[catmoves2718]

I think it’s really, truly, wonderful that some people feel better about their bodies after starting pole. Any time anyone learns to love and accept their body that’s a win in my book. That said, this is not a universal experience in pole. Being part of the pole community does not make everyone feel better about their body. Not all studios are body positive or supportive of people of all size or fitness levels. Some are downright hostile if you don’t fit a certain mold. Not all instructors model body positive behavior, and some model very negative and unhealthy behavior (e.g. under eating). So while I think it’s great that some people feel better about their bodies because of pole, I think there is a real tendency in the pole community to over state this experience and make it seem universal, which is very isolating and alienating if you are not one of those people who feel pole has improved their body image.

[catmoves2718]

The ability to download videos in the app and store them at least temporarily would be really useful. When I practice in the studio I don’t have wifi access.

[catmoves2718]

As others have said depending on your contract you absolutely can be fired for having a second job. Additionally in the US some employers require you to sign a contract with a morality clause and they absolutely can dire you if you violate it. Other employers have policies about social media use. My employer doesn’t much care what I do in my free time, but they absolutely do care what people can find when you type my name into a search engine, so I have to be careful. If you have questions about this I suggest reading your employment contract and possibly talking to a lawyer.

[catmoves2718]

As an instructor, I am very clear that if you come to a level 1 (i.e. beginners) class you are working on beginner material. The same holds for level 2, 3… I do not want students distracted or intimidated by what their classmates are working on, nor do I want “adventurous” beginners trying things they have no business trying because they saw someone else do it. I do tolerate students doing the same move that is being worked on, but a slightly more difficult variation–if we’re working on fireman spins, and you can safely do a one handed version, fine, if you do a obviously different, showy spin (e.g. reverse grab) or start inverting, you’ll be politely asked not to do that right now. I am clear and consistent about this policy, and for the most part, students respect it.

I don’t regularly take classes, but I do visit other studios whenever I travel (which is fairly often). I typically sign up for classes that based on description are below my ability level (a) because I’m often tired on work trips, and (b) to make sure I’m not signing up for a class that is above my ability level. If I show up and we’re working on the fireman, that’s what I work on. Occasionally I’m asked if I’ve done this before and I’ll admit I’ve been pole dancing a while, but unless the instructor encourages students to work on more advanced material, I just enjoy the class. I often find I learn a new transition, or slightly different way of doing something, things I might miss if I tuned out the instructor because I have already mastered the move being taught.

A couple of other things:

I have split classes into beginners and not beginners before out of necessity. I found those classes are very taxing to teach, and I’m not sure my students got as much out of them. If you’re going to offer what is essentially an open/mixed level class, why not just call it that, at least students will know what they’re getting.

Personally, I also avoid letting students act as “junior instructors.” There are some fairly serious liability issues. Also, just because a student can do a move, does not mean they are going to explain how to do it well or provide useful/safe advice to other students. An occasional tip is fine, but if I see much beyond that, I’ll pull the student aside and politely ask them to stop.

[catmoves2718]

I’m not adding anything new here, but I agree with others who have recommended Veena’s lessons. Also, I have an Althea Austin DVD, I watched/used it once, but as others have said, the combination of ballistic stretches and not-great cuing turned me off. Especially the ballistic stretches.

[catmoves2718]

Go see a healthcare professional! I’m two months out from something very similar and trust me, I wish I’d gone right after it happened.

[catmoves2718]

Tangentially, I recently heard someone recommend pointing the index finger of the top hand up in split grip, as though to mirror the lower hand. I understand why pointing the index finger of the lower hand down is better anatomically, but for the top hand it’s less clear to me. Has anyone encountered this grip, or know why it might be preferred?

[catmoves2718]

Thank you for the detailed response, Veena!

[catmoves2718]

Veena, could you please say a bit more about what you mean when you say “I also feel split grips are often over done too”?

[catmoves2718]

I like 7′ as a minimum, 8′ is really nice. As someone else said, I’d rather share than have to worry about kicking people.

[catmoves2718]

I’ve been there. Multiple times. It feels terrible. I hope you are able to move past this feeling soon.

That said, for me at least, Runemist hit the nail on the head with “I defeat myself, I put myself down, I don’t celebrate ANY victory. Ever.” The problem isn’t that I suck at pole, the problem is that I *think* I suck at pole, or that I’m not progressive fast enough, or whatever. Part of my problem is that I compare myself to others, and part of my problem is that I’m just way too hard on myself. Sometimes I have to sit myself down and remind myself that my progress is just that, mine, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. I try to point out to myself what has gotten better. If I’ve lost tricks I worked hard to get before, instead of beating myself up about it I try to remind myself that I worked hard before, and I’ll do it again.

You mention you took a break, I’ve had to take a number of breaks over the years I’ve been poling, and what I have learned is that pole is not forgiving of breaks. Coming back can be hard because you want to compare yourself to you before the break, but it’s just not a fair comparison. So you might not have mastered any new moves in 2 months, but have you regained strength since coming back? This is important, necessary, and worth celebrating. Also, have have you gotten better at the tricks you can do?

As others have said, remind yourself why you fell in love with pole, and focus on that. And try to be kinder to yourself.

[catmoves2718]

Yes, things like backwards rolls and fish flop. The issue wasn’t direct pressure though, since you really shouldn’t be on your neck there anyway, but something about the head motion didn’t always go well for me.

I thought microdermals had generally replaced surface bars? When I got my nape in 2007 microdermalss were recommended over the surface bar but I went with the bar for other reasons. If you haven’t had issues with clothing and stuff rubbing/getting caught on the microdermals near your cleavage then you might have fewer issues with them on your nape than you would with a surface bar.

[catmoves2718]

I had a nape piercing done with a surface bar for the first couple of years I did pole. I do not know what the microdermal implants are like, but with the surface bar I always had to be very careful about something pulling on or hitting it. It shouldn’t be an issue with shoulder mounts (I wasn’t doing them back then) because you’re over on the trapezius, not right on the center of the neck, but things like rollovers can be painful if you move your head in a certain way and kinda pull the piercing. Moves like broken pencil might also an issue. Also, I have long hair so I had to be careful about getting my hair caught in it when I was dancing (and the rest of the time). I loved my nape piercing but it was literally a pain in the neck. If the microdermals are substantially less sensitive to pulling/bumping than the surface bars, it might be okay, but if they’re not, I wouldn’t recommend it.

[catmoves2718]

I’ve been to the Downtown Pole Pressure and really enjoyed it.

[catmoves2718]

I’ve been to Verticality. The studio is nice physically. And I have enjoyed the classes I’ve taken there. Two of their current instructors have been Miss Texas Pole Star, so I wouldn’t expect to “outgrow” them too quickly.