[Ocuspocus]

Just shared it in spanish so that polers here will vote for it too!!!

[Ocuspocus]

I just voted and I will keep voting

[Ocuspocus]

I find this thread very funny!!! I guess you must all have very big xmas trees…here they are small and made of plastic so I don't think I could split on it (:

[Ocuspocus]

I am pro mj but I admit there's a problem to it. Sometimes it's hard to make some people understand when they have become psycologically addicted, they are in denial and it's hard to help them. I guess this happens with any addiction.

In my perosnal experience, I used to buy every 3 months and when I didn't have it I didn't even think about it, I didn't even remember to buy every month but when I had it at home I couldn't keep from smoking every day.  Just a small dose every day was affecting me because I felt kind of silly all the time and after the first week without stopping I didn't even enjoy it much, I just slept and ate too much, it made me depressed and sometimes by the end of the month I got sick from the bad habits. Feeling silly and slow affected my training a lot so as I noticed I couldn't keep it at home without abusing it I just stopped buying. I tried being responsible about it so I could continue using it because I like it but I always found an excuse like "I had a bad day, I'll smoke a joint and relax" or "I had a good day, I'll smoke a joint and celebrate". And after a week I would start being late everywhere, including work.  So right now I only smoke in very rare ocassions and I don't keep any at home. I will not buy it while training, but probably I'll get some for summer vacations when I spend most of my time with my best friends who don't smoke much and they don't want me to smoke everyday. I think one must have some rules to respect that depend on the person. In my case it's "not while training" and "not while I'm alone".

[Ocuspocus]

I also think the sexy fundamentals and floorwork dvds are too simple. I think they are specially for beginners or people who are advanced in tricks but have SERIOUS problems with flow or have never gone to any type of dancing classes. For someone advanced most of the stuff she teaches here are obvious. She takes a lot of time to explain very simple stuff and the most difficult moves are explained briefly more like "and if you are advanced you can practice this one". There was a particular move I was expecting to find there that I really wanted to learn and I didn't get it more than I got it from watching here doing it in her dances. I think the dvds are very cool and useful for beginners and it would be awesome if in the future there was another one  for advanced students (specially advanced floorwork). Also, there are a lot of things she does that I would love her to teach in the dvds that weren't there ): I hope they are in the next.

I didn't buy the dvds because I don't own a credit card. I friend bought them and she invited me to watch them with her because she doesn't speak english and needed translation. And for my friend there was NOTHING "obvious" or "easy". So I realised that though I was surpirsed that some simple stuff were explained, the target of the dvds are people who need to slow down and pay attention to simple details, people who do not take dancing lessons and have to learn how to make their body look pretty when they move and how to create figures when you pose and dance; and they are starting on that from scratch. 

Oh, I think the flexibility dvd was great and for every level, there was even some stuff there I had never seen before (like the felix stretch, I didn't know that one).

[Ocuspocus]

I LOVE the rock out challenge idea!!! let's do it!!!

Jessilee: I agree with you, metal is a lifestyle and it has to do with being true to yourself, thinking for yourself, always doing what you think it's right and never letting anyone tell you who to be or what to do. I just liked pole rockers page. (:

I'm excited to see some polers rock!! please make videos!!! I didn't know some of the bands you named…for example 5 finger death punch! I don't know anyone who listens to this band, I loved it! I knew if you named bands or songs I was going to find something new.

[Ocuspocus]

Yes, I do the same as Rikki but I don't like the way it looks for a show, I like going exactly with the music so I always use slower songs but that also rock. For example, I love megadeth but I think it's too much for pole dancing so I dance the intro of 5 magics. Sometimes using thw intros before everything explodes is useful. Or choosing a song that is all slow like metallica's version of Turn the page, I love tat one. Tonight I'll dance ina  pub and I'll be dancing A touch of evil by judas priest. It's heavy, sexy and it's not that fast.

what about…do you dance in a special way when you dance to havy metal? Cause when I do I know I use more kicks and waving my hair a lot 😛 I also think slash has great songs to pole to!! thank you all for the ideas!!

