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I recognised the dancers in a fair few of the clips but the one who was shown the most, the one in the skin coloured outfit, can anyone pick who that was?

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Oh I love that sideways leg extension that he does from a brass monkey right near the beginning – I wonder how hard it is??

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This is my number one nemesis move, even after more than 5 years of poling and knowing everything there is to know about what I should be doing, I've only ever actually managed to do it about 3 times (to be fair, I don't really work on it either but it's still frustrating when I do try it!!).

 

Anyway, my failure aside, I would direct you to the wise almighty Aerial Amy's blog for she has done a Tips entry about it:) http://aerialamy.com/blog/2012/06/28/cupid/

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I'm pretty bad with some of that balancing too, more the straight edge stuff than the straddle stuff. I sometimes wonder if it's because I carry a fair amount of weight through my legs but I also think I just need a real mental switch to think about what needs to be engaged and also my body has a pretty strong sense of preservation so that often I'm already starting to lean in the direction of coming down before I even get to the right position – if this may be the case with you, sometimes getting a spotter to gently guide you in the right direction can help retrain your body not to do this; I find it helps sometimes anyway. With the upside down stuff, I know Aerial Amy has talked before about the "hollow body" position (I forget whether it was on here or on her blog) that you use to help with the balance – might be worth looking up:)

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There's a good point! If they are around, pls add me! http://www.youtube.com/user/Sassafrassle?feature=guide

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Anyone know if these booty tutorials are still around??

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Oh oh lucky I saw this, thanks for the name drop Saphyre! Trena, Pole Revolutionz sounds like exactly what you want for your friend! It's run by Amy Richardson (you can find her on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/chocolateforbreakie) who is a beautiful dancer and just floats around the pole! She is also a super lovely woman:) Anyway, the only catch is her studio isn't in the city centre and I'm not entirely sure the public transport situation for getting there. Just googled the website though http://polerevolutionz.weebly.com/ so get her to drop them a message to ask anyway. I know there are other studios up in AKL but I've had most contact with Amy (I've done classes with her here in Wellington and up in AKL when we visit) and she is a beautiful dancer with a fluid style so as a dancer, this may suit your friend:) Also, let your friend know that the New Zealand Amateur Pole Performer competition finals are being held in Auckland in August and she should check out going to see it if she's keen! Amy will be competing in the open category so she could see her style first hand:)

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(and we're in New Zealand so recommending brands won't really work but hopefully my descriptions of the different lengths helps!!)

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Well, my boy uses what we call rugby shorts or stubbies, which hit him about mid-thigh I guess and they don't really gape but they're not super tight either. I know several other guy polers and one wears longer shorts (a bit more like board shorts I think) but that's 'cos he does more strength than grip moves so doesn't need the skin grip (both he and my boy will roll them up on occasion if need be). Boys at the other studio I go to wear much more like short/tight undie kind of shorts but I guess it depends what your man is comfortable in. I would think it's  like when we start – you start in longer shorts when you're new and less comfortable and doing more things where it doesn't matter as much what length your shorts are but as you do more and get on to harder things, and get more comfortable with yourself in shorts, you adjust to what works for the moves you're doing:)

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I'm asking my boyf who is a poler and sitting beside me right now:)

-Not difficult to climb with non-shaved legs or any more painful than it would be for those of us who do shave our legs

-Smashing your boy bits on the pole is not an issue except for moves where you might have to grab with the insides of your thighs (eg. pole sits etc) but you do need to be careful and do moves lower down your thighs if poss.

-Strength moves=easier, flexibility stuff=harder:)

-Advice: put at least some time into things that are a bit more difficult for you eg skin grip moves (ie. not just strength moves) because, while they will be painful, it gives you a bit more versatility down the track.

Hope this helps! He also says as a final piece of advice: if you like it, do it:)

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As a performer and a pole show frequenter, I think a gentle woooo and clapping is good for a performer when they do something worth woooo-ing about – in fact, I am also in the camp that if a pole audience is quiet, I'd be worried during one of my performances! What I don't understand though is the increasingly predilection of some people to screech like banshees throughout the ENTIRE performance! That's when it stops meaning anything and actively impinges on other people's rights as audience members. That's my opinion anyway!

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Hm I went and looked at my latest pic and I’m not really chest to ceiling like it sounds you’re describing (I have a pic of my position in my pole practice folder on my profile) but is def a controlled lift as far a I get-I don’t think I could do it with momentum because I have to focus so hard on engaging that I need to do it from the get go

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Hm I went and looked at my latest pic and I’m not really chest to ceiling like it sounds you’re describing (I have a pic of my position in my pole practice folder on my profile) but is def a controlled lift as far a I get-I don’t think I could do it with momentum because I have to focus so hard on engaging that I need to do it from the get go

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Oops, that should read stopping ME:)

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I'm a couple of centimetres shorter than you and I've been trying to work towards it but can only get the hang:( I'm not really as svelte through the legs as you two ladies though so just assumed it was the muscley heaviness of my legs stopping you but maybe I've got the double whammy of heavy legs and tallness, woe! 🙂 And while I'm trying to work towards it, I have yet to see someone with a similar build to me do it I think…