Allegra Help :-/

ThunderKat started this discussion · 8/12/2013

Hello all! Haven't been on the site in awhile but it's quite nice to be back in the game! I've been having a bit of a road block with advancing my allegra (and jallegra attempts.) I can do a standard allegra no problem (my leg is straight and my chest can turn out quite easily) but when it comes to wrapping my bottom elbow around the pole to attempt jallegra or to reach around to grab my bottom foot for a version of extended allegra, I just physically cannot force my body that way. I have a very bendy back, and have my splits on both sides on the floor. On a good day I can do a standing scorpion and reach my back leg with both hands in pigeon pose - so flexibility isn't too much of a problem. I'm curious if anyone else has roadblocks with this move. I will admit that I have extremely short legs and a long and stocky torso (i.e. a good layer of fat around my middle.) I wonder if it is coming down to a body type issue? Any help is greatly appreciated! It's really becoming a nemesis move for me! (This and aerial shoulder mount!) Cheers y'all! -Kate

20 replies

calipolepixie · 8/12/2013
I recently cracked this one I might be able to help you. Open to Skype?
CreativityBySteffie · 8/12/2013
Calipolepixie helped me get the allegra within an hour, and I had never worked on it before. She is definetly your girl :)
AriFerrari · 8/12/2013
Not sure what you've attempted so far or if this is a hugely useful suggestion but I was a freak of nature who "accidently" got the allegra on a whim. Now, it is very easy to get into but when I first tried it I found that I couldn't just practice the allegra alone. I had to get into it transitionally from something else, preferably something where I had to kind of "swing" into a scorpio or flatline scorpio. For whatever reason, this really locked me into my scorpio enough to get a better range of movement to reach around for my foot. I have an older video of me going into it from extended butterfly if you need a visual of what I mean by "swinging" into scorpio: https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/4fdf70fd-1d50-4bf8-b24c-204c0ac37250 Good luck!
michaelaarghh · 8/13/2013
ariferrari, that is such a nice transition! We did the allegra for the first time last night in class. How flexible do you have to be for it? For instance, when lying on my back, if I'm pulling my right leg (the more flexible one) towards my head, I can get it just past 90 degrees. My left leg is only just before 90 degrees. So not flexible at all. I couldn't get this move on the floor and was generally feeling a bit disheartened so didn't do it on the pole, but do you need to be flexible for this one? I'm sorry thunderkat, I don't have any advice for you :( I hate roadblocks with moves though! good luck!
AriFerrari · 8/13/2013
Thinking more on my last comment, I've realized why the flatline scorpio seems to really help with this move: ideally you want your torso up as high as you can get it towards your leg while in the scorpio because this makes its a lot easier to get that hand gripped behind your inside/hooked leg before opening up to extend. @Michaelaarghh: I do think you need a certain amount of back flexibility for Allegra because you need to able to arch your back in order to open your chest and get your back to the pole. I don't think you have to be crazy flexible, though, just enough to reach around and find that foot. However, the more flexible you are and the more you arch your back, you'll lock into the pose better and it will look better. You can try with heels if you don't think you'll be able to reach your foot at first. Good luck to you both!
michaelaarghh · 8/13/2013
so the flexibility is coming from the back, not the leg? i have decent flexibility in my lower back. maybe ill try it next practice. our teacher did keep emphasising last night how important it is to sit up in that scorpio, so i'm sure that's a key point to getting the move.
korinne · 8/14/2013
It's all about good placement and I think body shape does have something to do with it. I have a very long torso compared to legs and this move is difficult for me. Back flexibility is important, but it also has to do with positioning of the pole relative to your ribs. It typically puts a lot of pressure on my lower ribs and I've known a lot of people to get rib injuries from this move. So be careful and make sure the pole is positioned low in your waist so it doesn't put ungodly amounts of pressure on your ribs. The flatline transition should help with that. I also encourage people not to practice it too much in the beginning, slowly building up to it to avoid repetitive stress injuries to ribs.
korinne · 8/14/2013
