GatorGirl4Life
Forum Replies Created
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I spoke with Marion Shafer (Art of the Catwalk in Tallahassee) and she recorded the West Coast USPDF performances and posted them on YT. They are not the best quality, but she said that Wendy and Anna and YT tried to threaten her to remove the videos, and she said she emailed them back saying legally they do not own her footage, and can not make her remove the video. I don’t have the email she sent back to wendy and anna or YT claiming that they have no legal right to make her remove her videos, but when I told her all of yours have been taken down, she told me that they legally can’t tell you all to remove them because it’s your footage. I need to ask her what exactly she said in her email, because her West Coast USPDF video is still up…if you gals want to (and I think you all should) email her and ask her how she was able to keep her video up, she’s on facebook, and here is her YT channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/marionshafer
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seriously. what’s the difference between amateur and pro again? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_tongue.gif
Serious question?
It’s just status with USPDF, that’s all. In order to compete in the national competition you have to have "pro" status with them. Last year I believe they picked the original 12 pros just from the get-go because it was the first year. This year, the dancers that placed in the top 3 (I think) in the west and east coast regional competitions automatically got pro status (like Karol and Amber). And then whoever won the amateur competition won pro status so that they can compete in the national competition next year. It’s no actual reflection on the dancers’ talent – I mean, look at Becca Butcher! She’s just as good as any of the pro ladies but she’s not a "pro."
So, yeah, it’s just a status title that gives them permission to compete. Seems almost silly to me… don’t understand what the real point of it is, myself – seems like it’s an unnecessary extra step. If anyone knows feel free to enlighten me!
The FIRST competition last March awarded the top 5 that placed "Pro Status," not ALL 12. So from that comp, the top 5 were: Jenyne, Alethea, Sarah, Brynlynn and Denise Brown.
The East Coast Regional and West Coast Regional also picked their top 5 and awarded them Pro Status, everyone else is still considered Amateur. Pros from the East: Karol, Lauren, Takiela, Jessalynn, Gabrielle. West Coast: Amber, Leigh Ann, Estee, Zoraya, and Faith Daniels. This is why Kyra, Caterina and Mina were competing in the Amateur division, even though they had already competed in the East and West Coast Regionals.
That made a total of 15 Pro Status pole dancers, but only 12 were chosen to compete in the Pro Division this time (excluding Jenyne since she placed first last year and was not allowed to compete again). Everyone in the Pro Division (except Amber and Karol because they placed 1st) had to resubmit to be chosen to compete again last weekend.
From what I have read on facebook, it seems that Jessalyn placed 4th and Brynlynn placed 5th in the Pro Division Comp this year. Hopefully this clears up any confusion about pro/amateur status with USPDF….
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So I spoke with Sarah C. after the comp and she informed me that she is now engaged to her bf and has been living with him out in CA for a while now. She told me that she was happy that she didnt win, and said that she is retiring from pole dancing and wants to be a motocross/dirtbike rider. She told me she did not choreograph anything, and I was actually kind of disappointed with her performance. She did not seem into it at all, just walked back and forth between poles, and I kept waiting for a new, big trick that we have not seen her do….but it never happened. She did her usual, yet AMAZING tricks as before, but I could tell she just was not connected with the dance or had any passion in her movements or enjoyment in her facial expressions. I am sad to hear that she will be retiring from pole, but I hope that one day she will come back… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif it was still awesome to see her perform on stage again, but she looked SO different with bleach blonde, curly hair…..
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Estee won Miss Trixter! Congrats to Karol, Alethea, Kyra and Mina!! Both comps were awesome!! I saw a lot of Allegras, backwards shoulder rolls on the floor (fish flop), and Jade (Jamilla) Splits. A few amazing TG handsprings, but of course Sarah and Zoraya had the best lifts and Iron X’s! Estee did a great show, especially in her second round (optional round) where she started wearing a showgirl outfit that looked a lot like this:
Alethea handcuffed herself to the pole for most of her optional round, and put on a stunning, sexy performance! Karol was flexy as ever, and took Alethea’s spot as Miss Sexy. (rightfully so ;] ) Jenyne and Allegra both had amazing performances as well, and we even got some mini interviews with them after the comp was over. Jenyne wore a BEAUTIFULLY rhinestone encrusted monkini and Allegra wore a silver outfit with arm sleeves, used a fake rubber snake as a prop, and for the first part of the performance wore a medusa-like hat. It was neat to watch Allegra, because I had not seen her as theatrical (using the snake and wearing the hat) as that before from her YouTube videos.
