So 90s, and so, so smooth.
Music Mondays: Is This Love, Corinne Bailey Rae
DEAD FOR THIS SONG.
DEAD.
DECEASED.
That’s all, happy Monday!
Help With Ballerina Pose Even If You Have Dinosaur Arms
So here’s a recent picture of me stretching my shoulders.
And here’s a picture of me FINALLY doing a ballerina after years of frustration.
The difference was a teacher who flat out admitted “this pose is not for everybody,” and that she struggled with it for years before getting it because of her specific build. How encouraging is it for pole goddesses to say stuff like that? “Not every pose is going to be right for your body, and that’s okay”??? I love it. <3<3<3 Kelly!!!!
So anyway, even if you DO have shoulder flexibility, chances are you’re going to be in that forward fold just reaching fruitlessly for pole and finding air. This doesn’t look super cute but it’s also scary and extremely frustrating when you’re already in an uncomfortable position and high off the ground. So these are Kelly’s tips for getting yourself a sweet, sweet handful of pole on the first try and locking into the pose comfortably (and safely). Worked for me, and again–I have no shoulder flexibility. So I’m fairly confident that this will be helpful to most people!!
So to get started, take a climb or two, release your arms, and wrap your body around the pole in the same direction as your front leg. If you’re climbing with your left leg in front, you’ll be leaning towards your left, twisting over your left shoulder, and grabbing the pole overhead with your left arm. Now you’re ready to tweak a little and make this easier.
Lean ALL the way over the pole
A halfway bend won’t do you any favors. Commit to touching your toes in that forward fold before attempting anything else.
Twist your torso
This is a huge assist toward getting that grab and doesn’t require crazy shoulder flexiness.
Turn your body at the waist and look back towards the pole as you reach down between your knees to grab with your outside hand and get ready to grab with your inside hand. Which reminds me…
Make room for your lower hand
Don’t be afraid to loosen your knees a bit on the pole to make room to grab with your lower hand. Kelly says this also gives you a little more room to twist and reach behind you. As you can see from this janky pic taken right before or right after the money shot (I’m not sure which), my knees are a bit open and I’m relying more on my ankles and shins for grip. According to Kelly, this is totally okay and you shouldn’t be afraid to do it (despite your instincts telling you to grab on for dear life with everything you’ve got).
Make T shape with your outside arm before reaching back to grab the pole
I don’t know why this helps but it does. If you don’t believe me, try doing the T shape first and then grabbing the pole vs. doing a backstroke motion and grabbing. Even if you have super flexible shoulders, the first should be a lot easier than the latter. And done slowly, it can look just as lovely and dramatic.
Once you’ve made contact, rotate your shoulder back and slide your hand up the pole to lock in
You’ll know you’re doing the rotation right if you’re exposing MORE armpit, not less, and you’ve made contact with your lat on the pole. Solid! Now you’re in a shoulder-safe position to let go.
I know this pose comes super easy for some people, and for others its a total nemesis move. Have you tried it? What do you think? Even if you can get into the pose it’s a little rough on ya, right? (Looking at my underarm bruise as I type this, haha).
Good luck and please share any tips you have for getting in (and out) of this pose safely and cute-ly.
And have no shame in your dinosaur arms. It’s a lifestyle!
Music Mondays: Glass Animals, Life Itself
Some newish GA! Just for fun, adjust the speed to “.5.” Yummy.
Back to School–I Got to Make a Video!
So the less stressful dealing with Adobe Premiere gets, the more it seems I enjoy video assignments as homework. This one was quite fun!
The project was a 30-40 second bio video that either shows your likes and dislikes or a special skill.
I’ll bet you can guess which one I picked ;D
Me and my used-used AC (meaning, I got it used from somebody who also got it used) were not really enjoying this heat dome thing, so my pole was a bit of a slip and side. BUT, a few insights: Urban Decay No-Slick Makeup Setting Spray will allow you to sweat THROUGH your makeup (????) somehow but keep the makeup in place for the most part. I mean I was honestly dripping from the face and toweling myself with a rag, and my makeup looked good enough at the end of a three hour shoot that we decided to take advantage of the lights and nice set up to snap a few headshots. My application technique, if you’re curious, was basically: foundation–spray the shit out of my face–powder–spray the shit out of my face–blush/bronze/eyes–spray the shit out of my face–and then one more spritz at the end for luck. $28 well spent. I had a little wear around my hairline where I was aggressively rubbing with a towel, but otherwise, nothing moved.
