[Rouge_LAmour]

Another vote for Pleaser here. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

I have 7" heel ankle boots which are great.
demonia are also another good brand, with slightly more edgy looks.
I have a 5" pair of knee high boots I’ve worn for work a bit.

[Rouge_LAmour]

and I’m sure Neke will agree that those friends you can sanity check with are also online.

I’m always concerned about girls who choose to dance as I’ve seen it go very bad for some; I’ve had some friends end up working for their habit (both legal and illegal substances), hence my concern.

If we had clubs in NZ that were there for the dance and beauty, not for the titillation, I’d probably feel different.
Anyway, there’s enough of us here with life experience that you can talk to, and do talk to us.

Most importantly, don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.

Aunty Rouge has spoken!!

[Rouge_LAmour]

I was trying a spin, hold on, hook leg, lean til go off balance.. yup fine.. take leg off floor to join leg on pole.. Ha! body says no. It’s like someone has glued me to the floor, am I just wimpy or will it just take a bit of confidence with playing with the pole to get that foot off the floor?

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say this… so yeah, this is completely normal.
As you get more experience, you’ll feel far better about taking your foot off the floor.
It’s usually a fear of falling, therefore, take the spin slowly with control, then if you fall, its only onto your tushie and it’s not far to fall. Concentrate on your grip and keep your toe pointed, the heel operates as a good strong spur that prevents the foot from slipping.

Also, once you’ve had a minor fall, the fear goes. Once the laughter subsides.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I’m going to second everything Neke said and add what I’ve come across.
I’ve had a flatmate who’d danced and was completely screwed up because of it. She lost any self esteem she had and ended up hating herself and others. However, I know others who have no issues.

I do know of a feminist who does it as a backlash against men: they can’t have what she has. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
I know of others who’ve done it for enjoyment and have had a ball and made money, however, from what I’ve come across, they’ve been in the minority. However, these are clubs in New Zealand, where some aren’t run that well and they consider explicit spreads normal. One I know of even encouraged some "non-dance" tricks too.

All I can say is to be careful. Choose your club wisely. Ensure you are comfortable with it. Get sanity checks with friends frequently, just to make sure you’re mental health is good.
After all that lecturing, I really hope you have a great experience dancing in a good club where explicit spreads aren’t normal and the place treats you well. I’m concerned as I’ve seen it go bad for some and wouldn’t want it to go bad for anyone else.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I’ve learned from other tutors, Jamilla lessons, Veena videos and other youtube videos.
(and my GP when I’ve done them there injuries… )

I constantly strive to better what I’m learning and I have other tutors that I’ve learned lots from.

The certification we’ve looked at is vertical dance, it’s KT Coates who is a big x-pole promoter.
Still trying to decide as it’s about $2000+ NZ dollars for us to do it.

[Rouge_LAmour]

I had a 3.05m ceiling height last night, but the pole needed 2 x 1000mm, 1 x 500mm and a 250mm to make it work. It held fine (husband ensured it was all tight and good) and held up for me teaching kids, adults and playing on it myself. (Accountants new years party – end of tax year, she asked me to come along and play / teach).

Make sure it’s really tightly against the ceiling, I checked one today at the studio, tight, then it came crashing down. We’ve cracked the tubing in the middle of the dome, bruised my leg and I damaged the wall… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif
Thankfully I have a spare dome at home, but we’re waiting for x-pole to advise if we can get a new dome / tubing. Thankfully I married a mechanical engineer.

What I have noticed is that ceiling measurements can be deceptive, I usually go down 125mm from the ceiling height.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Vodka!! It’s an old rockers trick for blisters on fingers after hard practise sessions. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
Soak the blisters in vodka to reduce and harden the skin and drink the vodka to minimise the sting.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Ditto, still no use…
heyelp, heyelp!!

[Rouge_LAmour]

That’s not Moronic, I’d call it a brain fart.

[Rouge_LAmour]

we have 8 permanent poles at our studio and 2 xpoles.

