Blizzard got your studio closed? Trapped inside? 5 indoor activities (plus a playlist) to the rescue.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

Don’t freak out, we’re going to get through this!!!

First: watch this. It’s Channing Tatum dancing to Pony by Ginuwine. If anything’s going to make you feel better right away, it is this.

I’m not even talking about the ass cheeks here! Just the passion and flow make me feel jazzy.

(Side note: why do male strippers throw you around and aggressively put their balls in your face? I think I would pay them not to do that. And also, the stripping should end at the pants, because G-strings is where things stop being sexy and start getting ridiculous). BUT ANYWAY.

1. If you have a pole, you should freestyle, son! In between eating those 6-7 meals a day (consisting of cookies) that we’re all having right now, that is. Don’t bother working on anything hard–it’s a snow day, duh!

Here’s some songs to get you started. (Sorry, it’s all hip hop… you guys know me. If you like Evanescence, you’re on your own)

1. Jhene Aiko, The Worst

She’s my new favorite singer, since I heard her on Drake’s From Time (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, but I already included it on my Drake playlist, so I had to skip it this time :||||| )

2. The Weeknd, Montreal

Part of this song is in French. Bitch. Speaking of French, is it just me or is there a Cirque du Soleil feel here? Like you should be dancing with a fog machine?

3. Show Me, Kid Ink

Ugh, this video just reminded me that Chris Brown is in this, and is still very much a piece of shit. Sorry guys. STOP MAKING CATCHY MUSIC CHRIS BROWN.

4. Partition, Beyonce

Okay I’m actually not much of a Beyonce fan, but I saw this choreo video and holy. fuck. I hate it when guys in high heels put my best attempts at being sexy and having attitude to shame 😐

Anyway, BONUS ACTIVITY: teach yourself this bomb ass routine:

5. Betterman, Musiq

Okay so this one’s a wild card; it’s really soulful and fun. Musiq is so… uplifting.  FUCK, I said it, so corny. Oh well, I find I dance a different way to the upbeat stuff and it helps me bust ruts. See what it does for you!

6. Limit to Your Love, James Blake (Feist cover)

I first heard this song in a bellydance performance and only JUST NOW remembered that it would be sick on the pole.

2. Don’t have a pole? Workout on your floor! PopSugar has some INCREDIBLE workouts that will kick your ass and improve your mood with no equipment or just a set of dumbells… in 10 minutes or less. Seriously, you thought you were in shape until that second set of mountain climber/push up combos. Yeesh. (No, they didn’t pay me to write this, I just stumbled on the workouts over Thanksgiving and they’ve successfully help me ward off the Holiday 5, even away from the studio).

OR, you can just put a playlist on and spend one song doing all the ab exercises you know, one song squatting and lunging, another song alternating tricep dips and lady pushups… BAM, you are done!

3. Watch a dance movie! This week alone I saw Magic Mike, Step Up 1, 2, and 3, Honey 2, and a couple of ballet documentaries. It’s fun and potentially enlightening–and you just may find new floor work or flow moves, or discover some music for when your studio thaws out! Or…. you could do what I usually do and Google “movies with pole dance” or “movies about strippers” to find more specific, um, inspiration.

4. Try to incorporate a new dance style into your pole moves. It sounds silly, but, try a classic jazz step, salsa spin combo, tango dip, on the pole–make a game out of trying to work it into your flow. It’s fun, and mixes things up! If you didn’t pick anything up from that dance crew movie I just made you watch (soooorry), try YouTubing the Rumba or twerking or the foxtrot something. Whatever rings your bell. New and novel is the name of the game. It doesn’t have to be good.

5. Film yourself. I dare you. Practice is always more fun when you have the option of showing off. Bonus bravery points if you’re doing something a little experimental. And when you do… please send me the link to the vid!!!

Stay warm!

XOXOXO

Cathy

This is embarrassing.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

So, here’s that marketing project I was telling you about: a “promo” vid, which I decided should be a tutorial for the Jenyne Climb instead of anything promotional, because ewww, promos.

Enjoy!

Oh and BONUS: practice vid of me warming up/dicking around for a bit before my friend could come back and shoot the tutorial. Butterfly action!

I AM OBSESSED WITH SIDE CLIMBING.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

So, a very wise poler told me, “Your butt, or your knees. Only one can be high at a time. Choose accordingly.”

After that, side climb (which until now has been an exercise in rage, frustration, and one-sided indian burns) was CRACKED.

