[Tine007]

Hmmmm I wonder if you could use duct tape to make kind of a cuff to slip over the ball of your foot?
That sounds very uncomfortable, Veena https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif
I assume you talk about bare feet and not heels?

Have you considered getting something like FootUndeez or Dance Paws? They are stretchy half-socks (toes sticking out) with a leather patch under the ball of the foot. They even have cute printed ones or with rhinestones.
Might need some tape in addition, mine at least don’t go that well on carpet by themselves.

Discount Dance Supply has a bunch of different ones and they are not that expensive:
http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/page_TB_p1.html

Not sure how to add your own decoration though https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_colors.gif

[Tine007]

My Xpole also holds fine with my popcorn ceiling ( I also asked here at SV before I ordered it, to make sure it would not destroy my ceiling https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif ).
My leasing office would kill me if I scraped the popcorn off the ceiling https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_pale.gif

[Tine007]

My Follow-up:
I taped clear packing tape under my ballroom shoes and it works like a charm!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
Turning now works so fantastic that I need to get used to the extra angular momentum… almost missed the pole, lol!!
Dizzy now…. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif
Thanks to whoever originally suggested this and Amcut for reminding us https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Tine007]

Whoever said to put tape on the bottom of their heels when working with carpet is a GOD.
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
I don’t have pleasers (yet), but sometimes, when I feel like heels I use my ballroom dance shoes and suede sole + carpet sticks like Velcro… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_shaking.gif
I’m definitely gonna try, thanks for the tip!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif I also missed the original post…

[Tine007]

would anyone be willing to post an ‘idiots video guide’ to the stretches?
Poleski

Veena has a great video on stretching for splits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZMEGqdgGRs

And I totally swear by a good yoga class (you’ll find Felix’s and Veena’s stretchens in there, too https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif ). There you stretch and strengthen the whole body, and you learn how to do it safely https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif

[Tine007]

This is my first challenge!
http://www.studioveena.com/video/gallery/August-challenge-floorwork-Killing-me-softly-
Good it was a beginner-friendly one https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
I promise my next vid will actually have some POLE in it, lol https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_jokercolor.gif

[Tine007]

I hope you recover soon!!! Please be careful!!
I totally agree with yoga and ottersocks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif but have another 2 cents to add:

I prefer practicing against a wall rather than the pole because the pole is easy to miss with your foot or slip off with your back and then you can strain god-knows-what…

Also, I don’t like the cushion because it is wobbly and can slip. A yoga mat gives you enough cushioning, is flat and sticky, aka non-slip and not only 15-20 bucks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif

Not sure if I missed it – after measuring the distance between your elbows, as Yoga described, clasp your hands and open the palms so that only your fingers are interlaced. Then place the back of your head against your palms so you are cupping it with your hands (makes any sense?!??). This way you are able to take some pressure off the head.

Although kicking up gets you the momentum to get up at all in the beginning, my yoga instructor suggested to try tucking both knees to your chest after walking the feet in and then slowly lift your feet up. You can start hovering just a little over the floor, and when you get stronger, lift and straighten the legs. This way it is a little harder because you use your abs instead of momentum, but you gain the control you need to get and stay up, rather than just smashing into the wall. It really helped me to get my headstand.

Tine

[Tine007]

Awesome!!! Thanks for posting https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif

[Tine007]

Forgot to say… the best place to buy I found is Amazon, they have it for 4-5 bucks under "used and new". https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

And be prepared to get a sore a$$ https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif I love this DVD and my butt still burns, even though I’m used to this for almost 4 years https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

The "yoga" and "Pilates" fusion are also good (although there isn’t much traditional yoga and pilates in there), but focus more on the softer movements (hip circles/rolls, hip figure-8s, body rolls/undulations).

[Tine007]

Svetlana a pole dancer from Russia teaches booty poppin’ classes and has a few vids out too. She seems to teach everyone to pop their booty from a low position… almost like squatting on the floor. Maybe this helps people realize how to control their butt muscles better?

Yep https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif She uses finest belly dance technique here. Different look than the Polewaxers’ way though.

The lady who invented this way of squeezing your glutes to move your hips is belly dancer Suhaila Salimpour. She has an awesome workout DVD series out called "Bellydance Fitness Fusion for Beginners" and the most interesting DVD for the booty stuff is the "Buns". Here is the DVD trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9SOTkrNzg
The key exercise to condition your glutes to move that way is to sit on the floor in a straddle, legs relaxed, and then squeeze and release your glutes. You can start with both together, like you want to hop up and down while sitting on a chair, then you try just one side (of course you’d also do the other) and then alternating right, left…

The advantage over using your foot to push your hips up or pump the knees (while standing), as a lot of belly dancers do, is that first it is safer for the knees, plus you don’t need the feet on the floor, AKA you can do it on the floor, with one leg up in the air, doing different stuff with your legs, layer other movements on top https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif
While belly dancing, you’d use only alternating or single side squeezes, because both at the same time looks much like copulating dogs…. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cyclops_ani.gif

The front-back locking motion are pelvic locks: You use your lower back muscles to lock your butt back and lower abs to lock it front.

