How to be more graceful

Sabina Rex started this discussion · 1/2/2015

Recently I just recorded myself dancing for the first time since I started pole over a year ago. I practice A LOT. I basically organized my whole life around my practice, quit my job, and did very little except learn pole for over a whole year. I can do a lot of impressive tricks and I do them technically correctly BUT I lack the fundamental grace in my dancing. Everything looks like awkward. I feel like I have to re-learn everything. The parts that look the worst are the transitions, pole walks, floor work, things like that--but EVERYTHING needs work. So...I don't really know if and how anyone can answer this question, but what should i be thinking about/working on to become more graceful, fluid, elegant, and confident as a dancer? Today I re-learned my basic pole walk, and will be studying that tomorrow as well, but any tips at all are appreciated.

13 replies

CD Hussey fka Jivete · 1/2/2015
Cross-training. Take a ballet class, or modern dance class, or some aerial silks, or... if you don't have a dance background, grace can be hard. especially if you're self-trained. No one is pointing out your lines, or bad toe point, or whatever. Take as many classes as possible.
Cherished · 1/2/2015
I started to always record myself and stopped using a mirror. This made a huge difference, also I like Rhiannan Nichole's online lessons. She gets into the details of how to move in a flowy under-water looking kind of way. When you record yourself do a small combo of moves with transitions and when you watch make mental notes (or actual notes!) of what you need to change: point your toes more here or slow down more at a certain point, arch more, stick out the hips, do less of one thing or more of another etc. Then try it again a few times taping it all to see the improvements.
Sabina Rex · 1/2/2015
Wow im impressed these are excellent tips. And true i have no dance background. Thank you SO much! And everyone else keep them coming!
HilaryKate aka LolaSlaytor · 1/3/2015
I don't have a dance background either, but my best friend used to be a ballet teacher (as well as several other types of dance). We lived together for a year during my last year of medical school and she spent that whole year critiquing my lack of pointed toes haha So I started to focus on having good turnout and pointed toes all the time - thought about it even when I wasn't poling. If I had to pick something up off the ground, I lifted my back leg with turnout and a pointed toe. If I was lying down watching TV, I would flex and point my toes. And so on. Now, although I'm definitely not perfect, I am much better with my lines and feet than I used to be. And I notice lines and feet ALL THE TIME! I notice it in my own videos (the tip about recording yourself is HUGE), and I notice when I watch other dancers. I think nice lines and feet can go a long way towards a better flow and appearing more graceful :)
dustbunny · 1/3/2015
Keep recording and watching yourself! As painful as it may feel sometimes, it will get better and you'll really notice a difference when you look back on those first videos later on. 😊
RedFox · 1/3/2015
All these tips are really great! I have a couple differEnt thoughts to add which are what work for me. One is breath. For me, flow comes straight from my breath. Everything originates from the centre. Our breath, our movement. If you think of your arms, they don't start from your shoulder, they start from your centre. Your muscles are like wings up your back, supporting and adding flow to every movement. All of our body works that way. If you imagine very movement starting from the centre of yourself, moving along with your breath, it's hard to get stuck. Unless you are holding your breath. ;)
Rin Rin · 1/3/2015
I'm not sure how you practice, but how often do you freestyle through several songs in a row? One thing I've noticed that a lot of pole dancers struggle with at first - myself included - is dancing straight through for a long time without stopping to think about what trick they should do or what transition or move could I work on here or there? One thing that helped my fluidity and flow a lot was being forced to just keep going. Even if you end up repeating the same stuff over and over again, just keep moving without pausing to think about it - as though you're in front of an rapt audience and can't stop in front of them. I think it eventually makes you more graceful-looking just by virtue of the fact that you bust the habit of stilted movements from hesitation.
RedFox · 1/3/2015
I'm a huge believer in free styling to find your flow. Not giving yourself the option to give up on yourself right at the moment your brain is about to turn off is priceless! It's totally ok to do the same move over and over. Chances are, you are transitioning through it differently each time. But...to avoid that, I often will have a short list of moves I choose to incorporate Ina freestyle and all else is discovery. :)
chitowngal · 1/3/2015
I studied at S Factir for a few years and the emphasis is really in free dance vs. tricks. No mirrors, no critiquing yourself. Something I was taught there is: pick a song that you love (music inspires!), close your eyes and go with what feels good. When it feels good, it more than likely also looks good. You can record yourself and check your progress, but focus on things that feel good to your body first and foremost.
Lucca Valentine · 1/3/2015
All of these tips are wonderful :) I do like to have a mirror around to learn how to do certain moves, but when I freestyle I usually throw a blanket over it ( my mirror isn't mounted so the helps but I imagine you could do a similar thing with a sheet). Breath tip iprobably the biggest thing that makes a visible difference in my flow, and felix cane has a tip that when youre dancing everything has a purpose. If your leg is straight its bone straight, if it's bent its bent with intention. Each step is done with intention so you are not kind of hobbling about. ***Breath + intent = all kinds of flow and pretty*** A lot of times it won't feel like a certain movement looks good but if you just go with it sometimes you'll look back on the video and the thing that you think looked the most awkward can actually be the thing that looked the best just cuz it was a moment where you were truly letting go.
Baudelaire · 1/5/2015
I tend to find the most grace when i slow down. Sometimes it feels like your hanging in a move for ages but when looking back at the recording i may have only done one revolution. Watching pros dance i also find they hold poses and really extend through their hands and toes, emphasising control which to me leads to grace. Another tip i was told once was to try and make every movement and transition a pose in itself. If a photographer snapped ypu midway through a butterfly to inside leg hang what would they capture? It helps me remember to control and extend through thr transitions as well as the moves themselves
Sabina Rex · 1/5/2015
:') im so blessed to have you all thank you!!!
Kobajo84 · 1/5/2015
I haven't read through everyone else's responses but my flow came from slowing down every move and being able to see more of my movements in a bigger mirror. Eventually when I mastered the movement with how it felt and look I was able to rely less on watching myself in the mirror and focusing on enjoying the dance.