Hey y’all. No real news, except that I got to do a photoshoot this past week with Body & Pole for their promo materials and website! Actually it was two separate shoots: one for poleography, and one for flexibility (good thing I walked to the studio because I was warm enough to split on command without popping anything, eek).
I’m excited to see the pics, but also concerned about how crazy the smiling looked when combined with long, painful pose holding. I’ll share ’em when I see ’em!
Hope everybody’s enjoying this gorgeous September. Is there really any better weather than “light blazer over your sundress” season? Yes please.
I’ve been taking some time out to do summer stuff and generally chill in my time off, instead of spending it hunched over my computer as during the work day. So pardon my hiatus!
I did want to drop a quick line though because I haven’t stopped training (though I’m mainly doing flex, ballet barre, and poleography–no hardcore pole right now because my favorite teacher hasn’t been in in a while and I’m STILL having bad experiences with other peeps. *SIGH* Just want to get through a Level 2 without wanted to cry y’all). Anyway, I love my other classes, and as usual when I take class with my utterly fabulous, professional, knowledgeable, infinitely patient, etc etc teachers I I LEARN SO MUCH.
Our flex teacher (WHO I LOVE, OMG YOU GUYS, SHE’S THE LITERAL BEST) asks for requests sometimes, and I recently issued a weird one: butt stretching.
Here’s the background: I have a horrific time with frog/straddle stretches. I’m used to some intense stretching, but while other people say they feel these stretching in their inner thighs, they make me feel like my outer thighs as well as hips are being broken. Like, wishbone-being-pulled-apart style.
This cannot be normal, I thought, so I googled “are straddle splits impossible for some people.” Because it feels that bad to me, and I have seen NO progress, despite making visible gains in all my other flexibility–including shoulders, aka fixing my dinosaur arms. (whaaaaat? I know! Miracles happen.)
This is a T-band stretch.
What I discovered from a gazillion message boards is, sometimes the issue with painful straddles is not necessarily the muscles that straddles stretch (inner thighs) but the opposing ones: hips, outer thighs, and glutes. By targeting these muscles with stretches like figure four or T-band stretches (I don’t know the name for them but they usually involved turning your leg out and pulling it across your body), you have a better shot at getting to the muscles you actually want to stretch: yo inner thighs!
Class was mostly the typical order of operations, with straddles at the end. I don’t notice anything different, except that our figure fours and T band stretches (I admitted to the teacher when I asked for “butt stretches” that I actually didn’t know any besides these, the ones we were already doing) came right before we went into straddles.
This is also a T-band stretch.
Then a miracle happened. My straddles/froggies hurt like a bitch (lol what else is new), but for the first time ever I felt the pain in my inner thighs!!! Then we did some rolling of the hips and weight shifts and sure enough, I was able to go a little deeper. ie. I MADE PROGRESS.
I asked the teacher after class what did we had done differently (because that was MAGIC), and she said nothing–we had just changed the order. We weren’t doing any additional or different stretches, we were just doing those outer hips and glutes ones right before center splits. The teacher said she felt a difference too, and that she going to do her class like that from now on, which made me feel like less of a wackadoo for asking for “stretches for your butt” while others were requesting classy things like “heart openers.” #elegance
King of the Butt Stretches: Figure Fo’
So what’s going on with y’all? I definitely didn’t bother with the flow challenge like I thought I would because my air conditioner has just not been keeping up with this heat. When I get home I just sit on my couch and pant like Jabba the Hut, it’s pretty attractive.
I have been learning some cute combos in class though–I’ll post some poleography clips in another blog. But for now, look at this HAWT routine I saw at “Shtick a Pole in It.”
Shtick a Pole in It is a combo pole/comedy show. No, the dancers don’t tell jokes and the comedians don’t pole haha–they alternate! The comedians were surprisingly hilarious and the dancers were top freaking notch. Like, SICK.
I had two favorites performances but in one of them the dancer (terrifyingly) fell so I don’t think they’ll post it. She was fine and actually resumed the routine after a quick break to wipe the pole down, but it was really too bad because she was obviously a pro and her performance was out of this world until her fall. To her credit she was doing an insane trick combo at the time, so I guess it just goes to show that a slippery pole can strike anyone at any time.
Anyway, here’s my other favorite. My friend said she’s a NY Poler and her name is Anna. You can’t see it in the video, but she had a really lovely ease to her dancing and cute facial expressions which took an already sick routine to the next level. I’m fangirling here but I don’t even care because it was perfection.
