Forum Replies Created

Page 2 of 3
  • MelanieDA

    Member
    September 14, 2011 at 1:52 pm in reply to: Jade split with no underarm grip

    Is there a particular reason why you're trying to avoid using an underarm grip?  Because I find the underarm grip, and using that hand to smush my hip on the pole, to be very important in avoiding the pole ending up in my ribs.  With this move I grip the pole somewhere below the hip bone and the upper/inner thigh.  Getting the pole below the protrusion of the hip bone is crucial to me; it gives me a very secure grip and keeps the pole out of my ribs so I can really relax into the move. 

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    September 8, 2011 at 1:31 pm in reply to: Going through shoes like water.

    Almost forgot about Foot Undeez!  Not only do they keep your foot from sliding forward, but they relieve that 3am-on-my-fourth-night-in-a-row ball of foot pain.  If you have a Walgreens near you, they sell a brand called ToeKinis.  These little babies have saved me and my coworkers' feet many a time.

    http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/profoot-toe-kini-ball-of-foot-protectors/ID=prod6056558-product

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    September 7, 2011 at 2:40 pm in reply to: Going through shoes like water.

    Dancer shoes are too darn expensive to be throwing them away every few months (that said, for as expensive as they are, they need to be made much better than they are, but that's a different rant entirely).  I've become a master at fixing shoes that are too loose, sewing on broken straps, etc. because I generally refuse to buy new ones when the old ones are still fairly new.  I consider it my triumph over the poorly-made dancer shoe, haha.

    I'm a big fan of Foot Petals: http://www.footpetals.com/  or similar devices made of foam that have enough thickness to take up a good amount of space in the shoe (I'm not a fan of the plastic cushions that don't adhere to the shoe, because they get sweaty and move around).  Sometimes I'll layer them on top of each other, either to compensate for my unusually skinny foot or when the shoe is badly stretched.  Generally I'll put in a ball-of-foot cushion and a full insole on top of that.  If you want to be real fancy, you can make custom insoles out of crafty foam and glue it inside, and cover that with crafty suede to mimic the original feel of the shoe.  I've had excellent luck doing that, myself.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    September 1, 2011 at 1:51 pm in reply to: Rhinestone’d Shoes!!

    GORGEOUSSS.  I'm a big fan of embellishing my pole heels.  I've glittered them, painted them blacklight-pink, and covered them with scrapbook paper like Veena did (unfortunately those didn't turn out quite as pretty as Veena's).  I see a pair of custom rhinestone heels in my future!!

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    August 29, 2011 at 1:15 pm in reply to: MY LEG WON’T STICK 🙁

    The move in the video I've always called a Scorpio.  The thing that helped me learn both the Gemini and Scorpio is to remember that you're also gripping with your side.  Basically, from my hip bone down to my armpit is always making contact with the pole, regardless of which leg I'm using.  It took me forever to get the Gemini especially – I just couldn't get my leg to stick, no matter how deep I got into the "knee-pit", until I started holding on with my side also.  Both the moves, including the Gemini/Scorpio switch, will be easier if you have an understanding of the Hip Hold also.

    As far as having your leg bent as much as the girl in the video, I think it has to do with how long your legs are and how comfortable you are with the trick.  I've noticed that longer-legged people have an easier time bending their leg.  I am below five feet myself, and I wasn't able to bend my leg with the Scorpio until I became very comfortable with Gemini/Scorpio switch.  Even still, if I try to bend my leg too far, it'll make my foot numb.  However with some longer-legged people, bending their leg is the only way they can get into the trick, particularly if the pole itself is very short.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    March 31, 2011 at 2:56 pm in reply to: Does anyone know how to get into this pose?

    Anyone know if this trick is possible with heels on?  Or can it only be done barefoot?

