[nilla]

In my opinion, yes. The higher the platform of the shoe, the easier it is to tip the shoe towards the toe, to balance on the front corner of the platform, which is where I place my weight for almost all the types of heels choreo that I find worth doing (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ

As unstable and difficult as this technique sounds, I feel like it’s even more dangerous and difficult if I’m trying to do it in heels with too short of a platform to find the balance point. I wouldn’t attempt it in anything shorter than 8 inches but I have limited ankle range. I actually started years ago with 6 inches, couldn’t figure out the balance point technique that I loved, didn’t realize platform height played a role, got rid of the shoes, gave up on heels, then years later I tried on some 8 inch heels and found the balance point immediately.

So in short, yeah, really high platforms make my favorite heels choreo possible.

Side note: the smaller feet you have, the shorter you can go in the platform and still achieve a toe balance–because physics & ratios: basically the rise (difference in height from where the ball of the foot rests to where the heel of the foot rests in the shoe) in smaller sizes is a steeper angle. According to pleaser’s website, the rise is roughly the same height difference (around 10 cm but depends on the model) in a size 5 shoe and a size 10 shoe of the same model. Obviously, a difference in height of 10 cm from toe to heel is going to result in a steeper angle on a smaller sized shoe than on a longer shoe because the same height difference is now spread over a longer length. A steeper angled foot is already balanced closer to the toe of the shoe, and angled closer to the balance point.

Can the weight of the shoe play a role? I think maybe if you’re upside down in cocoon trying to grab a foot, but I don’t think I’d base my heel height off it. and then maybe weight could play a role in floppy ankle techniques? I feel like heel weight (or any added mass) can affect the frequency of your spins and fancy leg stylizations…just watch nadia shariff do any fast moving aerial work on spin in heels and decide 😀

Can’t comment on the shine, my shiny ones are new.
This is prob way more info than you needed. I couldn’t help myself. ≧☉_☉≦

[nilla]

I know it as the Genevieve pose, luv it.

[nilla]

I went through and followed everyone I could find with pole related posts and realized I’m already following some of you 😀

[nilla]

I’m stgpoledance on Instagram. Everything I post is pole related. I haven’t made it through the whole thread yet but I’m on my way to following you all 🙂

[nilla]

This instructor has a very specific method for her courses, and that’s her prerogative. It’s also her prerogative to teach in a style that’s true to her. I find that her style of insisting hair to be down is ridiculous though.

Of course there is a certain amount of discomfort associated with learning anything new. You’re obviously fine with that or you wouldn’t have come so far in pole dance already. It’s a little nuts of an instructor to insist on a method of discomfort (hair down) that will ultimately make no difference in whether or not you master the techniques or acquire the strength to move on to the next level.

A good instructor would not be so controlling as to inflict something like a hair preference on a student unless it was a safety issue, especially not in a private lesson, even if it is part of her “method”. If she has a legitimate problem with you moving on to Level 7 she should say so directly, give a concrete reason why, and give you relevant things to work on instead of attributing your preference for wearing hair up to a mental block. I’d be reluctant to trust her as well.

[nilla]

The guy who paints Zoraya and the Zen Arts crew (Adam Tenenbaum) recommends Temptu Pro Dura paints. They are alcohol based and do not wash off when wet or sweaty. You have to use alcohol to clean them off. Adam Tenenbaum air brushes them on, but I think you can also brush it on, it would take a lot longer though. When Zoraya was here teaching a workshop I asked her about the body paints she wears when she does performances because I was super curious about it. She had done a performance the night before and still had designs painted on her legs and arms. She said they do not affect her grip, but I noticed there weren’t huge solid painted areas where she would need a lot of grip anyway, just designs that partially cover her skin.

Adam Tenenbaum actually sells his stencils on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/OverlayAirStencils

And here’s the link to the paints: http://temptu.com/pro/shop/makeup/dura

There is at least one more brand similar to the one linked above that is alcohol based and supposedly very long lasting but I can’t remember the name of it.