I also have people practice a regular scorpio with a lower elbow hook to get used to getting into that position. When the elbow hook scorpio is easy, transition to ankle grab on the opposite side of the pole. *if that makes no sense, I can try to get vid on Thurs.
Krissykiki · 8/14/2013
Just had to add that I am loving all the advice here. The Allegra is one of my ultimate goal moves and I'm just eating all of your tips up! thanks everyone!
ThunderKat · 8/14/2013
Thank you for the tips everyone! I actually do the Allegra already from a flatline without an issue, but it is that rib crunching feeling that prevents me from reaching down for my foot. I attempted the move like the video showed from an extended butterfly, but I'm not that coordinated yet to make it go so beautiful and quickly;-) I'm definitely going to try from a Scorpio first and reaching with my elbow first! That's a great innovative tip! Videos are helpful as well: -) Will update soon... Xx
RikkiL · 8/14/2013
Like Korinne said, it's all about your body placement. You need to make sure that you are getting the pole in what Pantera calls the "pocket" - that space between your bottom rib and your hip bone. When in Scorpio (or anything that comes off of that move) you feel the pole pressing into your ribs you'll know that your placement wasn't right. Lots of people have fractured ribs from turning into Allegras or Jades with bad placement on their torso.
ThunderKat · 8/14/2013
Well that's probably my body type issue then. Due to my body type I do not have a "pocket." I will keep trying different ways, cheers!
RikkiL · 8/14/2013
Unless your ribcage rests on top of your hip bones, you have a pocket. Ladies with longer torso do seem to have a harder time of keeping the pole in the correct place though. It's easy to properly place the pole from a Flatline, so I have them start there, then lower down into Scorpio while thinking of pressing the stomach up towards the ceiling to keep the pressure in the pocket. That typically helps them to have correct placement.
RikkiL · 8/14/2013
Poor placement to enter Allegra or Jade (safe if you are just doing Scorpio, though): http://48.img.v4.skyrock.net/2936/78372936/pics/3000829825_1_3_NZijtLey.jpg Good placement with pole in the "pocket": http://www.poleworldnews.comhttps://pub-a085b59791bc4c1a94b0a223a67a37d6.r2.dev/wp-uploads/2013/04/28-Inside-leg-hang-Scorpio.jpg Notice that the pole lays along the ribs and rest behind the arm in the first photo. This is what leads to rib injuries when excess pressure is applied (ie: transitioning into moves like Jade and Allegra). In the second photo, the pole lays mostly along the fleshy part of the torso (the pocket). Hope this helps!
ThunderKat · 8/15/2013
Thanks so much. Great pictures. I actually do know where the placement is meant to be and have the pole in said "pocket" but what I meant by not technically having that pocket is that I am currently 30 lbs over weight and carry all of my weight in my waist. So it truly makes it very difficult to wedge the pole in that space when there's a little too much happening in that area; -) I will keep it up! Thank you all!
korinne · 8/15/2013
ThunderKat- I know exactly what you're talking about and I think it might just be our body type. :/ Long torso, short stubby legs and arms. No matter what I do, this move hurts and never looks good. I don't ever do it except when I'm teaching it and even then I give disclaimers that this move is not right for everyone. Some people it just seems to "fit". Other seem to have terrible pain and even rib fractures even if done in "the pocket"
korinne · 8/15/2013
BTW- I'm not saying you have stubby arms and legs. I'm saying I do.
ThunderKat · 8/15/2013
Haha Korinne, GIRL YES. Thank you! I DO have stubby arms and legs so it's cool, no worries. This really just answers my question of "Is this a body type issue?" and do other people feel the same way I do :-) xoxo
ThunderKat · 8/15/2013
Haha Korinne, GIRL YES. Thank you! I DO have stubby arms and legs so it's cool, no worries. This really just answers my question of "Is this a body type issue?" and do other people feel the same way I do :-) xoxo
Skylah Rae · 8/17/2013
This is a bit of a back track to the first post, But re aerial shoulder mounts, look up so you have grip along the neck. I got mine first go when my boss told me to "look up" life changing words of wisdom! Closed Allegra is my nemesis move, and officially a move that I have shelved and only come back to every so often. It hurts so so much! A pole friend was saying that her physio told her that she had gotten an injury that only closed allegras can do (she was trying to stretch out a muscle but couldn't pin point it so was in agony for days) apparently the pole pressed into a small muscle running down the side of the back near the kidney? Don't quote me on this, she told me months ago and I may have remembered a conversation wrong! Xx