preparing skin grip for performance

rachelskye started this discussion · 12/29/2010

So it finally dawned on me one day that the best way to get good grip with my body is when I'm slightly sweated and my skin is moist. Usually this takes about 10-20 minutes to achieve by means of dancing around, working up a sweat. So how am I supposed to achieve this moistened skin for a performance/competition? I can't exactly start jumping around or practicing tricks before hand because I don't want to tire myself out. I also tried spritzing some water on my legs, but that only lasts a short bit. I've even gone as far as dapping a tiny tiny bit of moisterizer on my inner thighs but I'm afraid of leaving a slippery residue on the pole. Should I try using some grip aid on my legs? I would think that would actually pull my skin when gripping to the pole. I also suffer from sweaty palms (arrrrgh) which makes it more difficult to perform a routine longer than 3 minutes. Anyone have some awesome pre-show tips???

17 replies

Veena · 12/29/2010
I would be curious what the competitors or performers do as well. Other than jumping around and doing lunges and such I don't know how you would warm up for a performance. Warm ups for practice purposes are a whole other thing. 🤔
amy · 12/29/2010
if it's a performance, pulling skin is secondary to not busting your a$$ and falling off the pole. so yes, use grip aids. dry hands, grrrip, etc. in a recent performance i used "ultra" strength on my legs and it worked really well on me and the girls i was dancing with, didn't pull skin as much as dry hands or grrrip would have. put on tite grip 2 hrs before your performance and it will keep your hands from sweating!
nymphdancer · 12/29/2010
I'm not trying to speak for them but I know at performances I have seen done by Karol Helms, Michelle Minx and others they try to find place to so some stretches and warm up before the performance. And yes grip aids because as amy said better to stick a bit too much then not enough!
EvaRut · 12/30/2010
The only time I have performed. I had to stay in this tiny tiny room. So the only thing I could do pretty much and could think of were lunges. So I did that before my performance and used itac2. Worked great for me. And I think because of the adrenaline I couldn't find my skin being pulled at all wich is funny because the whole week before I would hurt myself doing every single move because I had been practicing so much.
velvetvixen · 12/30/2010
rachelskye- There is lotion grip aid that is made just for pole dancers. I agree that moisturized skin helps you stick! I personally use it as well. http://www.poletopia.com/Pole-Physics-Lotion.html A review: http://www.poletopia.com/blog/ Warming up and grip aids are the only things I know of. If its in an enclosed room, a humidifier helps me esp in the winter. There are many grip aids, it depends on your body chemistry and if you have dry or sweaty hands. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
moonflower · 12/30/2010
Has anyone here used that lotion and what's your thoughts on it? I love my ITAC but I find it hard ot apply thinly and evenly onto the legs, a lotion might spread better.
velvetvixen · 12/30/2010
Has anyone here used that lotion and what's your thoughts on it? I love my ITAC but I find it hard ot apply thinly and evenly onto the legs, a lotion might spread better. I personally use it, as does Jamilla Deville. I know there are a few others on here that use it so hopefully they will chime in. It is pretty new though. Another option may be trying a spray on grip aid? It may be in the middle ( kinda inbetween lotion and itac) since it sticks but it is still thin.
StellarMotion · 12/30/2010
Hi Rachel, I agree with Veena on this one. If you are doing pole performance it is very important to not only be grippy but also to have a slightly heightened body temperature to increase your mobility and prevent injury. This can be accomplished by doing any kind of low-intensity calisthenics for several minutes. If you're worried about tiring yourself out before the performance by doing this, try to remember to consume some extra high-calorie foods that day along with some high quality proteins to help preserve your energy and improve your stamina. Before I perform, I tend to flail around like a madman for a while, doing push-ups, squats and lunges, and some intensive backbending. Also, it helps to have a really warm pair of sweats or running suit or something of that