portableninja
Forum Replies Created
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First of all I think it was a beautiful dance and you should be very proud of it! As others said, you had lots of grace and poise in your moves. I found the floorwork to be sexy and sensual, but not trashy (I think there is a difference between the two. I think Alethea does a brilliant job of being super hot without crossing the line.)
Your husband may be saying it was a bit "stripperish" because he didn't know what else to say. Unless you talk about pole dance with him a lot, he may not know what to look for… toe points, execution of tricks, flow, etc. I have danced for my husband before and his comments typically focus primarily on how sexy the movements were. He doesn't care about how extended my leg was in a spin, or how clean my invert was. He cares that his scantily clad wife is dancing for him, and what else is there to say? 🙂
Because the tricks in your routine were beginner level and there was a lot of floorwork, It also looked a bit more like how a stripper might freestyle in a club. Minus the stuff Mary Ellyn and capfeb described, lol. Most strippers aren't champion level pole dancers. Your routine wasn't a highly choreographed and tightly executed routine with handsprings, fonjis and crazy drops – instead it relied on moves that a greater number of people (including strippers) can do. So it will look similar.
I have been to plenty of strip clubs (it's how I got interested in pole, honestly) and the best dancers aren't always the ones getting the most attention. A lot of times it's the girls touching themselves and getting raunchy. But it depends on the club and the type of crowd it has on a given night. I went to a club in Vegas with the hubby and the girls there were outstanding tricksters. Now if I ever go to a strip club, I usually end up chatting with the dancers and talking pole tricks! And of course I will tip someone if she does something cool!)
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Like a shoulder mount position, but with a straight body?
Poledancedictionary calls that the hangman.
http://poledancedictionary.com/moves/111/hangman/ -
Another thing to keep in mind is this: you are a beginner pole dancer, so anything new that you try is going to feel clumsy at first. We've all been there. It's totally fine, and completely normal. Don't let it make you feel discouraged.
Many people decide they want to try pole dancing after watching Youtube videos of Jenyne Butterfly, Felix Cane, Alethea Austin, etc. That's sort of like someone deciding to take beginner gymnastics classes after watching the Olympics, or taking a beginner ballet class after seeing a performance of the Nutcracker. It's important to have pole role models, but it's easy to get caught up in how amazing they are, and how you're not even close. But it's OK. A lot of sweat and hard work goes into getting good at pole, especially if you are not coming from a gymnastics or dance background.
One of the things I really love about Studio Veena is that I regularly get to hear from, and see pictures and videos of regular people, with a wide range of body types and skill levels. It makes me feel a lot better about myself and my own progress.
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Aw, thanks! I may have pretty good splits on the floor, but you should see me try to do leg lifts! I have a long way to go. We all do. 🙂
I was first measured at Victoria's Secret as a 34DD. So that's the size I used to wear in the Fiona bra. It wasn't until I went to a lingerie boutique a few years ago that I was correctly measured as a 32DD/E (a size that VS didn't carry at the time, and claimed didn't exist. I'm pretty anti-VS for that reason.) So I bought another Fiona bra in 32DD. Honestly… I can still wear both. I wear the 32 on the last hook and the 34 on the tightest. It's really adjustable, especially in the straps.
For the Mika, I first ordered a small, and it was just a little too small for me to feel secure. I sized up to a medium and it was perfect. Other reviewers have said the opposite – they ordered the size they thought they needed, and exchanged for a smaller one. I think it's personal preference. They have free shipping on exchanges, so it's easy enough to swap sizes if you need it.
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@jeansgina The Panache full busted underwire sporta bra looks like it may work for you.
http://www.herroom.com/panache-5021-full-busted-underwire-sports-bra.shtml?utm_source=adv&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=pla&utm_content=pana01-5021&kwid=productads-sku^5051928039011-adtype^PLA-adid^14482002789
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Hi panacotta,
We are nearly the same size (I am a 32DD/E, depending on brand and time of the month as well). So I have a lot of experience with sports bras.
I have a few favorites. The Moving Comfort Fiona bra is really comfortable and extremely supportive. It comes in lots of colors and has a reflective logo if you want to wear it while running outside. It's what I wear for high impact activities. If you check out my January challenge video, I'm wearing a black Fiona.
I also have the Natori Yogi convertible X back bra. This is my favorite bra for yoga – it's supportive, but not as constrictive as the Fiona so it's easier to breathe.
