portableninja
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Here is the thing about the pole hold. If you’re a beginner, it seems really hard, so hard that it seems impossible. In that way it is very similar to a chin-up or pull-up. Back when I couldn’t do any pull-ups, the idea of doing even one seemed impossible. Over a long period of time, I built up the necessary strength to do one (!) pull-up, and it was life changing. After that, it didn’t take long at all before I could do two. Or even three. The progression to multiples was easier than the long slow journey to one. There is a huge range of fitness levels between zero and one. If you are closer to zero than one, then “one” will take longer than someone who starts out closer to one.
When I first started poling, I took classes that didn’t focus very hard on drilling the real “basics” like the pole hold. These classes were great for my self esteem but ended up being bad for my body. With my existing strength I was able to get pretty far into climbing, inverts, etc. but using bad body mechanics to do so. I wasn’t engaging my shoulders properly, I was using the wrong muscles to “force” the move instead of building the right ones. I’m very lucky I didn’t get injured. Now when I started working on more advanced pole tricks I realized I couldn’t fumble my way through with strength alone, and I needed to go back to basics. It was humbling, but necessary. If you can start out doing things right, you won’t have to go back later.
I know the pole hold seems impossible, but do it the way Veena teaches it, even if it takes you months to get there. Your body will thank you when it has the right muscles to use for the harder stuff, and you will have the right muscle memory for the harder stuff!
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I think I know what you mean. I took a workshop with Marlo recently and she included a lean back and spin down a static pole in a combo she taught. However she didn’t give a lot of details on how to do it, and I struggled with it. It actually kept me from getting to the next move in the combo. I know it has a lot to do with leaning out from the pole to create angular momentum, as well as having good enough control with your legs to release and twirl down instead of your thighs sticking like in a sit.
Does anyone know how to break this down? I would appreciate a lesson on it too. 🙂
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Veena, I did your two new routines today! That got me thinking. I was surprised how difficult the soleus raises were for me. I do regular calf raises all day long whenever I’m standing and waiting for something, but not the other kind.
During the leg lift exercises in the new routine, I found that it was tricky to do them with good form in the leg and also with a good toe point. My foot would curve inward if I focused on keeping my knee facing up during the lift. If I really focused on keeping my foot straight and not sickled, my hip started to open and my knee was no longer straight up during the lift. Not to mention the hip flexor burn. 😉 It’s hard for sure. I’ll keep practicing! Everyone talks about how hard things like split grip are, but I find having pretty legs is a big challenge! 🙂 -
Thank you Mary Ellen and Lina! My sister in law took ballet for many years and mentioned that there were exercises I could do to improve it. I have heard about the need to strengthen the instep, but it was hard to imagine how to do that exactly. This is really helpful.
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Just FYI, I have seen significant gains in my splits this year from a consistent vinyasa yoga practice. It’s doing yoga that helps, not specifically the heat. So if you don’t like hot yoga (and some people just don’t) then non-heated yoga is great too!
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I have pretty weak hip flexors and I struggle to do a nice fan kick too. I took a workshop with Jamilla DeVille once and she said if you can’t do it with extended legs, you can keep your legs bent but with good toe point and control (sort of like you would have your legs in attitude.) This reduces the amount of strength required to lift them but still looks nice, and you can work up to using straight legs.
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I have done both types of yoga, both heated and non-heated. Personally, I prefer non-heated. One of the reasons is practical – I sweat a LOT when I exercise, enough where I end up with Bikram style sweat in a regular yoga class and I have to keep a fan running during my pole sessions. I slip and slide all over even when the room is only 70 degrees F.
Proponents of heated yoga claim that the high heat allows your body to stretch further because the muscles are kept very warm. This is a double-edged sword. Yes, warm muscles often can stretch further than cold muscles, and I know some very bendy hot yogis, but you may be tempted to over-stretch beyond the point where you really should be going. This can lead to ligament and tendon injury, which is not good. You can also easily slip during an asana and injure yourself if you are a sweaty beast like I am. Definitely use an anti-slip mat or towel in hot yoga classes, and know your limits. Although a lot of people wear shorts and sports bras in hot yoga, I find that skin can be really slippery when it’s soaked with sweat, and that makes things like arm balancing postures tricky. You may prefer wearing more clothing in synthetic wicking fabrics. Hot yoga is also contraindicated for people with certain health conditions, including high blood pressure and pregnancy. If you’re healthy, you’re probably fine, but just be careful. Stay healthy and safe 🙂
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There has to be some kind of beam in the ceiling, even if it is higher up than the surface where you would ordinarily use the dome. Can you cut a hole in the ceiling and use a vaulted/permanent mount for the Xpole? That’s what some studios with drop ceilings do.
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Definitely try all the grips – I can't do ayesha with a forearm grip or a split grip, but I can do it with elbow grip. Everyone's body is different – while forearm is a good place to start, I really struggle with it and was not getting anywhere. I took one private lesson where elbow grip was suggested for me, and I made much faster progress. Other people take really naturally to split grip. There is no one right answer for all!
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I'm dreading the video of mine just because I've already seen some stills, and my toes were definitely not pointed in many of them! I know average people will be like "holy crap, you're upside down on a pole, that's insane!" but all I will see is my floppy feet! Grrr.