Elite is the lowest we recommend, although x-pole is the way to go.

My husband trained as an engineer and he is really impressed with the x-pole from an engineering viewpoint.
I wouldn’t get anything that is spring loaded, most of these do not support spins and are only good for prancing around. Which there’s nothing wrong with, but that’s not what Pole is solely about.

I think your instructor gave you some very bad advice re the pole.
I would ask them why they think the x-pole is overpriced and bring in the pole they recommend for them to do some spins on to show you how safe it is.
Anyway, since when has safety and quality been overpriced???

For NZ, the xpole is $1100, which is about 300quid and $5 – 600 USD. They are still popular and our girls are still keen to buy them. 60 quid is nothing in comparison to what we pay and I’m pretty sure tescos had those poles on sale about 2 years ago for 24.95 quid… you may have been ripped off.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Another West Islander!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif Welcome to the site
How was the race today??

Pole Divas?

[Rouge_LAmour]

So you’re in New Zealand’s West Island!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

Jamilla has her studio in Stanmore and readily takes students. She’s lovely and a wonderful teacher.
Pole divas in Melbourne has a good rep here too.

Welcome to the site from another antipodean. There’s a great Australasian community here.

[Rouge_LAmour]

as my husband teases me, I loved the sport so much, I bought the company.
So yes, I got my poles the crazy way, I part own a studio… but we have 11 poles for me to play on!

It’s a great workout and is way more fun than the gym, as an avowed exercise hater, I happily pole anything up to 10 hours per week. On top of chair routines, dance fitness and Bollywood dancing. My previous exercise was walking the path from the road / bus stop / supermarket to my house.

Pole is fun, it builds great strength (physical and mental) and is very good for toning the body.
The most toning I’ve noticed is in the puku (tummy), the tush and my arms.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Does your college paper have an email so we can all complain about the article being biased and stupid and dumb etc (formula one on tv now, brain going into overdrive with nnnnnnneeeeeeeeyoooooooowwwwwmmmmm)

Can you post the copy of the article on here so we can all make intelligent complaints? Please.

I made cupcakes today and am sending you a metaphysical one to make you feel better.
(Glitterhips, they are chocolate banana with peanut butter chocolate frosting. All vegan and very yummy.)

BTW, a friend who is a sports journalist is going to cover the NZ champs this year as serious sport.
He knows that if he does a crap coverage, I’m going to chop off his dangly bits and wear them as earrings then make him do a lesson and post the resulting photos to all our mutual friends who are journalists. And I’ve not even had to say a word…

[Rouge_LAmour]

Irrespective of being married and having kids and a house and a mortgage ("death grip" in french, I think that’s too cute) you are an adult women who is capable of making her own decisions and stuff like that.

Ergo, as someone who is over 18 she should just keep her venomous comments to herself.
Unfortunately, she sounds like she’s not the kind of person you could teach a couple of basic spins to show her that it’s not all about sex.

Failing that, show her this amazing tango http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=47392654283&h=IQsI2&u=KgHy1 it’s on the pole for the Grimaldi family in Monaco and is on a pole.
Tell her you found an amazing tango you’d like to share. When she’s saying it’s incredible etc, point out that that is what you do. Ensure you have the camera ready for her reaction…

I wouldn’t show my mother what I do on the pole, she’d comment on cellulite and anything else that wobbles, my mother in law is a different kettle of fish – she’d love it and would enjoy the performance.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Why don’t you call it Pole fitness and talk about it’s history from the Chinese Bamboo pole dancers perspective or Cirque Du Soleil. Felix who won Miss PD Australia 08 (or 07?) is now dancing for them as an acrobat, I think she’s doing Tissu? Anyway, Cirque du soleil is considered a beautiful art form and this may help.

