Veena's pole moves

klarity started this discussion · 6/23/2010

Hi everyone, I've been using veena's site for workouts, strengethening excercises etc. I LOVE IT! (got a great workout in this morning).I was perusing through the beginner and intermediate sections and noticed that some of the spins I was taught in my first pole series class were on the intermediate level for spins in Veena's lessons. We did do some strength end flexibility classes during the first 30 min of class, but is it okayto be teaching so far ahead to first time polers? Right now I'm concentrating on my strength training as Veena suggested. How do the other teachers see this or do they teach their classes by teaching spins in the beginning as well? I'm just curious....I totally love my classes and the girls I dance with. It's just interesting to see how the styles/opinions vary. Also, I've read various opinins about # of people per pole. Our studio usually has about 8 girls and two poles. 4 girls to a pole. I've read that 3 should be the max?

7 replies

Veena · 6/23/2010
I can't speak for other studios but I do know many (not all) do teach spins as beginner moves. I do not!! The structure of my Lessons are all part of my Veena method. I have had far to many emails from pole dancers asking for help because they suffered a shoulder or forearm/wrist injury. Every one of these were beginning dancers and they were working on spins. 😕 I went into pole dance very strong, I am a personal trainer and had been lifting for yrs. 💪 I developed my method after having my 4th baby. I had been off the pole for months and had was too busy to exercise so it made me realize how demanding pole really is to the untrained body. I had to start at the very beginning! Soooo, I took a long hard look at all of the spins and pole moves and came up with what I feel is the safest way to introduce a beginner to pole. Its very important to have the proper positioning but without out the right conditioning you'll be susceptible to injury. And that is why my lessons may confuse some who take studio classes. 😉 Beginner spins are those where your body is facing your pole and using 2 hands, some reverse spins as well. Forward facing and one handed are all intermediate. One armed and split grip spins are no, no's for newbies! 🥂
Angel1201 · 6/24/2010
Hey Klarity, When I was teaching my level 1 class for beginners, I taught preps for spins. In my preps, students would have one foot on the ground at all times. We did a lot of dance and transitions, floor work, and strength work. I agree with Veena on her method. Too much careless instruction and too many injuries. Take it slow girl and treat your body right. You are building a strong foundation.
Mary Ellyn · 6/24/2010
Not knowing which spins you are referring to, I will only address that different schools teach differently. There are many spins which some schools consider appropriate for beginners and can be safe if taught correctly - which means evaluating your students ability and choosing what they are capable of. There are other spins which are pretty universally considered inappropriate for beginners - like the split grip and one-armed spins Veena referred to. If you're really curious, tell or explain to the board the exact spins you have learned at your beginner level to see what the general consensus is about the way the moves are being taught. As for student to pole ratio - this is not as much a safety issue but more of a PR issue and simply a style of teaching. Mostly its a matter of opinion. More students per pole means less pole time so are students going to be happy. The standard seems to be 2-3 students per pole. The only considerations which may affect the number of students per pole...if there are so many students per pole that you are cooling down between each turn on the pole and your muscles are no longer warmed up. Another is if you are teaching "cardio" pole or claiming a cardio workout, then generally the class would have one student per pole unless they are incorporating non-pole work into the session. Personally I have found it's impossible to keep students warmed up and limber with more than 2 students per pole.
Veena · 6/24/2010
Here is the video so you can evaluate when you can start working on spins. This is one of the guidelines I use when working with someone one on one. http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/3976 🙊 🙊 🙊 🙊
klarity · 6/24/2010
Thanks for this video 🌸 ! I can hold myself up for around 10 seconds so I guess Im ok to spin 🙂. As far as the spins, it was the Chair and Front Hook spin. I'm able to do plenty of the moves with my one arm ( I have been lifting weights for some time now) , but of course my forearms werent stronga t all!I guess I was focusing on my biceps and triceps in weight training. Totally loving Veena's forarm workouts..they are making a huge difference after only a few times. I do them while Im watching the television. I do have the spinning option on my pole. Would you recommend learning from a stationary pole first and move to spinning? Does it make a difference? I have already started learning on stationary but the spining option looks more fun! P.S. This website is distracting...I'm trying to write a paper for a class and study online but I find myself navigating here a lot...LOL 😂 😂 😀
Veena · 6/24/2010
Chair and Front hook are not beginner spins in my method of teaching, too much stress can be placed on the inside arm, because of the position of the moves. As for the spinning pole, static and spin require 2 different techniques. I tend to steer dancers towards static work first. This allows them to have a good solid understanding of how to use momentum to spin your body around the pole. Some dancers dislike working static because they learned on spinny first and feel static was too frustrating to work with...I said SOME not all. 😜 However, spinning poles can be great to work on your strength, because the "spins" on a spinning pole are really just holds! Both have good qualities, I love the satisfaction I get out of creating a powerful spin or pole move with my own momentum though.
hannahpc · 6/25/2010
The good thing about Veenas method is that it caters to all sizes and level of fitness. In my beginner class, we have also been taught the front hook spin, which i would not have been able to do had i not started veenas lessons before my pole classes, as i would have been too weak. The beginner class im taking kind of expects you to already have a bit of strength i think.