[moth]

Porshka, tightlacing smushes your organs around in a similar way to carrying a baby!  Modern corsetry isn't really dangerous unless you lace too aggressively, especially if the corset doesn't fit you well in the first place, or just lack common sense 🙂

I wouldn't even call corsetry a shortcut to curves though, let alone more moderate shapewear.  More like a way to temporarily fake it.  If ooonly the curves stuck…

[moth]

I'm quite upfront about it; it gets brought up when I'm discussing anything relevant and I use it like a guy-filter.  A few jokes are fine but if someone's continually sleazy about it, I cut my losses and keep looing for someone else, who'll treat me with more respect.  I've found most people are interested but polite… although that might have something to do with my totally dorky enthusiam muting the sexual connotations somewhat haha.

[moth]

I think larger legs/calves might be helpful – and defintitely go for the ones with a zip!  I bought similar boots (the stretch/flimsier version without the zip) and I can't do much poling in them as they scrunch right down to my ankles.  My first scorpio wearing them involved an unanticipated drop https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif

[moth]

in the mean time, you could go oldschool and print a picture of each move/spin you want to work on and annote it?  probably not much use if you want to have video instructions but i did it when the internet went out in my flat and it worked well enough 🙂

[moth]

i do the same thing, lexi.  i'm short of confidence, very self critical and i know i tense up when someone's watching me or i'm filming myself. and i don't have mirrors so i have to film to see what i'm doing right/wrong.

i can only dance like no one's watching when nobody is watching though so, periodically, i tell the boyfriend to scram, put the camera away and pretend i AM amazingly fluid and sexy. i flick my hair and i exaggerate everything as much as i can without worrying that i'll look silly.  when i goof up, i just keep going as if i executed the failed move perfectly haha.  it probably sounds daft but it helps me loosen me up and reminds me that poling is something i love because it's fun!

[moth]

for what it's worth, i've got an old 50mm chrome x-pole and intend to get a 45mm brass one too, if they ever make it to the uk!  i chose my pole because it seemed to be what "everybody" used but i have tiny, sweaty hands too and i do find it frustrating sometimes.  poling is just fun/exercise for me, so i'm totally fine with "cheating" haha.

[moth]

oh, i wish there was something like that near me!  the closest i found was a six (+) hour round trip for a two hour class, once a week.  not practical, unfortunately.

and thanks for posting that link, upandover.  i've a set of poi that i've been trying to learn to spin but keep walloping myself on the head and getting disheartened by my lack of co-ordination!

[moth]

I know this isn't much help to you but, on corsets:

Tightlacing involves wearing a corset for the bulk of your day – the more you wear them, the more your body gets used to them and the further you can lace down.  It's safe, provided you take reasonable precautions, like buying proper, custom fitted corsets and specifically exercising the muscles likely to atrophy.  Your internal organs get smooshed around when you're pregnant and it's a similar thing with corsetry.

If a corset hurts or stops you from being able to breathe, it's laced too tightly and/or doesn't fit properly 😉  Unfortunately, they're unlikely to cause a permanent reduction of your natural waist size – I don't tightlace but I do often lace down about 6 inches and, as soon as the corset comes off, I just have my normal waist and some weird imprints in my skin hehe.

 

I hope you find something to help, Pink Bubbles, but I bet you look a lot better than you give yourself credit for!

[moth]

I don't want to rain on your parade but they were initially supposed to be available in the UK last November, then it was postponed 'til Februrary, which also came and went with no brass poles.  X-pole UK were very nice but wouldn't even give me a new date, when I asked 🙁

I really hope they do land in a few months though – I didn't think I had this much patience! lol.

[moth]

I taped over the bottom of my shoes and it does make pivoting on the ball of my foot much easier but I find I slip sometimes, when I don’t mean to!! I suppose how much grip you keep/lose must depend on your carpet and the type of tape you use.

I left my boots untaped and I manage alright with the plain rubbery sole. They do leave black smudges on the (cream) carpet whenever I pivot, but I stopped worrying about keeping my carpet pristine when I got a dog haha.

I’ve seen someone put down a square of laminite flooring but that’s not really an option for me, since my pole lives in the middle of my living room! Carpet isn’t that bad. If you’re playing with floorwork, you can put on long leg warmers so you don’t get friction burns on your knees, if you’re clumsy like me https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[moth]

I love that car manual is a suggested cure for blocked ears https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Bit late now but for anything to do with having a bunged up face/head, I steam. Bowl of boiling water (+ eucalyptus if it’s really bad), head over bowl, towel over head. Not very sexy and it’s kinda unpleasant but it helps!

[moth]

I managed to bruise my… delicate area while I was learning the inverted thigh hold https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif It wasn’t really that bad though. Definitely not on the scale of the big, black and blue ones I sometimes get on my thighs!