If you take it as an acrobatic form of dance rather than the sexy version, it may help your parents.
I don’t know how strict your mother is, however, some moves can be performed while wearing long dresses and a hajib won’t impede (if your mother is veiled). Therefore, you could give her a couple of lessons on the easier moves so she can understand how much of a sport it is. I’m guessing your family isn’t majorly strict, otherwise your mother would be having kittens about your choice of sport. Apologies if I’ve got your family wrong, however, due to what you’ve said, I’ve hazarded a couple of guesses.

I you do need to explain yourself, show them Chinese Bamboo pole, Modern Circuses and these links we have on our studios facebook group which may help your family understand what you are doing.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=51597442622&h=g_1W9&u=Qtdv-
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=47472929215&h=ryR59&u=98mjC
and especially this one: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=47392654283&h=IQsI2&u=KgHy1
It’s beautiful and it confronts the thoughts that Pole is about wearing sweet FA and being a tart.

I really hope these help, as none of them are sexualised and show the beauty and grace of the sport.
I think the thing to remember too, is that some women have an athletic dance style, some very sexy, I opt for grace and control of moves over athleticism and overt in your face stuff.

[Rouge_LAmour]

As a vegan and having been veggie for 20+ years, I find skinny bitch concepts amusing.
Nobody should enter a new eating plan without ensuring they have sound nutritional advice first.
With any dietary programme, it is easy to eat badly. to badly quote another vegan, a dorito is a dorito, even if they’re vegan, you can still eat too many of them. My vegan cupcakes are highly addictive!!

The sensible thing is to eat fresh produce as much as possible. Dump the processed food and e-numbers.
Invest in some sage advise from a nutritionist about losing fat / mass. Many are not veggie friendly.

Dairy does not provide the body with calcium. Dairy leaches more calcium from the bones than it supplies. leafy green veggies and brassica (Cauli, broccoli and cabbage) are very high in calcium in a form that is far more readily absorbed by the body in the primary form.

Red meat consumption increases the mortality risk by 30%. refer http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2289972/Study-links-red-meat-to-premature-death it’s also higher in saturated fats.

Vegans, in theory, should have good nutrition because they need to know what they’re eating and are more inclined to have a balanced diet due to the foods they consume, which are primary products. This is not to say many omnivores don’t have a good diet. This is the basis for the skinny bitch food plan.

So, what I’m trying to say, without offending omnivores and so we don’t get the usual inane remarks about "meat is good" "Vegan idiot" blah, blah, blah is that to minimise excess fat on the body, we need to eat properly by reducing the amount of processed food, eating far more fresh food and exerting more energy than we intake.
And if that means eating a steak, then so be it. But please be educated about what is put into that piece of beef. purchase stuff from an organic shop that isn’t packed full of chemicals or highly processed. Cheap meat is likely to have higher levels of chemicals to make it look pretty.
Don’t get me started on Chicken.

It’s really that simple.

[Rouge_LAmour]

why don’t you show them the sites for the schools in NZ?? This may allay their fears better if they see it’s a professionally taught sport.

mine and LisaT’s: http://www.polefitness.net.nz
Polegirlsonia’s: http://www.kiwipolefitness.co.nz
Amy’s: http://www.polerevolutionz.co.nz
Lou’s: http://www.pole.co.nz
aroha’s: http://www.poledancer.co.nz

All of us teach for fitness and for the grace and beauty of this dance form.
None of us teach for the "exotique" side. Normal dance schools teach burlesque, which ironically has a less risque attitude in NZ. I was looking up Swing and Lindy Hop today and found some of the Wellington Dance Schools are teaching strip tease and burlesque. Nothing wrong with it, but I do see this huge double standard: we’re slappers / skanks because we pole dance, yet the suburban (Karori / Khandallah / Remuera etc) matrons who do burlesque (and get down to tassles and g-strings) are considered completely fine and respectable.

You may also wish to advise your parents that women do this for fitness and creativity. And if they think it’s done by skilless women for money, recite this list of quals from my studio alone: 3 Phd (Aerospace engineering, Psych and Law), 1 Phd candidate (science), several masters students, many grad students, a top Personal Trainer who features on a RayRay type show, a lot of students (mainly maths and physics funnily enough), several professional musicians (including Lisa), several film industry types (editors, art dept, cam ops, wardrobe) and a lot of very switched on women. Not one of them is learning for the exotique side.

