[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.

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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!

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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. 

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I'm sorry to ask but…what is a CKR??

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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??

[Ocuspocus]

I was just checking this one out: http://8e0498pdqrjngkaoz916mugye9.hop.clickbank.net/

it's about how to do the moves but it includes cool tips and it seems pretty complete. Reading those messages you posted…now I wanna read pole for dummies 😛