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    March 9, 2011 at 4:32 pm in reply to: Flexibility – MaxiFlex

    @HellsBells – I rigged the Maxiflex to my X-Pole using a shoelace  (I should mention that I have the older version of the X-Pole, the one with holes in it for use with the old release tools, NOT the one with X-Joints).  Remove the metal adjuster cover, revealing the long adjuster screw.  Thread a strong shoelace through the hole in the adjuster screw.  Loop-knot the top of the Maxiflex around the pole, then tie both ends of the shoelace to the Maxiflex (for clarification, the Maxiflex itself is attached to the pole, but the shoelace just keeps the Maxiflex from sliding down while you're using it).  Hope this helps.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    February 15, 2011 at 3:44 pm in reply to: Flexibility – MaxiFlex

    I really like my Maxiflex too.  I got it for pretty cheap off Amazon and it shipped quickly.  I have it rigged to my X-Pole.  It definitely beats stretching on the floor.  It doesn't hurt as bad and I think it's easier to stretch farther.  I stretch a lot more often with the Maxiflex than I would if I was doing it on the floor, and that means faster progress. I can do it while watching TV.  Good investment, I think.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    December 31, 2010 at 2:18 am in reply to: Are you a 1-sided or 2 TGer?

    I learned the TG handspring on my dominant side first. Any attempts on my non-dominant side failed and felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. After I was fairly comfortable and confident with my technique on my dominant side , I learned to do it on my non-dominant side. It’s still not as reliable as my dominant side, and it feels a little weird, like trying to write with the wrong hand. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_razz.gif But the more I practice it, the better it feels, the same way I can do a basic invert on both sides comfortably and reliably.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    December 31, 2010 at 2:05 am in reply to: preparing skin grip for performance

    I just received the Poletopia lotion. Personally, I find it slightly less slippery than using normal lotion. I used it the night before I pole danced, didn’t wash it off my body beforehand but I did wash my hands. I did slip a little bit more than I would have if my skin was bare, which I didn’t like. I was also disappointed to find that it left a greasy residue on the pole, and though it wasn’t as slippery as normal lotion, it did affect my grip with my hands and I had to wipe the pole more than I would have liked. I definitely wouldn’t put it on immediately before dancing (the bottle says to apply it several hours before dancing). I’ll need to experiment with it a little bit more before I decide if it was worth the $30 I spent on it. I may try using less, or watering it down, or rinsing it off before I dance.

    ETA I don’t think this lotion is intended to be a grip aid – it doesn’t provide any gripping capability. Just a lotion that’s pole-safe.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    December 16, 2010 at 11:09 pm in reply to: I decorated my pole….

    It’s a Festivus for the rest of us! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    October 19, 2010 at 6:37 pm in reply to: BAD pole offered on craigslist? GAH!

    It’s fine that you replied, but keep in mind that not everyone wants an expensive pole for legitimate pole fitness. A lot of people just want a pole that they can prance around, shake their butt and engage in stripper roleplay. And for that, a cheap pole is fine.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    October 18, 2010 at 7:41 pm in reply to: JK Defies Gravity

    I also received this DVD a few months after I ordered it, in 2009. I agree that it’s mostly for ‘aww’-ing at, and I agree that you need exceptional physical strength and flexibility to do all of her moves. It’s a lovely DVD. She describes what moves you need to have solid before you attempt each of her moves. Some of them are standard, like the pretzel spin, superman, and handspring, but her real signature moves are also broken down fairly well.

    That being said, I haven’t actually been able to do any of her signature moves, mostly because I haven’t made a good attempt. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_razz.gif I forgot I had the DVD for a while, and I have a lot more strength and flexibility since the last time I watched it, so I suppose if I tried it now I’d have better luck.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    October 18, 2010 at 1:03 am in reply to: Pole Finish POLL

    I’m in the minority with my preference for steel poles. I’ve only ever used steel and chrome, so I can’t comment on TG or brass, but I should also explain my skin – there wasn’t an exact option for my skin type, so I put dry. But my skin is atypical. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_razz.gif I’ve had very oily skin most of my life, and I had a treatment of Accutane a few years ago. That took the edge off the oiliness, and it’s not exactly dry now, but it’s now extremely sensitive (never poled pre-Accutane so I don’t know how it would be without it). It can get oily, and it can get VERY dry and react to anything I put on it.

    I prefer steel because I can get a grip on it better than chrome. I guess my skin chemistry just doesn’t jive with chrome, but I slide right off my chrome X-Pole. I end up gripping so hard that I can give myself hand cramps. But the steel Lil Mynx poles at the gym I can grip with no problem, I find they warm up more easily and don’t get greasy nearly as quickly as chrome.

  • MelanieDA

    Member
    October 14, 2010 at 5:44 am in reply to: Hi from Kentucky!

    Hi there, I live in the Paducah area myself.

Page 2 of 3