[Charley]

Hi buttercup – if it's sweat she needs an anti perspirant like Tite Grip – which is what I recommend…she needs something to inhibit the sweating.  I'm also super sweaty and I swear by using tite grip an hour before class then I dab some more on about a half hour before class.  I also intermittenly use Griiip.

[Charley]

@Sexygirl – I love workshops like that- it sounds like a pole jam/lesson.  I love the communal aspect of pole!

 

@LopsiJulie – I have classes that start at around 8GBP and go up to 16GBP.  Pole isn't as widely popular in some areas of the US as it is in the UK so it's not as accessible as it is in the UK right now.  Also most of the studios around me are priced pretty close together and our classes are only a few more dollars that yoga and pilates class.  My thinking on pole class pricing is that you have to account for the use of equipment, available space, available time and how many students each class can hold.  For example an hour long class with 1/1 pole ration is around 16GBP per class on a package and a group class for 45minutes and no pole tricks just flow and transitions is 8gbp.

Fitness over here can be expensive and pole is one of the more expensive fitness plans but in the midwest pole studios really can't/don't double as anything else to gain income so…with the price of real estate studios are forced to charge more.

[Charley]

I'm personally not comfortable with students spotting other students.  Just because the poles are shared does not mean that students should be spotting one another and I won't allow it.  I really don't believe it's necessary for beginning students to have their own pole – it's nice, but not necessary.  

One of the things I love about S Factor is the communal aspect and without watching each other and taking each other in you can't have that.  That is one big advantage to having more than 1 student per pole.  I notice that many students who have their own pole for a whole class forget to encourage each other because they are so inwardly focused.  There is less chitty chatter and less bonding.

Also, most national talents ask how many poles you have like to plan on having 2 students per pole.  They also have minimum required attendance to hold classes and those minimums mean there will be 2/pole atleast.

When I took aerial lessons they would have 4-5 people per apparatus and it actually worked out really well…each group would switch out each apparatus – everybody took turns and it was helpful to me to see others doing what I was going to do and see it on a human body not an awesome coordinated instructor but others like me.

I also feel strongly that if classes are structured with more than 1 studnet per pole – particularly tricky classes that there should be other offerings to compensate and work on flow like flow classes, open pole classes, freestyle classes etc.

I think it takes much more thinking and planning to run 2/1 classes but I do think it can be done…especially with beginners.  Most of what we're hearing is from seasoned students who are working on more advanced work, who have a lot of stamina and are greatly skilled.  I think basics can be taught in a large group.  Infact I'd love to have a class with day 1 people where they did share poles so they could also partake in the social interactions…this way singles would feel more welcomed.

I think more advanced work typically needs a smaller class size anyway.

[Charley]

I think it's very beneficial to learn from different sources providing all of the sources are giving correct and safe information and progressing you properly.

I personally do not like students taking from other instructors, even instructors at one of the studios I work at, because not everyone is safe, not everyone provides proper progression and not everyone teaches the moves well…so then I am left picking up the pieces when I tell someone they are doing something incorrectly and I can't allow them to perform the move without supervision until they are doing it correctly..so then I'm the bad guy.  I'm not trying to be the move nazi – but if something isn't being done correctly it's my responsibility to fix it and I can't just let someone go doing something that will eventually get them hurt.  So it's dicey from that point of view.  

I probably sound pretty awful right now…but I've had many of these situations and I really hate having to be the bad guy – particularly if the other instructor works with me.  

On a different perspective I work at multiple studios and I like that because each studio is uniquely different and they attract different kinds of clients – so it keeps things fresh and challenging.  Nothing wrong with mixing it up – so long as everyone is on the up and  up.

Also, if you do take lessons elsewhere – it's important to let the other places know – particularly if it's regular so that each instructor can make sure you are learning and being challenged the way you should be.

[Charley]

I think it depends on teaching style.  I have taught classes with up to 3 people per pole and currently teach with 1 person per pole.  Beginners NEVER stay on the pole the whole time even though they have their own because it's a long time and a lot to take in.  My classes are multi level (typically) so when I have 2 newbies in a class full of intermediates and advanced I like to pair them up and they seem to really enjoy sharing the pole with each other and taking turns.  This way they can watch the advanced girls and each other, cheer for each other and better take in the experience.  My beginners also always learn a very basic routine their first class so it's fun for them to dance for each other while everyone else is freestyling because they haven't built the stamina or have enough moves to do a full song.

I teach a 1/1 beginner class too and I still find that the girls are not on the pole the entire hour – they stop to watch each other and chat.  I also teach a couple of fitness classes with a 1/1 pole ratio and usually I only do about 15-20 minutes of actual pole work because at 45 mins a class thats a lot of pole.

