[StellarMotion]

Hi folks.

So I e-mailed Karyn and she has no problem with me joining in on the fun with all of you talented ladies.

Also, is it safe to assume that most RSVPs thus far are locals to the DFW area, and would therefore not have a need or interest in alternative lodging such as a hotel? I’ve been writing e-mails to some of the hotels in the general vicinity of The Girls’ Room in order to inquire whether or not a conference rate would be available to those of us who won’t be enjoying the comfort of our own homes while we are visiting Dallas.

For the record, it’s almost certain that I wouldn’t be able to make a December pole jam, as my boss informed us well in advance to take any necessary time off in November or arrange for it in January. I work as a bartender in an upscale restaurant that is always heavily booked with company parties throughout the whole month of December, which aside from putting me in increased demand is also, typically, rather financially lucrative.

So if you meet in December, I’ll have to wish you all a good time and enjoy the videos you post vicariously, and just keep saving my pennies to go hang out with some of you in DC in a few months…! According to a certain feline among our ranks, it’s going to be off the hook! So with that said, however, I absolutely promise to make a January pole jam, but the likelihood of my attending would be high.

Having said that, if December is the most convenient time for the majority of you then, by all means, please follow through!

So whatever the case, I’ll get back to you all as soon as I hear back from any of the Dallas hotels I’ve been in contact with, when any of them do get in touch. I’ve contacted a range of standard motels and resort hotels alike, and will be inquiring about December and January dates both!

[StellarMotion]

Hi Twista,

I don’t always feel totally comfortable giving advice about pole moves here, since I’m not as experienced as some others on this site. However since this topic has gone several days without a reply, I felt inclined to share my experience with the Genie. I am not an expert at this move, nor do I have any formal training in pole dance or fitness, so this is only my experience. This isn’t necessarily the only way to learn Genie, or even the best way, but it is a way, and it’s how I conditioned myself for Genie.

First, it took me a little while to figure out that much of the instability I felt when releasing my hands was not from my thigh-grip, but rather it was core. For some reason, it seems that it is harder to hold straight through the abdomen in this pose than in the knee hold or other positions. I realised after several hand releases that my arm strength was not compensating for my lack of thigh-grip so much as it was compensating for core. But the knee hold could possibly be used as one exercise to help develop strength through the oblique to hold this pose. Likewise the Cupid (that’s the one with one the lower foot/ankle on the pole, while the higher leg is hooked around the pole at the knee, I think. If I am in error, please do correct me, anyone!), or a side-facing flag (instead of facing the floor). You can do sidebends also, with one foot on the floor and the other hooked around the pole by the top of the foot or behind the knee. I personally do this just as a conditioning exercise.

As for the thighs themselves though this pose isn’t easy still even if your core strength is mammoth. I push really hard with my arm before releasing to make sure the pole is deep in my knee pits, and squeeze really hard with the hamstring. Your legs will hurt while you are getting used to this. I find that if my legs are out kind of wide, it is a little easier to hold. Maximum straddle is good for learning, but if you get more comfortable in Genie later on, the wow-factor increases a little if your knees are closer together enabling you to get further from the pole. You won’t push your hips as far forward as you do for a knee hold (though they still need to be forward, just not to the same degree), so you have the luxury of getting some extra leverage by pressing your lower thigh against the pole instead of relying exclusively on squeeze factor.

Practice this close to the floor so that you can put a little of your weight on your lower hand on the floor while building strength for this move, as long as that is necessary. Also, it will be easier to catch yourself if you start to slip a little. Make sure you are comfortable in a handsfree Genie close to the floor before trying it higher on the pole. A spot and crash pads are always a good idea if those are luxuries you have access to.

By the way, keep a towel nearby. If your kneepits are sweaty this can be a pretty dangerous move to practice, so be sure to take a moment to dry off a little bit if you’re feeling moist before having another attempt.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful, and also, I hope that it was shared tastefully enough. I respect that this is someone else’s studio space, and hope that I haven’t crossed any boundaries inappropriately.

But once your hold is secure, this move can look very pretty, especially on spin mode. Doing swimming arms, or belly-dance style snake arms can look really cute in the Genie hold! I’ll post a Genie demo (not tutorial) in a couple days, when I set my pole back up at home. I loaned it to a friend who has a pole enthusiasm for a couple days, just to help keep myself off of the bloody thing, and give my body some needed rest. Practice does make perfect, or close; but overpractice does something else entirely! Haha!

Good job on getting the Genie with hand, and good luck on getting it handsfree!

[StellarMotion]

Hi everybody! Considering that since I’ve joined StudioVeena I have received nothing but kindness and support, I never expected that any of you would reject me from a pole jam! I did, however, think that it would be respectful if we asked Karyn about me using her studio with the rest of you. After all, she did name her studio "the Girls’ Room," which sounds like she had something specific in mind for her studio. I’ll try e-mailing about it through her site.

By the way, I’ve not been in contact with any hotels yet. I’ll try to find some on the internet that are near that studio and ask what the requirements are for conference rate eligibility. Also, are we anywhere near having a "head count" for very likely joiners?

[StellarMotion]

Do you think Karyn would allow a guy to join in on the fun? I don’t know if I’ll be able to come up with enough money by then, but I’m sure willing to try, as long as the studio will have me.