So, I was trying to find a video of some awesome side climbing to illustrate what I’m talking about, but I’m lazy, so all I found was this.

No. Don’t do that guys. Both feet at once, just like the Jenyne Climb. For the love of Christ.

Now, speaking of Jenyne, I know she does some effortless looking side climbing, but again, too lazy to look it up, so GO NUTS KIDS and please tell me if you know hof some youtubage where she or somebody else does a mean side climb so I can come back and throw it in here.

Anywhere, here’s some TIPPPPPPPPPPPZ (read that in the voice of “ERREBODY IN THE CLUB GETTING–) for side climbing that I discovered by doing it totally wrong:

1. Create space between your body and the pole

Do this by bracing with your outside arm (not your inside, because that would cover your face, yo. Your face is MONEY).

2. Stick your butt out

You knew this was coming right? Because literally everything in pole involves sticking your ass out in some way, shape, or form? But seriously, it helps you get your body away from the pole (less indian burn!), and allows your knees to come up for a nice, productive climb).

3. Point your damn toes

Actually this isn’t just about looks (BELIEVE IT OR NOT)–you’re going to need your legs fairly vertical and parallel to the pole to execute your climb that shall be on the side, SO, no locking with your ankles. This also means less pain for your aforementioned ankles. No hope for the tops of your feet, though, sorry!

4. ENJOY YOUR BRUISES, YOU ARE A BEAST

Yeah, this is going to hurt. I’m rocking UNPRECEDENTED numbers of leg bruises right now–on either thigh, behind the knees, and all over the tops of my feet. Also, many on the insides of my upper arms, and on on my wrist. And I love it. Swag.

Other news: I AERIAL CHOPPERED. I can’t wait to video this ish. I surprised myself by doing it while thinking, “this should be hilarious, no chance this is happening–HOLY SHIT I’M CHOPPERING AND MY HEAD IS THE LOWEST POINT OF MY BODY 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND OH GOD OH GOD.”

Any way, the moral of the story is, even when you don’t THINK you’ll be able to invert… apply Dry Hands as though you will, just in case. Because I was slipping and that’s terrifying.

Happy twirls!!!!

Cathy

UPDATE:

Today in SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER lazy news, here is the same damn video I posted of Jenyne the last time I wrote about her climb techniques. But hey, she does an excellent (if brief) sideclimb starting near 1:05, so check her out!!!

I Can Haz Choreography?

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

OMG, PROJECT.

(Please read that in the voice of Cher, re: makeovers).

SO, I’m working on a routine!

This is hard!

First, let me give you guys that advice I’ve been given, and then YOU give YOURS. Because, I’m stuck. I have this awful habit of re-inventing the wheel every time I dance to a song. No matter what I have written down (yes I’m being all official about it), every time my music starts, I do something different. HELP ME COMMIT.

Here’s what I’ve heard so far about The Process of choreographing (word? not a word?):

1. Choose 3 tricks and build your dance around them

This is sooooooo helpful. If you can think of the three tricks you want to include (your music can advise as to what feels right/fits the mood/theme), you can think about spreading them out well, THEN fill spaces between with transitional moves. GENUIS. I love a general layout for writing, why not dancing?

2. Waste time

It’s hard to remember while dancing (or choreographing) but it takes an audience at least a few seconds of watching a move to even register what you’re doing. So I think especially for the first 10-15 seconds of a song, extremely simple moves are a good way to ease into a dance… and make sure you’ve got everybody’s attention for when you’re ready for a trick. 

3. Make a list

…of everything you know how to do.

For me, I wrote down key words/phrases of the song I’m using (Running, by Jessie Ware) and a few moves that kinda conjured that emotion for me. 

Examples:

“falling” (back hook spin, Juliet spin, recliner)

“running” (hang man spin, half bracket hold with “walk,” pirouettes, headstand “walk outs”)

“I just go weak” (spin in arch, bridge slide, back bend with extended leg)

…and a bunch of other stuff I don’t have names for. (That’s the annoying thing about pole… not knowing what the heck to call the stuff you know how to do).

Anyway, that’s all I got, and I’m stuck, guys! 

Here, listen to my song and tell me shit to do that you think would look good!

Also, please, share your tricks for getting the Choreography Muse to visit. I tried leaving her cookies and milk, but that might just work for Santa.

Happy twirls!

Cathy

Talkin’ bout PRACTICE.

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

So, who has a pole? Raise your hand!