[nilla]

Okay I see what you mean. So 10 of those first 13 routines are actually stretching, strength, or warm up routines and not choreographed dance routines, which is what I’m interested in. I actually love the longer advanced routine listed just before the splits routines. It’s the only one I’ve found so far that has what I need right now. I would love more content like that 🙂

[nilla]

Oh sorry I thought you said those are short routines with combos in them and you have many long full length routines elsewhere? Now I’m really confused :/

[nilla]

Where would I find these full length routines?

[nilla]

I’m confused then, I’ve been going through the Routines and Combos section. I guess I considered the ones listed “Beginner 1-12” or “Advanced 1-5” to be routines…or are they combos? I guess they could be considered both.

[nilla]

Are the combos the same as your routines? If so, not exactly. I’ve watched many of them, taking note of what moves are in them and how they’re connected. It would have been great to go through them when I didn’t know how to connect spins and transitions yet. Now that I’m at a point where I’ve learned how to choreograph for myself they aren’t any more helpful than me writing a list of spins and transitions down and dancing through them one after the other. Again, they would have been very helpful when I was at that level, but connecting holds and inversions and fluid spin pole combos are more the area where I need help now.

[nilla]

Okay so one of my issues was that years ago, within my level of ability there was not enough choreography on SV lessons to keep me engaged. At the time I don’t think I really even realized why it felt stale to me after a short time, I just knew I felt stuck, until I started driving to a studio two hours away where I got to learn fresh choreography every week and realized that’s what I had been missing with SV and why I waited so long to renew my subscription later. Now that I’m at a strength level where I’m learning spin pole technique, off the ground holds/inversions and ways to connect them I have the same reluctance to renew my subscription when it runs out because right now the lessons only teach individual inversions and not choreography to connect them. The choreography is for me what keeps me motivated. Now that I’m teaching I’ve realized too, it prevents students from being hyper-focused on trying moves that they’re not ready for because they have enough new pole candy at their appropriate level to try. It’s what makes me not the least bit sad that I can’t fonji or iron cross yet, because I’m learning that low on-the-knee/top-of-the-feet pirouette, or how to fluidly transition from a pole hold to a figurehead spin down the pole.

I get what you’re saying about you get the same content whether you go through the lessons quickly or slowly, and it is a lot of content, but at this time there are only a few of the lessons that are new or useful to me, and not enough choreography to keep me engaged within my level.

[nilla]

Not quite my point but I’ll come back to it cause I have students coming in a few mins 🙂

[nilla]

Excellent question! When I first started using StudioVeena 3 or so years ago I wished it had routines and combos because my biggest challenge was putting together moves for routines, especially ones that were my level but didn’t use too many filler moves. Your new combos would have been so helpful for me then, I think it’s great that you’ve added those! I did feel that some of the very first routines got old faster than new ones of the same level were available, and so I waited a long time to renew my lessons with the idea that the longer I waited the more new content would be posted for me to learn. I wasn’t interested in paying a higher price per month for a shorter amount of time once I had done the year subscription.

I had the same issue once I started learning aerial holds, inversions and spin technique. There weren’t any lessons for combos, ways to transition from hold to hold, inversion to inversion (except leg hang switches) and so I began looking elsewhere. I’m so glad there will be more advanced lessons coming out soon. I can understand the liability issue with the ridiculously advanced moves that most home polers can’t or shouldn’t try on their own or without a spotter, but I found StudioVeena.com to be very limited as far as combos, routines, and fresh variations for basic inversions or just off the ground holds. Even the advanced routines don’t include many off the ground holds, or inversions, which was disappointing to me.

I know Veena is super busy and can’t just churn out new content all the time. I still think that Veena’s lessons are the best value out there and the most comprehensive for home polers starting from scratch or suplementing their studio classes by practicing at home. I think for me to want to re-purchase the year subscription year after year there needs to be enough new content on my level to keep me busy for a year, and it’s kind of a downer to pay more per month for a shorter time period after having the year subscription, I’d rather just wait until I see there is enough new content to keep me busy before buying my next year.