Check her out!
And if you’re New York in September, catch the next show! I think they said it would be the last Sunday of the month, but that have yet to post. Check the Facebook group, I’m sure it will be up soon!
I’m hoping to get some pics up soon (especially since I got an awesome new bluetooth clicker thing that enables my iPhone to snap photos from across the room, holla!), but basically, I’ve started taking flexibility classes at B&P that have been GAME CHANGING.
I know, I know, I was all “lol I can stretch at home, why would I pay for this” too, but trust me: the prompts that you will receive from a good teacher in these classes are everything. Here’s a few key, simple things I’ve learned so far that have my flexibility game on serious fleek.
(Accompanied by pictures I stole from the internet for explanation purposes)
Photo: popsugar.com
1. In back bends: think of opening your chest, NOT about crunching your back
Not only did this make back bendy stuff feel so much safer and more comfortable, focusing on opening my chest and getting it up and over my back activated all the muscles in my upper back–which are what make that nice, rounded, SAFE (have I said safe enough yet?) shape in a backbend instead of that “hinged at the lower back” look.
2. In hamstring stretches: pop your booty out and arch your back
It’s easy to just cycle between lunges and hamstring stretches, but if you’re struggling with splits, hitting those hip flexors from new angles may be just the thing to get you into deeper territory.
A few things to try:
-Back bends in a deep lunge stretch (just make sure you’re squared off to get the most out of it). And try arm circles: sweep into them with one arm at a time, up and over, front to back, side to side.
-Pushing the inside of the front knee away in a deep lunge stretch (so that your knee opens and the weight shifts to the outer edge of your front foot). Turn away from the front leg for a little added opposition.
-In a bent over hamstring stretch (one leg straight in front, the other kneeling): turn the front leg out from the hip (so that the pinky toe is closest to the ground), and turn your body to face it, planting hands on the outside of your extended leg as you lower your torso to meet it. (You can allow your kneeling leg to pivet into a “knees together” position). You should feel a deep stretch in the inner thigh.
Do you guys have any flexy tricks up your sleeves? I’ve honestly made so much progress in my back in a few months that I think I’m going to attempt a crescent again! (For the first time since failing at it and swearing off it forever 2 years ago).
And huge shoutout to Emily Sanderson at B&P who teaches flex and is fabulous. Just saying.
Saw this and choked on my tea: http://www.xojane.com/issues/gym-mansplaining
Not much I can say any better than Pia did (she really sets the scene for the rage well haha), but something similar completely happened to me a couple of months ago and actually caused me to stop stretching at the gym for a few weeks.
can you… not?
I was on my back using a towel to pull one of my feet for a hamstring stretch. I like to use a towel because it gets a lot of grip over a sock, and if you position it right in the arch of your foot, you can pull both sides of the towel help rotate your leg in and out of a turn-out from the hip (something I’m always working on!).
So I’m on my back, don’t-talk-to-me-earbuds firmly in place, crotch fully exposed to the world because yeah, I’m trying to pull my leg to my face, it happens, and I see this dude.
He does pretty much what Pia described: this obnoxious arm wave like he needs to tell me the building is on fire.
I drop the towel, sit up, and take an earbud out of my ear. “You should use a yoga strap for that,” he says.
Um.
um.
Like Pia, I also had a waaaaaaah moment and checked his shirt thinking he must have been a trainer. Nope. Just an entitled white dude who felt the need to insert himself into my day.
I think I just kind of choked out a “no thank you” (because, why is this person invading my space to insert their opinion on my stretching technique?) and he shrugged and walked away.
Pia and I have similar “WHY ARE YOU DOING DIS” faces.
But my fear of stretching in publicremains.
Someone tell me: WHY IS THIS A THING?
It’s bros like this that scare me out of doing anything on the pull up bar, even though I really want to.
Have you guys ever had an experience like this? How did you handle it?\
Are men just being helpful? Trying to flirt? What’s going on here, for real?
You’ve probably seen her dancing. She’s pretty active on social media and other people LOVE her, so she gets shared a lot.
I was one of these people, many times.
Until, in a pole class, doing yet another “broken doll” pose to sad White People Music (WPM) while flinging my body around dramatically (with toes pointed, natch), I realized pole has changed, and it’s all Marion Crampe’s fault.
Like, okay, not ALL her fault. But at least 40%.
