[PinkPony]

Thanks for all the info RandomGurlie =) I will have to read thru it again to digest it all! hehe

It's tough in Vegas, I expected competition from people who are already super amazing. I saw that coming & I don't feel too awful to lose a gig to someone who has superior skills. What I did NOT see coming, was gigs going to girls with little to no skill who just achieve some "look" that the venue prefers. I have worked plenty of promotional model jobs, so I know my look is marketable but admittedly it is not the overtly sexual Vegas look. It has surprised & frustrated me to see that I work & try so hard to be legitimately good at what I do only to find out that the people paying for this act may or may not even care if you're any good.

As far as other skills, I have also worked with fire dancing & eating and I perform an act called Grinder Girl which many people have not heard of. I have a 30 pound steel costume that I wear and shoot sparks off my body with an angle grinder. It's a super fun act & people love it. 

I guess I should try to find an agent. It's all about who you know here & I keep wondering Where is the person I have to meet? Who is that person? haha

Anyhow, thanks for the info again, take care! =)

[PinkPony]

OMG PhillyPoleJess, I am soooo going to buy that thing right this second, that is GENIUS!!!! I had no idea such a thing existed, thank you SO MUCH for posting that link!!! =)

@RandomGurlie, I am trying to so hard to break into the aerialism (I study hoop & love it! And of course I do pole too.). I think aerialists are the most beautiful people in the world & I work all the time to be as skilled as I possibly can be. But I admit I am a bit lost when it comes to finding opportunities to perform. Any advice for someone new to the trade?

Thank you Veeners! 😉

 

[PinkPony]

If you start using grip aids too soon, you risk stunting your progress as you build your grip. I didn't use them for the first 6 months I was on the pole & spun, inverted, & learned aerial positions without them. But really what harm comes from delaying the use of them? Build your grip, make sure you've got your strength holds down first! 

[PinkPony]

CoffeeGirl is exactly right about the push/pull principal. You'll find that pattern in basically every static pole position you do, so start recognizing it now! The push/pull principle creates your balance. The only helpful tips I have to add is that elbow pain from split grip is often caused by a "broken" wrist. You want a straight wrist as much as possible. Try a split knuckle grip on the lower hand, it helped me immensely. It basically forces your wrist into proper alignment.

For split knuckle grip, you will wrap your hand around the pole as usual but instead of keeping your fingers together, you will separate your index finger from the others. The pole will rest between your index & middle finger and you will wrap the rest of your hand like you normally would.

Hope this helps!