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I think there's two threads going on here here… the smelly kind, and the "omg I just accidentally inflated myself while inverted, now what do I do" kind. 🙂

That's the worst feeling… you know it happened, you know you have to dismount eventually… and you just hope you can handle it discreetly without anyone noticing. For me the answer is usually no, lol.

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Ugh… I have this problem! It's happened in yoga too, which is even more mortifying than pole class because of the calm and quiet atmosphere. I laugh it off at home (and sometimes even impress myself) but it is so embarrassing when it happens in public. One of the benefits of poling at home I guess.

I also have the problem of being unable to play it cool when something like this happens. I could never be an exotic dancer, lol. Or maybe I'd develop a following as the easily amused one…

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There are some other poses you can work on to improve back flexibility as you work up to a full backbend (called wheel pose in yoga)

Bridge/Half Wheel
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_R8c3bIPv5TE/THKscw8EKtI/AAAAAAAAAak/AcxsIcT1AKA/s1600/Half-Wheel.jpg

One Legged Half Wheel:
http://media.onsugar.com/files/2010/07/27/3/192/1922729/ceba7807b18b9374_1-legged-half-wheel-pose.jpg

Upward Facing Dog:
http://www.yogaclass.ie/images/upward-facing-dog-urdhva-mukha-svavasana.jpg

It took me a while to get my full backbend, but it helped to start with these progressions instead of struggling and potentially hurting myself in the full position. Good luck! From what I can see of your videos, you are awesome already. 🙂

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I am not in my late forties, but I take yoga classes with many women who are (or appear to be… who knows, maybe they're in their 60s!) Some of them have very good backbends. I'm not sure if they were flexible in their youth or if they've only achieved it recently. But it's totally possible for them.

Also, what do you define as a backbend? If you are looking at pictures of contortionists, then that might not be possible for you (or me). But I'm sure you can achieve some degree of back flexibility.

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I think the clause in the manual about not being responsible for ceiling damage is just to cover them legally in case someone is careless. Used properly under a stud, an Xpole will not damage the ceiling. My dome has left a faint ring on the ceiling but it comes off easily with a Magic eraser. Now that I know that, I just leave the ring because it helps me place the pole after I’ve taken it down. I’ll clean it when we move. 🙂

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One thing to keep in mind – if you live in an older place (which a lot of rentals are) then be sure to really check for those joists. The standard gap (16 inches) only became standard after WWII. Our house is older than that, and the joists are closer together than 16 inches. My husband ended up going in the attic and verifying the distance between them since the stud finder was acting screwy. If your place is newer then it is no big deal.

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Interesting, jivete! I feel like I can get to a safe resting position a lot more easily on a pole (even if  I'm still up in the air). On a lyra it seemed like the only "rest" position was having my feet on the ground! But that could just be my inexperience with the apparatus.

Getting tangled up in silks would be a nightmare for me. I feel like I would have a panic attack. Same reason I won't go scuba diving… you need to stay calm if something goes wrong.

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I took one aerial workshop. It was in a studio, with a professional aerialist instructor. The quality of the instruction was excellent and safety was the top priority. I enjoyed it, but I don't really want to pursue aerials any further. Why? Even with excellent instruction and spotting, it scared the crap out of me in a way that pole does not. Even on a pole, I always feel like I'm no more than 10 feet away from safety (less than 8 feet in my home). Even if I'm tired, all I have to do is make my way back to a pole sit or a basic invert position, and then I can safely dismount.

I scared myself on a lyra, because I realized the only thing keeping me from falling on my head was my own strength and fear not to fall and get seriously injured. I know pole can be just as dangerous, but I feel you work your way up to the dangerous stuff because strength limits you. You can find yourself in a dangerous position in aerials on day one.

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I think this is similar to other industries as well. I ran into this problem when planning my wedding. It used to be, if you hired a photographer or a DJ, you got someone who did it as their only job. They went to school for it, might even have a degree in it, had state of the art equipment, belonged to professional organizations, and generally came with references. There also weren't that many choices, unless you lived in a big city.

