-
Aborting from the Ayesha
Hi folks. I’m performing in a show on Thursday night (omg SO nervous even though it’s not my first time) and one of the first moves I’m doing is the ayesha. I’ve put it in there for the awesome factor (there are a lot of great burlesque acts in the show so I really want to make a good impression on the audience from the get-go if poss). The problem is that the ayesha is one of the newer weapons in my arsenal of tricks and is still not quite 100% reliable. When I can stick it, it looks awesome and I feel like I’m channeling that pic of Veena from the homepage (minus the super long legs though;p). Sometimes however I don’t get the balance quite right so I can only take my legs off the pole momentarily and not right down into the proper straddle. So, what I’m wondering is, in case it doesn’t all go right on the night, does anyone have any suggestions for moves I could turn the ayesha into that would still be impressive to an audience who hasn’t seen much pole but involves less concentrated balance? I do my ayesha with the forearm grip and I was thinking perhaps trying a butterfly but I’ve never done it with anything other than a split grip. Anyhue, suggestions would be very welcome!! Thank you in advance:)
-
21 Replies
-
Are you comfortable with doing a move that you haven’t mastered in a show?
I’ve never performed before (and obviously you have LOL) but I’d be scared to death of using new moves, especially something like the Aysha if I wasn’t sticking it everytime https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif
-
Sissy, normally I would steer well clear of using anything that wasn’t solid in a show but the wow factor plus the fact I can stick it *most* of the time makes me want to try it:) I’m just a cautious person by nature so want to cover contingencies so gathering alternate options just in case seems like a good plan to me!
-
Are you able to get a straight edge? I am one of the strange few that can get this but am still struggling with the ayesha.
I know there was a thread I think here about moves that wow and ones that don’t. Honestly I don’t know if a lot of people outside of pole would be wowed by the ayesha. A well executed reverse grab and even some artistic pole sits impress (to me at least). And I can still remember the first time I saw a caterpillar climb and thought it was the coolest thing on the planet!
-
I think the butterfly is good for wow factor, especially if you go into it with a handspring. And if you extend it, even prettier!
-
if you are losing your balance in the ayesha i think i’ts pretty safe to go into the butterfly, and i dont think people would realize that you made a "mistake" since the legs stay in pretty much the same neighborhood. you can also pretend you were doing some kind of funky leg variation while doing a caterpillar climb? and just go right into the caterpillar again after? good luck~
-
Sass… The butterfly/lotus is probably the easiest to get into from the Ayesha, though I doubt you’d have enough room to pull out to an extended butterfly using the forearm grip. Once you’re in a nice solid lotus you can then switch your hand grip to a split grip and swing your lotus into the sailboat or gemini, or stretch out to extended butterly if you prefer.
I can show you tonight, if you like. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif -
Knee hold- Wrap whatever leg you use as your top leg on the pole and pull yourself up.
Superman- Same idea wrap whatever leg you want to be on top , bring hand over leg and turn over.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!! DON"T UNDERESTIMATE HOW IMPRESSED PEOPLE WILL BE! You are fabulous and you need to know so!
Even if your combos aren’t super crazy hardcore and just crazy hardcore who care as long as you are getting into them flawlessly!’
You will do excellent good lucK! -
If your loosing your balance I would go for the butterfly, it doesn’t have to be the extended, just the butterfly. Then you can get your self together and move on and do a Caterpillar or something as simple as an inverted crucifix. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
-
Yep I’d go with extended butterfly too https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif its an awesome move and like amyxshi said most people wont realise you’ve made a mistake .. just keep both move in your head as you go for the ayesha and if it feels like your not gna get it you will be able to switch to the other easliy (and purposefully https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Like Phillypolejess said – people are always impressed by pole – even if they are polers themselves as its a really supportive community https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
Good luck! I’m sure you’ll be fantastic!
xx -
Grace an execution will be much more impressive than something fancy, especially if you are worried about it!
Its funny, I definitely watch pole dancing from an ”insider’s” perspective, i am impressed by things that I can’t do or that I know are difficult generally, but the general public I imagine has a whole different view! Have some non-poling friends watch you practice and give you their opinions on what will be crowd pleasers!
haha, love your word choice, by the way. Abort Mission! Mission Abort!
-
Sass… The butterfly/lotus is probably the easiest to get into from the Ayesha, though I doubt you’d have enough room to pull out to an extended butterfly using the forearm grip. Once you’re in a nice solid lotus you can then switch your hand grip to a split grip and swing your lotus into the sailboat or gemini, or stretch out to extended butterly if you prefer.
I can show you tonight, if you like. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
what’s a lotus? nothing on wikipole! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif -
Thanks for all your suggestions people! I was practicising last night and the normal butterfly (Amyxshi, this is what we call the lotus ) at our studio) seems to be a good move to head into if my balance isn’t right. My routines are generally quite dance based rather than trick-based so I like to choose/place my inverts for maximum impact if I can and I think the butterfly will be a pretty good substitute.
I will let you all know how the show goes!With a bit of luck I can get some pics too:) Thanks all for your support – shows are so nervewracking bu awesome fun at the same time! This will be my 3rd time performing pole at a show and this is definitely my most ambitious in terms of moves so wish me non-sweaty hands for tomorrow night:) https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif
-
Good luck and I can’t wait to see pic https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif s!
-
thanks for clarifying… now the next question is, how on earth do you switch hands? you said:
Once you’re in a nice solid lotus you can then switch your hand grip to a split grip and swing your lotus into the sailboat or gemini, or stretch out to extended butterly if you prefer.
I can’t for the life of me figure out how to let go with either hand while i’m in a butterfly.
-
Amyxshi:
I find when I’m doing the Butterfly (non-extended version) that I have enough grip from my leg and lower arm that I can take off my upper arm – either to switch grips as I suggested to Sass, or to y’know… just generally wave around for comedic effect! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif -
that is so interesting. i should try that! i don’t use leg grip in a regular butterfly, i’m using just my arms (which may be why the extended butterfly was relatively easy for me?). thanks for clarifying!!
-
maybe you can try some grip aids to help you stick??????
-
is it tomorrow? ooh good luck!!
xx -
I agree with the person above who said to the untrained poler the aysha isnt ASSS impressive as we all know it is. A reverse grab and pretzel usually get people going AWWW…and i cartwheel into an ext butterfly and all my friends think its the coolest thing ever, when really its a piece of cake. But if you really want to toss it in there, i agree going to butterfly would be a safe and still impressive 2nd option. good luck!!
-
So unfortunately I didn’t stick the ayesha in the end:/ But out of the whole audience, including people from my studio who’d seen me choreographing and practising the routine, only one person noticed that it didn’t quite happen and that was mostly just ‘cos he’s a fellow poler who knew I was nervous about getting it. Part of the problem was that the stage ceiling was significantly lower than I’d practised on so I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to do my caterpillar climbing that precedes the move! Anyhue, c’est la vie and all that and I’d done an impromptu performance at my studio for a small class of newbies when I went in for final practising on Wednesday night and nailed the ayesha then so that’s something:) And by all accounts, the rest of the routine was a crowd pleaser https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif
And you know what this means right? I have to put the ayesha in every routine till I get it perfect:) https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
(ps. my sis took some pics for me but they’re not so good and her fiance also took a bit of vid on his phone. When I’ve got some time, I’ll have a fossick through and see if I can find anything worth posting here:)). Thanks again for support and suggestions!
-
awwww!! congrats on a fantastic experience though!!! it sounds like overall the routine was fantastic!!
Log in to reply.