https://www.studioveena.comhttp:://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b55/AllieGatorUF/People/23512_576358396193_20202567_3378398.jpg
Most people (in both comps) were barefoot for the optional round, and EVERYONE added a LOT more expressive dance to their routines than I have ever seen before in the comps. I almost got the impression that a lot of people had actual dance choreographers work with them on adding more lyrical/ballet/modern style dance in between pole tricks. I didn’t like some of the music choices, as they were a little slow and boring, and I really think people should consider the audience’s response to the music as it greatly affects their performance. Thankfully and fortunately no one fell on stage or got hurt during their performance, although Alethea admitted she popped her knee out of place or something right before her last round, so I’m hoping that she rests up and doesn’t over do it at the workshop I have with her today….I had a great time at the after party and thought Poletential did a GREAT job of hosting the shin dig! It was great meeting people face to face for the first time, and seeing old friends again. Now I’m off to take Alethea’s workshop today and Leigh Ann Orsi at B&P tomorrow! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif
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This really had me laughing…..Leigh Ann is one of my good friends and my all time favorite pole dancer/pole crush. It’s funny that this person took the time to think about what he was going to write and then post multiple comments. It’s clear that this person just wants attention for themselves and by trying to bring someone down they think they are making themselves look as if they are the professional and knows what looks good. If he really wanted to see an all floorwork dance with the chick having her butt in the air and face down, there are PLENTY of those kinds of videos on YouTube, just not the POLE DANCE type….. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
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HOW do you booty pop an aysha???!!! I really really want to pop the booty in an aysha in my routine to go with the lyrics of the song I am working with and I just can’t seem to get it. Maybe it’s because I have no booty…. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif I think it might be more of a case of me arching and straightening my back to make it look like I’m popping… very different to being right way up and not fighting gravity…lol. Will probably put a vid up sometime this week of my inverted booty fails…heh heh.
The way I booty pop in the Aysha (or any invert) is by using the "pop" method that Veena instructed in one of her videos. You thrust your pelvis back and forth, using your lower back muscles and not just the booty. You could also use the Booty Bounce method Veena talks about, by squeezing and releasing the glute muscles, or the Booty Shake method, by moving your inner thighs in and out and relaxing all of your muscles so your booty jiggles! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
On a side note, when I was learning this move, I would put a lot of grip aid in the elbow pit that I was gripping with (my sub hand) and was able to grip hard enough to pull my feet away from the pole. Remember to tighten your core muscles and really lock the bottom arm for stability. Be patient, this move can take a while to get….
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How about a challenge where you do everything on your weaker side? I did this as a challenge for myself a few months ago and BOY WAS IT A CHALLENGE! not only physically, but mentally as well! I caught myself standing there thinking, okay, wait, how do I do this the opposite way?? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif LOL like doing the pirouettes doing to the right instead of the left for me was quite the mental challenge!
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We teach on spinny poles here at the studio I instruct at, and I tell students to spot something moving WITH them, i.e. their fingers on the pole, their foot, etc. and not focus on the world spinning around them. This trick has helped me overcome the dizzyness and I have had other students tell me that it has helped them as well. Since this thread started by referencing ice skaters, I also tell my students that your speed on spinny pole is in relation to your body posture and distance from the pole. Like an ice skater doing really fast pirouettes on the pole, when they let their arms and legs out, they slow down and when they bring the arms and legs into their body, they speed up. Same with your body on spinny pole. If your body is close to the pole as you spin, you will go very fast, but if your body is away from the pole, you wont spin as fast. I give a demo on this by doing the regular fireman spin and pull my torso in and out from the pole to show the difference in speed. It’s a personal thing that people just have to experiment with themselves, but those two tips I give seem to get a good response from my students.
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You know the way I read the article, because they spoke about Mai Soto so much, I would just assume readers would think that is a picture of HER and not you. I know it’s not, but it doesn’t really show your face, and you have nice pointed toes! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
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video taping is the best way to go. Those little Flip video recorders are so easy to use, that I would recommend getting one! That way, you aren’t concentrating on looking at yourself in the mirror and creating bad habits with your technique. By video taping yourself, you can create a video journal of your progress! I was just watching some of my first videos that I made 3 years ago and refer back to them every time I feel like I’m having an "off" day on the pole. Seeing how far I have come along from those first videos always makes me feel better about the bad days I have sometimes.
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I whole heartedly agree with Yannori’s blog post. I do not need the Olympics to accept pole dancing to justify it as a sport for me. I know how much time, hard work and dedication it takes to get to a certain advanced level with pole, and I don’t need the Olympic committee to tell me whether or not it’s a sport. We as a community know how hard it is to do the things we do – all of the blood, sweat, tears and bruises – so why do we need to legitimize it as a sport? I think there are enough competitions for pole dancing (more and more popping up every day) and that’s enough for me. I think gymnasts would take over pole dancing in the Olympics and it would be more like Chinese pole and Vertical Gymnastics than pole dancing. Let’s not rip this art from it’s original roots and forget that DANCING is a part of it all…..