These were taken at the end of an EXTREMELY long and sweaty day. Not bad, Urban Decay! (I wish they paid me, but they don’t.) Last shot is my favorite. I feel like I was really expressing myself! As always, I’m doing free advertising for Victoria’s Secret in this shirt. God damn it.
The other insight is that if you already know you’re not going to use the audio for a shoot, it’s really fun to bitch and complain about every pose while smiling 😀
Overall, this was a fun weekend, and of COURSE I used the finished product to plug this blog because what else even matters????
Gone Campin’ (a yearly occurrence)
So last week I was straight chilling’ in the Adirondacks with bae, but I bet y’all didn’t even know it because I SCHEDULED posts (muhahahahaha). Funny how I can’t seem to be this organized with school work but when it comes to pole I’ll put in that kind of effort…
It was terrifying to be away from the gym for a week, so I tried to do something physical every day we were up there (as I live in fear of losing my pull up gainz. I WORKED TOO HARD FOR THOSE PULLUPS).
So, we kept active. There was a lil’ canoeing….
…A lil wandering around the woods pretending to be walkers from the Walking Dead (#obsessed) …And a little mountain climbing.
This is significant because my family goes way back in upstate New York, and my dad and grandpa and great uncles all grew up hiking Bald Mountain, aka Rondaxe Mountain, about an hour and a half from my family’s house, and the house my dad grew up in.
Before our camping trip, my dad told me about a boulder on Rondaxe that’s the backdrop for a family-famous picture of my Great Uncle Vin. It’s a bit off the beaten path on the mountain (past the official summit, and with no trail markers to find it), but makes for a great photo op.
Obviously my response to this was “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED,” and… drumroll… we found it!!
This is me planking that shit in 2016, and here’s my Great Uncle straight chillin in 1954. Pretty cool!
How handsome is my great Uncle Vin???
How weird is it that I paired a bikini top with a sports bra?? #readyforanything #bigbooblife
Speaking of style I’m also rocking my boyfriend’s sweats in this photo because I got lighter fluid all over my yoga pants. Camping!
If you’re wondering how me and bae also got to do an extended photo shoot at the summit, it’s because we ignored thunder on the way up (and the streams of people running DOWN the mountain, rightly afraid of the storm) because we’re stubborn and dumb. Our idiocy and risk taking was reward with a mountain all to ourselves!
You can see the thunder clouds off in the distance in these pics, but don’t worry, they were heading away from us at that point. Never did get any rain, but had a great time dicking around up there all by our lonesome.
Overall it was a great trip… minus the chipmunks who snuck into our bag of marshmallows and shit all over them. (Literally. Chipmunk turds everywhere).
How do you stay in shape on vacation? Do you even give a fuck? I almost did some pushups but then I was like nah and had a beer. Vacation has to stay somewhat pure, right?
OH, LOOK AT THIS TINY TOAD, THE END.
Music Mondays: Sam and Dave, Hold On I’m Coming
Let’s mix it the fuck up, shall we? Thinking about poling to this song gets me all excited about dance again. #energy
Drills to Improve Your Freestyles
Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut, dance-wise? The music comes on and you pull out the same 4-5 moves over and over again?
On the one hand, it’s great that you’ve mastered a few tricks or fillers and you know how to work them.
On the other hand… this gets boring fast, for you and for your audience.
Here are a few “prompts” to get you mixing up your freestyles that I’ve picked up from other teachers (both pole and belly) over the years.
1. Try a choreographed routine to totally different music
This is a great “toe in the water” approach to shaking up your movement. You don’t have the pressure of thinking of what to do next, but different music will force you to reinterpret your moves, adjust phrasing, and maybe even get a little inventive with new fillers or transitions. You’ll find yourself putting a whole new spin (heh) on a tried and true move.