Now, who actually USES this pole? Twice a week? Once a week? Once a month?

Yeah, guilty.

Until very recently, the most contact I’ve made with my pole this past month has been crouched over, looking for a lost earring. I hit my head on it.

Which is a shame, because I’m always annoyed at myself for blanking out during freestyles. Whyyyy do I keep visibly pausing can’t I think of anything to do? Why are my transitions so rocky? Why do I space out and do the same moves over and over when I know lots of of other stuff (that I need to practice!!)?

The reason, obvs, is lack of practice.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m on the pole a lot. But, teaching. Stop and start. The same moves every class, for the most part. It’s great for refining technique in general, but not so awesome for stringing together an inventive freestyle.

Here’s what I’m working on–I think it might help you guys too. Even if you just spend 20-30 minutes on your pole once or twice a week, I think if you stay focused, you’ll get a lot out of it.

Elements of a productive practice session:

1. Attempting to do the stuff I hate and can’t really do yet (5-10 mins)

It’s really tempting to just to the fun, easy stuff, but there’s only one way to have more fun, easy things to do: master the hard ones you hate now.

If I can’t fully get into a move, I get as close as I can and hold it for several seconds, a few times.

This can mean holding an invert move with your hands still on the pole (or maybe testing one hand off… then maybe the other… just for a second), trying push pulls just for a second before grabbing the pole again with your feet, or holding a pole crunch if you’re not choppering yet.

None of us are going to wake up magically falling into fabulous tricks we’re lusting after, so pushing our boundaries (safely!) in increments is the only way to get there.

2. Inventing combos (10 mins)

I try to dream up two or even three move combinations per session. Maybe a fan kick into a pirouette, into a fireman? A chopper into a one leg hang into a superman? A dip into a back hook spin into a showgirl?

Do this expecting only a few to work, but stay creative and keep trying. You might hit on some really cool new ways of transitioning what you know—and at worst you’ll be practicing staples. Find something you like? Drill it so as to commit to memory for a freestyle.

3. Building strength and control (5 mins)

Try modifying a few movements you usually do while dancing to make them harder–voila, EXERCISE! But like, specific to the muscles and moves you’re going to use while dancing, which means better pole-results than boring old push ups and crunches would get you.

For example, you can try an arm-only climb. (It’s just like the transition you make from a climb into a sit, but over and over–with straight legs and straight arms, you pull yourself up the pole from a sit and then immediately clamp your legs, all the way up).  Sound hard? Yes, it is. But dang is it effective. You’ll notice an improvement in your control pulling into aerial moves, and also form: I’m finally kicking my bent knee habit with these, in addition to building upper body strength. (I CAN DO A PULL UP YOU GUYS).

Death lay crunches are good too (just, ya know, close to the ground and with a rounded back and tucked chin, because your neck looks sexier not broken), and so are straight leg choppers, which I’ve been working on to hopefully make my regular choppers a lot stronger.

4. A “Just Keep Moving” song or two (5-10 mins)

The best way to keep from blanking out during a freestyle: freestyle regularly. You hate me, don’t you?

Every practice should include freestyle time in which stopping is not allowed. It doesn’t matter if you forget everything and body wave for two and half minutes, just keeping moving until something comes to you.

The point of this exercise in frustration and fear is discovery–you might find yourself flowing new moves together that work especially well, or hit on a pose or transition works great for a dramatic moment in the music.

It’s also good preparation for this Oh Shit moments in pole when you mess up and have no choice but to recover, or completely ruin your dance. Dancing through awkwardness and mistakes (like botching a pirouette) and not stopping, in my opinion, makes the difference between the dabbler and the Dancer with a capital D. Freestyle a lot. Be a Dancer.

5. Strictly business (5 mins)

Pick 2-3 tricks per practice that you’re going to drill, the simpler the better. Do a set number on both sides, in a row. Make the transition into the moves as clean and consistent as possible, aiming to improve extension, control, and overall form each time you repeat the move. This is “make everything look better” time. Use it wisely and be strict with yourself. If you mess up the move, do it again, maggot! ARMY/POLE STRONG.

6. Floor work/stretch

I use floor work to trick myself into stretching. If I do a few hair tosses or kick my feet around, it makes it a lot easier to do boring old flexibility training. But yes, this is important, because, like everything else in pole, splits are not magically happening for me. No one is exempt from those annoying floor lunge things.