I think it depends on the way the class is presented and how much time you have.  People say they don't want to share poles but unless they can actually stay on the pole the entire time – I don't see any reason not to work on a pole buddy system.

[Charley]

Glitter you were phenomenal!  I know that as far as training goes you should be taking all sorts of lessons and training aside from pole but I really don't like to do off the pole stuff so I would just practice floorwork or something like that but realistically we should be weight training, working on dropping weight before a comepetition and getting flexibility training.  The bottom line is every move can be more effortless, executed better and bendier – it's up to the dancer where she wants to spend her time focusing.

I could have done better if I had prepared more, focused on my body as a whole and did weight training and lost a couple pounds (yes I know I'm skinny – I mean losing a couple pounds right before comp so that you're lighter and the tricks are easier) instead I was bloated and actually PUT ON a couple pounds lol!  I didn't weight train, I did work on flexibility but primarily I worked on dancing…for me I chose to work with the body I had not plan on a different body in 6 weeks – when I realized I'm as flexible and as strong as I'm gonna get I began choreographing with what I had to work no matter how happy Iw as with it and decided to focus on presentation.  That's just me, if I do another comp I might work harder on other things…and I might think about things a little differently too.  This time I just needed to not epically fail like I did at USPDF ECR lol!

[Charley]

Clean!  Clean!  Clean!  After spending some time with Natasha and Alethea prior to my second competition I realized that cleanliness, dance, lines and execution would be the key to my performance.  I worked with Kelly Yovonne on my routine for midwest and she really acted as a sounding board and coach and honestly I walked away from that experience loving dance more and more open to ideas I hadn't thought of.  I was in the advanced division and it was no holds barred but I chose to dance simply with emotion and keep tricks to a minimum within the compulsories.  I wanted to dance with passion and make everyone cry.  My goal was to get a standing ovation and make people cry – I gave up on "winning" because Glitter pointed out – life wouldn't change but I knew my life would change if I could make someone feel something and I wanted my life to change.  So that's what I did.

Never under estimate the power of emotion and expression.  Feel the music and tell the story, bring people into your world.  No one will miss a trick they didn't see but they will miss well executed tricks if the tricks aren't up to par.  I think that setting goals for yourself as a dancer that do not involve winning help make your routine and performance memorable.  Sometimes it's just better to remembered, sometimes it's better to have people say they really enjoyed performance and thought you had it.  Anyone can go out there and do a whole bunch of tricks but not everyone can make you feel something.  

Practice your routine until you can do it without the music, practice dancing without music, make the moves a part of your body and when the time comes you'll be able to connect.  In my practices I felt like I was just going through the motions but once I was there in that moment my heart became full and it all came out.  

[Charley]

I just found a version of Heart of the Matter by India Arie that is to die for!  check it out on i-tunes!

[Charley]

Forgiveness in not my forte at all.  Once someone crosses a line – they no longer exist in my mind or my life so I just wanted to say – you are amazing – I don't know what happened but I think you are awesome!

The only thing that comes to mind about forgivness is the Don Henly song Heart of The Matter…I've danced to that when I've been upset about something with my boyfriend.

[Charley]

I'm just bumping this up and reminding everyone that tickets are available for $10 on http://www.michiganpoledance.com.  Advance tickets end Friday at noon…tickets will be $15 cash at the door.

Oh and Charley sox will be for sale in limited quantities!

[Charley]

LOL – Ottersocks is a member here – her real name is Ellen Lovelace – she's on facebook.  she does Skype lessons – which I loved!  Her program also comes with flash cards.

[Charley]

I've been stretching off an on for about a year seriously.  I started at somewhere around 8 – 11 inches in front splits – i'm down to about 4-2 inches on them and still about 12-16 off from middle splits.

I had to spend a lot of time researching different methods of stretching until it hit me that I needed to use all sorts of stretch methods to get what I want.

I've done resistance stretching with Ottersocks and that was AMAZING!  I was able to see gains almost right away but I still had to incorporate moving stretches and passive stretches.

I think it's good to try everything and see how your body reacts.  I have my own little workout that I designed which is a lot of floor work for moving stretches which helps me from getting bored, resisatance stretches peppered with some pst stretches followed by passive stretches.

When I am available to – I also take aerial yoga which has really helped me out a ton!  Traditional mat pilates is awesome too – I mean traditional pilates not the newer core based workouts that stray from the traditional style.  If you check out ballet warm up's there are a lot of great stretches in there too – plies are amazing for opening your hips if you do them correctly.

Oh and I'm 31 so any gains I've made have been since I turned 30 lol!

[Charley]

I'd have said "it's about to be a stripper pole – the second you leave!"

[Charley]

Thank you Empy – I see what you're saying.  Legend – I'd love a video if you can make one.  I am SO in love with this pose.  Is Stardust on here?  I'd love her input too!

