Y’all know I’ve been getting frustrated with pole. I feel like I’ve hit a wall–I’m bored with what I know, but I’m just not building the strength for the intermediate moves I keep encountering. Aerial inverts have been wrenching my already iffy lower back, while slipping and sliding and just trying to stay off the ground while learning stuff has just been overwhelming on top of the new skill.
Layer that with the additional constant pressure to “know this by now” because I’ve poled for a while and you get this face:
😐
So instead, I’ve been trying to build my strength and flexibility through other means–hoping to return back to pole with some new skills and a different outlook in a bit. Right now I’m doing flex, ballet, and my long lost friend…
….HOOP!
OMG HOOP.
Reasons I love hoop:
1. So much to hang on to. Are you kidding me? The best. You can also sit and rest between moves. Are. You. Serious.
2. Very similar moves and muscle groups as pole, but without the slipping/smashing/indian burn issues (I’ve bruised a little on the bum bum and behind the knees from the pressure but it’s really not the same as those screaming friction feels from pole).
3. I’m totally new at it so there’s no pressure to be amazing/no progress shaming
It’s also really refreshing to take a break from super sexy. I’m feeling the lyrical flow of hoop, and it’s the MOST satisfying pay off for my work in ballet and flex.
Ahhhhh, just thinking about it makes me feel relaxed and so much happier. Not that it’s not hard work–it’s just the work without all the emotional baggage that’s built up for me with pole. And it feels great!
Needed a break from pole so I tried an intro to hoop class at B&P. So much fun! We ran out of time for videos of the combo we learned, but our teacher Brenna was nice enough to let me get a clip of the flip we’d just learned!
So, I know you think I haven’t been writing, but that is SO untrue.
Here’s an off-topic picture of me and my niece on Thanksgiving! I keep telling her to point her toes but she doesn’t listen.
I have a whole bucket o’drafts that I started and then got lazy and abandoned.
A few topics of interest that I then realized were not so interesting and gave up trying to write a whole blog about:
1. I went on a water drinking kick!
Like, 12 cups a day! Because I read this stupid Daily Mail article! This was a feeble attempt at tightening up a bit for a big bellydance show coming up. Fuck bellydance costumes, btw. It’s going well, actually, but I’m peeing a lot. Taking the train home to Bay Ridge late at night is like playing bladder russian roulette. It’s given me a lot more pole-durance somehow, though, so highly recommend!
2. I quit my day job!
Okay not really so dramatic–I got another offer and very respectfully put in my two weeks notice. I didn’t flip any tables or anything! Still, this is really exciting, but scary for a couple of reasons: 1. I’m not longer going to be a plain old writer, but a “content strategist.” AHHHHH RESPONSIBILITY IS SCARY. 2. I have worked at this company for 3 years! I love everyone! I am sad. Change. 3. I will finally have to let go of My Big Love. This… makes me tear up a little, but I know it’s for the best. He sits about 6 feet away from me. I’m listening to him eat potato chips right. now. He also (still, forever) has a girlfriend, which bothers me than it apparently bothers him. So, it’s for the best that we finally get some distance. Because even as I’ve been forcing myself to Move On (FOR MONTHS, IT IS STILL HARD MONTHS LATER… no seriously, are you getting the full extent of this??) and I’ve pushed myself to go on endless shitty dates, he still hears about all of them when we’re washing our respective Tupperware in the break room and has The Best Reactions of All Time to my awful stories. We still leave each other desk presents. We still make faces at each other in meetings. I like him so darn much, and I’m going to miss him. I don’t forgive him yet for saying “I love you” while not single and then taking it all back, but that’s okay (not really, whatever, THIS IS PAINFUL, moving on).
3. I have been scaring myself and my mom on the hoop!
It’s only my 3rd or 4th class but my fellow students have been giving me a lot of props on my “control” getting in and out of moves–which is translating to great pole gains (think slooooow shoulder mounts). I’ve recommended lyra as pole cross training before, but now I’m practically issuing this advice as mandatory.
Anyway, here’s me walking through a new (very high!!) trick. Sorry this video is so long and boring!
What have you guys been up to? I’m seeing some INSANE shit on my blog roll, props to everybody on busting ass!
1. The hoop will fit neatly in your butt crack and that’s just something you’ll have to get used to.
2. OPEN SPACE OH GOD THE FALLING OPTIONS
3. Shorts are the enemy of hoop, so you have to wear pants or leggings! Except when you are wearing leg warmers then go ahead, ps. DAT ASS. (Leg warmers and shorts are a good look).
4. Sometimes the hoop turns and you get le crotch shot:
Exhibit AExhibit B
5, THIS is extremely difficult and you shouldn’t do it unless you are named Lauryn and have been hooping for 3 years. LAURYN I HATE YOU YOU ARE INCREDIBLE.
SHE FREAKING TURNED THE HOOP SIDEWAYS.
Gravity not applicable, nothing to see here.
But seriously, here’s some takeaways:
Sorry about the abundance of ass in this picture.
6. Abs, you guys. This is the best pole cross training ever because it’s like HIGH STAKES pole, with a balance challenge. Like, if pole were a squat, hoop would be that squat on a wobble board. Also, the squat is performed on the ledge of a high building and you could totally die. Am I making sense?
