[anngiern]

It truly depends on how you have your class structured and what the class focus is. We teach 2 to a pole and everyone loves it. We also have an empahsis on pole dancing and freestyle dance. So the girls like to watch the other girls to get spin and transition ideas. We also do a 10 minute warm up and 15 minute ab work as a whole class. My girls always leave tired and feel that they got a great well rounded workout.

 

Sharing poles is important to help prevent injury or overuse. Many people move way too fast and think in the beginning "I can handle this". But 6 months down the line they are at the doctor b/c of an overuse injury. I also think more pole classes should include some kind of just overall body conditioning which truly helps with getting pole moves.

Also if the class is just tricks based just for an hour you can get away with one to a pole. But if you have a dance and tricks focus, when you have a lot of poles crammed into a small room you can not extend properly which causes your pole tricks to have bad body lines and then you are constantly hitting people which is annoying. and then you truly cant "get into your dance".

but i think it truly comes down to the focus of the class and how it is structured.

[anngiern]

thank you so much for posting the link to those videos! if you find anymore let us know 🙂

[anngiern]

i thought the piece was overall pretty good…i think they were just trying to show a "well rounded" view of pole dancing…so i think it was good to show the beginners b/c  isn't that how we all started? we dont start with tg lifts..LOL… so my take was they showed how beginners start and where they can end up…at USPDF. i constantly have to tell/educate people that when they see stuff like USPDF that these girls are at the top of the league..but there is plenty of stuff they can do that's not that advanced and can give them a good workout and is attainable.

showing everyday women helps to get average people into the studios to try it which keeps the industry thriving. plus many everyday women do not want to compete…they want to have a fun dance class.

[anngiern]

@amcut i thought you would like that song!!!! actually i love that song…it has an awesome beat and does very well with our birthday/bachelorette parties…but to each its own. sometimes i use "sleazy" as my stripper/alter ego name 🙂

but i was a little annoyed that they chose that song for them…seemed a little premeditated and done on purpose. i would have loved to seen them perform to "blow" by ke$ha. that is an awesome pole song and many of  our students love it. i am a big ke$sha fan! her music is fun, slightly naughty and light hearted.

I LOVE the scorpio. It is an absolutely beautiful move. It makes a great picture.

[anngiern]

do you want more current music(like top 40)? are nast words allowed? LOL

some suggetions:

"get off" by prince

"bedtime story" madonna

"erotica" madonna

"bad girl" brittany spears

"control freak" by mya

"sleazy" by kesha

some more current songs:

"skin" by rhianna

"badass" by saliva

"on the floor" jennifer lopez

"i do" twista

"kush" dr. dre

 

I have many more but many of them have a lot of profanity/sexually suggestive so not sure if your student base is into that. let me know…but again those songs are not for those who get easily offended.

 

happy poling

 

 

[anngiern]

@empyrean….i think they get only a week(or less) to prepare a piece with whatever challenge they are given. so it is a very limited amount of time. the challenges can be very interesting and they throw a "special" twist into what they put in their performances. thats kind of the whole premise of the show…they throw challenges out there so you can step out of your comfort zone and push your creativity to the next level…and that to me are the best dancers…who can step out of their norm and still bring it no matter what challenge they are faced with.

every crew has their "niche" or area of expertise. last year there a jump rope crew that i absolutely loved. they were just phenomenal. i was mad that they they didnt make the top 3 b/c they were very original. and 2 seasons back there was a latin based group and they made it to the final 2 and they infused their latin flavor into their pieces each week. they were exceptional as well.. so not everyone has a primary background of hip ho/pop/lock/bboy.

they use the word "contemporary dance troupe" but they said they had a hip hop, ballet, and jazz backgrounds. this is typically the backgrounds a lot of the crews have and then some of them just have street dance experience which where the authenticity comes from.  but i can see them on a show like "so you think you could dance"; this would suit them as well.

but i  think ABDC could be a great venue for pole dance…just have to impress the voters and have the right mix of what the judges are looking for. so we missed it this time around but someone else might get a shot again.

i have seen a lot of high energy hip hop/pop pole performances where they did do a good balance of both hip hop dance and pole…but you will see that more in miami, atlanta and houston(pretty much the dirty south..LOL). i saw one troupe from a pole studio in miami and those girls were just fantastic. they have a very original pole style and can pull off fast/upbeat pole dancing very well. I really hope they perform at the pole convention. they are extremely entertaining and just downright impressive.