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My problem now is that I can no longer work at the studio I was employed at. I ran into differences with the owner who accused me of micro-managing. I believe I was offering her suggestions on improving the pole program by offering safety advice, workshop suggestions, and certification information. The owner didn’t want this, she just wanted her pole program to be ‘fun’ and ‘not taken too seriously’. I don’t want to work under that philosophy. This sucks for me because here I am ready and prepared to teach, with no place to do it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif
I guess the bottom line is that studios all have different standards. Some studios require certification, most don’t. There are no prerequisites or qualifications for teaching pole dance. I hope that given the lawsuits and injuries that are happening that regulation will come. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Students are the ones that need to push for it. The problem is that so many people are so driven to take lessons that as long as someone is teaching them something (correctly or incorrectly) they are satisfied. It’s a supply-demand issue. Since the interest in pole has exploded there are thousands of people across the US buying lessons. But I’d guess there are less than 200 ‘qualified’ instructors out there.
Sadly this is the case at a lot of pole studios. It seems to me that a lot of pole studio owners know very little about fitness and or the business aspect, and are just trying to jump on the bandwagon because they think they will get rich by opening a studio. The problem is that pole can be VERY dangerous, and those who don’t take it seriously and just want it to be "fun" are running into a lot of injury problems and bad technique that later leads to even worse injuries. The only thing I can advise is that students really research the studio they are planning to take lessons from – how long they have been in business, how experienced with sports, what certifications the instructors have, injury prevention, safety mats, spotting technique, etc. When I first started teaching at the studio I am with currently, the instructors they had were VERY inexperienced (one instructor – no longer with us – was having students perform just about every spin with the split grip) and after a while, a lot of students were coming to me with wrist and forearm injuries, as well as chest and rib injuries and shoulder pains from incorrect technique and inverting before they were ready. Pole dancing is fun, but shouldn’t be taken lightly with the serious risk of injuries at hand. I guess all the studios who are seeming to ignore the safety aspect will be soon out of business when a student gets seriously injured and decides to sue the place….. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
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Thurs
3:30 – 5 pm: Allegra spinning pole USPDF – ottersocks, GatorGirl4Life redke71(karol)Oh great, me and a whole bunch of USPDF competitors. On spinning pole. Prepare for major embarassment. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif
BTW, folks who are in the cancelled Saturday B&P workshops might want to update their enrollments on the running list in this thread. (Too anal, had to say something, sorry…. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_queen.gif )
Aww, E, think of it as you getting a GREAT learning experience with greatly experienced people around you! Sometimes it’s a good idea to surround yourself with greatness and it tends to rub off on you! Don’t worry about being embarrassed, I’m sure Allegra will show us a couple things that will humble us ALL. I’m looking forward to learning things I can’t do yet, myself! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_razz.gif
Here’s the update with the B&P Saturday classes removed:
Thurs
2pm – 3:30: Jenyne USPDF– GatorGirl4life
3:30 – 5 pm: Allegra spinning pole USPDF – ottersocks, GatorGirl4Life, redke71(karol)
4pm – 5:30: Contortion B&P– amyxshi
5pm – 6:30pm: Alethea USPDF- TrophyWife, PhillyPoleJess, PoledanceVienna
6:30 – 8pm: Jenyne USPDF- amyxshi, ottersocks, Phillypolejess, PoledanceViennaFri
9:00 – 10:30 AM Michula Nunez USPDF —
10:30 – 12:00 PM Spinning pole w/Allegra USPDF —Sat
9:30 – 11am: Estee B&P–ottersocks, bauderlady
10:00 – 11:30am Wendy Traskos USPDF —
10am – 11:30am: Spinning pole with Allegra (MPD Australia) USPDF – Fleur
11:30am – 1:00pm Jenyne USPDF–
11:30am – 1:00pm Amber Richard USPDF–
1pm – 2:30: Brooke USPDF–ottersocks
1pm – 2:30: Jenyne USPDF– terp258
2pm – 3:30: Contortion B&P– PoledanceVienna
2:30 – 4pm: Alethea USPDF-amyxshi, tracee, dayanara, GatorGirl4life
4pm – 5:30: Miss USPDF winner–
5:30 – 7 pm: Karol USPDF- TrophyWife, terp258
7pm – 8:30pm: Amber USPDF- amyxshi, tracee, Foxy_Rei
8:00 – 9:30 pm: Karol USPDF-Sun
10am – 11:30: Amber B&P–PoledanceVienna
12:30 – 2pm: Leigh Ann B&P- sandybrown, PoledanceVienna, LuvlyJ, Gatorgirl4life
2:15 – 3:45: Alethea B&P- PoledanceVienna
4:30-5:30 Alethea B&P – LuvlyJ
7:15 – 8:45: Karol B&P- amyxshi, sandybrown -
I know this is kind of off topic here, but if you really want to show people your passion, why not ask a bar downtown if they would be willing to let you put up the Xstage and do a little performance? I know there are clubs around that allow people to do this without stripping off clothes. Pole Kat in Tallahassee performs every Monday night at this night club called Rain and has posted vids of her performances on YouTube. A school may not be an *appropriate* setting now but perhaps in due time it will be ok. I’d look around at other venues in town to see if you could set something up. It could be beneficial advertising for the bar/club and for you to bring your friends to watch without judgement!