Guys, I’m not having fun anymore. It’s something that slapped me in the face in the middle of a choreography class while doing still more “desperate” poses, hunched gallops, and pretending to push the pole away.
This is not fun.
It’s painful (flinging yourself into a chrome pole in a dramatic fashion hurts), it’s way too serious, and it’s hitting the same note over and over and over and over again.
We are not all Marion Crampe. We do not all look good in broken doll poses (anyone over 102 pounds can relate to this, I’m sure–“awkward” only looks good on tiny people). And further more, we’re not all contortionists and gymnasts. Marion Crampe does not share this believe. This is a photo she shared this on Facebook the other day, just to underscore my point.
Um, but there should be a difference, because I’m not a rhythmic gymnast.
I guess I’m not sure where I fit in pole-wise right now. I’m not really suited to stripper-style studios (pole being all about booty claps and impressively wide leg spreads feels just as poseur to me as pretending to be Marion Crampe), but clearly, the classes I’m taking right now are just not right for me anymore. I think it’s time to admit this myself and move on, instead of going to yet another class and gritting my teeth through it.
I do know one aspect of what I’m looking for: I want to dance at a studio where dancing feels good. I feel like I’m being told to ignore pain way too often at the studios I’m visiting, and for what?
I didn’t share this with you guys because at the time (about two months ago), I was beating myself up for not being able to catch onto the choreography well enough. This was a different style (re: not Marion Crampe), but the focus is still on dramatic extremes and the expense of… not being bruised and floor burned. At the time of the class, I was still struggling with back pain, and I spoke to the teacher about this–she said she understood and was nice about it–but, you can see from the choreo she had planned that there really wasn’t a way to modify it to make it more gentle. I’m not even doing half of the moves because I lost my split and my back was just NOT permitting that push up-body slam thing. Multiple people looked upset and discouraged and were complaining that the routine was very painful (especially for those of us without socks), but, it was what it was. There was also a sequence of just like, 20 seconds of pirouettes and I couldn’t do that either. This whole thing pretty much made me want to whimper.
And another thing: I’m sensing a kind of internal contempt at these places between students. I feel like this is symptomatic of an atmosphere where we’re all told to power through pain and discomfort for the sake of aesthetics (which seems strange to me, because who’s watching exactly? where is this critical eye like Sauron demanding we skin our knees?).
As much as I hate yoga (I really, really hate yoga), I think they have the right idea when it comes to individual practice. Everybody has to do things at their own pace, and they should. We’re not all Marion Crampe. And trying to be is making a lot of us miserable.
Anyway, shout out to Marion, you’re freakishly good at what you do.
I’m just hoping there’s room in the pole world for the rest of us.
Until then, I think I’m going to keep bellydancing. We had a show last night and I had an absolute BLAST.
Ummmm if you put a camera in my face while I’m getting ready… I’mma keep getting ready while you take the picture, sorrrrry haha
Our teacher Dani’s face in this is everything.
First piece: drum solo. We’re basically crumping in this.
this choreo involved a lot of pointing and winking, which I am very okay with.
Getting serious now: the same choreo and costumes from Rakkasah.
sensually sniffing my armpit…
Resting bitch faces on LOCK.
final costume change of the evening for our belly dancing gangster piece. Steph was… confused.
family photo…. in Compton. Or Egypt. One or the other.
This is a photo of the actual choreo in progress. Yes, we had a lot of fun with this one.
This girl is an ANESTHESIOLOGIST, people. just letting you know.
I know you guys love your yoga. That’s okay. But yoga is kind of like pumpkin spice lattes: everybody loves yoga.
So I feel no guilt in proclaiming my hatred for it. Like Starbucks and Lululemon, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon, so my little opinion is free to exist in the blogosphere without doing much harm.
Here’s what happened (because you know there had to be extenuating circumstances for me to take a yoga class without there being a gun to my head): there was a gun held to my head.
JKKKKKKKK.
What happened was, I rode the subway an hour and a half (this was a Sunday, the R train was a nightmare) to the ballet class at my gym that I have taken every week for months, and when I walked up to the studio with my little bun and ballet slippers and water bottle, no one was there. THE CLASS WAS CANCELLED.
*shock, horror, general mayhem*
But even worse, this is not a one time thing. Ballet is just off the schedule. Forever. The class description isn’t even in the brochure anymore.
I. Was. Pissed.
I was also determined to not just get back on the subway to complete a 3 hour round trip on my motherfucking day off for nothing. So I checked the schedule for another class I could take.