[anngiern]

just to jump in here from someone who has done competitive performing arts:

i thing some overall things are being missed…..first and foremost this is a entertainment show primarily based around hip hop and pop music…..key word…entertaining…entertaining has nothing to do with how hard the moves are…its about how things are put together, costuming, energy…etc…  Difficult moves are appreciated but if its not in sync the judges look at that. i have seen many pole performances with very difficult moves where i was just yawning. maybe their strategy was to bring more of those extra "wow" moves as they progressed each week. sometimes you dont want to show all of your cards from the get go. it can be a gamble though.

this is based off choregraphy ladies…not some great freestyle…i dont know if any of you have tried making pole dancing sychronized with 4 or 5 other people but it is hard as heck. i have done it and it takes so much practice….but some moves are better  suited  for choreography and some moves are better for freestyle. the routine has to be clean….so sometimes simple moves look better in choreography; that way its get nailed each time.

and last but not least…the songs picked for this show tend to be on the fast  upbeat side. fast dancing is hard to do let alone fast pole dancing which i hardly ever see many pole dancers do b/c its hard. it requires a lot of stamina, energy and precision.

overall i thought it was pretty good. as one judge said i would have preferred a different style of moving around on the floor (like a sexy walk) and maybe some shoes..something sparkly…LOL

this show is awesome…i have been watching it for a while and get great music for class and get new class moves as well 🙂 i love the creativity that these crews put into their pieces. it truly takes talent to get on this show. i applaud everyone who even  makes it this far. that is a huge accomplishment. and a once in a lifetime experience.

[anngiern]

oh amy you are mean 😉 i am so in love with AP…everything is so feminine. thanks for sharing

[anngiern]

88 color eye make up palette for $25
http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm/product/1677_122/88-piece-makeup-palette.cfm
http://www.coastalscents.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
i got this from many makeup artists on youtube..they were always raving about it..i was skeptical at first b/c i luv MAC and Sephora, but it was only 20 bucks so i thought i give it a try. this palette is awesome! now you must use an eye primer ( i use MAC paint bare canvas) otherwise the colors will not go on good. but this is a great starter to play around with eye makeup. it has all kind of colors. once you find which colors you like then you can go to mac or sephora and buy the higher end if you desire. but this is a great way to test the waters. personally i use this palette all the time and its great for travel. want free lessons??? get on youtube. there are a ton of people who post lessons on makeup application and fun looks. i luv make-up…it truly is artistry. i will have to post some pics of make-up that i have done with this palette.

hope that helps https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[anngiern]

hey jayjay,

it probably feels awkard b/c you have your legs crossed differently when you do a regular invert into inverted crucifix vs. a shoulder mount into inverted crucifix. people usually get used to crossing their legs in a particular way (left leg in front, right leg behind or right leg in front, left leg behind) so when you end up doing a different type of invert it will catch you off guard and something won’t feel "quite right". to fix this, i just have students learn inverts on both sides (especially inverted crucifix) that way they get used to having their legs crossed both ways and can find the muscle memory/activation for it. i had to do this for a while and still practice b/c it still feels weird to have my legs crossed opposite of what i am used to. its a small thing but it does make a difference

[anngiern]

Videos and pics weren’t allowed. I am under the assumption video is strictly prohibited because of music licensing.

I am going to strap on my costume and film what my performance would have been later. I actually had to make some last minute changes (like half the routine) based on the poles – I’m not such a good spinner and those poles had crazy spin https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

@charley…did you not get a chance to practice on the poles beforehand so you could assess the spinning poles?

[anngiern]

Miss Texas Pole Star was Awesome! It was soooo much fun! It was great meeting all of you ladies. Big congrats to Mindy who won the amateur category!!! And congrats to any of the other winners if you are on here!!
It was in a large nightclub and I perform better in that "club" environment! I love the music pumping, we had a super sold out crowd of over 500 people, NFL Housewives cast was there, VH1, and it felt more like a showcase vs. a competition. Can’t all competitions be held in nightclub now? LOL. I just love performing in that environment. I was very happy with my performance! The crowd was really hype and all of the competitors were so super nice. I think we were all just so happy to be around pole enthusiasts!
I loved every moment!!! Everything truly is bigger in Texas…Ha! Ha! I am so glad the middle/south of the country is finally getting some prescence in the pole community https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[anngiern]

Angie — I have the neutrals set from Coastal Scents, and I really like it. Which one do you have?