What do YOU do every practice? What do you want to work on? What’s your current archnemesis? Do you have a pole at home, and if you do, are you kind of scared to do hard stuff on it in case you break your neck and then starve to death because you can’t get to your phone and you live by yourself? (This is my new fear.  Thanks mom).

Anyway, I have so many questions. Fill me in!

New schedule on classes! My 4-week is filling up fast so grab a spot! Schmedule here.

Happy twirls for the new week!

Cathy

Cracking the Jenyne Butterfly climb

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

Hey y’all,

Wow, so I got lazy and took like two weeks off of practicing and I’m really feeling it.

You know you haven’t danced in a while when you’re bruising again. Whoops.

I’ve been feeling kinda blue and burned out so I’ve been trying to trick myself into falling in love with pole again. Kinda like taking your spouse on a date, or making your boyfriend speak with an English accent and messing up his hair so you can pretend he’s Rob Pattinson.

I digress.

First I tried my pole on spin mode.  I think I first attempted this for about 5 seconds when I first got my X-Pole and filed the experience under NEVER AGAIN.

Staying on a spinning pole when you’re a rookie must be what riding a mechanical bull feels like. That sucker DOES NOT want you on. Also, Centrifugal Force is a bitch!

This time, I got all smug like, whatevs, I can handle this now,  so I tried again. And yeah, I did better, but, I’m a wimp and I  dizzy quickly.

(I think I’m going to try it for 10-15 mins at a time, just to get used to it and work on staying in control. Because you can get reaally out of control on a spinning pole. It’s kind of amazing, but yeah, a little too difficult and sickening for long periods of time).

Anyway, I decided to pick a couple of tricks/style points to master. I’m still working on my headstand mount, but I’m a little scared of cracking my head open at home without a spotter, so instead, I’m working on style stuff.

My first mission: the Jenyne Butterfly climb. (Sorry it look me like eight paragraphs to get to the point, guys).

If you haven’t seen it… this is Miss Jenyne Butterfly, making climbing look insanely easy (dig it at 0:19).

Funny  how, with her technique (which is in fact more difficult than your average climb), getting air looks effortless. I hate it/lerve it.

Anywho, I’m working on it, and here’s a couple of finer points I’m trying to crack that might help you as well:

1. Push/pull

So basically, with Jenyne’s climb, you’re lifting both legs from a dead hang. Hence, you gotta keep your body from collapsing into the pole as you do this. If you look closely, you can see she has her bottom wrist locked and is pressing her whole forearm flush against the pole. (It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that this is what she was doing). This is the push arm! (Duh). The other is the pull arm (ultra-Duh!).

2. Pointed toes

Yeah, it’s really hard to to grip a pole without flexing your inside foot to grab it around your ankle, but the effect is totally worth it. You’re really going to have to rely on the grip your “push” arm is getting, and you may need a little grip aid on the tops of your feet. Test is a few times  with your traditional climb to find the “sweet spot” where your ankle dips in enough for this not to hurt (though I guarantee you’ll bruise, sorry!)

3. Even knees

If you’re used to a one leg-then-the-other climb, it’s going to feel really weird bringing both knees up and gripping at the same time.  I recommend getting into position and just practicing the first lift over and over (switching push-pull  arms!) before you try making your way up the pole.

I hope everybody tries this and lets me know how it goes!

I may have a new bruise collage by the end of this, but I’m not quitting!!!

PS. Classes this Thursday, and another open house is coming up! Check the schedule for more info.

Happy twirls!

Cathy ❤

Breakthrough!!!

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater

First layback and first chopper achieved in the space of one week. Also hitting my first successful headstand mounts. All those reverse crunches are paying off!

On a separate note, anybody in the Tri-state area, go see Sweet Charity at The New Harlem Arts Theatre, featuring one of my amazing students on pole!

Oh, and last day for 60% off a 5 class card at EDC! You can buy here.

Happy twirls!
Cathy

Sex, lies, and videotape: on watching yourself

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater
“A personal project like anyone else’s personal project. Mine’s just a little more… personal, I guess.”

Wouldn’t it be funny if you were dancing in front of James Spader, and he kept exactly that expression on his face the whole time?

Mmm, James Spader. But that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about videotaping.

And the lies we tell ourselves about how sexy we look.

(See what I did there?!!)

Concern for my sex appeal wasn’t the reason I started taping my dances. Actually, it was pure, primal fear of getting fired.