The only option: yoga.
Fucking yoga.
And the class was an hour and a half.
So I mentally weighed some pros and cons of the situation.
Pro: this might be good for my back (which has been spasming like a motherfucker to the point where I had to stay home from work on Friday after a simple attempt at shaving my legs threw it out again).
Con: I hate yoga.
Pro: I was planning on stretching/flexibility work anyway…
Con: I fucking hate yoga.
Pro: It’s an hour and a half long class, which would nicely justify schlepping all the way out to Chelsea Piers.
Con: An hour and a half is a long time to be doing yoga, which I fucking hate.
Long story short, I decided to go for it. Some of it was okay–it hurt my back very badly during, but left me feeling much better on the way home–but most of it was annoying and just plain not for me.
Here were my pet peeves.
1. I got in trouble for pointing my toes
Like, okay, I get this. We’re supposed to relax, etc. But I can’t be in a shoulder stand for several minutes just looking at floppy ankles. Isn’t the whole point of this checking in with your body and being mindful of all of its parts? I tried flexing and turning out too, and the yogi called me out for that, too. RARRR. I’M BORED, AT LEAST LET ME WORK ON MY TOE AND TURNOUT GAME.
2. The breathing stuff made me a little sick
The expanding your abdomen stuff? Yeah, did not feel good. Especially when, as a belly dancer, I’ve been trained to use my chest and abdomen separately: breathing fills my chest but does not move it, or my belly, until I actively pop them. This has all been wired in my brain for eight years, so, it was both mentally AND physically very uncomfortable for me (it felt kind of gross and made me a little sick to my stomach).
3. The Ohming
This might have more to do with the fact that my instructor was an old white guy who sounded EXACTLY like the Catholic priest at my childhood church when he sang “amen.” Like, he sang it the same key and everything. Personal association, my bad.
4. The lying on the ground for an indeterminate amount of time
This is partly because I had to pee for the last 45 minutes of class, but ending like this was torturous. Okay, it was MOSTLY because I had to pee. Just as we were crossing the finish line (5:55, SO CLOSE), the silent meditation started. We were just lying there, forced to have our eyes closed, and I lost all concept of time. I could only think about how badly I had to pee. There was no indication of how long the lying in silence would last (maybe this class would run over 10 minutes, OH GOD), so I began to freak out that it was going to go on forever, and I would either have to pee myself or be the girl that got up in the middle of a silent meditation and yelled “I have to go to the bathroom!!” as she ran out.
And then I could never go to my gym ever again.
5. It’s so goddamn serious
I fell out of a couple of poses and cracked a smile, and every time, the instructor glared at me. What even is this? Also, people definitely audibly farted a few times and it was just so awkward to sit in perfect silence while it happened. Cannot take the solemnity, sorry.
Anyway, for all of my complaining I probably WILL go back, because I think it helped my back a little, and also because there was a hot guy in my class. I’m only human, people.
So how do you guys feel about yoga? Has anybody ever tried yoga pole? Because my friends just told me about it and I have a feeling it would be a vast improvement on this Hatha ish.
OH PS: new favorite pole jam. Kid Ink and Tinashe? Yes please.
So I was just reading this fabulous blog about the importance of clean lines in pole dancing (even for those of us who aren’t “serious,” ie. are probably not ever going to try a machine gun, etc) and I just want to jump up on the nearest table in lucite heels and scream YES, THANK YOU.
If you’ve ever taken my classes, you know I believe in doing things well–especially while performing the “easy” things, because, if you know a move inside and out, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have amazing posture/positioning/lines/hands/feet. Like, come on. There is no excuse for being that person knocking out strength moves with ease, but having flexed feet and claws for hands. That’s not a lack of strength or control, its just plain… not giving a fuck about posture/positioning/lines/hands/feet. #petpeeve.
I know it sounds elitist, but I swear it’s not–because anybody can clean up their lines with a little time and attention. It’s just about having the patience for honing an aspect of dance that’s not as instantly-gratifying as hitting a trick. (BUT, actually–gamechanger–it IS instantly gratifying!!! Once you see how beautiful small changes can be, you’ll be hooked, promise).
I get that some people are trick people, and that’s fine. But to me, the art of DANCE (of any kind) is in the flow and transitions and lines. Felix Cane backs me up on this (a former ballerina, PS).
