Pole Music Quirk

SmilingFox started this discussion · 12/20/2013

I'm not what I would call a pole Dancer. Honestly, I learn a new move and then progress to the next one. It is not too often that I try to dance. I'm such a darn perfectionist that if I slightly mess up and movement, I stop dancing and only work on that 1 move over and over. It seems I am always putting off "just dancing" until I can learn just one more pose/spin. However, I am a fitness instructor, and I suppose doing that for years makes me really visualize bits of choreography when I hear a song. As it is right now, I will hear a song, and really see fluid pole movements that go with that song. What I see in my head is nearly always above my skill set or flexibility on the pole. So, I am constantly reserving songs that I will dance to until I can get to the level I want to perform the envisioned choreography. I don't mind doing that some, because it gives me a bit of a goal, but in the meantime I am really whittling down the songs that I will attempt to dance to now. Am I the only crazy one that does this? Also, do you think that doing more freestyle dance will help this quirk?

12 replies

HappyRabbit · 12/21/2013
Ooh i wish i had your mindset. I'm completely the oposite. I stay with the moves I know and fill the time up dancing. I think the best is to find a middle point. All tricks personally is boring for me, i think it just becomes like a challenge after challenge with no emotional release through pole (but that is also depending how you experience poling) I find it awesome to nail a new move but also to make a whole new improvisation sequence while i'm training. I say give it a try with freestyle dance because it feels great, but don't loose that perfectionism in you and that drive!!!!!
Lina Spiralyne · 12/22/2013
It's an interesting problem SmilingFox, but I don't think you're alone having it. In fact I remember a similar thread long ago. Then someone said that the makers of that great song you'd like to dance to didn't wait until the song "got better" to release it. Right now you're waiting for your pole skills to get better to deserve this song. A few points about why I don't think you shall reserve songs for later: 1) What if achieving the wanted skills will take YEARS? By that time you finally have those skills, will you even remember about this song? And if you still do, will you perhaps have raised the bar even higher by that time for your dance to deserve the particular song? 2) It's not forbidden to use songs more than once :). Will anyone even remember, and above all, will anyone see it as a problem? I believe not. 3) By the time you've got all those skills, don't you think you'll have new songs added to the list you want to dance to? Maybe you'll prefer a different song which could mean that not working to the song(s) you're thinking of now have been a waste. 4) Using your song now, and then make a new choreo for it when you've got more skills could make an interesting comparison and show your progress. So I think you shall work to those songs you really like, nothing to loose :)
Medamaid · 12/22/2013
I am exactly the same smilingfox. I keep telling myself today you will freestyle but by the time I am done working on pole moves and poses I am too tired to even try. Plus it's hard to want to dance to one of my " pole songs" when it looks so much better in my pmind than I could actually do. You are not alone!
chemgoddess1 · 12/22/2013
What I suggest is to put them all on a playlist, turn the lights down low, cover up every single mirror and just move. Get out of your head. Feel your body. You will have a greater connection to the song if you let your body feel it instead of just listening to it and imagining. This is a great way to start your pole session and get your pole and body warm.
Polebull · 12/22/2013
I, too, am a fitness instructor and I definitely choreograph routines in my head that are WAY past my skill level! I envision this lovely, fluid, dancer like routine with amazing tricks that I'm just not ready to master. But I always dance to the song freestyle, using moves I've mastered and attempting versions of what I picture in my head. Sometimes it's great and sometimes not so great, but it's helping me learn how my body moves. Give it a shot; what have you got to lose?
ERIN6907 · 12/22/2013
I visualize way out of my range too BUT I have been forcing myself to freestyle way more often (like once a week instead of once a month) and I can really tell that it helps. It gets easier and more fluid every single time. You have to just make yourself do it to conquer the fear. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain!!! Good luck. I expect to see a freestyle video soon :)
Runemist34 · 12/22/2013
I visualize so far out of my range that I occasionally question whether a human could actually do the things I think of. Seriously! I am not terribly good at integrating more powerful, strength-using moves into my freestyle, so that's why I try to choreograph my dancing around those moves, so that I can get used to the feel of them, the way they might work with the music, and transitions into and out of them. I don't have a lot of choreography made up right now, but when the holidays wind down, I'll be doing more :) I have a couple of songs that I've reserved till I can "do them justice," because I consider them to be incredible, emotionally powerful songs, and they mean a lot to me... dunno if I'll ever get to dancing them though ;)
Kate O · 12/22/2013
I do the exact same thing! There are songs that I won't dance to because I'm "saving" them until I can do X Y and Z moves, and I feel like I'm "wasting" it if I use it before. :P
Invertedmonkey · 12/22/2013
I agree with everyone and I have the same problem (soooo many good songs I want to dance an amazing routine to) but as Lina Spiralyne says, you can always dance to them twice! I actually really like her idea so that you can compare how your freestyle has evolved as it will be quite clear from the same song being used again! :) I'm going to start going through my list now and come back in a year or so and conquer them again!
SmilingFox · 12/22/2013
I am so glad to know that I am not alone! Thank to everyone for the suggestions and I will make myself freestyle, even though I'm making the gag face thinking about it! I do think that will help a lot. If nothing else, it will help me to actually let go and move to music, even if it's all pirouettes and simple spins :-) (I feel comfortable with static that I can freestyle a bit, but when it comes to spin pole, I can't even think of anything to do) Thanks again!
chemgoddess1 · 12/22/2013
There was a challenge a little while back (if I recall correctly) that was dancing to the same song in 2 different styles. It may be worthwhile to look that up and get some inspiration. I will also say that there have been some songs that have really surprised me to dance to; songs I never even considered but at the end of it I could not even remember a single thing I did, I just knew it *felt* amazing. I can also say that the S Factor dvds are really good at training yourself to get out of your head.
SmilingFox · 12/24/2013
I made an attempt at freestyle dancing to one of my "reserved" pole songs. I had on yoga pants too, so there was no way I could even attempt the moves I had envisioned. Not a pretty attempt, but at least I tried https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/52b9cd5e-b200-4597-9ee7-14ea0a9aa0eb