wednesday, june 7, 2010 11am beginners climb & spin w/Brynlyn
class with Natasha, Marina and Lauren
started off the routine with a narrow-grip pullup, which I still have a very difficult time really doing using my arm strength and not jumping up to get that "look". from there we went into a squatted pirouette into a modified body spiral. that is a move that I have not worked on a lot, but Brynlyn was great and had us work on it from standing position first, then stand in front of the pole and work our hips, drilling it into our heads exactly what our hips should be doing. that drill really helped me figure out how my hips were supposed to swing in front of the pole and it helped a lot! making sure to get that hip around the front of the pole is key. you have to swing that outside leg around to get that hip around and into your body spiral... positioning your legs into a double attitude. THAT was hard. my legs know what position they are supposed to be in, but didn't want to do it. my legs looks a mess, but I got that hip around! we did a lot of floorwork that included straddles, a fan kick and a shoulder roll (I didn't crash into anything). climbing was MUCH better today. we went into our climb from a stationary position, but extended that other leg to swing around the pole (running climb) then went into a bow, climbed twice more and descended. we could have either descended with an inside hook or a reverse inside hook, which I attempted over and over again. you really need to make sure that you extend that outside leg in a way to swing your body backwards, looking over your outside shoulder at your leg, while pushing off the pole with your inside/climbing leg. I did push off a few times, but still working on getting that momentum to spin backwards into that hook. gotta practice on that one!
I felt really good about my climbing today b/c I was sticking. both yesterday and this morning I took showers, didn't lotion up. it is hot in nyc, but the only thing I can think of is that I shaved this morning and perhaps that had an effect on my leg grip on the pole. next class I may try some Mighty Grip just to see if it can help me grasp the pole a little better since my body sweats so much in the studio heat.
tomorrow is my birthday (it's about 50minutes away) and unfortunately there are no pole classes in the am and I have dinner plans, so I won't be poling on my birthday! did purchase the newsletter special, 10 open poles, as well as a membership, so they won't expire on me AND I get a locker, so I am planning on keeping my stilettos and some extra clothes there for classes :)
tuesday, june 6, 2010 10am beginners climb & spin w/Anna
11am booty camp w/Anna
song: "Pony" by Far
this was a hard day. the nyc heat wave started today and even with the ac on in the dance studio, it was warm. I kept sliding down the pole, not getting a good grip between my knees and sitting back, away from the pole. nevermind descending the pole doing body waves! I slid down sooo fast! so frustrating! we worked on a reverse double attitude as well. met Natasha and Marina.
following up that class with booty camp was killer. definitely ate and drank my fair share while in Texas for a week and I could feel those extra pounds doing their damage on my body. worked a few exercises beginning with a plank, and I could feel the muscle behind my legs during one particular exercise tightedn up, like in a Charlie Horse. did not feel good. thankfully we did our exercises and started stretching right away. we took plenty of water breaks and wiped down the poles.
it was hot, but it was great to work on some a new routine.
oh! and I wore my brand new green Ellie stilettos to class today and unfortunately b/c of the floorwork, the green color has already started to get scraped off. guess I'll have to pick and choose whose class I wear these too... definately NOT Lauren's!
monday, june 28, 2010 9pm advanced climb & spin w/Lauren (along side Suzanne and Kim)
song: "Love The Way You Lie (feat Rihanna)" by Eminem
this was a fun class and I definitely got to work on a few moves that I have been meaning to. the freehang felt good, as did working on my meatball (baseball grip hip circle) (this time, NInJa-style!). when we did the beginning pole work, it coincides with the slow Rihanna part fo the Eminem song and I thought "wow, ok, we're doing a slow song". so wrong. as soon as we out the moves to the song for the first time and stopped at our last move, Lauren started to go into the next move, as the rapping started. hilarious. should have known better.