I find I rarely get bruises once I’ve got a spin or trick down but, while I’m learning something, I tend to come up all sorts of interesting colours. My thighs and calves tend to cop it most often but I’ve had some crackers on my upper arms and ribs before too. Truth be told, they bother my boyfriend more than me – he worries people will think he gave me them!

[moth]

Go Nicci!

I’m sure you’ll get the "hands free" version soon https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[moth]

^ I don’t actually do much off-the-pole training but I totally agree with the warm up (and cool down!).

And, in support of learning inverts properly – you’ll wish you did, if you want to dance in fancy shoes and boots.
It’s a lot harder to kick in platform heels than it is to in bare feet https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

I’d also say not to neglect your dancey bits, transitions and floorwork! I concentrated almost entirely on spins and moves for an entire year and, because I had nothing to join them together, my dances looked stilted and jerky. The transitions and stuff are what help things to flow and look elegant https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[moth]

I’ve considered the "Pole O mat" but like I said earlier I don’t know ANYONE who has it or what they think of it, or any others for that matter https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif .
I have the chunkier pole-o-mat https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif I baulked at the price for a long time but I’m glad I went ahead and bought it. I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable to fall on but I’ve never been hurt, which I supposed is the important bit!

I wouldn’t place too much importance on the "heel proof" selling point though. My stiletto heels have never gone through but it’s almost impossible to walk on in heels anyway. It squidges down when you step on it – which is fine in bare feet but totally unstable in heels, not to mention the joiny bits inbetween each square of mat that your heel can easily sink down. I worry so much for my ankles that I don’t use it with heels often! Maybe the thinner one is easier to walk on though, I don’t know.

Dunno about Canadian suppliers as I’m in the UK https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[moth]

Some of my favourite songs to dance to are the ones that are popular with loads of other dancers! I still love dancing to them though because generally they’ve got a great beat/tempo, it’s easy to fall into the groove or they’re just super cheesy and good fun.

Besides, I like seeing how differently dancers can move to the same music https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

I think the ones I’m guiltiest of have already been mentioned though.
Plus maybe Talk Show Host by Radiohead but I haven’t seen it thaaaaat often.

[moth]

Some people really are like moths to a flame – sensible people take one look at the BIG POINTY SHOES and give them a wide berth!!

It’s part of the reason I’m terrified to dance around other people. I try to avoid them but I clatter the sofa/wall/ceiling more often than I’d like and I’ve had a few near misses around the boyfriend and dog. Sometimes I wonder if I’m a bit too clumsy to pole :/

[moth]

I’m rubbish at working out what position my hips are in so it helps me to think of it in leggy terms. You know how the knee and the top of the foot on your front leg are pointing straight upwards? If your hips are square then your back knee and top of your back foot would be flat on the floor. If you’re not sure (and you’re bendy enough!) you can bend your back leg up while in the splits – if your foot points out at a wonky angle, your hips are squint.

Probably clear as mud but I don’t have any pictures https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[moth]

^ Similar story here https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_batman.gif

I hated running when I was younger (thank you, draconian PE instructor) but discovered I really enjoy it now, on my own terms. Helps that I’m able to run alongside/on the beach! Started the Couch to 5K program a few times but I invariably hurt my knee and end up hobbling around for a couple of weeks, not even being able to pole https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

I know my form is rubbish – I pronate and heel strike – but I wasn’t having much luck trying to fix it on my own. So I bought some fivefinger KSOs too! Haven’t had a chance to run in them yet but they’re very comfy and hopefully there’ll be a few more non-rainy/snowy days before the year’s out, so I can give them a proper whirl https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[moth]

Looove the photos https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

What’s the name of the move in the second picture, the one that looks a bit like a right-way-up jade? I’ve seen it pop up here and there and always been dead impressed!

[moth]

Thank you, Roadkillgerbil https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif I’ll try to pop in!

[moth]

Can somebody please give me the "bendy buddies for dummies" explanation of what it actually is? I’m probably missing something super obvious (!!) but I can’t find a description anywhere. Do you convene in chat and it’s a text based thing or is it like a video webcast, with someone leading everyone else?

I’ve been stretching on my own but, I must admit, it’s the first thing to get cut if I’m running short of time/lazy and a little extra motivation couldn’t hurt https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[moth]

I have weird hands and chrome poles……….Some days are great…..some not so much.
Some days….sweaty……some days dry. Go figure. All about the climate and humidity.
I’ve only ever danced on my own chrome pole but I’m the same way!
Some days I love it, some days I want to break it. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[moth]

Good for them!

I honestly don’t think people would know what to make of it, if they saw a 70 year old so fit and healthy here. :S

[moth]

I’m a wee bit wary too, Lorraine, but I think I’m still going to risk it. I’ve moaned about my (old style) A and B poles getting stuck together and the chrome flaking off the adjuster cover but it’s taken a lot of abuse and still works well most of the time – and I don’t tend to complain about that so much!

& That’s good to hear, Megs! I’ve been paranoid about overtightening my existing pole so I’ll have to bear that in mind if/when I’m setting up a new one.