Mindy
i have the 88 piece multi color; here is the link:
http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm/product/1677_122/88-piece-makeup-palette.cfm

its so great to travel with..and i love to use all types of color on my eyes. but i tried it once without primer ( i left it at home by accident) and it really was not the best outcome. but with the primer it is good for when you need something quick and when you want to experiment. this palette was all the rage on youtube with makeup artists..LOL…which is how i found it.
but i have to say i really do love MAC…i love how the girls make themselves up at the store and show you the possibilities of what makeup can do. i love how they change the looks based upon the season and have them featured on their website. so i use the coastal scents and predominantly MAC products and some smashbox.

also applying your makeup with brushes makes a difference as well. gives a more even application. its always good to invest in a good set of brushes…or you can buy one at a time and build your collection.

i will be there on friday so if you need help just ask!!! i will be more than happy to help you!

[anngiern]

here is a you tube video on stage make-up from expert village.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS05UaecRDM

If you want to look at others just search "stage makeup" and there are tons of tutorials. just practice "the look" that you are going for these next few days so that way on friday you will already know how you want it. when you practice and you finish take a picture so you can look at it.

you can use cheaper makeup if you use a good eye primer…eye primer is a must so the colors pop correctly.

coastal scents has a great eye pallete for only $20. wont get it in time for this friday but for future reference https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif it works well with a good primer.

hope that helps https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[anngiern]

: i see a lot of people who comment on the facebook pages of the various competitions asking about how advacned you need to be to enter. it seems like there are a lot of intermediate/advanced polers who are not "national competition level" tricks-wise, who still want to have some kind of forum for publicity and competition with their peers.

yes this bothers me amy……..i totally agree..i have met so many talented pole dancers who are just not able to do the extremely hard tricks but they are excellent performers. i have some girls who just cant invert right at this moment but boy can they put on a show with the floorwork, spins, etc.. they can do. i would personally like to see a competition of that sort. many people shy away when they see the difficulty which sucks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif or if the organizers dont emphasize that the competition is about showmanship and being a good entertainer.

IMO..i am getting a little overwhelmed by all the new competitions…its hard to steer your students in the right direction for which one to apply to….but i think pole dancing is just going thru a huge growth spurt right now…so just going to have to wait it out and see..part of the growing process

[anngiern]

we have four crash mats and have been using them for over 4 years now. safety should always be any studio’s top priority…yeah they are 200.00 a piece but that is a heck of a lot cheaper than someone suing me and i will be out of business completely. plus many of our students would not even attempt to do a basic invert without it. even for me..i dont try any new inverted move without the trick mat.

plus from a business standpoint our student retention rate is good b/c of this as well…we have had students specifically come/transfer to us b/c we use trick mats (along with teacher supervision, spotting, etc…). when people are afraid of falling they start to sweat, heart rate goes up, etc…and then they start focusing on "falling on that hard ass floor" vs. what you are trying to instruct them to do. a lot of these moves are hard as it is… so if we can minimize that fear of falling on a hard floor i am all for it.

i have been to quite a few advanced workshops and since they did not have trick mats i personally did not feel comfortable trying the moves. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_shaking.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif i only have one neck and head! there are no backups

when i took aerial silks the whole place is practically matted.

[anngiern]

oh no….. that is horrible anjel…that can really f***ck you up right before a performance….that really sucks. did it fall for anyone else? they used the venue that uspdf used last year….was the setup not the same?

[anngiern]

I didn’t win, but I have my performance up on my facebook page. or
I think most of you are my friends on it anyway.
It’s not up on youtube because it was sent to me by someone in the crowd just as a link.

I had a little problem with the pole falling practicing a spin during warm-up, so I was more unsure and timid than usual during the live performance. If you look closely you can see the fear in my eyes before each big trick.

http://www.facebook.com/anjeldust/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
or
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=425951644356&ref=mf/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the pole fell completely? or it was slippery anjel?

[anngiern]

go to your nearest guitar center and ask around in the dj/sound system department. many guys that work there cut music as a side gig. shouldnt cost more than $25 and takes them very little time to do it. you definitely dont want a bad cut of music for your audition piece

[anngiern]

I know I’m not givin up! it’s just that my video was unique and different from all the other submissions I saw because I incorporated my ballet/lyrical dance training with my pole work and I have a different style that’s why I don’t get it. Not saying everyone elses were bad because they deffinitly were all awesome, but the styles were all similar and I though doing something different and unique would get noticed….they offered to critique in my rejetion letter so I asked them for it beause I really don’t understand what I did wrong, so I’m waiting for that!

performing arts in the competitive realm can sting a little at times but you will grow from it. definitely get their feedback…i asked for feedback..and so did my other instructor who auditioned. some of the best artists known such as madonna, were rejected for things…but look at them now!!!