Popping into a hard trick is great, but presentation is everything. If your posture sucks, wrenching your body into tricks with a weak foundation is kind of like rolling a turd in glitter. A shitty Fonji will be less moving to the average viewer than an artful, controlled, expressive fireman spin. That’s real.
So anyway, as I continue my casual ballet obsession, I wanted to quickly share a couple of exercises that I’ve picked up along to way to improve lines.
1. Straddle quad-lift (for straighter extensions)
Cleo the Hurricane totally cover exercise #2 in her new extensions DVD. That’s how you know it’s good!!
This one’s simple. Sit in a straddle, toes pointed, and squeeze your quads (your kneecaps should pull up) so that your knee caps retract and your heels lift off the floor. Hold for a second, and repeat. This works all the muscles that keep your knees straight when you’re off the ground, and it’s easy to work into your warm up (I usually do it right after straddle stretches, dur! 😀 )
Speaking of instant gratification, if you want to *see* more movement while working extensions, try sitting on the floor with legs extended and palms flat on the ground and slowly lift your leg for 8-10 counts, as high as you can without kicking (ie. cheating via using momentum) or compromising your posture. If you REALLY want to be ballet-authentic, do a second set on both legs with a turn out. Awwww yeah, feel that ballet burn. Bonus for both of these exercises: it’s really gratifying to see your quads flexing while doing this.
We do this one in belly dance a lot, but for pole, it trains your shoulders to engage and retract while spinning or sitting in holds, protecting them and preventing that “just hanging there” look. It’s simple, but surprisingly difficult: extend both arms out in a T-shape, then pinch your shoulder blades together. In the mirror, you should see your shoulders get very slightly closer together and draw behind you as your chest opens. Try 10 reps slow, then 10 double time. You can also try slowly raising your arms into a V overhead for an added challenge, but throughout either variation, focus on keep your shoulders down and your elbows up.
This is a tad extreme, but you get the basic idea…
3. Ankle stretch (for straighter ankle points)
I’ve been trying in vain to get my right ankle to flatten out into a straight line with my shin, and this simple move sure feels effective: kneel with your butt resting on your heels and the tops of your feet flat to the ground. With one hand touching the floor for support, gently lift your knee with the other hand (same hand for same knee) until you feel a stretch at the front of your ankle and top of your foot. Try shifting your weight around to see where you get the deepest stretch. Hold for several seconds and switch.
If you don’t know why straight ankles are important btw, I urge you to look at this picture of US gymnast Aly Raisman, who caught all kinds of crap for having “claw feet” in the 2012 summer olympics. (Yes, even when you are doing cray-cray flips and balances, people will still notice this stuff).
On another note, I swear to god, just being up being on your toes smooths out your feet and ankle lines more than anything–if you’ve got good form. The next time you’re on releve, make sure to check that you are 1. truly on the balls of your feet (not your insteps or literal toes), 2. that if you were to roll forward, your weight would be on your first three toes, not the 4th and pinkie, and 3. your ankles are straight (not winging or sickling).
4. Standing splits walking drill (to train leg extensions, flexibility, posture, and balance–whew)
A quick positioning guide! So image, very help, wow!
So you need a little room for this one, but it’s worth it for extension training, warming up, and flexibility-building all in one: starting with both arms extended in front of you, lift a leg as close to waist-level as you can, then in one smooth motion, bring it straight down and through behind you (into an arabesque) as you tip forward from the waist and touch your fingertips to the group (with your torso close to your standing leg).
Kick through your raised foot, bringing it high as you can. Hold a beat, and return to standing. Tak a step forward and repeat on the other side, alternating to cross the room. Tip: try not to pause or use your travelling foot to steady you as you transition into your standing split: you’re trying for one smooth, controlled motion. Use your core to keep your balance, and try to keep a flat back!
5. Anti-dinosaur arm stretch (for poor range of motion in arms and lower back)
This one is basic, but essential, and there’s two ways to do it. The first way, which we used to do on the swim team, is the “against the wall stretch.” Standing in front of a wall, raise your arms overhead and press your palms flat, gradually pulling your chest closer to the wall as your legs stay straight and your back arches. Try to pull your head through your arms, feeling the stretch in your shoulders. You can also try leaning from side to side for a deeper reach.
Alternately: stand with your back to the pole, grab with both hands overhead in cup grip (you can keep a little bend in your elbows), and pull your chest out and away from the pole. Be sure to keep your feet planted and close to the base.