sort. I do have a favorite grip aid which I use any time I perform (Itac2 by the way), but using a grip aid is by no means a substitute for a proper calisthenic warm-up, and grip aids do not also do nothing to prevent athletic injuries like overstretching, muscle strains/pulls, or stressing of the joints. Some grip aids, especially those which have a very high degree of tack, will definitely pull your skin. If you use Kramer's firm grip, or the level 4 Itac2 for example, you will probably not be able to do any controlled slides from thigh or hip holds. However if you use a grip aid that provides a gentler tack, such as the level 1 or 2 Itac2, then your freedom of movement around the pole will not be limited as much.
MelanieDA · 12/31/2010
I just received the Poletopia lotion. Personally, I find it slightly less slippery than using normal lotion. I used it the night before I pole danced, didn't wash it off my body beforehand but I did wash my hands. I did slip a little bit more than I would have if my skin was bare, which I didn't like. I was also disappointed to find that it left a greasy residue on the pole, and though it wasn't as slippery as normal lotion, it did affect my grip with my hands and I had to wipe the pole more than I would have liked. I definitely wouldn't put it on immediately before dancing (the bottle says to apply it several hours before dancing). I'll need to experiment with it a little bit more before I decide if it was worth the $30 I spent on it. I may try using less, or watering it down, or rinsing it off before I dance. ETA I don't think this lotion is intended to be a grip aid - it doesn't provide any gripping capability. Just a lotion that's pole-safe.
velvetvixen · 12/31/2010
I just received the Poletopia lotion. Just to clarify it is made by Pole Physics NOT Poletopia, we just carry items polers may want. If you have dry skin, it helps to have some moisturizer before you pole which is why I suggested it rachelskye b/c she mentioned moistness seem to help. Moisturized skin helps grip the pole, over moisturized and other factors will cause slippage. It may not be for everybody. This applies to all pole grip aids/skin care because it will depend on what your preferences and how your particular skin chemistry is. Melanie-I'll send you a PM with suggestions.
moonflower · 12/31/2010
As I see, it's not a grip aid, but a lotion you can dance with. That makes it even better. My skin is very dry in teh winter. I"ll order it when I have some spare $$$ and I'll post my review here.
nymphdancer · 12/31/2010
I'm wanting to try that lotion too. I have the dryiest skin on earth specially in the winter and have a hard time finding something that works well, isn't slick on the pole AND isn't full of chemcials and petrolium. I use 100% pure aloe which doesn't make me too slick to pole but also doesn't work for mosture for long :(
rachelskye · 12/31/2010
Thanks ladies for the helpful feedback! Amy I took your advice and put on some tite grip on earlier before I worked out, and then combined it with some itac right before i started climbing on the pole, and it helped. It seemed to be more conducive to spinning mode, but static mode i slipped a tiny bit but not as much. i'm very appreciative for everyone's input! keep 'em coming. i'm sure there's many polers who were having the same issues. <3
Rouge_LAmour · 12/31/2010
watch out with iTac if you react to rosin...
StellarMotion · 1/1/2011
I have used the Tite Grip and Itac2 combination also and I like it a lot! I learned about Tite Grip and using it hours before putting on a different grip aid from Charley who also swears by this method. By the way, Itac2 is a combination of beeswax with carbon and contains no rosin at all.
PolerinaCanada · 9/28/2015
Before competitions or performances I wear a wooly one piece warm out suit. A cozy sweat suit works too. Then if you dont have a lot of room to move around, you still get a bit of a sweat going just from tendus and light stretching. I've been in theatres where the backstage area is super cold, so I always bring a lot of clothes just in case : )
Claire Moon · 9/28/2015
Warm up in layers of clothing as much as possible. Itac on thighs/knee pits/top of feet/elbow pits. Titegrip on hands and feet soles. Then mighty grip on hands and feet soles. I'm so sweaty it's ridiculous. Between the antiperspirant and the thermoplastic powder I'm ok. Do not get itac on your hands as it will make your hands slippery once they start sweating.