 

veena: do you have any material of your band?? it'd be nice to listen to it (:

[Ocuspocus]

MissMeliss: I don't mean to be pushy but…do it!! DO IT! do a bringin sexy back video! If you feel you don't have the guts to do it, then you should do it and prove yourself wrong! Don't think that you'll be doing somehting silly, tink that even if you don't consider it sexy you are doing it to support the idea of sexy dancing! We don't do it because we think we are sexy, we do it because we want to express how we feel when we are sexy, and everybody is sexy!!! everybody should feel free to express his/her sexy side and this is what we are deffending in a way! that poel dancing is for everyone! not only for good dancers, sexy or beautiful dancers; it's for everyone to enjoy and have fun! I'm sure if you do it you'll have fun too! and if you don't feel safe to post ir for anybody to see you can just post it here and we will encourage you! You'll get credit for it and you'll feel happy you didt it, even more if you think you don't have the guts, you will feel more confident and brave!

[Ocuspocus]

I've tried  to make my mom pole dance too. She said she would do just one trick. She did a fireman and then she said "that's it, no more". She's scared of the pole but only because she's scared to try it! The idea of the pleasers is great. I don't know why I didn't think of that. My mom loves shoes. I will try it!

[Ocuspocus]

I think pole dancing in an olympic level would require the same training or the same difficulty as the other disciplines but most of them have years and years of evolution while pole dancing doesn't. Maybe I'm wrong but pole dancing has gotten more acrobatic in the last 10 years?? and other olympic disciplines have been evolving for so much more time that it could make pole dancing look simpler or less complete perhaps?? I don't think Schtoffen meant to be offensive.

[Ocuspocus]

Schtoffen…I think I undertsand what you are saying. I don't think that pole dancing is right now something you have to train since you are four to be able to do it but if it gets in the olympics it will become that, because it will have to compete with a very high level. Of course pole dancing is incredibly difficult but when I started watching videos it wasn't…you know…completely insane. I mean, you can do pretty stuff without being a contortionist but once it is in the olympics I think that will change. I love the fact that pole dancing grows and I love watching contortionists pole dancing or pole dancers coming up with new tricks that are more and more challenging but I don't want it to become just that. I think that in the future it is possible that pole dancing splits into 2 different disciplines: the dance and the vertical bar gymnastics 😛 I just hope people give two different names to the disciplines so that both are respected instead of saying that one of them is pole dancing and the other one is nothing.

[Ocuspocus]

My right shoulder started clicking since I've started doing tg. I thought at first I forced it or I was doing it wrong so it had a problem but it never stopped. It clicks every time I move it, more than 20 times a day, but it's painless so I don't worry. Several pole dancer friends hace permanent pains or clickings…and other dancers and athletes too…I guess we just accepted it. Now that I read this I think I'll go to a doctor just in case.

[Ocuspocus]

I had so much fun watching these links!!! thank you for posting! It was a great week and I felt great participating, I was so stressed out and after I did it I felt so much better, just knowing that I did something that I enjoyed and nobody would judge in a moral nor in a profesional way. No need to hold back or impress anyone. No shyness and no advanced tricks. Just dancing.

I fell in love with pole dancing because it is expressive and sexy. I think most of the tricks are naturaly sexy so I don't understand why somebody would not want to focus on that. I don't fully enjoy pole dancing in a completely acrobatic style, or in a  ballet style…I just don't get it. I think you cannot take the sensual part out of dancing tango, you cannot take the sensual part out of bellydancing…and with pole dancing I think it's the same. It's the way the dance was born and I feel it should stay that way no matter how many other elements you can include. Fusions are great and dangerous combos are great too, but I don't think you can take sexy out of pole dancing. It is difficult to pole dance in an emotional and expressive way without sexy, even if it is romantic, nostalgic or whatever, it is always a bit sexy unless you don't express anything at all. And if it doesn't express anything….it is not dancing to me.

I'm glad pole dancing will be in the olympics but I'm sad that it will be shown to the world as a boring sport. I'm sure other disciplines that also are in the olympics are sexy too, right? like ice skating??rythmic gymnastics?? they were sparkly outfits and move pretty sexy to me, at least in artistic and enjoyable performances. It shouldn't be a problem with pole dancing.

 

Plus….it is ok to pole dance without heels, but to me…heels are a part of it, I hope they accept that in the olympics though I don't think so…but I would like to ask people if they imagine bellydancers without their sexy outfits or tango dancers without heels…I don't think so either… then they should accept the way pole dancing really is. 

[Ocuspocus]

I saw this video of bodybinds! it was on facebook's group stripperstyle (: I thought it was a cool idea because it looks great. So many women dancing sexy, is hard to see what everybody is doing at the same time. It is very entertaining!!! Now that I know which one you are I'll watch it again.

