[LillyBilly]

I had a conversation about this with a colleague once. It seems like there are two types of people – those who are really calculated and orgenized, and are good in learning patterns an repeating tedious tasks in order to learn, an those that are spontaneous and jump between things and ideas, and learn and advance in sudden "bursts" of action.

We observed that people of the first type will often be good "technicians" – they will learn fast and have perfect technique in whatever they do, but when asked to improvise they will freeze or be lost with all the options, and their results will always feel "forced".

People of the second type will usually be brilliant freestylers, but will have a hard time focusing and learning things that require precision and repitition, so their technique may be sloppy at times. 

(Of course this is a spectrum everybody is somewhere between those ends).

I am of the first type, and it has always frustrated me – no matter what kind of art I try to create, I can never stop being calculated. When I paint, I can copy the most realistic pictures, but I cannot paint an abstract. When I played the guitar I could play all my scales and the most complicated solos, but in 6 years I never managed to improvise to a song. When I pole dance, I learn the tricks really quickly, but play a song and tell me to express myself, and I will spend half the time standing in the corner looking silly.

I think that most people expect that when you improvise, you will do it like a person of the secon type does it – this is what you wrote, scarletthoney – that you will "let go" and the creativity will flow.

But for us calculated folks, letting go is the problem, and I find it often helps to practice letting go intentionally. One way I find very useful, is to let go in small steps – you keep some rules, and improvise within these rules. The fact that you still have some structure really helps the "too many options" fear. Once you get used to that, you remove some limitations and repeat. 

So for instance, you could start by working only with 3 moves that you like, and play with transitions between them. Then, when you feel comfortable, limit yourself to grounded moves, and decide that you must use these 3 specific moves in your freestyle, but you can add other things as well. You get the idea. This gives you some structure to work with, while still allowing a degree of freedom to be creative. 

I know that some of the more spontaneous people feel this method kills their creativity, but we all work differently. 

 I also find it very helpful to practice just letting go before I freestyle – maybe doing stupid and grotesque moves on purpose with a song I like, maybe dimming the lights and rolling on the floor feeling sexy, mayby smearing all my colors in my pallete with my fingers on a fresh sheet of paper, whatever.

I think that perhaps instead of telling your students they can let their words flow, you can help them ease into it by turning it into a process using similar kinds of exercises.

Just a thought 🙂

[LillyBilly]

I hope your shoulder gets better soon…

[LillyBilly]

A friend of mine used to say that our modern way of life – the fact that we sit all day, useally with rounded back and bad posture – is causing our muscles to be extremely weak, which is why so many people can't sit in a straddle straight.

Try to just sit straigt in a straddle, while holding your hands extended to the sides in the air.

Also, the move where you sit, hold your heels with bent legs and try to straighten them in the air in straddle position while keeping your balance has taught be a lot about using my back muscles.

[LillyBilly]

@scarlettthoney – you do have some amazing freestyle vedeos 🙂

[LillyBilly]

I had it too!

For me it was a combination of:

1. Lack of flexibility (which the other girls covered)

2. Improper alignment, see here where he covers it:
http://www.stadion.com/stretching_splits.html

3. Weak back muscles – at some point I could do a nice straddle if someone pushed me down, but I couldn't hold myself in that position (which, of course, you have to do on the pole). Part of the problem was that my back muscles weren't strong enough to hold my back straight while I rotate my pelvis, so I would just fold forward from the waist instead of stretching my straddle (I don't know if it makes sense). 

The muscles you use for that are the ones you use when you try to sit straight in your chair. I don't know which specific exercise strengthen them – we do a lot of related work around the area. Maybe Veena can help.

When you do the straddle stretch, imagine that you want to stick your b*tt (sorry) out – it will give you a good idea which muscles I'm talking about, and the proper movement during the stretch. It will be hard at first (my GOD, so hard), but it will improve with time.

4. Weak turnout muscles – again, same problem – can do the straddle if someone is rotating my legs to the position from the article in #2 and pushing me down, can't do it on my own/ in the air. In order to be able to do it hands-free, you need to get used to rotating your legs from the hips and opening them using your muscles. 

[LillyBilly]

I think it's a combination of accutane and our family's skin. My mom also has a relatively thin and sensitive skin…

[LillyBilly]

Wow, your BF sounds just like my ex…

I hope things turn out OK for you. I hope you enjoy the showcase!

[LillyBilly]

@muroo – LOL!

[LillyBilly]

OMG, thank you!

I did scheule an appointment with my dermatologist, although I suspect I know what he would tell me (wait for the effects of the medicine to wear off). This is what he said when I asked him about other skin problems I had that were related to it.

I think I will go to someone who specialises in stretch marks treatment… :\

I believe that the friction is the problem because in other areas of my body where the skin is not pulled so much I don't get stretch marks.

[LillyBilly]

@Hazelnut – Sounds good! I live in Israel, does this instructor sell her products online?

