Nerdybabe89 started this discussion ·
I am just getting back into poling again.. its been such a long time as sad as it is.. I have always had the problem where my legs and arms always look so awkward? any tips?
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Later ·
OMG join the club. I'm about to post a video and I feel the same way about it. I ordered the Alethea floor videos and stuff and I'm hoping it will help. Good luck!!
Veena ·
These routines/combos will give you a great start with awkward arms and legs! https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/routines-pole-lessons
thanks!!! those vids are so cool and vegan i m so glad I'm not alone!
nilla ·
I used to feel exactly the same way, and i'm still not the epitome of grace but I feel like i've made a lot of progress there. I watched the last video you posted to see if I could pinpoint what you're talking about, and for the most part legs look really good to me, I think you have a great toe point. When you stood with your back to the pole and spread your feet/legs it did look a bit stiff. I suggest starting that particular toe drag movement by dragging in first leading with your knee, whole leg turning in from the hip, before turning and dragging out. For arms, it looks like you're aware of what they're doing and making a good effort to move them gracefully but your hands seem stiff. For arms I usually try to imagine that i'm dragging them through water and let my fingers and wrist follow the movement of my arms with slight drag. Your hands finish off the line of your arm so if those are stiff then it will make the whole arm look awkward. Also, practice, study the type of movement you want yours to be more like and take note of what's different. Watch video of your own practices frequently. Awareness is the first step to make improvement so obviously you're on the right track!
nilla: Thank you for those tips!! yes i always feel like i never know what to do next or that I'm stiff or awkward... and ur observations are exactly what i observe i feel stiff or look uncomfortable ... thank you for those tips I will definitely try to improve that and be aware of it... i find my hands are the hardest to figure out... i have hammer toes too so i always feel like my pointed toe looks so bad and always never know how to make it look better.... but i ll definitely try ur tips and hopefully they help me!!! my fingers and wrists always look soooo awkward haha
Long, good lines require staying engaged from head to toe, even when a trick/pose is mainly working a particular muscle group. This will make you feel like your entire body is involved in your dance movements. My aerial instructor always has us visualize energy running through our entire limb and shooting out at the fingers or toes. With legs focus on movement from the hip joint and keeping your quads engaged and your knee cap "pulled up", and of course toes pointed from the ankle. With arms, I see a lot of variation in hand position, I like to push through my ring and middle fingers, letting the other fingers kind of "stick up" (hard to verbalize) while I also see others keep all fingers straight. I think either way the key to pretty arms is shoulders back and engaged, elbow and wrist aligned pushing the extension all the way through to the tips of your fingers. Focusing on it and making an effort to be more body aware is the key, so you're already well on your way :)
Ariferrari : Thankyou!!!!
Kate O ·
You're not alone! I feel like I've made a slight improvement since I started but I'm still not there. AriFerrari those are great tips, I'll try them out! What I also found helped me a lot was Veena's beginner lessons - things like the toe drag, hip circles and all the different walks. I filmed a video a while back where I threw some of those moves in along with my own, and Veena's looked so much better haha. A pointed toe and a slowed down movement can make such a difference! I have tiny moments of grace at the moment, filled in with clumsiness/awkwardness the rest of the time - but I'm determined to get there eventually!
wow thanks guyS! glad i m not the only one!!! ugh i am starting to pole right from scratch cuz i haven't in months lost a lot of my grip strength but i really hope i can get it looking more graceful and pretty!