I’ma keep it real: when I’m training, I usually stop 5 or 6 times per song to curse, make faces at myself in the mirror, and instant-replay anything I screw up. I also take regular breaks during a song to booty pop at random, scratch, and think about life while languidly drinking water.

This is not acceptable during classes.

(Apparently).

(Educated guess).

Anyway, this a problem! Because a huge part of all of my classes is the “review” portion, where students monkey-see monkey-do their way through a continuous, full length routine… and I’m the one leading.

It’s hard enough remembering which moves to do (only those from that week’s curriculum) and which sides I’ve done them on (left and right need equal practice!) without stopping to think. But then there’s the whole “talking everyone through the routine as I physically do it” aspect. IT’S RILLY RILLY HARD, YOU GUYS.

I figured I better scare myself straight on the stopping thing, so I got a tripod to videotape my dances with. Just to mind-fuck myself a little. I wasn’t really planning on watching myself.

But watch myself I did.

Friends, here’s what I couldn’t unsee:

-Confused, bored-looking facial expressions (I think they were meant to be sexy?)

-Speeding up my walk right before I attempt a trick (so much for the element of surprise)

-Walking exactly three steps right, then three steps left before every trick (yawn.)

-And best of all, for every one handed spin, I saw myself balling my free hand into a fist and scrunching it against my chest while spinning.

HAWT. I don’t know about you, but I find nothing more aesthetically pleasing than a dancer who looks sleepy and developmentally challenged.

The good news: taping yourself, as painful as it may be, can be huge helpful for diagnosing (and treating) the following problem areas that make for a lumpy, awkward, DEFINITIVELY UNSEXY PERFORMANCE.

You can do better, children. So be brave and tape yourself! I guarantee that after you stop crying, the following areas will improve:

1. Spotting and eye contact

It’s easy to forget while you’re in the studio, but your dance should be directed at someone. Aiming your performance–even at a camera–should remind you to flirt, angle your body toward, and spot your spins on an audience. Or one person. You minx, you.

2. Flair

No, we’re not talking about the pins in Office Space. “Flair” in pole dance is that je ne sais quoi that lets the audience know you’re conscious while dancing. Hair flips, hip swings, touching the pole, running your hands along your body; all of these little moves go a long way toward a hypnotic performance.

3. Form

You know how you hear “point your toes!” in class all the damn time? Now you’ll see why–IT LOOKS GAWD AWFUL WHEN YOU DON’T. While you’re at it, arch your back too, and stop looking at your shoes.

4. Flow

Are you a pole noob? I guarantee that this is what your dancing looks like: 1. walking around the pole excruciatingly slowly 2. triumphantly blasting through two or three spins 3. freezing 4. walking around the pole excruciatingly slowly 5. repeating the sequence from step 2.

Then comes the best part: realizing you’ve used a mere 32 seconds of a four minute song.

If nothing teaches you to pace yourself while dancing, the agony of watching yourself do this on tape will.

5. Cheating

Oh, you thought I wouldn’t notice, did you? You thought you could just hop a little to get higher on the pole and sneak in a little more spin time. NBD, amirite?

WRONG.

Watch it on tape–a little “jump” completely breaks your flow, and is the angel of death to your spin momentum. Watch it and weep, cheater: you fool NO ONE.

So talk to me. Do you hate watching yourself on video? Do you keep the really embarrassing stuff to learn from, or delete it right after?

My proudest video moment: I caught it on video that time I was doing an extended sitting spin and whacked my foot on a bookshelf. I of course stopped the video and saved it immediately.

Speaking of dance vids, if I get brave enough, I’m thinking of posting a few tutorial vids in the near future. So if you’ve got any form or technique questions, or specific tricks or spins you’d like me to cover, let me know!

Meanwhile… U mad cause you don’t have a video camera? Want me to pick on your bad habits for you? Come to a class, yo!

Until next time…

Happy twirls!

Cathy

How to look hot on a pole–fast

Posted on by Cathy Vandewater
Rule #1: Don’t get any bodily fluids on it.

I recently got a request from a friend of mine asking for a crash course in pole.

She was having a pole-mergency, so to speak.

The request was pole-urgent.

Okay, I’ll stop.

It’s funny, there aren’t many situations in life where you desperately need to learn to dance on a pole in 5 days or less. But when you’re in one, nothing could be more important.

My friend, I should note, is a go-go dancer. She’s starting work at a new club on Saturday, and there will be poles. She wants to learn some tricks, she tells me, so she doesn’t look stupid. She’s hoping to learn a few flashy dance moves and spins.