Someone suggested offering single lesson prices…what about pricing for subscriptions to individual sections? Like the advanced section for those who have maxed out on the beginner and intermediate content? Or the flexibility section for those only interested in using the flexibility lessons? Maybe even level packages for Beg. Int. or Adv. that include strength and flexibility lessons? I don’t know if that would take away from the overall subscription base. Having so much content available is great, especially for instructors, but for the home student who is not breezing through beginning to advanced levels in the span of 12 months it could be nice to only have to pay for what you can use in a year.

The only other solution I can think of is maybe guest instructors, I would especially love that for combos and routines!

[nilla]

I can see why you would do it that way Veena.

[nilla]

Ok so I just re-checked cause it’s been a long time since I’ve checked Veena’s climb lessons, and her performance climb from the legs down is what I teach for first climb, but I teach to place both arms in an extended arm pole hold to start, place inside leg, then outside leg against the pole. Keep both hands on the pole for the climb/squat up.

[nilla]

Jenka, where is the slide originating from? Is it from slippery hands, slippery leg grip, or is it bent arms unable to hold the position and straightening out?

I’m also a fan of the squat and stand method, especially for a first climb to teach or learn, because it uses two legs for pushing into a stand on the pole. This is a clip of a two leg squat hold exercise (not an actual climb) http://youtu.be/JbiNRIPZohY but it can kind of give an idea of how this type of climb would work. Basically from the knees down your legs are gripping similar to crucifix hold, and from there you use the leg grip to push your body up rather than having to use mostly arms to pull up. I actually teach it with both arms in a straight arm pole hold starting out (which my students practice from day 1 with correct shoulder placement “shoulders engaged back and down into a neutral position” and I’m always queuing it and watching for bad form so they know the drill).

Veena’s basic climb will build more arm strength because there’s only one leg engaged on the pole for the push/pull up, and it is definitely important to have that benchmark arm strength once you start climbing and you have to hold yourself up with your arms or else… I find I like to build arm strength with pole ups or bent arm holds rather than a climb though because it’s more easily controlled and there’s less risk of injury.

Veena you should totally make a lesson on the two leg grip/squat up method! I know I would have loved to have had that resource when I was first learning climbs. I think I quickly moved on from your basic to other climbs I researched because I didn’t like the way it looked and I think I also had the sliding issue for a long time with it.

[nilla]

I do a free Intro class/open gym so that new students can try pole and regular students can bring fiends and have some free practice time. For the intro I like to teach a few moves from my entry level class, as well as teach or demonstrate a move from each of the other classes.

So to show what my beginning class is like we do a full warm up including practicing forward facing and side holds and slides with correct form (assisted or feet off the ground depending on each student’s strength). Depending on how much time each move takes, I teach a few feet-on-ground spins, pirouette, and a feet on ground combo. If strength level permits I sometimes teach a fireman or back hook spin.

I explain the difference between the 3 classes I teach and we learn at least 1 move from the “All Levels” choreography class to show how move variations work.

Then we usually do a crucifix hold from my Pole Tricks class. Students who wear pants, or are not able to lift off the ground yet, practice crucifix positioning from the ground. Once students are all practicing their crucifix hold I explain the process of strength building to work up to inversions and demonstrate how in Pole Tricks we learn things in a natural progression (example: upright crucifix from ground, crucifix off ground using hands- then no hands, inverted crucifix from the ground, then inverted crucifix close to ground with spotting, and inverted crucifix from standing w spotting, and finally inverted crucifix from standing. (At first I was reluctant to do a demo of more advanced moves in my intro because I was afraid I’d have all these beginners trying to flop into inverts left and right, but in every intro at least one student asks about inversions and then it’s harder to control the way I’m presenting inversions to the students, so I make sure I present them in a way that is realistic (“you have to work up to them”) but not intimidating or discouraging (“these are the steps we would follow in class to get you there”).

Then we do a cool down and usually students take pics of some of the moves they learned.

So basically I make sure I teach a few moves they can be successful at, as well as some that might challenge their ability, and shamelessly advertise for all my other classes.