Happy booty shaking https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Tine007]

Three things come to my mind here:

(1) simple stretch: kneel on the floor and sit on your heels, then tuck the toes under and keep sitting on the heels.
This might be quite painful at first and a few seconds might be enough. I still can’t stay very long…

(2) rolling balls foot massage (this is from Yamuna Zake’s "Ultimate Body Rolling Workout" book): get two Hi-bounce Pinky balls (foam balls in size of tennis ball, but not hollow. Got mine for 1 $ at Walmart in the toy section). place balls under your heels while standing and take a few breaths. You can hold on to a wall. move balls about 1" at a time forward, towards the toes, and repeat breathing. Continue till you stretch the toes over the balls. Takes about 5 min. If you have more time you can repeat this moving the balls along the outside of the bottom foot and the inside/arch.

(3) toe stretchers: help to spread the toes and relax the feet. My favourites are YogaToes http://www.yogapro.com/ts/toestretcher.html. I admit they are expensive, but you can google for a coupon code that is usually 15 bucks off. I had cheaper ones first and they didn’t fit well and broke quite quickly… I have seen cheaper versions at the local drug store, too, if the YogaToes are too expensive. They can be uncomfortable at first when your feet are tight, but soon it felt like a mini-vacation for my feet https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Hope your feet relax and stop cramping soon!!!

[Tine007]

Thanks, Veena!
I have the same problem and posted it a few days ago, but obviously phrased my post title (navigating favorite videos) not in the best way… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[Tine007]

With the shorter extension it is not long enough, and with the longer one it is to long.
That means you should use the short extension, no need to buy another one. To make up for the missing length, screw the adjuster rod out of the pole (it was completely screwed into the pole when I got mine).

Check out the X-pole installation on youtube, in case you didn’t get the DVD with the instructions that should come with the pole
https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_arrow.gif http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6XJiQ6-YmU

The newer X-poles don’t come with the spanner/wrench anymore, but have a hole through the adjuster rod and in the locking nut where one of the rods fit in to help you screw it tight.

Hope this makes sense and you get your pole up soon https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Tine

[Tine007]

Hi,

check out the X-Pole web site FAQ (http://www.xpoleus.com/faqs.php#g15).
They say it is OK on pretty much any floor. It does have a thick silicone/rubbery layer completely covering the base that prevents it from damaging your floor and makes sure it stays in place https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif
Plus, dancing in heels and floorwork works better on tiles or wood than on carpet https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Tine

[Tine007]

You could always get one of those exercise balls to replace your chair. Lots of companies do that, so you can just pretend you’re on the cutting edge. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

I have an exercise ball as chair and love, love, love it https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif I find it much more comfy than a chair, much nicer for the back, and I sit straight without using a backrest anyways.
I guess it’s not super strength training, but gently works core/back just from sitting and balancing.
While working I throw in some hip circles and hip slides, pelvic tilts front/back or balancing with the feet off the floor/legs stretched out.
More noticeable, but my colleagues got used to it: light crunches while on the phone (with headset https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif ), shoulder/neck stretches (great when working at the computer anyways, have your colleagues try some https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif ), arms over head bending from side to side, chest slides and circles, and sometimes I stretch my back lying backwards over the ball https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_basketball.gif
You also find me sometimes sitting cross-legged or kneeling, but then with at least one hand on the desk…

If I really need a break from the computer I take my poi and go spinning outside for 10 min or so https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif Tine

[Tine007]

Yay, fun!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

Can we use a prop? And is some genre-crossing OK?
My inner belly dancer dreams of a Polexotic belly floor routine https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_twisted.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif

Tine

[Tine007]

Welcome, lebe https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

It is so cool that your friend also poles, it’s twice the fun to do it together https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif . I hope you can get your own pole soon https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
And hoooraaaay for goddesses with curves!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif I’m also a big girl and beginner and I agree it is so nice to be welcomed no matter what size and skill level https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

I get totally inspired by everyone’s videos – and there are plenty of examples that a beautiful dance doesn’t need tons of tricks (although I love to watch those, too https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cyclops_ani.gif )

[Tine007]

I was thinking about hooping classes not too long ago, but somehow I got side-tracked by the pole classes lol…

I found this site that makes custom hoops (size, weight, colors…)
http://www.yourhoop.com

Haven’t gotten any yet, so I can’t tell if hoops and service are any good. But compared to other web sites the hoops look comparable and not too expensive.

Makes me think again about getting one myself… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_compress.gif

-Tine

[Tine007]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and getting me over my ceiling anxiety https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif
I found my joists (I think…) https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

After reading my way through the internet, incl. this site, and talking to my instructor I ordered a 50 mm Chrome X-pole today – so excited!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_bounce.gif It’s also the same we use in class, so I know it can handle me swinging my all weight in a somewhat uncontrolled manner… lol https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

In the meanwhile I’m enjoying the videos here – everyone is so talented and inspiring!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumright.gif

Tine