[Rachel Osborne]

I just did a freestyle vid which features hat fail, backwards roll fail, shoulder mount fail and jade fail all in under 3 minutes! 😀
I will hang onto it in case the fail challenge gets going.

[Rachel Osborne]

Well I gave it a whirl https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/53cd3e2c-17b0-4908-bc2a-18340a9aa0eb

[Rachel Osborne]

Handstands, ugh, I find them super hard. Loads of people of all levels do.
Your teacher, ugh, rude and unhelpful.
Poor you, you deserve a better teacher!

[Rachel Osborne]

I think that would be very encouraging and levelling. Good idea!

[Rachel Osborne]

Well I had a try at it last night, having done my homework with all your great tips and also this thread recommendation from another forum (tip off via email from a Veena poster)
https://www.stripperweb.com/forum/showthread.php?169709-The-Instructional-Video-Thread
Had a good old roll about on floor in nice undies and heels and kept tricks minimal but lots of slow spins eye contact and hip dips and circles, leg show stuff and my husband was pleasantly surprised and very complimentary! He is used to me upside down sweating away in sports gear so had no idea I had been studying the sensual side 🙂

I will try and make a vid one morning this week to get feedback from you experts at being foxes. Thanks again – not bad for first go!

[Rachel Osborne]

🙂 never hooped but well done!

[Rachel Osborne]

No. Some beginners have splits and some advanced dancers will never have splits – but advanced dancers have skills, strength, technique and experience to chain combos and perform difficult moves – with suitable safe adaptations for their body limits as needed.

I got my splits back 10 weeks after restarting pole. I was still freaked by basic invert and unable to spin one handed, reverse grab or climb 4 months after restarting. I’m still intermediate – with splits. Can do splits up pole and what have you, yes got some advanced stuff down but chain advanced moves or execute a competent superman? Nope, not yet.

[Rachel Osborne]

Omg that was SUCH a good talk! Thanks so much (am bit ill so in bed otherwise would do celebration hip circles). Thank you 🙂

[Rachel Osborne]

Thank you thank you all!
It’s a no pole day for me so guess what I will be avidly watching til bedtime?
Sexy poling video recommendations from you lot!!

[Rachel Osborne]

I was taught to invert badly and dangerously years ago: endless injuries. And one day, a bad fall and no more pole for years.

Then re taught with correct form: heaps of pole crunches bringing knees to elbows whilst holding pole (so how you go into a straddle) and getting stronger and holding longer and doing it with straight legs until one day up and into a straddle. Then into basic invert.

Also lying on floor on back holding pole lifting legs up and down in straddle/to basic invert featured heavily. Pole pull ups and carousel kicks. Spinning and dance to work on posture and coordination as well as strength (don’t underestimate how much strength it takes to perform spins with control and grace)

I was very happy to build core/shoulder/arm and back strength this way. When I was back inverting it was easy, I had muscle memory, strong muscles and total confidence. Progression to intermediate tricks was fast and safe. The months of training paid off. No inversion for class mates or a photo online is worth a rib sprain or head/neck injury.

Be safe and be brave: tell her. And do what’s right for your body when it’s right.

[Rachel Osborne]

Thanks ladies! I’ve done chair classes for about a year but always to tight choreography never freestyle; I stopped class a few months back, must try again or get my chair out. Problem is I’m happy doing any burlesque or contemporary choreo, using hats, shoes, parasols, scarves, props etc; the problem is my husband isn’t very impressed by my show girl stuff – he thinks it’s cool but not actually a turn on.

I want to do something sexy and sinuous and frankly, stripper-ish – instead of looking like a Broadway audition doing high kicks and flinging my hat and shirt in the air.

Althea is good, do you have any Veena user or youtube inspiration?

[Rachel Osborne]

Just looked again and she’s using forearm too.
It’s a lovely combo.

[Rachel Osborne]

I use forearm to brace against pole (like performance climb) – this stops the ankle grinding pain as most of weight taken in upper body.

[Rachel Osborne]

Thanks Veena!

[Rachel Osborne]

I think it’s just a pike hip hold variation, open legs not closed – with body twisted to utilise full hip/side lock and release arms. You don’t have to hold ankles, it was just somewhere to put hands to make the lines nice and increase hip hold security.

I’d vid but have had 3 glasses of wine so bad plan…