[nilla]

Squats are great to do while watching a movie! Leg extensions are too. I also like doing my stretching routine while I watch tv with my husband.

[nilla]

I used to feel exactly the same way, and i’m still not the epitome of grace but I feel like i’ve made a lot of progress there. I watched the last video you posted to see if I could pinpoint what you’re talking about, and for the most part legs look really good to me, I think you have a great toe point. When you stood with your back to the pole and spread your feet/legs it did look a bit stiff. I suggest starting that particular toe drag movement by dragging in first leading with your knee, whole leg turning in from the hip, before turning and dragging out. For arms, it looks like you’re aware of what they’re doing and making a good effort to move them gracefully but your hands seem stiff. For arms I usually try to imagine that i’m dragging them through water and let my fingers and wrist follow the movement of my arms with slight drag. Your hands finish off the line of your arm so if those are stiff then it will make the whole arm look awkward. Also, practice, study the type of movement you want yours to be more like and take note of what’s different. Watch video of your own practices frequently. Awareness is the first step to make improvement so obviously you’re on the right track!

[nilla]

I try to go to hot yoga once a week. I used to run and that helped so much for my cardio and endurance but i havent been running consistently and i can definitely tell a difference with my pole endurance (I tend to get out of breath more quickly now). I really don’t want to start running right now because of the cold, it makes my asthma go crazy, but I plan on running more when the weather warms up. I’ve recently started doing bodyweight exercises (the ZWOW workouts on YouTube) a few times a week and it has helped with my triceps and other “pushing” muscles in my upper body which I had neglected. It has also replaced my running a little because its like interval training and plyometrics (explosive jumps and stuff) depending on the workout.

[nilla]

I find strength fluctuations are natural for my body. If i’m far past strong enough to do a move then I don’t notice the fluctuation, but if I’m doing a new move that’s on the edge of my strength level I fluctuate in and out of being strong enough to do the move for about a month. As a rule of thumb, if I’ve been doing a move consistently for about a week then I figure it will take about a week of not doing the move (or moves similar to it) to lose the ability to do it. If i’ve been doing the move consistently for two months I figure it will take that long not doing the move to lose it. I’m not sure if that’s true for everyone and i haven’t tested it with longer time periods of like a year or so (don’t want to!) But for the stretches of time that I usually work on moves for, or am out of practice for (due to time constraints or sickness or whatever) it has been a pretty good indicator for me to know what to expect of my body.

[nilla]

I love the hot yoga classes I go to! Moreso in the winter than the summer for obvious reasons, but I find that when I keep going in the summer my body tolerates the heat of summer a lot easier. With a towel I haven’t had problems slipping. At my first class the humidity was a little hard to tolerate but my body quickly acclimated. I think you can get most of the same benefits from unheated yoga if the heat makes you dread it though. The things I like about the heat are: the detox from increased sweating (I think that’s what makes me feel so amazing afterward and it’s hard to get a deep sweat sometimes in the winter just jogging outside in the cold), the warmth helps with flexibility (as long as you understand the risk and avoid stretching too deeply you’ll be ok) and lastly, i just love walking into that hot humid room in the wintertime. There’s just something so comforting about it for me, like going into a safe womb. I’ve found yoga practice in general helps cut down on injuries from everything else I like to do (pole, jogging, hiking) so if the heat is intolerable consider practicing yoga un-heated.

[nilla]

Black Orchid I meant judgment in the moral sense, as in “You must be morally inept a.k.a. a bad person if you pole dance, or like this or that style of pole dance”. As opposed to judging something to be not very sexy, or even disgusting. I think there’s a big difference between the two. I haven’t seen Ludacris’ Tip Drill Video. *resists urge to look it up*

[nilla]

Forgot to add, the OP is an entirely different issue than what I was addressing. I don’t think the pour it up video sets pole dance back in any way shape or form. No more than this video sets back the reputation of tight pants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1c2KzJbcGA

It may not be my idea of sexy (which weirdly is the ultimate insult for some people), but it’s one of those things you just gotta respect because of the WTF factor.