I posted my video on stripperstyle too, it was this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7OIGQkmQcQ&feature=plcp

[Ocuspocus]

thank you for the links of the vids!!!

[Ocuspocus]

I think it's perfect! I wear stuff like that but with the bikini underneath, that way it's sexy but it could never be too much.

[Ocuspocus]

It's so inspiring to read so many stories in which pole dancing has improved everyone. I feel it has saved my life too. It helps me fight depression. Three years ago I was very depressed but couldn't tell, I thought it was just the way I was and it was never going to change. I couldn't keep a job for more than a year (when I get very depressed I just don't want to leave my home so I would blame my jobs for the way I felt and quit). I was always down and didn't want to talk to anyone or go out. I started pole dancing because I wanted a fun way to keep fit, I wasn't stable or constant with anything so I dropped going to the gym and yoga every 2 or 3 months. When I started pole dancing everything changed. Now I don't stop excercising, it gave me a job I love and I don't think I'd ever quit and it has helped me realise a lot of things about myself I need to change to feel better. It has motivated me with my life in all aspects because when I'm feeling bad and I want lo let everything go I just start thinking I don't want to stop poling and I don't want to lose all the work I've done so far gaining flexibility, strength and resistance. It keeps me from smoking and eating incorrectly, it even keeps me from smoking too much pot when I'm depressed. It has improved the way my body looks (yesterday I made my first "proffesional" photosession and I can't believe somehting good came out, I always thought I could never do something like that).

Just today I was feeling very angry and hopeless because I had a rough week and I felt better when I found a great angry song I hadn't heard in a long time that I could dance to. It helps me express myself and release stress. Also, I found thanks to it a form of art I enjoy, keeps me fit, I can get paid to do and people care for. I used to write and ilustrate and I was quite talented but I always stopped when I was depressed and never could really focus on those things as a proffesion because I felt nobody was interested in paying for something like that. I also studied linguistics for 4 years and I dropped university because I felt it was too stressing (one day I was given a 7 instead of 8 or 9 and I could never present myself to an exam again! I couldn't control the way I felt about it!)  and job opportunities here related to that are not enough in my opinion for all that work. With pole dancing is different and I feel now when I meet people they are instantly interested in me because of what I can do. This doesn't happen to writers or ilustrators as much Lol. It has given me so much I think pole dancing is something every girl should do and since I've started I feel I've found a place for me in the world that I don't ever want to leave no matter how frustrated I feel about anything in life.

[Ocuspocus]

Oh, now I understand! thank you so much!

[Ocuspocus]

I'm sorry to ask but what do you mean by "death grip"? Is it falling from a grip?

[Ocuspocus]

I love my butt, my waist, my belly, my hair, my eyes, my nipples (is that weird?) and my smile.

[Ocuspocus]

the owner of the studio i train in has a very flexible daughter who wants to pole but her mother is sending her to gymnastics instead because she says she's too young to pole. She wouldn't be taught to dance sexy but her concern is that pole dancing my build her body while she's growing…she says it's better if she starts pole dancing at 12 and not at 8. my question is..doesn't the training for gymnastics do the same?? If there already are girls around the world poling at 8 years old then there's nothing wrong with it, right? has anyone heard anything about pole dancing not being good for kids or why it would be better for them to train doing something else till they are 12? I'm sure this person is not worried about the issues about it being sexy but more related to the way it shapes your body. 

[Ocuspocus]

I'm sorry to ask but…what is a CKR??

[Ocuspocus]

I broke a navel piercing once doing the craddle. but I put another one on the same spot and kept it. it did'nt happen again.

[Ocuspocus]

I'm sorry this is a competition that is not even in my country so there's nothing I can do about it. But this uspd matter about it being unethical is certainly bothering a lot of people. When so many people react to something like this it is because of somehting. And probably something that can be changed easily.

I think it would be a good idea to get together signatures as someone else said in this discussion, so that the competition organizers will know that lack of transparency could have an impact on the community that is supporting it (it already is having and impact). But perhaps you should make a list of the things that you would like to ask. For example:

-Posting deadlines in advance in all of the official web sites of the competition so there is no confusion.

