[Runemist34]

Wow, ladies! I'm so impressed with you reactions 🙂 Thank you!

Amy: I took your advice, and looked at a few other dancers! It's hard for me to tell their "style" when I find a lot of dancers are…just doing tricks, really. I figure I'll check out some Veeners instead of Youtube!

Ollie: Thanks ^_^ I do very much like a lyrical style, but I can imagine it would get tough to create a routine! Then again, you should see ME make a routine…ugh! It's just frustrating. 

AerialMck: I agree with you, and I would take that further…All art says something about you. Seriously, all of it. That's what art is about! And yes, I like the dances that are like that too…connected, and not.

Vamp79: This is similar to the issue I'm having…all spins and tricks, and I'm looking stiff, and after a few minutes, tired! Personally (and I know a lot of Veeners are gonna dislike this comment) I'm not fond of Leigh ann. She's pretty, she does all of her stuff great, but I find her boring to watch. I don't feel like SHE's having fun, so neither am I! And, oddly, I don't think she's hearing the music we are, either. I do, however, like her style as well! She's very sensual and moves her hips a lot…and I've got a lot of hip to move, so I try to do the same 😉

Mizvix: I've always been a very introverted person, and all of my self-expression became funneled down to one thing: Writing. Physically, I was closed, and disconnected. So, this is a pretty big thing for me! I don't have the strength to be "up on the pole" as I can't invert anymore (I was working on it a long time ago!) and strength has always been an issue for me. So, I'm hoping this time I can achieve as much as I can imagine!

Thank you for all of your support, girls! I really appreciate it! I wasn't sure how this thread would go down, but I'm so happy to get so much feedback! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif Now I'm reminded why I came back 😉

[Runemist34]

AHA! This is actually one of my most-used spins, and I do it nearly automatically (when I can't think of anything else to do!), but it took me a long time to get it all in order.

First, I did learn this spin originally with legs together. It still freaks me out to do it that way (which means I still need practice) and, to be honest, I can't really get this one to look right on the left side, only my right, dominant side. 

One of the main issues I had with this was how to get into it. This is a very "chest first" move. As Veena said, your main, weightbearing arm is straight, which unfortunately means you must have some strong shoulder muscles to keep from hurting yourself! But, anyways, what I mean by "chest first" is that, I found, I have to thrust my chest forward into the spin, rather than allow myself to shrink back…thus making things more like the chair spin, in my mind.

I think about it like jumping in, with all enthusiasm…chest first, and go for it. Feel free to keep your legs closed at first, because I'm told that's easier for some. And yes, this one's tough. Keep at it! I know you can get it 😉

[Runemist34]

Umm, forgive me, but with the incredible amount of names that some moves can have, I'm having a difficult time knowing which spin you're talking about. I think "front hook" and most people think "Sunwheel" or "Fireman with attitude" or whatever, so…

Could I get a video? Or even a picture? 🙂

[Runemist34]

Polergirl: I like hearing about your progression 🙂 It sounds like you've got a good handle on it as an art, and as a "science," in a way. Thank you 🙂

Charley: I like your idea of "meat and potatoes" being transitions, and tricks being an accent. They way I was originally taught to dance was all (or mostly) tricks, one after the other, stringing them together, so I'm finding it quite difficult to incorporate (or even understand!) transitional moves. So, I think that helps.

HollySatine: I know, I know…it's difficult to be introspective about one's own art and say "I have a style!" But I'm always a believer that you can cultivate what you want, rather than falling into it. And, I agree with you! Stage presence, face, and imperceptible body movements and language that have a great effect on style 🙂

And, for everyone so far…*sigh* yes, I know…practice. Augh. I've been reworking my schedule these days to try to get practice time, but it's hard for me to actually get into the habit. Chaos is also a habit 😛

[Runemist34]

I agree that this is all very scary to think about, and I think this example throws into sharp relief the fact that we are doing a dangerous sport that is unregulated. Much like cheerleading, we have no "crash mat" of regulation, understanding, or industry safety under us, and if we are learning something wrong, and end up teaching it to others wrong…well…

It's also frightening to think about the people in my own town. The local pole studio closed, but the instructors moved on, and opened their own dance studio, though not COMPLETELY focused on Pole, it's quite a big thing for them. My own previous best friend is their "best" pole dancer. I tell the story about how she learned the reverse grab spin from me (I couldn't do it due to lack of strength, but because of her quick progression, I could show it to her by way of explanation), and then showed it to her buddies at the studio…in their ignorance, they named the move after her.