I'm gonna let the movie speak for itself. these are just moves that were in the routine, that I had Suzanne tape after class was done. spot the blooper. ok, well there are a few, not so perfected moves, but one really great blooper.
at the beginning of the movie, I have a moment of a really nice straight body line going into the freefall and into the spinning climb. I can already feel that my spinning climbs are improving. I know that I fell out of the freefall a little soon and started to wrap my legs around the pole for the climb a little early, but they didn't touch until they both did at the same time, which is an accomplishment.
now, I make two attempts at the ninja meatball (baseball grip hip circle)- the first one is the best b/c my body does star horizontal for a longer period of time and it looks like I'm really leaning into the pole. it felt good to improve on that one. that went into a knee hook, folding over, chest out and up and into a reverse knee hang. still working on keeping my body away from the pole and not folding over myself in the beginning of that spin (it looks crazy awkward to me). the second attempt was not as good as the first, but how I "land" the reverse knee hang is a really great blooper! enjoy :)
song: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Marilyn Manson
that was the motto for the entire class, not just me. I tend to hold my breath while dancing, so when it comes time to climb, I look like I'm about to die. and that's just not sexy. by holding my breath, it doesn't make me look like I'm enjoying what I'm doing (but I am!) and it only makes it harder on myself honestly. if I remember to keep my breath consistent, I know I'll enjoy the performance more and my body won't want to collapse on the floor after the routine is over. no one likes a gasping for breath pole dancer. Anna was hilarious climbing the pole, whipping her legs around and talking like a princess saying things like "My body is like air - I'm so light - This is so hard, but I look like I'm enjoying myself." hilarious, but so true. have to keep those positive thoughts, but all the negativity reads on your performance face.
I actually wrote down in my blackberry what the routine consisted of, so here I go, listing moves and hopefully getting it right...
3 steps into an inside skater spin, step back, then forward, getting into bicep grip position for a fan kick, chest swing against the pole, body waves (work the legs), a climb with a bow at the top, making sure that front leg is straight and pointed (it makes all the difference & looks so nice), bicep grip position, swinging body (mainly your butt) in front of the pole, descending by pedaling down through the air, nice and big movements, landing on the ground.
I went to see Michelle Stanek and Kyra from Body & Pole perform during the Femme Totale show at RBar on thursday, june 24th and their performances were great. ever since I met Michelle through Pole Superstar, I wanted to take class with her (and am signed up for tomorrow actually, tuesday, june 29th). Kyra I met at the Pole Convention and she just seemed like a lot of fun. after talking to Jill Anne and Kyra, I told them I'd be at the studio for the 5pm class the next day.
the studio is beautiful and very wide open, lots of mirrors. Lian checked me in and my first class was only $20. the class consisted solely of Jill Anne, Kyra and myself, so we got a ton of attention. their classes are 1.5 hours long, and I get it b/c their warm-up is so intense. which was great! I was sweating and ready to go home for dinner by the time I was done stretching and doing abs! Kyra also reminded me to breathe and not hold my breathe. constant problem I have.
we played around with a choreographed routine to a few different songs and we worked in a chair spin (which I wanted to work on), but I couldn't seem to get a grip on the pole and kept messing them up. perhaps this is because the studio has thicker poles than I'm used to at NYPD. the routine was slow and sensual and fun to work on. and then... we got to the climb...
while Jill Anne was inverting, working on her butterfly move, Kyra asked if I knew any tricks, to which I responded no. she asked me if she could show me one and I was game. let's try this! she had me climb up the pole, then basically get into a guy sitting position. you know what I mean. if we are climbing on the right, the left leg is hooked around the pole, and you bring your right ankle to cross overtop your left knee. not very ladylike :) but for a reason. she then had me grab my right ankle with my left hand and then lean/fall backwards. this was not easy. as soon as I crossed my legs (b/c I was afraid of going backwards and also b/c I was all sweaty), I started slipping down the pole... at a pretty rapid rate. if Kyra wasn't there underneath my body to spot my back, I would have slipped all the way to the ground. but she was there and had me just do it. it definitely felt weird, but after a few run-throughs with the routine, so just made herself known to me when I needed that spot and I finally got it down with the music. which felt great. knowing that you are hitting those marks in the music where it makes a statement, while at the same time, you're about to do a move that will emphasize it even more.