[Charley]

You're so right Ember!!!!!  I feel silly that I never thought to try it like that.  this is has to be the  first pose in a long time I have just fallen in love with.

Will try from Bm tomorrow 😀  Thanks for the great advice!

[Charley]

Here's my attempt – it sucks and it's not really very close so any ideas? 

[Charley]

LOL Ember- that was my reaction too – I can do it from iguana mount no problem and remove my hands  – I never thought of working on it from brass monkey – I initially tried out of a side climb…honestly it wasn't bad I was just really, really scared – my spotter only got me to go fully back once…but out of the iguana it was easy peasy. Sadly mine doesn't look like this.

I'll upload a quick vid of this mystery move and you can see what I mean.

[Charley]

I worked on this a couple of times last week.  I haven't been ballsy enough to try without my legs on the pole because I wanted to tes just how the move felt – it felt okay…a little scary to me.  I'm hoping to work on being able to switch my grip with my legs in straddle the way she does.  

[Charley]

I just can't pick a favorite because each instructor has given me something unique.

Natasha Wang gave me the fonji!  Alethea gave me the exercises to straighten my knees so when I do my fonji it looks good (still working on it.)  Alethea also worked with me on floorwork and my iron X (which I thought I had but she showed me something new I hadn't thought of.)  David Owen showed me some great back stretches and got me into the Felix combo as I call it plus worked with me on ways to pretty up my flag press.  Amber gave me the gift of learning to extend and dance through my moves and an awesome spin combination.  Karol gave me the tornado, Wendy Traskos taught me how to work with choreography and to do the flag spin.  When we had Pantera I couldn't take her workshop so sadly I didn't get anything from her but I had an awesome time talking with her about pole.  Kelly Yvonne taught me how to embody my dancing and tell a story.  Nekia Morris aka Dangerous who I work with at vixen Fitness finally got me into the forward shoulder roll.  Empy has taught me a ton of things including the shouldermount roll over, spin downs and the remi (cross foot release.)  The owner of PoleFIT – the other studio I work at Melanie showed me how to fake a split really good!  Shadow has shown me a lot of about how to work a spinning pole and how to get into certain moves using unique transitions…Michelle Mynx taught me the Eye F*** which I still can't do but it gives me goosebumps whenever she does it.

So I can't pick a favorite, I just can't because I have walked away with so much from so many different people.

[Charley]

I'm in the small category that prefers the Lite to the Original.  I think that floorwork is easer because you aren't a foot off the ground so transitions where you need to roll over or something are much less awkward but I'm short too.

Once we secured the stage with some weights and the legs out – it was really, really sturdy.  It does have more flex in the pole than the original because the on the original the pole is secured into a 1 foot base leaving less pole room.  I love the height, the fluid spin and just about everything about it.

The down side to the XSL is that it goes so low to the floor that in a performance setting you can't see what dancers are doing unless you are front row or you have a stage that you can put the XSL on.  From a production stand point if you're using it to perform you probably want the original just because of the elevation it offers.

[Charley]

I'm glad the EZ Connect is finally out! GREAT DEMO!  😀

 

PS VS XSL – The big advantage to the XSL is that you can weigh it down and it has legs that extend to make it more stable – those legs are easily tripped over in public settings but once you're on it and in spin it feels really good.  I'm happy with my XSL and it was worth the extra money because of the added stability features.

PS advantages are that it's much easier to put together and lighter and and more cost effective.

[Charley]

I don't know of any but I wanted pop in and say yay for Dothan!  That's where my family lives!

[Charley]

In my opinion there is just no way to simulate a fall – a fall happens quickly and unexpectedly.  The falls I've had are moves that I thought I had down, they weren't new moves to me – they were things I had been doing for awhile at no point during a practice session could I have ever practiced falling out of them the way I did.

Instructors need to be talking about it, we need to be educating about it but when it happens it happens – you hope that your training and knowledge will give you something to do quicky in the moment as it's happening that will save you injury.  Which is why I think it's important to have a significant amount of pole experience before doing laybcks and inverts.  I think having a lot of experience on the pole has saved me numerous times from what would have been all out falls and injuries.  Being able to squeeze the pole with some body part quickly or grab with the hands – even if it's not pretty has saved me a lot of times.  With experience comes increased pole and body awareness and for me that has led me NOT to perform certain things under certain conditions or on certain types of poles.

[Charley]

LOL!  that was me at MWPC!  lol!  

I think it's best to learn this move with boots or shoes – I know boots won't make the drop easier infact you probably shouldn't wear boots for the drop but it's helpful to have something sticky covering your feet.  I learned the CFR in boots first – I was pretty painful even them and while I can do the drop barefoot I prefer shoes because I know the shoes will catch.

[Charley]

That has got to be hands down the most bad a$$ thing I have ever seen!  so jelous!  I'd love to see it!