note to new dancers

polebunny started this discussion · 9/8/2010

hey guys! i just wanted to drop in with some advice/personal experience. let me just say that the warnings and advice the girls give here is for your safety and for your enjoyment of the sport! ie- do NOT push yourself into inverts too fast or moves that are too advanced! at first i kicked into my invert too and here i am a year later having to learn it the right way when i would be soooo much stronger if i just listened at first! also training on both sides---something we all need to remember lol. i just wanted to give out this advice bc i too used to think i could NEVER invert without kicking so why bother? it is so not true! i have been practicing consistently every other day for about three weeks now and i can do a chopper with no kicking at all! the way i improved on this is to do reverse crunches (standing to the side of the pole) with my feet crossed so i cant kick. after working on my core strength i also got my extended butterfly! Just wanna say dont roll your eyes at some advice on here like i did, bc you will be learning it all later like me lol. it is very worth it to build up your strength and wait to do advanced moves.

20 replies

anna2422 · 9/8/2010
How about a visual?? Post a vid on your experience, it helps those to SEE what you are talking about, without searching everywhere to see a correct one!!! Thanks for the post, hope to see a vid!!!!
megs982 · 9/8/2010
I was one of those that got into the invert by week 2 (note: i had a background of gymnastics ect) at first i was kicking, then realized i should not be..If you dont kick into it..you work on your core/abs a LOT better then kicking into it..and you'll be proud of yourself for doing it too with just your abs as well..I was real bent on learning my SM without kicking since i learned to do your basic invert starting out kicking..granted when im having a lazy day ill kick into it..but it doesn't benifit my "workout" much by doing so...Plus you can get hurt doing so Good post polebunny 🙂
pink33 · 11/8/2010
the way i improved on this is to do reverse crunches (standing to the side of the pole) with my feet crossed so i cant kick. Hi PB, I don't understand what you mean by this and I'm very interested. Can you explain it a little more for me?
tiggertail · 11/8/2010
You are so right! I learn the hard way that going really fast isn't the good way. I was learning with youtube, poling 1-2h each day, trying new stuff without being sure how to do it. And yes i did invert at week 3 but hurt myself a few time so i had to take it easy for a week each time. When i start Veena lesson i understand quickly that i was doing wrong and had to go back to learn the good way. I have seen some video lately that scare me and the worst part is those girls who go too fast are not helping themself because in the long run they won't build the strenght to do more safely. So yes we play mommy, because some of us have dome some pretty dumb stuff (falling on your face right on hard wood floor 😲) and don't want to see other having accident that could be easily avoid. Be careful girl we want to see you get better not hurt. @Pink : in fact the point is to practice inverting without kicking so you can from the tip of your toes or cross ankle just pulling up you knee chest level slowly and going back down without letting go. If you need i could make a video 😉
NicciG · 11/8/2010
I'm still very much a beginner but my advise would be also to remember to warm up properly and don't neglect your "off the pole" training. Before I touch my pole I do at least an hour of warm up/strength training/resistance stretching. I practice the same moves over and over and over again because for me it's important to have the technique down to perfection and the move becomes second nature, it makes sense to me and it is better long term to learn the proper technique right from the start.
moth · 11/8/2010
^ I don't actually do much off-the-pole training but I totally agree with the warm up (and cool down!). And, in support of learning inverts properly - you'll wish you did, if you want to dance in fancy shoes and boots. It's a lot harder to kick in platform heels than it is to in bare feet 😉 I'd also say not to neglect your dancey bits, transitions and floorwork! I concentrated almost entirely on spins and moves for an entire year and, because I had nothing to join them together, my dances looked stilted and jerky. The transitions and stuff are what help things to flow and look elegant 🙂
anna2422 · 11/8/2010
@Pink : in fact the point is to practice inverting without kicking so you can from the tip of your toes or cross ankle just pulling up you knee chest level slowly and going back down without letting go. If you need i could make a video @Tigger... I would love to see a right way wrong way video on an invert without kicking. I think seeing them side by side would be an awesome learning tool...
pink33 · 11/9/2010
@Pink : in fact the point is to practice inverting without kicking so you can from the tip of your toes or cross ankle just pulling up you knee chest level slowly and going back down without letting go. If you need i could make a video 😉 OK, I think I get what your saying. But still I'd love to see a vid...only if you don't mind, of you showing what you did for your practice. Thank you so much!
tiggertail · 11/9/2010
will try to do it tomorrow 😉 if i'm not dead from a man's cold, i should survive 😂
polebunny · 11/12/2010
yes warming up is so important! i have recently learned the value of this!
tiggertail · 11/12/2010
ok put it on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYHyI4_hlk onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; hope it will help you see what we we're talking about. Sorry my invert is weak didn't feel good that night, better now 🙂
pink33 · 11/12/2010
Thanks Tigger. Practicing it as we type. 🙂
anna2422 · 11/12/2010
GREAT VIDEO>>>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks bunches, hopefully others will look and follow, may save alot of injuries!
ramblerchick · 8/28/2011
Thanks for the great vid. I am just starting to learn to invert and have been practicing the proper way to do it. Luv the idea of crossing your legs thou as it makes it so you have to use ab strength. I will be tryin that one in next class.
cupcake11 · 8/28/2011
another "thx!" for posting that video!
tiggertail · 8/28/2011
Thanks I'm happy people still use it🙂
sexygyrl · 8/29/2011
Thanks! Now Tigger or anybody else... I don't feel as though I'm using my abs enough for invert. I feel like I'm kicking, but not as pronounced as the YouTube. I have been doing pole crunches and conditioning from Veena's lessons. If you have a spare minute or two, please look at my last video and let me know.
tiggertail · 8/29/2011
@sexy girl you're doing good, don't forget to put your legs and hips in front of the pole. A little swing up is not bad (and really helpful sometime) In case you want to be sure you don't swing back put something on the floor,right behing your heels, like a box of tissues. If you kick into invert you will make it move😉
tiggertail · 8/29/2011
@sexy girl you're doing good, don't forget to put your legs and hips in front of the pole. A little swing up is not bad (and really helpful sometime) In case you want to be sure you don't swing back put something on the floor,right behing your heels, like a box of tissues. If you kick into invert you will make it move😉
sexygyrl · 8/29/2011
Sweet! Since my abs have been so weak, I thought I would feel it more while inverting...kinda like how they feel after the pole crunches and ab conditioning. They're still not strong enough for a pretty Iguana mount though. Thank you very much for the feedback!