Nothing wrong with stripping, as long as it’s done for all the right reasons and not just a desperation for money or fame. My old flattie was a stripper and she got very screwed up because she did it for those reasons.

[Rouge_LAmour]

ahhh, crowd pleasers….

Did one at a "show" recently, fell onto my back. Landed like a stunt person / dead ant and was far more worreida bout the pole hitting the lighting.

Turns out the stage was flexing and we hadn’t tightened it enough to cope with the "floor flex".

[Rouge_LAmour]

Sweaty hands: normal, ensure the pole is clean (use meths to clean), ensure hands are celan and free from any oils, creams etc. Soap and water them prior to session. Mighty Grip etc are great for big grip, but awful for spinning on static. Rosin makes a great noise. Also check for allergies as many have nasty chemicals that bring out eczema.

Blisters: normal if you’re a little OCD / perfectionsist, therefore normal.
Old rockstar remedy for blisters is to dip the affected area in vodka. hurts. crazy pain hurt. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

Bruises: absolutely, totally normal. get arnica. Internally as drops or pills and externally as cream.

[Rouge_LAmour]

Seems to have stopped now too

[Rouge_LAmour]

Your husband is Bunnycard! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_tongue.gif
that had me laughing!!! I may even tell him this. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

He is completely over Pole, I usually get the "oh great, more pole" look… but he is supportive when I nail a move.

Therefore, I’m pretty sure it’s not him.

Unless it’s one of the 4 cats, or our lizard… have caught the cats using the pole to stretch on. never enough time to get a camera though https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif
The lizard spends time at he studio, so who knows?

[Rouge_LAmour]

and you have both the webmaster and myself if you need a hand with Mac OS, so support is pretty close.

My uncle and aunt are in their mid 70’s and they’ve recently got a Mac. They had no problems using it.
mind you, he used to fly 747 as a captain….

[Rouge_LAmour]

Anyone who tells you that you need to purchase Mac specific equipment probably has no idea what they’re on about. Some equipment will only run on PC, but most hardware runs completely fine on a Mac. Just check the specs and ask the shop people. Ensure you can return the product if they’re dunderheads (insert naughty word of choice here, mine usually start with F and end in wit) and only after a sale.
We got a new printer at the studio, plugged it in and it worked first time. All camera’s I’ve used work fine too.
2 external harddrives worked like a dream and our printers at home were fine.

As we use a Mac for commercial video editing, it needs to be able to take any hardware we throw at it. So far, no problems with Sony, Canon, JVC etc. We’ve had a couple of issues with a harddrive camera to Final Cut, however, that’s more a software problem.

If you’re really concerned at price and only wanted to get a base unit, a Mac Mini is a great option.

Mac OS Leopard 10.5 was $129 USD when it was last released (about 12 – 15 months ago maybe).
What I like about Mac is everything is labelled nicely and the "drag and drop" mentality is great for moving files.

If you choose to use iWeb, it’s a great basic product, we use it here http://www.filibuterfilmsnz.co.nz and here http://www.polefitness.net.nz. The only downside is that you have to edit the site on the relevant machine, if you’ve only got the one, then it’s fine.

Mail is good too. Can also divert hotmail etc to the mail application.

On top of all of this, they hold their resale value exceptionally well.

golly, I am a geek….. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_ugeek.gif

[Rouge_LAmour]

It is a dangerous sport, but far too much fun to give it up.

one of our students has dislocated bones in her foot from climbing and inverts (hazarding a guess there), Dr has said no more poles for a bit, or climbing.

I heard of another woman that let her arms drop when inverting and dislocated 5 ribs from her spine. Ouchies.

I just get / got loads of bruises and break / dislocate my left little toe about every two months by kicking the pole. Yes, it’s always the same move too, you’d think I would have learned by now!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif