Club Dynasty
Forum Replies Created
-
Cool! I’m moving to South San Francisco for a new job in a few weeks and was wondering a) what kind of support there is for Pole Dance Fitness enthusiasts and b) if I would meet Veena since she lives in SF now. This is perfect, will definitely attend!
-
@clubdynasty will try to post the Jan challenge there!
-
Hi Polereveur, check out the thread: “Any “plus size” polers here? Who makes cute workout clothes/shorts that cover a BOOTY?” and my video where I model some of my fave outfits for some tips.
https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/5438d967-459c-4dbd-ac59-06fb0a9aa0eb -
I had to take a day off to rest my body, but I finished both programs on the 31st! Yay! To celebrate, and to fulfill a Freestyle Friday request from my mom, I recorded a video, https://www.studioveena.com/videos/edit/5454995d-2464-4d0e-b7e3-61720a9aa0eb. I was supposed to include a move where I do my straight leg V invert, courtesy of the ab conditioning from the 30 day ab program, but the clips ended up on the cutting room floor LOL. Instead, the invert that made the cut at least demonstrates I can do them more consistently without momentum, which is something that was lacking before (I’ll be writing a testimonial on that).
My plans now are to redo a portion of the ab program, substituting aerial V legs for knee tucks and shoulder mount tucks and V legs for the roll ups. I will also do Veena’s new sexy leg and ab routine and the side splits training. These conditioning routines are the best, thanks Veena!
-
How exciting for you! You know, this is an interesting request from her. I’m assuming that she can tell from your FB page that you are not a professional dancer? More like an amateur dancer? I’m going to suggest that you bringer her your usual resume and a portfolio. I say bring your usual resume because she might be able to infer stability (how long have you been at Whole Foods, or any other jobs), communication (have you been in sales, have you trained before, customer interaction), and leadership (have you been a trainer, were you promoted, did you handle a shift by yourself?). Or any number of things that could come across from the resume or she may ask you questions from it to see how you handle things. If you have enough experience to make a resume for dancing, go for it! But if it were me, I don’t, so I would put together a portfolio, probably electronic so I could show it on my iPad. Like I would have pics or vids of me doing certain moves, and my progress, or things I’ve participated in (competitions and showcases), maybe recommendations from my current studio. I guess I would talk her through it, and email it to her before the interview or afterwards. This may sound like a lot of work, so do what you think is most applicable. For your routine, I’m with DB, you want to give her a taste of your style and leave her wanting more, so don’t unleash your whole bag of tricks! You want to do something comfortable and familiar with a couple of shockers. Also be prepared to communicate how you would explain the tricks/spins/moves you’re doing to students. I’m not saying she will ask you, but you never know, so pick things that won’t leave you tongue tied.
-
Hi there! I think it’s cool and courageous of you to start your own pole studio, I’d like to do that one day too. I started going to my studio because of a birthday party event. I had moved, and although I went to a couple of classes in my original city, I hadn’t thought to look any up in my new city. So that was a great intro for me to the studio. Then they had a contest, I won and received a gift certificate to the studio, yadda yadda yadda, I began going regularly. Now I host parties, and I see that the owners offer a 2-class punch card, complimentary, to the guest of honor (bride, birthday girl), or to the one who coordinates the party (girl’s night out), to increase customers (the idea being that she will bring some of her girls with her to the class?) My studio does not have classes on Fri or Sat, just parties. They used to do girl’s night out events for the community, they would charge $25/$15 for members for essentially two classes. But these would be simpler choreo routines to intro girls to the poles, and chair dance, and girls would dress up like they were going out. There would be refreshments/apps, and there would be a theme, like red hot night, or masquerade, or glitter and glam. I thought these were cool. I don’t know how much business was generated, but it was a fun time! The last thing I’ll mention is that the studio offers pole tricks, spins, choreo, chair dancing, flex and fitness classes; there are girls I see that only come to the fitness class and not the others, so perhaps offering diversity in the schedule will help maximize the appeal.
-
K ladies, I haven’t seen any action on the thread in a few days, so here goes: I’ve finished Day 22 of both programs. The ab challenge has really increased in intensity, but the 30 day take off is transitioning to pole dancing, which really feels like a reward after the hard work of the first couple of weeks. I am happy to say that I can now do a straight leg invert, after despairing of NEVER being able to do that. I’ve been doing straight leg V raises instead of knee tucks; with that and the hip flexor conditioning, i’ve been able to do it. SO. HAPPY. It’s really great that TropicalPole started this thread to encourage us to return to the basics. It’s so easy to lose sight of the fundamentals in the quest for acquiring exotic tricks, when so much stems from the fundamentals.
-
Hi guys! Re: the hamstring tear. As with any injury, it’s best to get a diagnosis from a health care professional for therapy and healing, but one thing that worked for me was Active Release Therapy or (ART). What happened is I injured my hamstring during an aggressive front splits attempt w/out proper warm-up. I don’t know if I tore it or not, but I do know that my flexibility in that hamstring was impaired (couldn’t stretch it like I used to) and time did not make it better. What happens with my kind of injury is that when the muscle fibers are injured, they heal, but in a knot. That knot will impede the stretch. With ART, the chiropractor or massage therapist stretches the muscle and tries to straighten those fibers out of the knot. When the fibers are stretched again, you’re able to stretch more. For me, after a few sessions, I found remarkable improvement in my hamstring stretch. Between the targeted massage therapy sessions and the ART sessions I was back to my previous stretchability, and have continued stretching more. My studio instructor, who is a dancer, suggested this to me. ART is a trade name and practitioners of it should be licensed or certified in it in order to offer it as a service. ART is a technique that is different from general massage; if you are getting massages, ask your provider if they do it. I found a chiropractor licensed/certified to do it, it takes about 20 min. She did it (ART) on my shoulder blade too, where I had been having neck/shoulder blade pain from attempting to do those elbow handstands, and she solved that one too!
-
Ahh, day 15 of both done, halfway home. This is getting intense!
-
Awesome suggestions from everyone, will also be on the lookout for more fab fits. I’ve also wondered how lines like Vertical Vixen and Bad Kitty fit plus size polers, b/c some of their stuff is really cute.
@Veena, thanks for adding the video to the discussion for me, now that I know how it’s done, watch out world LOL!
-
Hey ladies. @Chitowngal (where I moved from 3 yrs ago, northern suburbs), I took pics of 4 of my fave outfits. It didn’t really show how they looked on, so I made a vid of me modeling them for you! You’ll have to go to my profile to see it, the title will be the name of this thread or “Any “plus size” polers here? Who makes cute workout clothes/shorts that cover a BOOTY?”
In pictures:
Outfit, upper left: Blue, black and yellow. Shorts, Bebe Sport, yellow drawstrings make the shorts ruched, which is slimming.; Bra, Zumba
Outfit, upper right: Black with Bebe Sport signature lettering. Shorts and matching Bra, Bebe Sport. Love the fold over top and the pink drawstrings make the shorts ruched.
Outfit, lower left: Magenta. Shorts, top, and bra, Zumba
Outfit, lower right: Hot pink. Shorts, WOD MMA shorts (Amazon); Bra, Zumba (LUV them, fit and design); Net shirt = lingerie storeIn video:
1st outfit: Hot pink.
2nd outfit: Black with Bebe Sport signature lettering.
3rd outfit: Magenta.
4th outfit: Blue, black and yellow. Leg Warmers = dance wear store
-
Hi guys, checking in with you. I have a big butt-my measurements are 37-29-40! So shorts that cover the cheeks make me feel more comfortable. I started out just rolling up loose pants 🙁 But then I found a pair of Danskin shorts at Wal-Mart for about $7 each, XL. They are a little shorter than biker shorts, so you can roll them up as high as you need to and they don’t make your thigh flesh look like a muffin top, upside down. Also, they can be high waisted if you like, so you don’t have a muffin top, up top!
Once my Danskin shorts got faded and stretched out, I explored MMA shorts. Got them off Amazon, look up WOD shorts for women. Again XL. They come in colors, are shorter than the Danskin, more durable, and yes, more expensive (about $20 each). But, I love them! I still roll them up a little bit, now that I’m doing thigh holds and such. As I’ve gotten leaner, and lost weight (more on that later), I’ve still been able to wear these shorts, but they are gapping a tad, where my belly and booty stretched the material. I’ve also gotten nice gear from Bebe Sport and Zumba Wear, believe it or not. If you want me to post pics of some of these shorts and outfits, LMK, I would be more than happy too. As a larger sized girl, I have had to search for things that are cute and sexy yet functional, and feel that I have done a good job in this area.
-
So many beautiful tats, and so many that represent meanings beyond what we see! Thanks for all sharing their wonderful work and the symbolism behind them.
-
Hey, I will join you guys–I will do the 30 day abs and the 30 day to flight. But I will start next Monday as I’m traveling this week.
-
@MajikMyke–such an eloquent comment! The background you shared was fascinating, as well as how your thinking about getting a tat of your own has changed. I do find that females tend to spend time in contemplation re: their tats, and attribute a special or symbolic meaning to them. This always makes for an intriguing conversations.
Looking at the tats posted here, as well as the tats-to-be that have been discussed, including yours, I wonder if there is a correlation between pole dancers and the size of the tattoos. It seems like we don’t just want tattoos, we want TATTOOS. These pieces cover large areas of space and are show pieces; is their largess reflective of our passion for pole and/or our passion for our pole selves? Hmm…
-
@tigerlillies–Thanks so much! I must admit, when he finished, I nearly teared up in the shop, cuz I was so happy with it (and probably a little off kilter from the tat itself :-)) And did I mention I was on my cycle then too? Yeah, it must have been the hormones, not because I’m some sentimental creature. LOL. I never thought about using my phone to distract me. Will take that into consideration.
Yikes re: the belly button tat-I cringed when I read that it was pulled out. I’ve gotten my belly button pierced and my nosed pierced, and those were ok, but I met my match when I got the nips pierced (@Kaligh I went to get those by myself too ;-)). Those sh*ts hurt like a mutha!! Ay yay yay, wish I had had the drug cocktail @Megan has suggested then. Had to take them out a year later because my body was rejecting them, they were migrating to the end of the nip and I was in danger of having them yanked out like your belly button piercing was. Yeah, it wasn’t much of a decision at that point to remove them–but I don’t think I can go through re-piercing them though!
-
@Polekat–your tat is so creative, it’s awesome! I love yours too! Getting tatted on the rib cage worries me as well, from what I’ve heard :-/
I know what all of you mean about not wanting to stop poling when you get your tat. The day I got my butterflies, I ended up having to sub a class at the studio. Every time I felt my top rub against the tat, I worried about it. Fortunately none of the spins I taught had my back against the pole. But yeah, it’s an open sore and you don’t want to be oozing all over the place, nor do you want to expose it to germs or have it messed up. I’ve noticed that my instructor at the studio has been getting her forearm tattooed and she dances and/or teaches almost every night. But I’ve never asked her how she protects the tat, I just stay away from her pole! I think there is another thread on here that talks about managing new tats and poling.
-
@Megan –Beautiful! Love your peacock & its vibrant color! Thx for the drug cocktail LOL, I was looking at something called HUSH tat numbing gel on amazon too. I normally would just go in for the tat and not prepare, because my back top and bottom tats weren’t bad. This time, however, the butterflies were a trial, which makes me nervous about the thigh/hip/side.
-
@Kaligh OMG! a whole box of candy canes! Yikes LBVS LOL. That’s good to know, totes forgot about the hip part (palms forehead). I usually don’t eat anything or bring anyone with me to the session, so yes, your 411 is very helpful. I’m thinking of getting one long feather, to see how it feels at first, then I’ll know whether I can go the distance for 4 hrs at one go. Maybe. :-/
-
@Lula, That is BADA$$! It’s going to be amazing when it is finished! Thanks for adding the pics, please continue to add pics of your progress to your profile too. What does this particular tat mean to you? I’m thinking of getting a peacock tat that spans from my rib cage to upper thigh area–tell me, how did the thigh part of your tat feel, and if you have a side or rib cage tat, how did it feel?
-
Hi Phoenix, have you tried getting into a superman from an angel? It will spin and that’s easy to get into. LMK if you want me to post a vid of it.
-
Hi Goldendiva!
Wow, I feel like you just wrote my story!
Fell in love with the sensuality, fluidity, transitions of pole dancing. Check.
Choreo pole instructors left due to pregnancy or injury. Check.
New instructors focus on spins/tricks, and took awhile before they became better at instructing. Check.
Attendance dropped off to be replaced with students who only want to learn spins/tricks. Check.
My free styling has dropped off and I don’t dance at home like I used to. Check.In addition, now that I’m a year and a half into pole, I know enough about it to be critical of myself, and to have to constantly work on moves to try to get them, i.e., stuff doesn’t come as easy as it used to. (Hello fireman spin, where are you?) So those two steal my joy a little bit too! I’m with you, “The thrill is gone.” 🙂
So here’s something to think about: have you approached the studio owner about YOU teaching a choreo class? Hear me out first. I did a routine several months ago at a showcase. It wasn’t the best by a long shot LOL. But it was me showing the passion and love for pole dance, and having a really good time. Imagine my surprise when the studio owner asked me to sub a class! I subbed a choreo class, basically teaching my routine and it went great! I subbed a second class, trying to teach another routine, with the studio owner in attendance, and it went HORRIBLY! I was so nervous in front of her. Yikes! But then I subbed another (spins) where I taught the spins then combined them in a flow, and I’ve taught kitten camp, where again the spins I taught I combined into a flow. Soon she asked me to teach at pole parties, which is basic pole choreo–and this is where I have the most fun! It’s the same routine sure, but the ladies are different every time, so they don’t know 🙂 Anyway, it helps me get back to my first love and serves as a reminder, which I think will get me through this lack of motivation hump. I’m not brave enough to think that I can come up with different choreo every week or 2 wks, so I haven’t approached her with the idea of me doing a choreo class. In time, I may be ready. But since you have been a dancer all your life, I think you could do it, no problem! So think about asking her about you doing a choreo class every once in a while, or hosting pole parties (if you like leading and instructing).