I will even bring my X-pole to set up at the hotel if anyone’s down for some afterparty. I know that if I am surrounded by polers I’ll feel too inspired to just have two hours of studio time and then quit. Maybe we could even book a host of rooms in a hotel that offers a conference rate and get a modest discount across the board for all of us who are traveling there. I would be willing to do some research and phone calling.

[StellarMotion]

Veena, thank you for the tip about exporting to QT. I will remember that from now on!

Sassafrassie, thank you for your experience and suggestions. I found everything you suggest to be agreeable and I’ll work on implementing more of your suggestions and Veena’s next time I record something. Perhaps acting, expressing and emoting could be a future monthly challenge? I know it certainly challenges me just as much as the acrobatic stuff!

[StellarMotion]

I just read something sounding a lot like that comment recently and I think I may know exactly what Roxy’s talkin’ about! It’s from Miss Pole Dance New Zeland that competed at world this April.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I57YegUxg5g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Roxy, was it this one? I just love watching this lady’s videos! Her name is Amy Richardson Impey. The only part I noticed where she’s holding on with one hand is where she enters and exits a pretzel pose while aerial. The grip to me looks very similar to the top bracket of the twisted grip, but with no lower bracket. It’s very pretty! So when my body is ready for another practice, I’ll attempt to do this. But I don’t think my body is gonna have it today… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

[StellarMotion]

Hi Poleophile! I’m not sure what I might have done wrong when I was trying to upload that vid to this site, but I have put it on YouTube now instead. I have the same name, StellarMotion, for my YouTube channel. Do you have a YouTube channel? If so we could be friends there! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif

[StellarMotion]

HI Midkid… Thinking maybe confidence in a man looks like chest up, abs in, shoulders back and low, head tilted slightly upward? I’m just trying to visualise it. Does that sound anything close to what you had in mind? More a posture thing than a face?

Veena! Thank you! I felt slightly incompetent for not knowing how to emote well, and after reading your post I feel a little bit better. I know that I have expected too much from myself being the beginning poler that I am. I hope that as I start to develop through practise and repetition the kind of comfort you describe with the moves, that more of my attention can be directed toward feeling the music and expressing the feeling. It’s only been since about July that I really started trying to learn pole dancing moves and techniques, and since I have no training in dance I understand that what you say is true. I will trust that it comes with time. I’m sure that some trial and error is involved too, so I guess I have to be willing to make errors. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_neutral.gif

I like your tip about not looking at the camera or audience when dancing to a sad song. If only I would have read that tip before posting my last practice! Haha. I recorded a practice with a Siouxsie and the Banshees song playing and posted it on Sunday, in which I caught myself looking at the camera more than once, when in fact my whole intention with that dance was to exorcise some melancholia.

Thanks for referring me to your Smile video… I thought it was very touching. I see exactly what you’re talking about and I’ll try to take a lesson from it! Aside from that, the aerial shoulder mount (and some other moves) looked unbelievably beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Poleophile, thank you for the comment! I will bookmark that site and look at it this week. You are a really kind lady! And your Gemini picture looks just great!

Haha, Sissy! Please share what you find when you "look into" your work!

[StellarMotion]

Hi Melly,

Thanks for posting and introducing yourself. I am a new member at this community too and I love it here so far. Veena and others on this site are really eager to be helpful and offer encouragement.

How fortunate you are that you get to have instruction from REDKE71! I really want to learn to do a lot of the moves she does with the same apparent ease of execution she seems to have.

Kind regards,

-David

[StellarMotion]

I would love to attend a pole jam in Texas! I live in El Paso. I won’t have any chance to travel until January though, in case timing is a factor in planning the jam…!

[StellarMotion]

Hi LoveJunkie. You have just the right spirit! I would come home from my early practices really banged up and in awful pain, but when the pain subsided I just couldn’t wait to get back on the pole to get new bruises, burns, and soreness. It is a very satisfying and rewarding type of pain. Even still I like new bruises and burns, because they usually mean I have a new move! I love your attitude. Keep that and you’ll get strong fast, I think.

[StellarMotion]

Oh my goodness. This will be my first monthly challenge. You girls really don’t mess around.

I’d better stretch for this.

[StellarMotion]

Hi Punkrocgirlie!

It’s interesting to hear comments about my upper body strength, because up until a few weeks ago when I would see really thin and petite women performing handsprings, lifts, ayshas and the like, I honestly believed that I would never be strong enough to perform those moves. It was only two or three weeks ago that I did my first handspring, and after that I became confident enough to do extended ayshas, climbing caterpillars, and other arm strength-related moves. It took me many months of training on the pole and in the gym (and also exercises using my own body weight at home) before I could do that. I trust that anyone with diligence can learn that stuff too! The first time I got on a pole (April I think, of this year) I could barely climb it. I tried to invert and couldn’t. It really took a lot of labor!

As for flexibility, I was fortunate enough to be very flexible as a child. When I was about six I saw someone on television do splits and I decided I wanted to be able to do that too, so I started stretching every day. A girl in my third grade class taught me backbends, walkovers and the like. For many years I took it for granted that I could just drop into a split, until I tried it this year and hurt myself. Now I realise I’m at an age where my flexibility needs maintaining, especially if I am going to continue with strength training. I took it upon myself to get educated about stretching and now I’ve earned my split back!

Thanks for watching and commenting. I’m gonna view your stuff too!

[StellarMotion]

I am not sure what happened to my upload here on StudioVeena – am sorry for that! Will try to upload again. Here’s the link in the meantime to the YouTube vids.

http://www.youtube.com/user/stellarmotion