[Charley]

I do mixed ability/level classes and we hardly ever do choreo. What’s great about this is we start class on our poles after warm up and we all work together on simple movements like pirouetting, booty wiggles, body wiggles, getting up and down from the floor. I tell you what moves to do so we all work together, then move on to tricks for each level – while I am working with one level the other level is free to work on moves they already know and play with the moves we used in the beginning of class. This is nice because you don’t feel the rooms eyes on you and there is no counting – just you moving with the music how you want.

Pole dance doesn’t require you to dance with the beat, you can also dance with the undercurrent.

There is some learned squencing for example my intermediates (8-12 weeks in plus additional hour long classes 1x weekly) are working on the pole sit, x knee and wrist sit. That is their "power move" for their level this session. MOST places will teach in combinations like that or segments.

MAKE sure wherever you go they know to spot you, give you boosts, lifts, and that they have you working low to the floor. MAKE sure they teach you for your level and don’t push you past a comfort zone. I have girls who only dance about half of class time – THAT IS FINE! If you’re tired you need to be able to sit out and have some water. There should never be a push to over do it. Also be sure you are given ample practice time and review.

Make sure they pay attention to YOU. For example I have 2 intermediates – once who climbs lovely! The other is still struggling with the mechanics and uses the soles of her feet. So the one who is still trying to understnad what her body is doing is only allowed to climb wearing shoes of some sort so she cannot rely on her soles – which is what is making climbing so hard for her. Your instructor should know all your strengths and weaknesses, she should know everyone’s. The studio should be keeping a file on each student so that if you get a new instructor or a sub she knows where you are and what you need to work on and ofcourse make you do all the things you do perfectly to bring out that diva dancer!

I know this is long but I hope it helps. I have a hard time being breif about teaching. I love it too much.

[Charley]

Happy Birthday Veena! I hope your day was spectacular!!!!

[Charley]

C&S is pretty pricey but I trust Wendy to have put together something very comprehensive.

I feel like pole is similar to gymnastics and I would want to be certified through someone who understands that element as well as the dancer element (ballet or modern or something like that.) I don’t care if someone was ever an exotic dancer – I care that someone cares enough to provide me the knowledge of the human body, the way the body works, the way our body responds to injury, over stretching, over doing it, under doing it and the way our muscles remember movement. I’d also like to train with someone who is proficient in trouble shooting and can tell me the difficulties of teaching a move, of the student understanding the move and taking it to completion. I’d also like someone who has studied pole movement from the ground up and can help me put moves in a comprehensive grouping or order that makes sense to the students body and mind.

I think Wendy’s program probably covers that stuff but it is a lot of money and I won’t be able to do it anytime soon but I do hope programs like what I have described above do become more available to the public and are truly comprehensive. Wendy has a fitness background personal training to the stars for 15 years as well as a performance, dance and gymnasitc background. I really think her program could be perfect but it’s too much.

I really hope exotic dancers and non exotic dancers can at some point marry in the middle. There is still a little too much separation of the two it feels like. Schools put together by exotic dancers look down on those who aren’t dancers and schools by fitness professionals look down on exotic dancers. AS long as you are SAFE it doesn’t matter and until we can all agree on what pole IS certs will continue to be expensive and there will be rivalries between schools of thought.

[Charley]

Happy Birthday!!!!!

I just turned 29 too – 8/25 – and honestly I had a blast. It’s the last year of your 20’s so rock it out! Then next year is huge because it’s the first year of your 30’s – rock it out!

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_colors.gif

[Charley]

I am so happy to see the stars gone! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Thanks V! We didn’t ever need them. I am surprised to hear that people were leaving negative comments HERE and rating videos low. So sad. I have this happen a lot of YT and figured I deserved the lower ratings but here I’m shocked! I’m glad the ratings are gone.

I think videos should be for feedback – real feedback, help and encouragement so not having the stars forces us to write something -even it it’s short and connect with someone else – I like it!

[Charley]

Q and I did a similar move I don’t remember what she said it was but I know it’s a double planks of some sort.

Ours was different, we weren’t as close to each other so we had a gap and I kind of thought ours look like a half moon a bit. What you are guys are doing is much harder and I’d hate for it to just be called double planks. I liked "vertical horizon" the name you guys have been calling it https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

Charleys your tutorial was great! It was really cool to finally hear your voice too! You sound like a wonderful teacher. You guys should defiantly watch them both, she makes note of things that I don’t so between the two you all should have a good idea on how to do this move. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif let us know how it goes. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_geek.gif

I kept it short and sweet! I just watched yours and you make good mention of those thighs staying locked until you’ve got it. THIGHS then switch arms.

I LOVE this move right now.

How are you liking the FLIP? I am thinking about getting one. *This is one expensive hobby*

Do you think the same thing could be done with gemini?

[Charley]

If Charley doesn’t mind I can make one tomorrow for you guys…..I don’t want to do it if she has one all ready to go, that would be uncool. I think I might approach it a little differently, but I don’t want to bust in and take over. My new filp cam makes it super easy to post. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

Oh no V, go right ahead if you haven’t already! It’s good to see different variations on moves anyway and I have been SO swamped with classes and my job I’ve hardly had time and then I decided to redo it at the studio because it looks nicer that way. I have a QUICK tutorial on it.

I was doing this move initially from butterfly but simplified it as taught by Wendy so this isn’t even my move really it’s Wendy’s, lol!

[Charley]

Here is a very quick tutorial on the move. I do it pretty slow so you should be able to get the gist of it.

https://www.studioveena.com/video/gallery/Spinning-Scorpio-Tutorial

This is not an indepth tut if you are having problems with scorpio, thigh hold or air invert consult Veena’s lessons as she breaks down all of these moves. I made this tutorial assuming you can do those moves.