The scary thing is that, while she has had a Fitness trainer's course, I took the same one…and it's much more based on simple movement, rather than what I like to call dynamic movement that we do in dance. Like the difference between lifting weights, and dancing. So, the fitness trainer's class wasn't exactly helpful in my mind to what she's teaching. She's the first one to surpass the original pole instructor in town, and moved into things like the Shoulder mount by watching youtube videos, and possibly (hopefully!) other videos that were on DVD. 

I have great, great hope that she is not instructing people poorly. I almost have the urge to go there and ask her to demonstrate her stuff for me, just so I can make sure. We may not talk a lot (or at all), but I still feel concern for her safety…and that of other people.

[Runemist34]

Many of these sounds similar to mine (such as #3!) but I wanted to say…#5 is subjective, and pretty much can't be measured. This is very similar to most (if not all) of my goals, so I recognize it! How will you know if you succeeded?

My adaptation: Try to be happier more of the time than angry, depressed, or sad. It's relatively easy to measure (Gee, was I happy today?) and the results are more fun! That way you don't berate yourself for "not being a better person" because you had your own life to live, or sometimes you can't afford to give to the needy, or share your food, or whatever else you base "being a good person" on. 

Just my thoughts.

It's great that you're making goals, though! I've been meaning to do this properly for a while 🙂

[Runemist34]

As far as I know, you buy it that way! The brand of pole I use, Lil'Minx, sells poles that are powder coated, and different colours, such as pink, red, black…

That's the only way I know how! Unless you just want to photoshop it, and pretend you have a pink pole for pictures ;P (Woo, alliteration!) 

[Runemist34]

I've considered it, but I don't think mine requires a name.

Mine is, however, a male.

I heard from my first studio "The pole is the perfect dancing partner: Always ready, will always hold you up, and always erect." XD

Hence, I consider most poles to be male…also, if I'm a girl, and generally heterosexual, then I would expect this kind of dance partner to be male. Just my own thought!

[Runemist34]

Major lack of gymnastics and dance background here! I hadn't even done a somersault for more than 15 years until about 2 years ago! I had to do it on my nice safe bed, with lots of cushions and stuff!

I agree with trying to "walk" up to try and get it into your head how it feels, but for me, it's also a major fear of being upside down. I've been working on that, by trying to hang my head off the couch and see how I do. 

It's mostly the "mount" into a head/hand stand that I have issues with. I don't have the arm strength (or the core strength), and I don't feel I have the control. I'll be working on that soon, too, though!

Good luck!

[Runemist34]

Erm, I suppose I should mention that the above is for my FACE, not the rest of me. I shower every day, sometimes twice a day (it's so warm and nice!), and I always use soap. I've found that certain ingredients will moisturize better than others, such as Shea and some kind of nut…butter…thing. I forget. It's been a while.

During the winter I get very dry all over, so I shave less, I moisturize more, and try to deal with it.

[Runemist34]

I've got some pretty picky skin, and it's quite fair as well. I live in a wet, cloudy climate, so sunlight isn't one of those things I have to deal with.

That said, I found my skin is REALLY picky with what I do, and how often. When I was younger, I didn't do anything for it; I just got it wet when I had a shower. When I started to get zits, I learned of the wild world of face cleansers. I didn't use it often, but my cleanser of choice for a while was the Neutrogena stuff.

However, since learning more and experimenting, I have found that I have limits to good things. I cannot exfoliate more than about once a week, and even then, I have to be careful about it. If I exceed the tolerated amount, I get…problems. They look and act like mini zits, they're usually white, and they hurt like hell. It's only ever happened to me when I exfoliate too much, so I know they aren't zits.

Otherwise, I use toner sometimes (usually before I wear makeup, which is extremely rare), I use a high quality makeup remover (again, very rare) and I try to cleanse every once in a while. If I find I'm getting dry or start breaking out, I moisturize.

My 'brand' of choice right now is stuff from Lush. I like natural things.

But…every day? I get it wet in the shower. I rub it with my hands, and then dry it with a towel. Oo;

[Runemist34]

As far as I'm aware, it all depends on your internet speed, the size of the file, the traffic on the website…

The video player (as far as I know, I could be wrong!) tries to buffer enough to give you one whole video, even if it's downloading as you're watching, and give itself enough time to get more video before you've watched everything it downloaded!

[Runemist34]

Thanks guys! I kept thinking "Oh man, no one's gonna know what I'm talking about!" but you did 🙂

And argh, we need to have a tutorial on that one 😛 Maybe, if one day I actually figure out how to do that move…I'll post my own tutorial. HAH.

Thanks so much!

[Runemist34]

Sparklie, it actually depends. If you're working out, doing cardio…you are anaerobic FOR 20 minutes or so, and then everything catches up, and you reach aerobic exercise for as long as you work out after that.