Anyway, my core was super engaged as I performed the already tough poses with the added work of trying in vain to control the motion of the hoop. (Give up, you can’t), which brings me to my next point:
7. Swinging around is fun. WHEEEE. Except when you can’t stop it. The swinging on a hoop is not a neat, predictable motion you can sort of control like a spin pole. It is just 360 degrees of nausea. I mean fun. I mean, good, nauseous fun. It is really a blast to twirl on purpose though, and like spin pole, your extensions can regulate speed while your legs are totally free to pose. Cool!
8. There’s a definitely mind-f**k aspect to the height thing. Which surprised me, because i’m upside down on a pole a lot of the time. But as Lauryn, who also poles, said, there’s something psychologically calming about having a point of contact to the ground in pole.
Which leads me to my next lesson:
9. Hoop is not for wimps. I hopped off like 4 times because I got spooked. BUT, it’s kinda good for a thrill if you’re feeling a little blase about pole, and bonus: you’ll never feel more secure on a pole in your life as after you’ve hopped down from a hoop. On the topic of a different kind of fear, here’s another hoop benefit: you can post your pics ANYWHERE, because no stigma! Yay! And with your pole training, you know they’re going to look dope. Sigh, hoop is so pretty. That said…
10. It’s so much harder to look graceful on a hoop than seasoned performers like Lauryn make it look. Especially transitioning in and out of poses which, SURPRISE, is one of the harder aspects of pole as well. Hoop and pole… not so different after all? LET’S ALL THE AERIALISTS JUST HOLD HANDS AND CHANT BECAUSE WE ARE SISTERS.
So, do you guys do other aerial arts to cross train? This was seriously an awesome strength workout with tons of flexibility potential, so I’d love to keep up with it. I could have done without all of the banging in personal places though, which brings me to my 11th and final takeaway about hoop:
11. Beware when choppering from the side of a hoop.
Just, trust me.
Love,
Cathy
PS. New Yorkers, check out hoop with the lovely Lauryn every Tuesday at 6! She’s the sweetest and a BEAUTIFUL dancer. Here’s the studio website, which has poles too or duh, I wouldn’t be there.
OH SNAP. So I went to a pole show yesterday. And it. Was. Awesome.
I dragged my shy, non-poling male friend, and I think he was scared. But witnessing his complete bewilderment was half the fun.
I know none of you were about to take the R train all the way down to Bay Ridge for this, so let me tell you a little bit about the show. In alphabetic-als, because I’m really tired you guys.
A: Aerialists! There were two hoop girls, and they killed it. See, you can do stuff both near and far from the ground on a pole, but when you’re on a hoop, you’ve got the same odds of landing on your neck for the ENTIRE PERFORMANCE. Brass balls. These ladies got em.
ALSO, apparently you’re supposed to wear leg covering when you hoop, but one particularly bad ass girl decided to pole and hoop (Hey bro, I hear you like bruises…), so, she was bare legged. #Swag. The other is my girl Lauryn, who I’ve actually never seen dance before this, and she completely blew me away. The confidence… the grace… and of course, her amazing costume which actually wasn’t a surprise because I knew she was artistic like that. Anyway, I want to hoop now, except that pole has taught me nothing if not that ALL AERIAL ARTS SUCK AND ARE HARD.
B: BOYS: I’ve seen guys hit the pole once in a while, but dude last night KILLED it. Most guys do a lot of strength stuff and skip over the lyrical, but last night’s sole male performer was pure pole poetry… and he definitely did some shit I’ve never seen before, so hell yeah to creativity. He also showed up later in a Pole Threesome (TM? must be? because I have never seen this craziness before), in which he supported a girl by HER FOOT, by squeezing it with HIS LEGS. So many questions. Epic. Moving on.
C: Chair dance: So technically, this didn’t involve a chair, but the emcee of the event called her boyfriend out of the crowd, sat him Indian-style against a pole, and did quite possibly the most spine-tingly sexy dance I’ve ever seen in my life. True story. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. And I was close enough to the stage to see him mouth, “You are BEAUTIFUL,” and “I love you” during the dance, so, yeah. Way too much cute/sexy/poignant for me to even handle. Amazing.
D: Doubles: There were so many great twosomes and threesomes last night, including an incredible booty-popping number with ECP’s owner. I love when dancers are actually capable of crazy, crazy shit on the pole… but they can also break it down and have fun with the booty. Work.
E: Entertainers: So last night I learned that there’s a difference between being an incredible dancer/trickster, and being an entertainer. I realized this when a fairly new dancer (1 year, according to the program… that bitch) completely owned the audience with a few well timed pauses, smiles, and eye-bats during her (slinky, confident, gorgeous) performance. I find this totally inspiring, because I can’t do shoulder mounts and shit, but yes, I can flip my hair (!!!) I have a shot, you guys!!!!
F: Feedback: I also learned last night that you can’t just chill at a pole show. You need to yell, and scream, and encourage the dancers. This was new to me, since I’ve seen most performers on YouTube.
That’s all for now, because it’s been a busy weekend and I’m feeling lazy.
Have you guys ever been to a live pole show? What did you think? Did you feel discouraged or inspired?
Have you ever been in one? Is it as nerve-wracking as I’m guessing it is?
Fill me in!
Meanwhile, be SUPER jealous, because Pantera was at the show last night and she is both an incredible dancer and out of her damn mind. This is her. Really, how strong can a person be? Ridiculous.
Happy twirls (and hoops, and whatever the fuck else you guys are making look easy),
The Spin Diaries: Your Guide to Everything Pole and Aerial 