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I have only just begun working on spinning pole in earnest. I usually don't get motion sick from anything (I can read on long car trips, have no issues with air travel). But I had to lie down after working on the spinning pole for a few tricks. It's definitely a challenge! I may give this stuff a try.
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I posted this as my FB status today:
First public pole dance performance this weekend went surprisingly well. Goals achieved: did not fall on head, roll ankle, or face plant.
And added this:
http://assets.amuniversal.com/e1b565205e07012ee3bf00163e41dd5b
I'm being funny, but there's a grain of truth in keeping your expectations low. It lets you be impressed by how much you DO achieve. If the bar is set impossibly high, you have no choice but to be disappointed.
I think it's important to learn how to "let go" for performances, as SpyralBound said. You can push yourself hard while you train, because that's when the magic really happens, but when it comes time to shine and enjoy the fruits of your work, try to relax and let it flow. I learned this during years of martial arts competitions.
@SpyralBound I was pacing, doing sun salutations, even climbing and hanging upside down just to keep my back from seizing up. I was too busy to worry!
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I just performed this weekend for the first time too. It is nerve wracking, so good for you for doing it at all! My situation is a little different from yours.
1. I didn't have a routine, just a few combos picked in advance. I improv'd the transitions and floorwork. Many other performers had highly choreographed routines and were practically having panic attacks before going on stage. So you are not alone in that. I wasn't as nervous because I was winging it. I wasn't polished as some of the other performers, but it also meant I wasn't focusing on my mistakes or being "on" with the music.
2. I didn't have anyone in the audience. The other dancers were cheering for me, and their friends/family too, but there was no one there specifically FOR me, like my husband, friends, parents, etc. I think I would have been a lot more nervous if the audience wasn't all relative strangers.
I ended up doing OK. I haven't seen any video or photos yet, but the overall feedback from my fellow dancers was good. That said, they're a supportive bunch and never have anything bad to say about anyone!
The important thing to remember is you are comparing yourself against A) other dancers and B) an idealized version of yourself. What you actually did on stage was probably beautiful and probably never could have lived up to B, because B is a fantasy. As far as A, everyone's journey is different and everyone has good days and bad days, even champion level dancers. Everyone remembers their own mistakes and not the successes. For the uneducated viewer, doing anything at all on a pole is reason to be awestruck.
As for your boyfriend… it sounds like he's seen you dance before. My husband knows enough about pole dance now (thanks to me!) to know exactly what I'm struggling with. So he knows my tricky spots and can spot my mistakes (bad toe points, weird follow through, tricks not executed well). He wasn't at the performance and that may have helped me stay calm! Maybe your boyfriend saw you were disappointed and didn't know what to say. At the very least, you should keep performing and maybe try doing a freestyle next time if you're allowed. You might be surprised by what happens!
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This is an interesting thread, and I debated sharing my story. I'm envious of those of you who have parents who support you in pole, or any hobby, really.
I have been poling since 2010 and I still have not told my parents. When I first started taking classes, I was a little embarrassed and not sure what they would think. My parents teased me quite a bit growing up, making fun of any interests and hobbies that they didn't understand. Telling them that I was taking pole dance lessons seemed like asking for trouble. So if I was going to a pole event, I would just say I was going to see friends. They never asked what I was doing with those friends. Or I would just say I was going to a yoga class.
Now, I am a lot less concerned about what people think of me doing pole – some of my in laws know and are supportive, and all of my friends know and think it's cool. But my parents still don't know. I hardly see them anymore since moving two hours away and we are not very close. I feel like we just never became adult "friends." The last time they were here, almost a year ago, I thought that would be a good time to tell them since I have a pole in my house! But they never saw it. It's upstairs in the guest room, and they didn't even want to go upstairs to see the rest of the house. They were just dropping in on their way back from a trip and in a hurry to get home.
We talk briefly on the phone every other week or so, but it never seems like a good time to blurt out "by the way, I've been working on landing a difficult pole trick and finally got it this week." I'm past the point of being embarrassed to tell them, and I want them to know and be proud of me. But it's hard to just put it out there. I once visited them in the summer while covered in pole bruises. I figured that would be a good time to bring it up, and reassure them that I was ok! But they didn't say a word about my bruises. I'm not sure if they even noticed since they were drinking heavily (another sticking point I have with them).
My parents have been to Cirque shows, so I think they would understand the level of skill and strength involved in pole dance. But sometimes it seems easier just to keep it private.
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I asked this same question during a flexibility workshop with an aerialist. She said tingling is normal/expected when you're stretching to your limit in an effort to gain flexibility. This is different from gentle stretching to maintain flexibility. It's like when a part of your body falls asleep when a nerve gets compressed. Pain is not OK, but a pins-and-needles feeling is to be expected if the area is very tight, because you are putting pressure on the nerves during the stretch. The important thing is that the tingling stops as soon as you release the stretch. If it doesn't, something else may be up. Another red flag is radiation (where the tingling happens in a different part of your body than what you're stretching, like in the legs while you're stretching your back.) Foam rolling will help to loosen the muscles and put less pressure on the nerves. A deep tissue massage of my hip flexors and psoas also made a world of difference for me.