Am I snob? Do you know better tricks for ironing out bent legs or limbering up dinosaur arms? Please share!
Also, in writing this I discovered that I have WAY more stuff I want to tell you about proper alignment (learned in my ballet adventures yet again), so I think I’m going to do a follow up about line/posture corrections you should be making as you dance. Yay for being a know-it-all 😀
1. When you get a note you don’t understand (what does “quiet collarbones” mean I should do?)
2. When you go over the hard part of a dance over and over and then mess up the easy part in a performance.
3. When your teacher says, “one more time!” for the 900th time and you’re starting not to believe her.
4. When your feet are dirty and you have to put your nice flats on.
5. When “warm ups” are code for “flexibility contest” (it’s a silent contest, but a contest nonetheless).
6. When a sequence is so fast that if you think, you just missed it.
7. When you get multiple notes at the same time and you can’t seem to do one without messing up the other (your shoulders lift when you try to straighten your knees, your feet flex when you try to keep your face soft, AHHHH MY BRAIN IS EXPLODING).
8. When a movement just doesn’t look the same on your body as it does on your teacher’s.
9. When you randomly can’t do the thing you totally did yesterday.
10. When your body just flat out won’t do something and you have little hope that it ever will. (Re: dinosaur arms.).
11. When the floor is too sticky, the pole is too cold, and nothing is working.
12. When you learn a dance in class and try to practice it home but blank out on 3/4s of it.
13. When you’re waiting in line to do something in front of the class that you’re definitely going to suck at.
14. When the teacher calls out a correction for “some people” and you look down and you’re the one who lost your turn out.
15 .When you remember to pack everything except your sports bra.
16. When you only nail it if no one’s looking and you forgot to hit “record.”
ok, so, BALLET. Here are my before pictures! They are not great, which is the point! I’m doing now what I always wish I did six months later, which is: record how shitty I looked before working really hard and improving.
A few points on what I’m hoping to achieve, and how it relates to pole:
Stronger feet–and better balance while on up on my toes. I think this will improve pole lines, and also help me with push offs and floor moves like pirouettes. Also, PURPOSEFUL FEET, SON. I don’t remember who wrote about that (Nina?), but, that post kind of changed my life and made me a slightly OCD dancer. I love it. I just want more physical control of my feet (and hands!) to match my obsession with them.
Extensions, Extensions, Extensions. Thinking you did something with beautifully straight legs and then seeing bent knees all over the video is TRAGIC. I’m hoping ballet will get my quads up to par, and of course, give me a greater range of motion.
Flexibility, especially in my back and arms. Seriously, T-Rex arms… not cute. And I’d love to get my arch game up so I can do the Figure Skater on spin mode and take my layback into a Crescent.
General grace, elegance, and body awareness. I want more control, in everything from poses and holds to just plain walking.
So, 10 classes, starting now. Garnet, my friend who made this video for me, came up with this nonsense about weekly updates (I NEVER SAID THAT GARNET), but, it’s in print now and it will keep me accountable, so, SIGH, I’ll probably do weekly updates. PROBABLY. Don’t get mad if I can’t!
photographer stepping on my back. thanks, G!
the closest thing to yoga you’ll ever see me do, SOAK IT UP
Left leg, front extension
Left leg, back extension
Right leg, front extension, WITH BALLERINA ARMS!!!11!!
Okay, cat’s out of the bag: I’ve been watching too much Dance Academy (Australian TV dramas, why you so compelling?!!) and now I’ve decided I desperately need to take ballet classes.
Lest you think it’s a whim, this is definitely happening. I have the Groupon, the slippers… it’s on. And soon to be popping.
I’m thinking of taking some before and after shots of a few things to see if 20 classes makes a difference in my flexibility, strength and extensions, so, let’s make that my goal for the weekend. I don’t have any illusions about getting on pointe in 3 months, but I’d love to be able to lift and hold each leg out gracefully at waist-level. Goals!
Anyway, I’m excited!! And my mom was so. fucking. thrilled. After years of belly and pole she’s so glad I’m doing something in clothing. This is for you mom!
Is this the worst idea ever? Have you guys ever taken ballet? I’m hoping to get more control on spins/turns for belly dance too, so I think this is going to mean 360 degree improvement on my dancing, even if I hate every minute. And I have a feeling I will. (This is going to be a lot like yoga in the pain/boredom departments, isn’t it?)
The Spin Diaries: Your Guide to Everything Pole and Aerial 