That's what my Fitness Trainer teacher told me, anyways!

[Runemist34]

I've noticed, for most exercise instructions I've encountered, one should try to breathe out while lifting or working muscles…so when you actually do the arial invert, or a spin, or whatever other move, try to remind yourself to exhale. It may seem very strange at first! I know it does for me.

Otherwise, keep in mind that the first 20ish minutes of a workout, you are in the anaerobic state, which means "no oxygen." This means your cardiovascular system hasn't caught up with the amount of air your body is demanding, so you've got unhappy muscles and you'll breathe hard, a lot! This can get better with time, but 20ish minutes is the average, as far as I know! So, take it slow!

Pole is, at the very least, demanding on muscles you may not be using as strongly with running, and also, many MORE muscles at the same time! I would imagine you'd need more air to feed them, so it'll be demanding on the cardiovascular system, as well. It's a demanding hobby! So, give yourself a little extra time. And yes, remember to breathe 🙂

[Runemist34]

Veena, I completely agree with you. A lot of people are surprised to find out their favourite athlete is injured, or deals with chronic pain. 

I prefer to think of myself as a "fun and exercise" kind of girl, though that ever-niggling need to be "advanced!" is in the back of my mind, no matter how much I swat it off. I think it's more that I love to see improvement, so getting into things like spins and inversions that are very hard is always an achievement for me. 

However, I'm starting to also realize that I like the idea of pretty-ing up my moves, so I'm hoping that even that gives me a sense of accomplishment. I'll need to set up my video camera, after a while!

Thank you, Veena, for letting me know! 🙂

[Runemist34]

Oh yes, I know all about this one. I don't really have any sexy wear, because I live in a stupid small town and it's boring and so expensive to order things online! Ugh! 

Just thought I would add my support…Canadians want to be sexy, too! It's not just all snow up here! There are poles we DON'T stick to! 😛

[Runemist34]

Scandalicious: Yeah, it used to be that I would dance for a couple of days, and then if I woke up sore, I'd stop until I wasn't so sore anymore! I didn't want to push myself, you know? 

And…well, isn't their protein in bananas? Maybe I could have some of those…or is granola bars having of protein? I'm horribly picky with what I eat, unfortunately, and that DOESN'T mean that I eat healthy! I tend to eat like a little kid, actually…all sugar and chocolate and salty things! It gets better when I actually exercise though.

I think I have a plan, however…thank you very much, ladies! I appreciate the feedback. 🙂

[Runemist34]

I agree with Meganoff…you guys pole a lot!

@Meganoff: Yes, I know 😛 I should be listening a bit better. It's an interesting catch 22 for me…it's kinda like physics! You know, object in motion tends to stay in motion, object at rest etc? Well, normally I find myself "at rest" and it's hard to make myself not be! So, when I'm in motion, sometimes I fight it, and sometimes I don't. The funny part is that, after a while, I hit a seemingly insurmountable plateau, where I've gotten everything I know how to do down pretty well, but the next step is too hard! I'm strong in one way, but not strong enough in another. It's frustrating!

It's interesting to me that some of you pole 3 times a week for an hour each time, and some pole once or twice a week, but it seems like for longer, usually. And, people seem to have other methods of fitness, too, so that's also probably helping.

Thank you for the information! It gives me a good gauge for what people are doing and how they progress. Of course, I'll be making sure that I don't overdo it with my own fitness routine (whatever it ends up being). At least now I know I should probably be doing stuff for longer! 😛

[Runemist34]

Kobajo84 – Thank you 🙂 I know that people progress differently, but this has been an ongoing problem for me. I started pole dancing…well, probably three years ago? Maybe more? I seem to have my phases, going in and out of passion for it, but the longest was the most recent, of 8 months or so. 

I started dancing through a local pole dancing studio, of which there was only one, and we didn't have a lot of moves. I've done Veena's lessons some time ago (probably about a year ago, actually!) and I've been learning a lot of moves from the internet. I realize it's a whole lot harder to learn things without someone around to tell you what you're doing wrong. I've had some difficult times with moves that people tell me are easy, but I've been doing wrong somehow. 

And yes, I likely need a regular routine. It's hard for me to transition from my normal status of chaos to something more organized…really, I would get a lot more done and feel happier with organized, but…I get worried I'd lose a lot of those weird spontaneous things that happen during my day, too. It's an interesting issue.

[Runemist34]

I've decided that trying to think myself a "stage performer" for pole isn't a very good idea…so, pole dancing is more for myself, than anything or anyone else. 