similiar styles…i can see where you are coming from raquellestarr.yes everyone’s body moves differently..that is the beauty of pole and exotic dance..but the style of movement is similiar to me as well.
for example when i see someone pole dance to hip hop it is a completely different style than dancing to rock. i dance very different to a lyrical song vs. a hip hop song vs. a rock song. that is one of the reasons why i LOVE pole dancing.

i definitely did something different and did a more sassy/upbeat/faster song. i also did a more "dancey" style as opposed to a more "aerial" style. a lot of polers in competitions tend to do slow and rock music and aerial style. now granted my favorite style of pole dancing is to alternative, electronica, and rock as well but i purposely did a different type of genre of music to show something different that has not already been represented on the stage.
when we do in house showcases or offsite showcases we specifically say to potential performers we are looking for a few r&b performances, couple of rock/alternative, couple of artistic, couple of high energy hip hop, a burlesque type of performance, some pop, etc… we do that on purpose to appeal to more women. not everyone relates to slow pole dancing, fast pole dancing, lyrical music, rock music or hip hop music etc….so if you try to do a little bit of everything the women (and audience) leave with a wider range of how pole dancing can be.

i do like the way polarity has two categories: trixpert (emphasis on aerial work and difficulty of tricks) and pole drama (more emphasis on choreography, dance, musicality). i think both styles are great…but they are different. i have seen most of the audition entries for the pole drama finalists and we all demonstrated very different styles: marlo and kyra had a more contemporary pole piece incorporating modern dance, stephanie did a broadway style piece, i did a blend of artistic/lyrical/and sexy, erica did a more emotional, artistic piece.. etc…. i loved watching everyone’s b/c the styles were so different. but it also helps me to grow as a dancer….for example i usually have a hard time doing a broadway style pole dance but after seeing stephanies i was inspired and did my level 4 demo for my students with a broadway song and they loved it! i actually enjoyed it way more than i expected. and next week i am going to take some modern dance classes b/c i loved how marlo incorporated this on the pole and off the pole.

so i say all that to say shop around with different competitions https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_study.gif that is why there are more competitions popping up and emerging. every organization is looking for something different. what works for one might not work for the other.

[anngiern]

Oh yea so I didn’t get in and yes I’m upset but I expected it because I apparently suck! This is my 6th competition rejection in the past year and I wanted it so bad because I made up a few tricks that I don’t want to show until a competition….I guess I’m not good enough for any competition not just them. I thought my video was good and unique but I guess that’s not what they wanted https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif I think I give up on compeeting its obviously never going to happen for me….congrats to all the fabulous Veeners that got in though your so lucky and blessed

Dont say that you suck! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif Any woman who is brave enough to even tackle pole dancing is a winner in my book. And you put yourself out there…and that is an accomplishment in itself. Try not to let it get you down…maybe you can organize a showcase in your local area where you can show off your unique tricks? or maybe work with the studio owner to plan it?

Remember..dance is a journey..not a destination…so just enjoy how happy pole dancing makes you feel https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif Try not to let competing define you.

[anngiern]

Congrats Ann!!

Congrats to you for entering!!! AND I’m excited to meet you in VA for East Meets West Polarity!!!!!

Vakiesha
hey skittles,

yes i will be meeting you in virginia!!! actually my name is angela..ha…ha (its anngie with 2 "n"s and the "rn" is for registered nurse). I own PoleLaTeaz in Atlanta! Ro is my business partner and we jointly run that location. And we also own the one here in Houston.

I am beyond thrilled to see southern polers in competitions this year! Should be having a lot of students coming up so we will have to make a "Georgia section".

[anngiern]

congrats to everyone https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif i did not make it this time around but i will try next year https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
preparing my audition piece was a great learning experience and i have seen my own personal growth in my pole dancing which i am very happy with. and i loved my audition piece b/c i stayed true to my style. i actually had 2 studios contact me to do workshops based on my audition piece so i was super flattered!

my goal this year was to get into one competition which i did with the polarity competition (pole drama) so i am excited to just enter the realm of competing and i get to be super creative with all my fun props!!!

i know you guys worked hard to get in…great job and good luck!

[anngiern]

cool..hopefully she will be able to help you iron out those little bumps in the road. good luck

[anngiern]

hey lulu,

maybe you can contact this association http://www.politemoves.com they are doing a battle of the studios on the west coast. maybe you can pick their brain for some advice.

hope that helps!