end of things, or more blue, towards the violet end of things?
Since I can't seem to get the conversion kit for my pole, I'm considering saving up for a new Lil Mynx, and I do love me some purple…
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I am also self-driven, as there are no studios around here anymore… and when there were, I didn't have the money to go to them!
The main things I've learned is to stick to it, and pace yourself. I tend to throw myself in really hard, and then burn out. It sucks, because one of my 'burnouts' turned into an 8 month hiatus. Not happy! But these days I'm doing my best to stick with it, and keep dancing, no matter how badly I feel, or even if it's been a week. Just keep going.
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Hey Ginger!
The Tuck is really not the issue. As we said before… we can both tuck fine, just not tilt. There's that second step after tucking that seems to elude both of us.
I've been using Veena's lessons since the new year, which is where I tend to get my current invert from (including swinging my leg out and up), but it is still very difficult to bring my hips upwards.
I don't think commitment is really the issue. I've been trying to get the invert, or a more controlled one, for more than a year now.
I've fallen out of a CAR, actually, and it's still not working too well for me. I can CKR just fine, though 😉 I just keep doing CAR's from the ground, until I know that I'm confident in the type of grip.