HollySatine
Forum Replies Created
-
Warning: I'm about to vent a little and I am not addressing anyone in particular, so I don't mean for anyone to take this personally.
Agreed – using grip aids is not "cheating" – I hate it when people say one thing or another is "cheating." No offense, but it seems like everything is being called cheating lately – certain hand positions, grip aids, even whether a pole is spinning or not. And yet, you're right xcandycoatedx, having a brass pole isn't considered cheating, so what gives?
If you're struggling to stay on the pole because you don't have the strength, that's one thing – and you can probably tell whether you're strong enough or not. It's tempting to say that grip aids are okay as long as you don't rely on them, but if your hands are way too sweaty (a problem I'm very familiar with), then you're making the pole wet. If the pole is wet, it doesn't matter if you have the strongest grip in the world…You will NOT stick, and generally you WILL have to rely on grip aids. And if you can't stick, you can't even use the pole to build your strength. Having extremely dry hands creates a similar problem – there just isn't enough friction.
In my opinion, using grip aids is always a smart thing to do when learning new moves because you will never learn the correct body positioning if you can't grip the pole in the first place. And when you do have those moves down, it's not like you haven't been building up your strength practicing, even if you are using a grip aid to help you stick. Grip aids just don't work THAT well, unfortunately. And anyway, applying grip aid, at least to the pole, is not uncommon in competitions – but why? Aren't those competitors cheating? No – grip aids are applied to the pole so that no one slips, and no one gets hurt…so why, then, would it be called cheating to use grip aids at home?
Of course, I personally think it's fine if you don't believe in using them – you're lucky. The frustrating thing about this whole issue is that if you're on one end of the spectrum (and have sweaty or dry hands), all of the "cheating" accusations get kind of annoying. Every one is different. I don't want to feel ashamed just because I use grip aids – especially when professional dancers also use them and no one seems to blink an eye at that.
-
By the way, if you have Veena's lessons, I think she calls this one the Side Spin (it's in the Intermediate section)…but she also does it on static.
-
I've only done this one on static, but I was taught to hold on to the pole with my higher hand (the one on the same side of the body as my hooked leg), loosen the grip on the hooked leg, and sort of slide to the ground as I spin. I really don't like doing it because my hooked leg tends to stick to the pole and I don't slide smoothly down, plus it hurts (and the friction between my skin and the pole makes a loud and unpleasant noise). Maybe if you're really stuck to the pole and it's on spin (and you're holding on to the pole with your high inside hand) you could pull yourself upright and loosen your leg grip and either continue to climb up the pole or just drop down onto your feet? But like I said I haven't tried that myself yet…
-
-
i second yogabeachbabe – it is much less painful if you open your legs into a straddle and support your weight on your lower hand and the thigh of your lower leg as you move your upper leg away from the pole and around, if that makes sense…
-
Also, it looks like her site is under rennovation… in some places there's just filler text… http://www.felixcaneonline.com/store/page.php?Custom%20Pages=1
-
On her website it looks like you can already order them – does anyone know when they will ship?
-
thanks for the link! i am sooooo excited, i can't wait until they get here! 😀
-
thanks for the link! i am sooooo excited, i can't wait until they get here! 😀
-
awesome! although it reminds me a ton of this video, especially in the beginning and at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_2Z32qCYBg (minus the crazy alien stuff) 🙂
-
k nevermind – I guess it airs Tues or Wed @ 8/7c?
-
for some reason I don't have much of a problem with a regular elbow stand, but if I bend my legs and arch my back and try to get my toes to touch the floor on the other side of the pole, that's when I get a huge head rush… :/
-
what is the low lift spin? I tried looking it up on youtube and wiki pole and couldn't find it…
-
"This might seem rather straightforward, but sometimes we like to make comparisons, such as "Well, you might think that this is only for strippers, but actually…" Unfortunately for most people, this still engages their imagination, and suddenly they're thinking about strippers, instead of what pole dance can be otherwise!"
Great point Runemist!
-
I haven't bought either but I have downloaded the PFA visual dictionary which someone on here said has all the same moves as the flashcards. I find the PFA dictionary to be extremely limited. From what I gather from the Pole Move Box website, it looks like they show a lot more moves than PFA – but they're also super expensive 🙁
-
Thanks for the info Joel! 🙂
-
Rock On – Def Leppard
Girl With One Eye – Florence + The Machine
Werewolf – CocoRosie
Come Here Boy – Imogen Heap
Getting Scared – Imogen Heap
-
maybe to get out of it (as long as the leg grip is secure) you could just hold on with the legs as they are, let go with the hands, and move your body around so the pole is in front of you rather than to the side and behind – then you could grab the pole with your hands around your waist, straighten your legs to wrap around the pole in an inverted crucifix, and slide straight down? that's the simplest method I can think of, although I'm sure you could come up with something prettier once you're in a basic inverted position…
-
maybe it's a problem with your internet connection? as in, it temporarily kicks you offline? that happens sometimes to me and i have to wait or reset my router.
-
What kind of pole is it? is it bottom loading? and is it spinning or static? a while ago my pole would make clicking noises on spin mode which meant the pole was actually too tight against the ceiling…
-
guess what!!! my Tite Grip arrived in the mail yesterday and I tried it during my practice session and that combined with tennis grip has worked the best for me so far! I was mainly practicing moves and am curious to see how it will hold up through a dance session where I'll be constantly moving – but I'm definitely optimistic!
thanks everyone!!! 😀
-
thanks!
-
How often are you supposed to use brass cleaner, rather than just wiping it down like you would for another type of pole?
-
Thanks! I'll try that. 🙂
-
Rin-Rin – I know exactly what you mean about not being able to slide your hand around the pole when it's on spin like you would on static. Milien Elayne is right, some moves just don't translate very well to spin. Reverse grab (a one-handed spin in which you throw your body in front and around the pole) is a perfect example of a spin that can't be done on spin mode the same way or you'd fly off! And yet I've seen performers do a similar aerial version (Felix Cane does it quite a bit), which works because there isn't as much momentum – and it's usually done when the pole is spinning very slowly or has already stopped spinning.
Personally, I enjoy working on static more but there are some moves I love (like the roxy) that can only be done on spin – plus spin can be so pretty and is often more entertaining to watch.
I also probably like static better because I haven't had much spin instruction. What a great idea for a new set of online lessons!!! (*wink*wink* Veena!) 🙂