The other thing that is going on is that my studio is hosting a Pole Dance America competition in a few weeks. So my motivation has been in preparing for the comp. I never thought I would compete, but since it’s at my studio, and would push me, I said, “Why not?”. You take the motivation where you can get it in this game :-). So, although I’m not endorsing PDA per se, if there are no competitions readily available in your area, PDA seems like a way to get a competition to your locale, and then you can compete and allow that to temporarily serve as your motivation, until you get your mojo back!
-
Hi Rosie. I like your hair in your avi photo, pink rocks!
I’m a fellow big girl, started pole dancing classes at 5’7†and 183 lbs. Can I also mention that I started when I was 37, was not really flexible or strong, and have thunder thighs and cellulite? You’re right. It sucks to not be able to move around and do moves like slimmer and/or stronger girls (and in my case younger girls!), because let’s face it, you sometimes can’t help comparing yourself to others, no matter that you know you shouldn’t. In fact, I was so self-conscious that for the first several months of going to class, I refused to wear shorts; I would just roll my sweat pants up! Like you, what kept me going was that I loved pole dancing. The choreo classes made me feel very sexy, alive, and able to achieve. Additionally, the pole dance instructor in that class was bigger than me (taller and weighed more) but she was so graceful and elegant it was an inspiration. But every time I was sore, every time I felt a callus growing, and every time I became bruised, I felt victorious. Because it meant I was getting stronger when I didn’t feel like I was getting strength, and it made me see I was progressing, even when I didn’t see any progress.
When it came to classes she didn’t teach, however, and classes that just focused on tricks and spins, I found myself getting discouraged again, not from lack of trying but from lack of achieving, based on strength or flexibility. What to do about those feelings of disappointment? Well, after a good frustration cry (!), I started attending the pole fitness conditioning classes and doing yoga more regularly, in addition to the pole classes. I set a goal for myself of achieving an invert by the end of summer (2.5 months), did yoga before class, and practiced specific holds every time I went to class (for me it was the reverse grab hold and the pole ab crunches). So basically, I upped the fitness ante and set some specific goals that allowed me time to achieve them, which helped me not feel bad when I couldn’t get them as soon as I wanted. By the end of the summer, I had my basic invert and my reverse grab. By the end of 7 months from beginning pole dancing, I had a 25 sec clip of me doing a combination of 3 moves/tricks that let me know my work and efforts paid off. By the end of 8 months, I performed a routine that got me noticed by the studio owner, and now I teach classes as a sub at the studio and host pole parties. So you have to give yourself time and set specific goals (instead of, I want to do EVERTYTHING) but also believe in yourself that you can do it because you are working hard to do it.
As far as the weight loss, I can only speak for myself, but I didn’t really lose weight from pole dancing. I became stronger, and had lost inches, but for me pole dancing is only enough to help me maintain my weight. So after a year of pole dancing, I began other exercise routines in the interest of becoming a better pole dancer. I began a high impact cardio 2x/wk (Zumba) and a moderate boot camp 2x/wk, in addition to the pole dancing and yoga. And I modified my diet by not eating out at restaurants as much as well as by reducing my sugar intake. After 4 months of this program, I did lose weight and accelerated my muscle gain. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with how these results improved my pole game. But I don’t think I would have been able to start the additional exercise, and stay with it had it not been my deep abiding passion for pole dancing to motivate me.
-
@Kate92-AWESOME!!! Glad to hear you’re positive, it’s only upward & onward right? Thx for starting the challenge. I started it too, and wonder what my abs will look like at the end of the 30 days. I guess I got on a soap box b/c I read statements on Veena about failure, discouragement, frustration, etc. & I become sad when something we love and gives us a sense of achievement is being used to make us feel bad.
-
@Kate92….please don’t say you failed! This isn’t a test, this isn’t a requirement. Pole dancing is your fun and your fitness, don’t relegate it to the “Responsibility” category. You are trying to get stronger, one day at a time, one sec at a time. I like how you regrouped and dialed back–but associating a passion with failure is a psychological NO, NO! An exercise instructor of mine used to say, “Practice makes improvement” instead of “Practice makes perfect”, and I remind myself of that every time I pole, or do exercises to help me improve pole. It helps me keep my sanity and remember why I do this. #thejourneyiseverything!