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Thurs
2pm – 3:30: Jenyne USPDF– GatorGirl4life
3:30 – 5 pm: Allegra spinning pole USPDF – ottersocks, GatorGirl4Life
5pm – 6:30pm: Alethea USPDF- TrophyWife, PhillyPoleJess, PoledanceVienna
6:30 – 8pm: Jenyne USPDF- amyxshi, ottersocks, Phillypolejess, PoledanceViennaFri
9:00 – 10:30 AM Michula Nunez USPDF —
10:30 – 12:00 PM Spinning pole w/Allegra USPDF —Sat
9:30 – 11am: Estee B&P–ottersocks, bauderlady
10:00 – 11:30am Wendy Traskos USPDF —
10am – 11:30am: Spinning pole with Allegra (MPD Australia) USPDF – Fleur
11:30am – 1:00pm Jenyne USPDF–
11:30am – 1:00pm Amber Richard USPDF–
1pm – 2:30: Brooke USPDF–ottersocks
1pm – 2:30: Jenyne USPDF– terp258
2pm – 3:30: Contortion B&P– PoledanceVienna
2:30 – 4pm: Alethea USPDF-amyxshi, tracee, dayanara, GatorGirl4life
4pm – 5:30: Miss USPDF winner–
4pm – 5:30: Jenyne B&P- sandybrown, GatorGirl4life
5:30 – 7 pm: Karol USPDF- TrophyWife, terp258
6:30 – 8pm: Alethea B&P- sandybrown, PoledanceVienna, GatorGirl4life
7pm – 8:30pm: Amber USPDF- amyxshi, tracee, Foxy_Rei
8:15 – 9:30: Karol B&P–PoledanceVienna (Canceled!!!)
8:00 – 9:30 pm: Karol USPDF-Sun
10am – 11:30: Amber B&P–PoledanceVienna
12:30 – 2pm: Leigh Ann B&P- sandybrown, PoledanceVienna, LuvlyJ, Gatorgirl4life
2:15 – 3:45: Alethea B&P- PoledanceVienna
7:15 – 8:45: Karol B&P- amyxshi, sandybrownSo at first, I signed up for the classes at B&P, but today Lian said that Jenyne and Alethea may cancel their workshops there (Karol already canceled hers), so I booked with USPDF today for one of the last spots in Alethea’s and a spot in the one that just opened up with Jenyne on Thursday. Depending on if Jenyne and Alethea stay with B&P, I will cancel the USPDF ones because they were more expensive =[ I hope everything gets worked out…..it would totally suck if Jenyne and Alethea back out on a full class at B&P….
Edited to add my spot in Allegra’s class!!
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A good way to make your boots not so grippy is to add a LITTLE bit of baby powder on them. It will coat the boot enough so that the grip won’t be as intense. Experiment with the powder a little before you go whole hog on the boots. Good luck.
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Hay Allie….will you be teaching your amazing TG Lift in the advanced class? All your youtube videos look great by the way thanks for sharing. I’m from Tallahassee and am trying to make it there if I dont get too busy at work….. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
I will be more than happy to teach people who are interested in learning the TG lift how to train to get there. I’m not one of those people who try and keep all the secrets of the tough stuff, I want people to succeed and be great! I hope to see you there!
xoxo
Allie
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Like everyone else has said before, the stronger you get, the more your muscles will hold your body and your skin won’t pull as much. As far as callouses go, it’s a good idea to use vitamin E oil rubbed directly onto your callouses at night. It will soften the skin and prevent "rips" from happening (rips are when the callous builds up so much that it begins to ‘rip’ off the skin exposing the raw layers of skin underneath, very painful!). I know this sounds a little inconvenient, but if you want to, you can sleep with a sock over your hand to allow more vitamin E oil to soak over night. When you are in the shower or have soaked your hands long enough for the skin to soften, you can use a pumice stone and gently rub away the dead, built up skin to keep the callouses from getting so big. It’s a maintenance thing, but I have also noticed that the more "grip aid" I use, the more pronounced my callouses become.