-Posting their criteria for judging. (Here in Argentina we get specifications on how many points you can get for every detail of your performance -guess it might be the same for uspd), for example: interpretation and concept: up to 10 points. Dancing and fluidity: up to 40 flexibility: up to 50 points. strength: 50 points….etc. And later you see your complete score so you know why someone has won or considered the best….she had the highest score on those aspects that gave more points) This only works if the criteria of the competition is clear…if the competition is more based on who dances better or who can do the most difficult tricks, for example. If it is a bit of both, how  much of each or what they consider to judge that??

-Judges shouldnt judge their own students. (personally I disagree with this idea but that is for the community to decide. I am just getting together ideas I've red in this discussion. I don't think this is a problem unless one judge is proven to be unethical about it. It is normal that you will judge your student a bit better because you have seen her train but if someone was too out of judging criteria should be obvious for everybody else)

-Athletes who have worked or work in the adult industry should be allowed to compete. (this one is a big problem in my country and one that brings a lot of issues and anguer because some girls are allowed if they know someone and others not. I didn't know it was a problem elsewhere. But it's easy to solve: there's no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to compete as long as the criteria of the competition is clear about not allowing performances that include the things -they would have to be clear about this things- they consider too related to the adult industry and that they don't want to see).

-Perhaps if you discuss it you can decide on some things that you would like to ask the competition about so that they are clear. Not the things I've mentioned, I was just giving an example, but the things that are troubling a lot of people.It is not a complaint. It would be more like giving a voice to the community. And if there's no answer…well, then you know what to think of the competition for sure and you can decide with no doubts wether to accept it as it is or move on.

[Ocuspocus]

Reading thi discussion I hace two things to say:

 

-I am personally a big Alethea austin fan. I understand that she is not the best and others can pull out more difficult tricks but she has become this much popular because she is UNIQUE. Her style is what made her one of the best and for what I've seen…millions want to dance like her, so they shouldn't complain about what she can't do if they want to do what she does…nobody can practice everything at the same time, either you focus on tricks or you focus on fluidity, everybody tries to do a bit of everything but you cannot expect anyone to be perfect in every performance. I don't care if she made mistakes in her performance. I've seen felix fall out of her spatchcock in a video, and I've seen that video of butterfly in zurich where she falls….they are still great!!! and their performances were great!!! my thoughts as regards those problems are: even the best fall in public. If I compete, it will happen to me too one day and even if I never get to be that great it will still happen to me one day (LOL). I think people should never lose respect for someone when somehting like this happens because it's natural and it will happen to all one day. If a competition is unfair it is not a dancer's fault….if you win a competition and people think it's unfair…what whould you do? say "oh no, thank you, i don't want the title, some others were better…"?? I don't think so. The issue is not competitors fault, it is the responsability of the organizers and judges.

-If submissions are out of deadline, they shouldn't be accepted. If the submission's dates are not clear….it is the organizer's fault! If a competition is unethical…there should be somehting we can do about it (even though I think there really isn't…everything is unethical in the world…of course sponsors will want their way, of course studios will support their people, etc) I think the community needs to be organized in a way that we can complain if something goes too out of hand in an unethical way. This would require that we organize a group of people to speak for the community and that is recognized by competitions…seems imposible right?? well, it's the only idea i have. I think that an ethical organization should protect competitions from nepotism but also protect competitors. I say this because I think someone who has already proven she deserves to be respected for her talent in the community should not have her career affected because of one performance. I've heard people say horrible things about felix like "she always does the same. I bet she can't do other tricks" (come on, really???that's ridiculous. her signature moves are not the only great things she does) or when the video of butterfly in zurich came out I've heard a lot of people who are very important here in Argentina (not that the world cares about what we think about pole dancing here but still it hurt me) saying horrible things about her…this is wrong and unethical too. I think once a competitor has showed what she can do she should be respected and allowed to continue her career but still there should be a chance for new girls too. Otherwise, competitions start getting unethical….but we can complain about it or we can do something. If the community does not agree with the way things are, there should be initiative to organize something different.

I think this discussion was very interesting because it's really important to fight to keep the community ethical. And if competitions are unethical it affects the community because it affects the carreers of pole dancers, instructors and students who feel dissapointed by all this. In Argentina we have huge problems because of this, there is one studio who runs the only comeptition there is and you cannot raise a complaint about anything because they can destroy your career. I want get into all the bad things that happen here in the pole community but I will say that unethical competitions are a big issue for the community and not competing is not a solution, but criticizing the winners is not a solution either. If we want a solution let's look for an ethical solution. That's the point; right??