With that in mind, I would love to learn things like control, improve my strength enough to have control, and so that I can slow down. I'm working on that with my physiotherapy, but it's also one of those long-term things.

I love watching certain people do their thing, but i think Felix is one of my all time favourites. I also love watching our own Sapphirecatzeye, as well as Pantera, and several others. There's a certain energy and sensuality that they have when dancing. I've seen a lot of dancers to nearly the same thing, and I don't like them. So, it's something I can't entirely articulate properly.

As for an outside-the-pole fitness thing? I, personally, don't enjoy them. Running or going to the gym or lifting weights or whatever…it's all so boring! I'd rather just pole dance.

[Runemist34]

Ah, Poleophile! I remember our pole jam…sooo much fun! Thank you for the welcomes 🙂

[Runemist34]

Thanks guys! I've been having a hard time being motivated lately, but I think I'm learning that I need to be able to motivate myself, rather than look to others. However, I missed you all SO MUCH that I figured…well, it's just nice to have people around that share the same passions! 🙂

Polergirl: Yes, I understand 😉 I do it a lot. I drop in and out of things, sometimes for years, until I finally make my decision on them. I tend to realize how important they are after a while (or, in some cases, how NOT important they are :P)

Loopy_II: I remember that! I'm glad my advice helped. I've always heard that the best way to get through something is to communicate, when the issue is with other people. I'm glad it worked out well for you! 🙂

[Runemist34]

Hello!

I'm happy to see the old community still growing…I used to be on here a while ago, and just came back!

I drop in and out of love for the pole, but I'll be honest…belly dancing was one of my first loves when I was learning to dance! I don't do it anymore, but…well, I should. I just should! I loved it then, and maybe I'll have to bring out the jinglies and do it again! 

How *I* tend to increase strength is through practice. I'm notoriously bad for not wanting to do "strength training" and "cardio" because I find it tragically boring. Usually my improvement comes from practicing my moves, through dancing, over and over again. Anything I think I can do, I give it a shot! If you feel like you SHOULD be able to do something, but fail every time, perhaps try asking the wonderful people here. They can usually spot something you might not, or tell you what you need to work on to get the move.

I would like to be able to say "I find inspiration from within," but that's a new thing, yet untested. Usually I found my inspiration from watching others, most of them WAY above my skill level, and telling myself I wanted it, more and more! This tends to end badly, which is why I'm trying this new, self-motivated way 😉

What I wish I knew when I was new? That there was an incredible repertoire of moves available to me, for free, online! I started doing lessons at a local studio…and I had NO IDEA that there were other moves! So, I'd say you've got an awesome head start there!

I have a particular preference to electronic music, so many of my selections are likely things that people have never heard of. My current new favourite (for music in general, and also for dancing to) is "Cthulhu sleeps" by Deadmau5, off their latest album of 4×4=12. Yes, electronic people are crazy 😛 I also enjoy slower stuff (that one's a little fast), like things by Massive Attack. 🙂

[Runemist34]

Wow, I feel for you! My friend has Hyperthyroidism, and she rarely sleeps, eats, stops…it’s really hard on her, and considering all her other issues (you name it, she’s had it, practically!) it’s just another stone on the pile.
I can understand, too, that you’re hoping this is the thing…I’ve had problems that I’ve struggled with a long time that I didn’t think were related…turns out they’re totally related! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif Oh doctors.
I have a question, on the topic of abnormal thyroid, for all those medical types out there…
Once per year, usually later into the summer (around July/August) I’ve been having metabolism problems. It has been getting worse every year it happens, and I’ve had it three times. First, it was slow and only lasted a couple of days. The last time was just…all high, for a whole week. And, what I mean by "high" is a HIGH need to EAT. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_evil.gif I’m not adversed to food in any way, and I don’t starve! However, last time, if I didn’t eat something (like, a sandwich, bowl of soup…nothing huge, but nothing small) within two hours I was pasty, cold sweat, shaking and feeling like I hadn’t eaten in Days! Aside from that…if I tried to eat a bunch, say before work, it was all gone so fast, and I was back to the two hour time limit! Nothing I seem to do works. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif Eat, don’t eat, move around a lot or not. I just needed food, all the time and just in little bits. It makes it really hard to work, since I generally don’t get a break for a good 4 hours per shift, and even that is one break in the middle of my shift, and nothing more. An 8 hour shift was impossible.
(Sigh) Sorry, I’ve just been frustrated. Why should I go for blood tests and take medication if it’s not going to do anything for me for a month or more? It doesn’t usually last longer than a week! That, and phobia of needles. I can’t even see them on the computer or TV without getting freaked out.

Let us know your test results CBR!