These days, anyone can buy an inexpensive DSLR or basic DJ equipment and speakers. Then he/she can call themselves a photographer/DJ, put an ad on Craigslist, and start getting bookings. To the average consumer, it's hard to tell the difference between someone who is skilled and qualified, and someone who is just out to make a buck. Many times, you get what you pay for. But not always. The consumer has to be vigilant about who they interview and hire.

There are plenty of amazing instructors out there who have never gotten certified in anything. There are other people who are lifelong fitness professionals who maintain their certifications and take book learning very seriously.There are also people who bought a pole, watched a few videos on Youtube or took some beginner classes, and decided they were ready to teach. Some of them may have gotten "certifications" that are meaningless. The certifications are not absolutely necessary to qualify someone to teach pole, but they can help a consumer make sense of who is or isn't a qualified teacher.

For what it's worth, I would like to hear that an instructor has some type of background in fitness, but it doesn't have to be pole specific. I have taken classes with pole teachers who are also:

Certified personal trainers
Gymnasts
BFAs in dance
Yoga teachers

All of them brought interesting ideas to the table. A lack of a pole diploma hanging on the wall was not a big deal to me.

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I recently did a shoot like this. I haven't gotten the photos back yet, so I can't say for sure how they came out. But in many ways, the simplest of poses can photograph extremely well. As pole dancers we often think that a good pole shot is a picture of the hardest trick we can do. But simple stuff can be very sexy, esp if that is what you are going for. Lots of poses from the floor, back arches, pole holds, pole sits, etc. Try to practice in front of a mirror so you can work on posture and how to best position your hands, face, legs, etc.

Aerial tricks can look nice, but not if you're not secure in them. Unless you can execute a move without struggling, don't do it during the shoot. A photo shoot is not the time to attempt something new, or do a trick that you can only get some of the time. Otherwise you might be sweaty, or your facial expression will show how much effort you're using.

 

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Thanks Amy. Your blog post on the topic is great, I have seen it before but it's nice to read again now. I have existing issues like Saphyre, so I am extra cautious about pain in my wrists. I also have no aspirations to compete, so I'm happy to use whatever pole diameter makes my life easier.

The 50 is nice and solid feeling and I enjoy twirling around it and doing simple tricks on it. It is a great pole for purely "dancing." But if I ever want to get more advanced, especially with split grips, I think I will need to bite the bullet and get a thinner pole. 

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Please don't feel guilty for how you feel. I read a news story a while ago. It was about how one of the major side effects of this ongoing economic situation is that people don't feel like they can complain about their jobs anymore. It's true, many people are unemployed for extended periods of time and have bills to pay and wish they had a job at all, regardless of how terrible it is.

But that means people are also staying in jobs that they hate for longer, for lack of a better opportunity. Or that suddenly it's forbidden to vent about your frustrations because it means you're ungrateful. Just because someone is employed doesn't mean they're happy, and the ongoing strain of bottling up your emotions and suffering in silence can be just as distressing as having no job.

It's ok to hate your job and still be grateful for having it.

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Some friends have also had good luck at Kohls. They sell inexpensive street shoes that are pretty good for pole dancing.

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1252723/candies-platform-high-heels-juniors.jsp

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1035228/elle-platform-high-heels-women.jsp

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1181591/lc-lauren-conrad-platform-sandals-women.jsp

Just be careful about bringing street shoes to a studio, since they may scuff the floor.

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The day after Halloween is a great time to pick up pole shoes… a lot of the adult stores and temporary costume stores stock the most common Pleasers and Ellies around that time. You may also have luck immediately after Valentine's Day.

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Interesting that some people don't like dancing in shoes because it is not "who they are." That describes me to a T – I am a flip flop, sneakers, and Uggs kind of girl in my daily life. I do yoga in bare feet, I love walking around barefoot in the summertime, and I almost always train in bare feet for pole. I also love the look of a pointed toe.

And yet… I adore my 7 inch Ellies. Putting them on is, for me, like a superhero putting on a mask. It lets me turn into that bombshell sexpot who I usually don't get to be in my daily life. At least for a song or two 🙂