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Beginner moves
Hi! I’m not the best dancer, but a lot of the more experienced girls who work at my club are traveling around or have gone on vacation during the quiet time of the year. This means all the new girls are coming up to me and asking for help, but I really don’t know what to tell them because I learned things in a very random order. (I still don’t even know what the best order is to learn things new things for myself!) There’s one girl in particular who is really lovely and has been dancing at my club for almost a year, but I’ve only just noticed that she doesn’t know how to do anything on the pole – she just walks around and around the stage for 4 songs and then gets off! So I want to help her and she wants to learn… but what do I tell her to try? I’m certainly not great instructor material, but she doesn’t really have anybody else. And I remember what people told me to do when I was learning things, so hopefully that helps…. I started off by buying her some arnica, lol!
I’ve shown her how to do basic spins (excuse me for not really knowing the names) – the basic fireman and the leg hook with your legs together instead of separated, because I think that’s what I learned first. I showed her how to do a little spin in one place (pirouette?) and how to climb the pole as well. Oh, and a wide step around the pole.. I don’t know if that has a name… you leave your inside foot in place and step wide around with the outside foot so they meet. But what are you supposed to learn next? I think when I started I focused all my attention on going upside down after that, but is there something easier? She can’t climb the pole and let go with her hands yet.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate any help and I’m sure she will too!
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5 Replies
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I’d say keep her practicing on that climb and sitting on the pole, the climbing will build up her upper body strength (ready for when she does start to invert) and sitting on the pole will start to desensitise those thighs. There are different variations of sitting on the pole (Swan, Peter Pan, Drama Queen), there’s also the thigh hold which looks quite nice, and the basic plank or scissors or wrist sit when she’d like to lean back a bit. Stargazer is also a nice move for when she’s mastered them.
There’s plenty of spins to be doing as well;
Chair (or Seated lady I’ve also heard it called)
I think you described a closed front hook in your post (leg hook with legs together?) so try the open front hook (knees apart)
Back hook
Attitude spin (also known as the sunwheel)
Crossed leg fireman
Hip Dip (I think this is the one you meant by saying the leg stays on the floor and goes round the pole to meet the other one), this one can be made more advanced by taking both feet off the floor so it becomes more of a short spin, also try teaming the hip dip with a pirouette, it’s looks gorgeousThese can be made more advanced by doing one handed versions and also by spinning on your opposite side (or as I call it, my wrong side lol)
When her upper body can handle it then go onto spins like;
The cradle,
Side spin,
Carosel
Corkscrew
Reverse Grab
BoomerangThese can also be made one handed (except the cradle)
Do you have Jamilla’s Art of Pole dvds? Volume one and two would be absolutely perfect for moves to teach.
If you need any pics of vids of moves then give me a shout and I’ll be happy to point you in the direction of some https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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Thanks heaps for your reply https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif I feel quite silly not knowing what half of those are… I know the spins though, and I’ll try her on some of those while she’s practicing climbing. I’ve only recently realized that I don’t know half the basic moves, so I’ve been going though them all and trying to figure them out… I tried the shoulder mount this week and got it easily, but I also only just learned the beginner attitude spin so I’m all over the place.. not the best person to be helping her! The tricks become quite concentrated in a club if there are no new experienced girls – we help each other out, but you can’t help somebody with something if you don’t know how to do it, so it’s hard to learn something new without having seen it in person before. So bear with me… I did try looking your suggestions up, but couldn’t find much!
It’s the sits that have me lost… I know the wrist sit and that’s all. I’ve seen ‘peter pan’ for a move like the carousel (maybe the same?) – is this the one you’re talking about?
Plank – is this when you’re straight across the pole with one hand above and one below? And if so, would you need to master going upside down with your legs straight first? (cross ankle release?)
I think I found the stargazer – is that with one leg crossed and then leaning back?If those are right and it’s not too much trouble, please could you fill me in on the others? (swan, drama queen, thigh hold, scissors)
Thank you again for your help – she’s almost learned the hip dip (followed by a pirouette) and the fireman spin, and got really really excited that she’d finally figured something out! So I can’t wait to give her a list of things that she would actually be able to learn at her level https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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The carousel and peter pan are the same thing I believe…and the plank is close to what you’ve described but I’ve only seen it with one hand (usually below the dancer.) When I learned the plank I just learned it from a basic climb but she will have to be able to tilt her body back and be able to let go with at least one hand. Once she learns the crucifix the cross knee release isn’t terribly hard to learn after that, this was actually one of the first moves I learned but you do need to trust yourself that you can hold on with your legs. I saw your profile pics and you are fab so I’m sure she will learn a lot from having such a great teacher!
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The carousel I’m referring to is a spin, while the Peter Pan is a variation on a pole sit (in my vocab anyhow)
I’ll try and grab pics
*Edit*
Peter Pan, not the best pic though
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i20/loopylolacherrycola/Suzys%20pole%20jammage%20dec%2008/IMG_4976.jpg
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Hey, just wanted to shout out another thank you https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif My friend was really grateful for the suggestions, and they turned the lights off on us the other day and practically had to drag her out because she wouldn’t get off the pole and go home, lol.
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