I'm new here, any advice for someone with visual impairments?

Lillium started this discussion · 7/17/2016

Hello everyone and greetings from Canada! :) Been waiting so long to start a studio Veena account and get my very own home pole (finally got a decent job that will let me acquire a pole). And I figured it would be fun to start a new discussion right away. How do pole dancers with poor visions accommodate themselves around the pole? For example people who may only be able to see out of one eye like me, does pole dancing require one to be extra careful? I can imagine it would be more difficult to see if your doing the proper pose in a mirror. I guess this was a general question for any lovelies out there who pole and have visual impairments. I have depth perception issues and I'm near sighted. Maybe pole dancing is perfectly fine for people with visual impairments. I just don't know so I figured I'd ask and I didn't think it was a question that comes up a lot. And Google wasn't very helpful lol :) any advice or stories would be absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for reading my post. And I hope everyone Is having a wonderful day.

7 replies

Runemist34 · 7/17/2016
Hey there! Greetings from the West coast! I am visually impaired in that I have wicked bad astigmatism, and I'm quite near-sighed. I wear glasses, and it pretty much fixes most of the issues. In your case, use of a mirror may not be the best option- you could always record yourself dancing, and then watch it back later! Lots of people do this on here, and they find it extremely helpful. It helps with not being overly judgmental while you are dancing and enjoying yourself, and then learning about what worked for you afterward. For everything else, just take it slowly and be careful. You'll learn where the pole is and how to find it without really needing to look at it eventually, but with new moves and tricky positions, try to sink into your body and feel what needs to happen, especially if you have depth-perception issues. This way, you can move carefully and be sure you're safe, and find the pole without too much trouble! You can always ask questions here if you're not sure, too! Hope you have lots of fun with it!!
baobab · 7/18/2016
Another Canadian here :) I'm legally blind - very nearsighted, light sensitive, nystagmus, and cataracts have more recently joined the eye issues party. Depth perception isn't as good as someone without my eye condition, but I do see out of both eyes well enough to navigate without a mobility cane and I expect my depth perception is better than only having one usable eye. My eye condition is not fully correctable with lenses and I dance without glasses on. I've been poling for over 3 years now. Taking photos or video is definitely way more helpful when I'm trying to learn something outside of a studio. And I'd say that I rely a lot on body awareness. Think about the strategies that you use to navigate in everyday life - your home, work, familiar places you visit, the same strategies would apply. Do you have any experience with dance or other forms of movement? Exploring movement in other areas can make working with pole less foreign. For example, if you've done any partner dancing, the spatial awareness involved there with a partner can be transferred to pole. You could even just play with floorwork or freestyle dancing just to get a sense of how you move and where you are in space. It all helps. If you don't have a studio available to you so that an experienced teacher can check your technique, then I think it's important to develop confidence working with and navigating around your pole. Walking around it. Grabbing it behind your back. Doing pirouettes with your eyes closed. And eventually when you're more experienced, doing the aerial stuff without relying on your eyes. Just play. Walk through moves that are unfamiliar slowly, or break it down into parts or progressions that you can build on. Veena does a good job of that in her lessons. I don't post much here or on social media either. But I thought it was important to reach out and let you know that pole is totally doable for those with visual impairments. And if you're ever in Toronto, I'll take you to a local studio to play.
Cherished · 7/18/2016
I don't have any useful tips I can offer but here is a video of Rhiannan Nichole dancing blindfolded. In the description she wrote the following: "I asked all the students to put together a video of them dancing blindfolded so they can FEEL the pole and they're body relation to it, helping them to gain better flow" I'm pretty sure I've seen her recommend blindfold practise for floor work also. Maybe that might be a technique to help rely less on visuals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8aq-g8wyXg
HotFox789 · 7/18/2016
My 9 year old son is blind in his L and very low vision in his R. Lole the Pole is a fixture in our living room. He knows where to find it and spins on it quite well without any help or coaching. He prefers clockwise spins instead of counterclockwise spins. But when he does any kind of spin, he uses muscle memory. He remembers what his body is supposed to feel like when he does the spin and does it correctly. Having such low vision, he uses a mobility cane named George and is always looking down. Lole the pole is not only the best tool for building his upper body strength but it's also super fun! We also rock climb which an amazing upper body workout too. The only thing a person with a visual impairment can't do is drive... legally lol. If there's a will, there's a way!! You'll get there for sure!! Lol greetings from northern Alberta, eh! 😎
Veena · 7/19/2016
If you're use to moving through your surroundings visually impaired then learning to pole is still an option for you! This following advice is for anyone learning but could also help you feel more secure. Always learn what you can, as close as you can to the floor. Know your limits and understand when it's time to push. Always use a spotter and crash mat. 💜 It may be worth checking out the lessons here, I explain things pretty thoroughly and it might help to be able to play it over and over.
Rachel Osborne · 7/19/2016
Sometimes I dance blindfolded - here's a freestyle from a while ago https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/55425327-7ec8-4b12-818a-439d0a9aa0eb I usually dance with my eyes closed or unfocused, relying on muscle memory and proprioception - I would never presume to tell someone with visual impairments that pole will be easy because it isn't! But I do believe that many dancers with many physical or mental challenges all bring beauty and diversity to our pole world and that we can all learn from each other. And that dance is the whole body and soul speaking and nobody should feel silenced
Lillium · 7/20/2016
Thank you so much everyone for the replies they were very insightful and I'm glad I asked :). I will definitely have to record myself. Wow! Would have never of thought of that :). And I guess like someone mentioned above, i'll have to get a feel for the pole and where it is And I'm so sorry for giving a late reply I've been so busy with work and my birthday yesterday. I feel much more confident going into pole dancing than I was before. I have a small background in dance mainly tap and ballet not sure if that helps lol. And I'm blind to the point I still bump into things in my house. Now to be fair I've lived in my house for only two years lol. So I guess everything is a learning process and pole will certainly be one of them! :). You guys are awesome thank you for being so supportive and accepting thanks so much ^_^.