As I suppress my urge to laugh maniacally (Sure, you’ll be doing spins and tricks by FRIDAY, lol problem bro?) I simultaneously take a walk down memory lane, to back when I started pole dancing, and my expectations were equally delusional.

You see, I’ve really only been dancing for about 8 months. The memories of  starting out are quite vivid, because very recently, I was a pole-virgin. Okay  I’m really stopping now.

For me, the most memorable part of the 3-4 months of misery that was learning pole the first time, was not just the skin peeling off my wrists, or the throbbing shoulder joints, or legs that were more black and blue than flesh colored… it was the sheer frustration of just not looking good on the pole.

For all you hater-ade drinkers out there, get some respect for strippers, because looking sexy on a pole is tough. Like, seriously tough. We’re talking mentally on par with learning the instruments in a cockpit, or geometry proofs, or playing a 5 piece drum kit, with both feet and hands working simultaneously. And that’s just the coordination part.

It doesn’t cover the physical challenges of balancing in 6-inch heels, supporting your full body weight with your arms and the strength of your grip, or holding your legs up, in aesthetically pleasing shapes, while spinning in circles.

Once you start learning little rules here and there, yes, it does get easier. Pointing your toes and arching your back–yes, that’s always going to be a good idea.

But for the first couple of months–more, depending on how often you get lessons and practice–you’re going to look like an awkward giraffe. I’m sorry, that’s just how it is. You’re not going to know what the hell to do with yourself, and by god, it will show.

They say with writing that you need to compose 10,000 words of utter crap before you write anything interesting, and friends, it’s no different with dancing. You will need to stumble, fall on your ass, and accidentally get too far from the pole (and end up holding it like you’re on the subway), all before you can look good.

But in the mean time, here are a few shortcuts you can use to look slightly competent. I intend to teach these to my friend, but honestly, they work for all levels.

In no particular order, try this shit!

1. Take your damn time

Nervous? Immediately do everything at half speed. I promise you, it feels like slow motion, but you’re moving much quicker than you think you are. This helps for two reasons: it forces you to engage with the moment (mmm, that steel feels sooooo smooth–say that to yourself in a porny voice in your head, I swear, it helps), the whole thing will look much hotter, with you looking ultra confident. And two, it will keep your from blowing through the 3 moves you know too quickly. Nobody wants to see your fairy spin 9 times.

2. Show your ass!

No, don’t pull your pants down or anything (unless your pole-mergency is a stripping audition), but when in doubt, face down, ass up! That’s the way we like to look competent at pole dancing! While you’re down there, touch your legs like you’ve shaved recently. Ha, ha. Pole dancing is lies.

3. Feet in, hips out

Get all bendy with it. If you’re holding the pole with your inside hand, get those feet nice and close to the base and drop your hip out. Feel that stretch? Good–you’re in sexy, bendy town. Now walk, one foot in front of the other, and sway those hips. When your arms starts getting low, swoop your hips out and around, and pivot your body toward the pole, switching out your arms. Walk in the opposite directions. Bonus points for a hair flip. That’s how you walk on a pole, bitch.

4. Caress that shit!

Here’s a cute move. Pause while walking, and face the pole with it just a little closer than arm’s length away from you. Trace it down with your hands while bending over with an arched back and your ass proudly blowing in the wind. When your head’s level with your hips, dip it around one side of the pole and flip it up on the other. If this is too complicated, just remember to caress the pole. It’s sexy, because Freud.

5. Fall

No, not off the pole. If that’s happening, wipe your hands, girl! I’m talking falling out and around the pole. Try this to practice the motion: standing about 6 inches away from the pole, grab it over your head with your inside arm (straight, always straight!), and lift your outside leg to form an X shape with your body. Then, push off a little with your inside foot and slowly, controlled-ly, fall forward and around the pole, using your body weight for momentum. Step and pivot to face forward again, and try it on the other side.

If nothing else, get comfortable with that motion–it’s the base of all spins–and mix it with other little moves. Fall out and around, then hike up (ie. hook the pole with your leg at hip level). Or when you pivot, keep turning until your back is flat against the pole, and throw in a little backwards grind. The possibilities are many. And if you’re following rule #1, hopefully you’ll have a few seconds to get creative!

That’s all for now, as I’m off to teach–classes are 6-9 tonight, remember?

Happy twirling!

Cathy