[LillyBilly]

@sensualscimitar – I stopped several months ago, but I'm using retin-a as well now. When I took accutane its effects were horrible – I could accidentally rip the skin on my face by pulling it with my hand! I hope that you are right about the effects wearing off after a year or so. Maybe in the meantime I need to concentrate on strength-based moves that don't pull the skin so much…

[LillyBilly]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

@RoseMay – maybe I will try to practice a free elbowstand first…

@dustbunny – I don't do skype, sorry 🙁

 

[LillyBilly]

Ok, found it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj9H4nga69Q

[LillyBilly]

What's a tornado?

[LillyBilly]

I've been poling for two years or so. Like muroo here, I was quite strong when I started but had no dance background – so while climbing, inverting and tricks were relatively easy for me, I kinda looked like a monkey.

I only started getting compliments on my dancing about half a year ago.

[LillyBilly]

I've recently started taking ballet lessons. I hope it will strengthen my legs, help my dancing technique and improve my posture…

[LillyBilly]

Hmm… We work on moves like this a lot in the studio.

Start from the shooting star. Make sure you are comfortable, and have a strong knee pit grip (I always tell my friends they should feel secure in this move while using only the top/bottom hand and switch between them).

https://www.studioveena.com/galleries/view/4f87a0b3-4748-4ae7-9395-40e50ac37250

Then, do the marley from higer up the pole:

https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4f985686-ab20-4fdf-a0b7-29570ac37250

You will need a different version fron Veena's though – hold both legs with your hands, the top leg with the top hand.

Note that you can enter the marley from a shooting star, and that your position is similar to the spin position, you only need to extend your lower leg, so practice that as well.

Now, do the "side spin":

https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4fabd27d-7dd4-4745-860e-73a80ac37250

But extend it into shooting star position (don't stay tucked like Veena does). This is the height you will be in on the pole during Oona's spin. 

When you feel comfortable with that, Move from shooting star to marley with extended lower leg while spinning. You can use your lower hand to make sure you don't smash your face into the floor while doind the transition. This is Oona's spin done safely.

Then, you can try to go dircectly into the marley/knee hold position without going through shooting star first. Use a  crush mat for your first attempts…

Good luck!

[LillyBilly]

We just tried to learn it yesterday for the first time (I didn't get it). We use different grip –  we use the other (the one that is supposed to go off the pole eventually) to hold our weight, like this:

https://www.studioveena.com/galleries/view/4f88eb00-6f9c-4764-a7be-294b0ac37250

So the beginning comes out quite similar to a brass monkey:

https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4d29e398-df68-4373-9e78-1cdd0ac37250

and only after we are secure, we take it off. 
I think it is safer this way, but may be harder to get into the move because of the rotation.

[LillyBilly]

I tend to get caught up in technical things when I dance, for instance, I may try to use all the tricks I can think of and practice new ones, but forget to actually dance. 

This is why, when I freestyle, I like to limit my options. I may choose not to do inverted tricks (or any trick at all), and focus only on floorwork and basic pole moves. I may choose 3-4 tricks and spins that must be in my dance, and must be the only tricks and spins in my dance. I also try to come up with one thing to focus on – it may be flow, extension, expression, dancing in the music or something similar.

I think that sometimes, when we have too many options, we don't see the forest for the trees and lose focus on what we want to do. For me, freestyling is not about chaining moves. Limiting my options frees my mind and forces me to really get creative and expressive with my dance.

[LillyBilly]

Not a black woman here, I just wanted to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE natural black hair. I think it's mighty sexy – short or long. I'm sorry if I'm being inappropriate or anything. I just don't understand how anyone could dislike a feature as breathtaking and amazing as this type of hair.

Off I go now, sorry…

[LillyBilly]

Found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYESpVLx1bc

[LillyBilly]

I used to have a boyfriend who wasn't supportive of my hobbies (even after talking about them and what they mean to me). I dumped him and kept my hobbies.

My current boyfriend admires everything I do.

[LillyBilly]

I do everything on both sides.

Every move uses different muscles, and you want to be more or less balanced (I think it reduces the chances of injury). Plus, it makes learning new moves and transitions way easier: some transitions won't allow you to use only your strong side, and if you already have some muscle memory you won't have to re-learn every move on your weak side before being able to learn the transition.

I also think that knowing how to do everything on both sides gives you more flexibility when planning choreographies.

 

[LillyBilly]

I call it extreme dancing 🙂

[LillyBilly]

On an average week (I usually skip one acrobatics/basic pole every week):

– Flexibility and conditioning studio – 3 hours (one "regular" class ~1 hr long, one advanced – 2hrs). These are pretty extreme and really improve your technique (pointe, extension etc). 

– 1 Private lesson – we work on dance technique and build a choreography

– 2 advanced pole classes – usually working on new tricks/sequence

– 1 Strip dance class (no pole)

– 2 Beginner level pole classes – in these classes, advanced students really focus on cleaning up all the moves we already know.

– 1 Acrobatics class – handstands and stuff without the pole

– At least one streching session at home/between classes with Veena's routine

And if I have time or just really need it, some freestyle at home.