Finally, from Mika I have the Lynn top. I certainly wouldn't wear it while running, but for pole and yoga I love it. The ties are very adjustable and it is comfortable and non-constricting in all positions (even inverted.) I regularly get compliments on my Lynn whenever I wear it to yoga. If you look at my other video (10/4 freestyle) that is my Lynn top.
One bra I do not recommend is the Lululemon Ta-Ta-Tamer. It was fine when I first bought it, but it wore out really quickly. The straps like to disconnect themselves from the back whenever I do floorwork. I ended up having to wrap them with electrical tape.
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Hey everyone,
I posted a video for the January Challenge (pardon my video making skills… I was kind of making it up as I went.)
https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/50f3266c-50f4-4988-bc4e-109a0ac37250
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Welcome and nice to meet you! And I agree, SV is a wonderful respite from the hive of scum and villainy that is the rest of the Internet!
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This may not be important to everyone, but it is for me. I have to feel like I could be friends with the instructor. I'm not talking about being best friends, or even becoming friends outside of class at all, but I have to at least feel like I could have a casual conversation with her about something other than pole, and it wouldn't be awkward. I understand pole is their business, but if I'm going to spend a few hours a week with someone, I have to feel comfortable with them, and getting to know each other as people helps with that.
I like being able to walk into class, and she knows my name, asks me about my day, talks about the weather and my holiday plans… etc etc. It sounds so simple, but I have met instructors that I could just not relate to on a personal level, or who were standoffish. I'm not blaming them, it's a two way street. I just don't think we clicked well in terms of personality.
I suffer from some social anxiety, and pole often leaves me feeling pretty vulnerable and self conscious. So I need to feel like I'm among friends.
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I've never participated in a challenge, but this seems like a good one to try! I'll work on a video submission.
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Random strangers (at the supermarket, at the post office, etc) whisper when you walk in. Then you realize it's because it's summer, you're wearing shorts, and there is a 6 inch technicolor bruise on your thigh.
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You can also try using plain ammonia diluted with water in a spray bottle. Ammonia is the active ingredient in most commercial glass cleaners, but those often have extra ingredients to make the glass shiny, which will get on your pole. You just want the ammonia. It works well for pole cleaning because it breaks down oils. This includes both the protective coating on the pole, and any oil that is generated by your hands or body from using the pole. (Source: my husband, an organic chemist.)
Also, I can't imagine why you'd do this for your pole, but the usual warning applies – never mix ammonia and bleach. The gases produced can kill you.
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I agree it's tough not to skip ahead. I want to do more on the pole today, but I know I have to go to yoga tonight. So I'm saving my strength.
I'm impressed I've made it as far as day 8 without skipping. Now the streak is what's keeping me going. Though to be fair, I did skip the wrist strengtheners on Day 7 (a rest day). I wasn't feeling well and just curled up on the couch instead. I'll do those tonight after yoga…. maybe?
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From what I have heard, Pleasers are great but they run quite narrow. If you have narrow feet, they might work great for you. If you have wide feet like me, you may prefer Ellie Brand shoes.
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Welcome! I am also sort of in your boat. I poled at a studio for about a year and thought I was pretty good. Then I moved and stopped going to classes. I got a home pole a few months later and started using the lessons here. I can do a lot of static spins, some intermediate tricks and even an advanced one (superman) so I thought I was "intermediate". But over time I realized that my moves needed a lot of tuning up. I couldn't do them nearly as cleanly or consistently as many members of this site, and I also wasn't using proper body mechanics. So now I call myself a beginner again, even though I can do a superman on a good day.
The terms beginner – intermediate – expert are so relative, especially in pole where there are no official standards. I've taken some "intermediate" level workshops where I was embarrassed to be there, and also some where I was far from the most novice dancer. What matters is what you can do, what you want to do, and how you plan to get there. If there's a trick that terrifies you, and you never want to learn it, that's ok too.
Also, if someone in your class has previous experience in yoga, gymnastics, dance, etc. they may be able to do some things more easily. Even if they haven't used those muscles in a long time, the memory is still there. I poled with a couple of former gymnasts and dancers and it was hard not to feel discouraged around them. But it's not fair to compare. You seem focused on what you have achieved for yourself, and you should be proud! 🙂