Honestly, the best way to work on transitions is just to feel your body. If you can't afford dance training, you're going to have to invent your style of your for yourself. So dance around without your pole. Don't try something in particular like the tango, or a waltz. Just put on music and move - and try to emulate a ballet dancer. I think this is the best way to force yourself to be graceful and flowy. When you're just beginning on dance moves and transitions, it's best to avoid club dancing or hip hop, because this is harder to integrate beautifully with the pole. (Of course, it can be done magnificently, but IMO takes more skill, otherwise just looks kinda clumsy).
Rememver - the aim is not to actually look like a ballet dancer. Or do actual ballet moves. You're just feeling the VIBE of ballet to try and get yourself to move your limbs in a graceful, deliberate and pretty fashion. And who cares if what you make up looks crappy? Did your first fireman look great? Did your first backward knee hook look amazing? Probably not. Same deal with every kind of dance
So my advice, on top of just trying to go with the flow is to watch youtube vids and copy very specific sections. Like just 3 steps or something. Pick a part that looks very beautiful. Like say, Veena's Pole Art vid to Enya. Choose a 5 second segment you like and pause and rewind, pause and rewind, until you copy it.
Then, go back to your own stuff. But try to channel a dancer you love, the ones you were copying, or imagine that you're 4 again and pretending to be a princess or a ballet dancer. Something like that. Do it with your eyes closed sometimes.
Feel the music and just wander round your room, moving your hips, dragging your (pointed) toes, playing with your arms etc. And try in front of the mirror too. Like I said before - DON'T hate on yourself. It may look awkward now, but so did everything pole move I tried for the first 6 months. Give yourself a break. Learn to detach yourself from your reflection emotionally. Forget your ego. Be clinical and objective about it. 'That didn't look right - maybe this will', rather than 'Oh I suck'. 😉
So just do one thing in front of the mirror like a hip roll, or practice isolating your shoulders and doing a boob shimmy. It can take AGES so don't get too caught up in it, and torture yourself. Just enjoy. And when you feel better moving in your body and walking with a sway, and when you are comfortake stretching out your legs with pointed toes, holding up your chin, doing a sexy hair flick, doing figure eights with your hips, twirling around, etc etc. THEN start to try these things around your pole. Join them together, round and round your pole, sometimes fast sometimes slow, sometimes pause. Etc. But never over think!
I know, how can you 'not overthink' after all that info I just gave you. LOL. But the advice I wrote is intended to be in stages, so come back to this thread every now and again (I'm sure some other posters will have excellent tips too), and work on each of the things I mentioned whenever you can. ☀️
Good luck! 😀
