Advanced Star
This is a beautiful move and it can be used to transition into other advanced pole work. Strong hamstrings and your knee pit grip are needed for this.
Also Known As: CUPID
Strengthens: HAMSTRINGS / GLUTES / ADDUCTORS / ABDUCTORS / CALF / OBLIQUES
I just watched the first few seconds several times to admire the form of your invert. 🙂
Ahh…my foot keep sliding down unless I spray Cramer on it. 🙁 What am I doing wrong? Hip not forward enough?
Could be a few things. Sweaty foot, or not placing the foot up high enough, to allow you to push hard through the foot into the leg. You should be in a position that allows you to push hard with the foot and leg.
My feet do tend to be sweaty. Thank you! 🙂
This is a great lesson V! I have tried it so many times and always slide down. I loved all your pointers and starting from the floor!
Oooh I live this but my feet get sweaty 🙁 What can I do to get a good foot grip on the pole? Or am I doomed to never achieving this move? Xxxx
*love* – silly phone!
Try putting some dry hands or mighty grip on the bottom of the foot 🙂
I’ll try mighty grip, dry hands isn’t strong enough I don’t think for my feet. It might be mental now, I think I make my feet sweat stressing about it! Lol. Xxxx
ah yes, pole is just as much a mental challenge as physical! 🙂
Thanks Veena 🙂
How would you do this in heels? I’ve been trying but can’t get a grip.
You would do this variation instead https://studioveena1.wpengine.com/lessons/view/4cbf2cc3-01c0-4abb-963b-2af60ac37250
Hi!! I’ve been trying to get this move in forever and I can’t get a good foot hold on the bottom foot in order to push out so I wind up just losing the knee hook grip and falling out, Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong?
Check your knee hook leg height, often if its too high. Also check that the upper body placement is right allowing for a solid hold to move into position. If the hooked leg is too high you won’t be able to position yourself letting the foot press.
So where should be knee be in relation to my upper body? I feel like I’m missing something 🙁 help
Usually no higher than the hip
Thank you so much! I will keep trying 🙂
Hi Veena, is this right?
Yes!
So glad I checked the comments about why I couldn’t push through my second foot without slipping. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I have these looking pretty. 😀
I am just learning this move and I have a slight issue (well, I have many issues, lol…). I sweat a LOT on the weirdest place: my sides of Achilles tendon (between the heel are ankles). So the sweat nicely runs onto my arch/sole and it is impossible to get any grip, as much as I dry myself off before. But if I grab the pole with my toes, it is not slippery at all… It doesn’t look the same pretty. But at least I am on the pole 🙂 Would you have any tips on this, Veena, or any other Cupid girls? Here is my youtube video of my try on both sides: https://youtu.be/hYqCCJ24Js8
This is one of those moves that I hear sweaty feet dancers say they just don’t do with bare feet. You could try wearing jazz shoes or maybe mighty grip has something for the feet.
I did try to apply some sticky stuff and then chalk on a top of it, and it was doable, if I only did this move. As soon as I would do something else before this (to get into it from other position than the floor), then the sweat took over. Well, well, maybe it’s not going to be something I do often. I can practice it just as one move so I know how to do it and get stronger, but then maybe it won’t be my future. Thank you, Veena! I will look into jazz shoes, I see some girls using them.
Not sure if this would help but this is what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Grip-Dancing-Protectors-Gripping/dp/B005D8PWEI
Mighty Grip Ankle protectors. They have tack on the bottom of the foot. I LOVE them for climbs. I tend to climb a lot at the studio because I can’t at home and they help me keep from over-working the calluses on the tops of my feet.
StrangeFox, thank you, I will look into them!!!