Thank you Veena for giving me permission to post this.

IMPORTANT – please be sure to have your opposite arm pit grip BEFORE you do into scorpio on the otherside – don’t drop the legs until you know you’ve got the arm grip!

Have fun look forward to seeing more vids of this move!

[Charley]

These poles are really expensive – about $1600 USD BEFORE shipping https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif

They are really cool but Platinum Stages is about to release a similar style pole that should be less expensive.

I’m curious to see how many are keen on having to use the mat. Mats are good for tricks bad for dancing so while I love this pole for teaching, I even feel some of my students may not be terribly keen on having to use the mat for everything.

[Charley]

I’m also asking V if it is okay to post the tutorial/link to tutorial here https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

My bad I need to edit and post it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Charley]

yea its for ‘safety’ reasons.

This is a business site, I totally understand the inappropriateness of posting tutorials on a forum for an online school. I wouldn’t throw a pole jam at my studio and let other pole instructors from other schools come in and TEACH moves to people (although they are welcome to come and play!!!!!) so I understand that Veena wouldn’t want people coming into her place of business (just because it’s the internet doesn’t make it any less of a studio) and teaching.

And if anything, for me, I am thankful because Veena has let me advertise on here quite a bit and I’ve built up a wonderful group of friends and clientele from this site. She doesn’t have to allow that. She does give us a lot room as far as instructors without expecting much if anything in return – she has even said on threads I have posted to come out and visit me. That’s kind of like an endorsement and it’s very generous.

At any rate I am more than happy to help you guys out with the move. http://www.youtube.com/charleyisagirl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Charley]

Sure guys I’ll do a quick video tonight over at the studio and post it up on youtube.

I’ll show exactly how Wendy showed us to do it. Don’t try this unless you can already air invert, scorpio and thigh hold and it’s helpful to be able to scoprio opposite side – but if you can’t this is a good way to get comfortable in it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Check tonight on my YT.

[Charley]

Roxy!!! Congrats!!!!

Jenn – I know you can do this move!!!! It’s easier than inverting on silks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif

Can’t wait for next Monday – I bet if you don’t have it by then you’ll have it by the end of jam!

[Charley]

Easy Peasy hun!

Think of the spinning scorpio as 3 moves not 1. This is how Wendy taught it to us and I can do it everytime without fail now.

I prefer to mount into scorpio on my dom side so this is what I suggest doing. Get into Scorpio, swing your extended leg around into a thigh hold once your in your thigh hold switch arms and release the opposite leg as you would normally in a scorpio.

So
1)scorpio
2)swing outside leg around into thigh hold
3)get out of arm pit lock
4)switch arm pits
5)release outside leg

[Charley]

Hola! Welcome to the board! I see you also train at Flyhouse! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

What about pulling back into that "Felix" move I did on Monday – so you’re armpit is hooked on the pole instead of your hands over head then take a breather then go into SM??

[Charley]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9281984&type=product&id=1218073822126

OR here is one with a pole dancer on it

http://www.cafepress.com/PoleDancers.383446955

[Charley]

The Flips are great! I have a Sony HD cam that I’ve used for industrial videos that works lovely but is a bit much for pole vids. I highly recommend the flips.

Most of my vids online at the moment have been filmed with my camera phone. It’s quick, simple and there so I have used it a lot.

[Charley]

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif I have a love/hate relationship with this move https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

Elbow grip = getting farther away from the pole, so once you get comfortable with the reverse climb/ caterpillar with the elbow grip – get a big caterpillar going and instead of bring your upper body into the pole as you would for the forearm grip, keep your distance hook the elbow, get a good grip and tension on the crook of your elbow and push out from the pole.

Like Jen says you’ll want a much larger cateripillar for this one and to grip higher on the pole.

One thing that helped me working on this nasty move was to think about pushing out sideways to create a tighter lock against the elbow pit.

[Charley]

I’ve personally seen an x-pole come down just seconds after the dancer checked to see if the pole was secure. I saw the vid – she was TUGGING on it and tightenng and a second later went into a spinning shouldermount and it came down. this was not an issue of her not putting it up properly or obviously tightening it enough as she was, she had had the pole for over a year at this point.

So all poles can come down, especially poles used in spin mode. I’ve had PS pole come down after an hour or so of spin mode work. The LM pole can also come down because the base can move if it’s not tightened.

So think about your applications. i don’t use spin mode much so I know now to check everything even if I just tightened the pole before using spin mode. It’s not a big deal to me to have an X or PS because I hardly use them in a spin mode. If you plan to do a lot of spin mode action then the LM Rotator is a good option. I’ve noticed that X ad PS are far more likely to come down in spin mode than LM. Just an observation so if spinny is something you’ll use a lot get an LM or a PS and bolt the sucker to the ceiling, lol!

Also note that I have noticed most LM stainless steel poles are really hard to get warm and grippy. If you do get an LM you may want to do powder coated but with that being said the powder coat leaves a lot more pole burn.

Every pole has an upside and a down side. I rotate my x-pole and ps out fairly regularly and I outside of 1 time never had a pole come down. I don’t consider an hour of light spinning to be too much for a pole that was tightened right before the session so my opinion and my friends has been that portables aren’t the best option on spin mode.

[Charley]

Hi and welcome! look up http://www.liveonce.ca that should be Elisabeths site and she teaches in Toronto. She’s amazing!

Congrats on your new addicition!

[Charley]

Hi meaghan! Welcome aboard!

Trenton, eh? I used to teach out at a personal training studio- 3 D Fit Studio – I taught some pole classes there for awhile. It’s an awesome place to go for training.

I know Trenton is a bit far but we usually have pole get togethers around the Ferndale area I hope you can make it to one of them https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[Charley]

love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!