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those prices are amazing! it’s great that you are able to offer your classes at such a great rate =) if only it was closer!
Yes, I made the prices reasonable so that anyone can attend. I want to help people out in these tough economic times. No reason why it should be unaffordable…..Hope to see you all there!!
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I don’t know of any competitions that include men as of today, however Vegas would be a good place to look for male pole dance and aerial performing.
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I think definitely handsprings! Aerial shoulder mounts, too!
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i think you raise a lot of really good points gatorgirl! i have to say though… i hate it when people say "oh i can recognize your style as being from XX studio." i would like to think that part of being taught how to pole DANCE is to come up with your own kind of style that is unique and not just like your teacher’s…. that’s something that i’m trying to explore on my own and i am hoping that eventually, although my technique may be an amalgamation of dancers that i respect, that the way i move is not a cookie cutter of someone else. i realize that this comes in time, and is difficult to do, but i like to think that dance can, and should be, an expression of individuality.
I understand what you mean, but a lot of non-dancers who want to learn how to pole dance seem to find it hard to just develop your "own style" from scratch. My goal is that by showing them these tricks that I know, they take them a step further and add their own flair to it. After a while you should be able to find your own style, but sometimes it just takes a little inspiration from others to get started.
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This is a very interesting thread and I think everyone’s opinions are great. It does sound to me like your boss is a wee bit insecure. What would she say if you told her you were watching a pole instructional DVD or videos on youtube and learned something new? Would you not be allowed to teach it in class even if it meant improving the instruction of the studio over all? I am constantly looking to learn new things for my studio, whether it was learned at another studio across the country or from a video on youtube. I always let my students know where I learned the trick and give other pole instructors credit as necessary. For example, I teach pole pirouettes the way I learned from Leigh Ann when I visited her studio a few years back. She is such an inspiration to me, and I love the way she dances. I have even referred students to her youtube channel and tell them that if they are ever in the LA area, to check her studio out. I hate how a lot of pole instructors and studio owners are so sketchy about not wanting to share their trademark moves because god forbid another studio uses it. If your style is unique enough, a good student will recognize it. I can tell sometimes when a dancer is inspired from other dancers or is trained by others. Look at all the girls from BeSpun? They all kind of dance like Leigh Ann…. I want my students to be as good as me, so I have no problem showing them things I may have come up with on my own. A good owner and teacher wants their students to succeed, and to me, that includes learning outside of the studio on their own time either at home, or traveling around to other studios. Anyone disagree with me?
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As long as he doesn’t make you feel bad for doing what makes you feel happy, I would say ignore it. When he starts putting you down or making you feel like what you are doing is wrong or shameful, get rid of his ass. If pole dancing makes you feel happy and good about yourself and stay in better shape, KEEP DOING IT!! My bf doesn’t like strip clubs and is fine with me pole dancing so long as I don’t go to a strip club and get on stage and strip for others. Forget all the nay sayers, they are just haters and will be your biggest fans LOL. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
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That’s true but I don’t think some people realize the amount and cost of training and certifications others have had. Just off the top of my head, my training has been closer to the range of 7,000 when you add it up. That doesn’t even count the time I’ve put into it which in business you have to consider the value of your time as much as what you spend.
This isn’t just about making my money back…heck if I’m a successful business person I will more then break even…It’s about how could someone expect to spend a couple of hundred dollars to get what I’ve worked so hard to obtain on top of my monetary investment.
Finally consider this – a student spends close to a couple of hundred dollars for for just one 6-week/6 hour program…sometimes less…many times more. But people expect to only spend a couple of hundred dollars for certification?
Now…I don’t charge thousands. Mine are roughly $800 for basic and $600 for intermediate but I know of other really good programs that cost a couple of thousand dollars that are very good and definitely worth it. Of course I know of some for much less that aren’t worth the time, let alone the money.
This is all very valid. I think it’s hard to really put a value on the amount of time and money one has spent learning the trade and knowledge to present to others to make a successful business. Unless you make the students sign a non-compete clause (which may or may not hold up in court), you are running the risk that they will immediately turn around and open a pole studio down the street from yours, and be instant competition. Not that there’s not enough business to go around for all, but to teach someone how to run a SUCCESSFUL pole studio based on your personal experience to me, is priceless.