2. Pick a body part
Elbow, foot, head, chest, arm, even hair–pick something to focus on and accent with throughout your freestyle. It’s amazing how thinking about something as small as your fingers can open up your usual way of dancing and approaching moves.
3. Pick an adjective (or verb, or noun, or mythical creature)
Favorites from my classes are “heavy,” “sleepy,” and “drunk” (see a theme?) but we’ve also done crazy stuff like “sea witch” or “spider” or “swimming.” This is a great way to get yourself moving in new ways without being too self conscious about it. You’re in character!
4. Pick an emotion
This is another way to play with choreography or a sequence you already have down. Try dancing it with elation, then sorrow, then fury, then jealousy. Record yourself. Can you see the stories of those emotions coming through?
5. Make a trick list
This is another good one to catch on video. Make a list of 4-5 tricks (they can be simple poses or complicated sequences), then put on a song and try to get in and out of all of them as gracefully and naturally as possible. Pick a new song and try again. How do your transitions look? Did you find yourself entering and exiting a move the same way? Was the style and/or emotion the same for each trick both times?
6. Get someone to yell at you
No seriously: grab a friend and pick an alternating theme. Floor work vs. pole? Flexed feet vs. pointed? Bent knees vs. straight legs? The possibilities are endless. Put on a song and ask your friend to call out the “switch” in regular intervals. Whatever you choose (ex. flexed feet) you have to maintain that until the change is called out.
7. Choose a handful of moves to repeat over and over
With 3-5 basic moves, experiment: how different can I dance these with each repetition? Practice getting in and out of those spins, climbs, and transitional moves with a different style, intention, speed, or shape every time. This is another great one to catch on video–if for no other reason that to see that what feels like a big change to you can read very small.
Do you have a favorite freestyle game or prompt? Share below!
Music Mondays: Faith Evans and Carl Thomas, Can’t Believe
The 90s goodness is real here.
Bracket Holds!
Pop quiz: which is my bad side??? I know, I can barely tell either. (looooooool jk jk).
After about 3 years of casually struggling every time I remember to try it, I finally got my half-bracket hold last night! I kind of credit this (along with all my other recent pole gainz) to doing pull ups. Seriously, the back, core, and shoulder strength you get from these is like having a pole super power. Highly recommend!
But aside from that, here are a few technical tricks that really helped me. Maybe they’ll do the trick for you too:
1. Use your elbow as a shelf for your rib cage
I always thought this was cheating. It’s totally not.
2. Retract your shoulders
SO key, both for execution and for the safety of your poor, hardworking shoulders. You can see on the right side of the video that my lower shoulder is scrunched up (not ideal).
3. Use your back
Once your grip feels safe enough to let go with the legs, use your back to arch a bit and pull your legs back and up (just like that back conditioning drill your teacher has you do on your stomach during warm ups!). I’ve found this changes your center of gravity and removes some of the strain from the lower arm. #magic
4. Turn your chest towards your lower arm
…or as my teacher Rica said, “turn towards the opening” which I found slightly confusing at first because OH GOD EVERYTHING’S OPEN I’M GOING TO FALL. Opening your chest and angling it out away from the pole really helps anchor your bracket hold and help you brace better. And again, opening my chest is something you can see I’m clearly not doing in the “fail” side of the video. Don’t be like me.
5. Start low
I was working on this hold with a class of other girls as part of a climb sequence and we all had some serious “Oh Shit” moments while attempting it from way too high a height. I’d definitely stick to one climb’s worth of height while getting comfortable with this move. You need to feel safe enough to get your legs away from the pole, and that’s asking a lot if you’re 6 feet off the ground. Bonus: if you fall from one climb up, it will be more like a tiny, adorable jump than a splat situation.
How do you feel about floats and bracket holds? I know some people have wrist and elbow issues that make this move a no-go. My forearms are definitely a little sore today, so I feel that. Also, how annoying is it that you just completely can’t do this with sweaty hands? It’s so all or nothing!
The Spin Diaries: Your Guide to Everything Pole and Aerial 