don't get me wrong, it was scary. and I do not have the strength to invert yet. I know that, but it was fun o try that little piece. however... as I was leaving the studio, I did feel horrible. I think during the beginning stretches, I pulled something in my right thigh and it was acting up as I was walking down the street. I could also feel the kick-ass bruise that I just knew I was going to have right next to my crotch, on my upper inner left thigh. this was where my thigh, once crossing my leg at the top of the climb, hit the pole as I fell backwards. I KNEW it was going to be major. and it was. it killed to have shorts on that were rubbing against it. every time I had to go to the bathroom that night (and the night after) and pull my pants down over the bruise, it killed. it may sound silly, but it really did. I took photos of how purple it got, the darkest being on Sunday morning, but I can't figure out how to get them off my blackberry right now. killer!!
as a side note, I called my Mom after this class to talk to her about my pole dancing and she said the following: "you're not doing this for a living, so don't go crazy taking classes and spending money." which is true, but I did explain all the benefits to her and told her I wasn't going crazy. it's fun even though it hurts. it's not a cheap sport, but I am working off a discounted package and I want to get better. the other week was a little crazy with the class schedule, but hopefully I'll be working on the recital piece soon enough :)
* and I have no idea why the formatting is all crazy on this post.
tuesday, june 22nd 6pm open pole w/Gabrielle 8pm booty camp w/Gabrielle (and Suzanne)
Grace, Novella and I worked on testing during this open pole class, since we were all in the beginning stages of testing. Gabrielle had seen us previously do some moves, so she went through the testing sheets and crossed off what she knew we had down. we worked on the following moves, plus a few I may have missed on writing down:
- sundial/double attitude spin - CHECKED OFF (finally)
- compass spin - hook the pole with your inside leg, then you whip your outside around, so when we land, you land outside, inside. need to make sure that my inside leg is vertical, with the pole, not angled out. very cool move.
- some variation of the compass that I can't remember the name of
- little lady, another variation of the compass spin - this is where you cross your outside over your inside when you whip the outside leg around. looks like your sitting on the outside of the pole, with only your inside leg hooked around the pole. this was a bit difficult for me b/c you have to get that leg crossed damn fast before your spin looses momentum. since my legs are a little bigger, it is harder for me to completely cross my legs, knees to knees, as quickly, but I'm working on it.
- knee hang - forward, not reverse. working on keeping my body leaned away from the pole and not gripping too hard and letting my body slide down the pole. also, keeping that top leg (which was originally hooked on the pole) bent, not straight. so both legs are bent around the pole when coming down. sort of looks like a side limb but falling down the pole in a spin.
- biceps & narrow baseball grip pullups - damn. I was that kid in elementary school that during the President's fitness challenge that couldn't do one pullup. seriously, I just hung there while the gym teacher urged me to just get one. didn't happen. and it didn't happen on these pullups either. whenever I would try, my heels never left the ground, even if it was only my toes. no jumping into it. plain arm strength to pull the weight of your body up on pole. something to work on.
- straddle spin - still working on getting those legs straight and up.
booty camp. kicked. my ass. Suzanne asked for ab work. and we got ab work. to be honest, I did stop a few times during a few things to work out some kinks in my body and to catch my breath. I get more gym cardio in my life. and I was sore the next day. not immobile sore (thank God), but sore enough to realize I need to get my ass in shape.
semi-private class w/Gabrielle and Suzanne, Pheon & Shirley
a little ago, Shirley had the idea to get us together to chip in for a semi-private class so we could all work on what we wanted to work on. I had wanted to work on choreographing my August recital routine, Shirley wanted to work on inverting and her routine and Pheon and Suzanne just wanted to invert with someone whom they thought could spot them and not get crushed if they fell on top of. haha :)
I brought my list of moves and my iPod shuffle so I could listen and play on the pole at the same time, but they proved to be difficult b/c I felt really strange trying to remember what moves I could do and how to get from move to move in the recital piece. with everyone inverting around me, I just felt a little weird trying to think of ways of putting together this routine and not looking awkward doing it. after an hour of standing around my pole, working on some climbs, descents, spins and trying to not cut up my hands any more, Shirley practiced/taped her routine and it came out fantastic! I followed with mine and really did find out that just putting the music on and moving to it really helped getting some ideas out of my head and onto the videotape, so that I could look back and think about when would be the best times to do some of those moves and have them go with the music. without even noticing it, I quit at 3 minutes and since the song is only 4, I'm sure I don't be cutting it down. it's just about getting those moves down pat that I know and really practicing them to death, so the routine is perfect.
Gabrielle also worked with me about how to go from the angel spin into a back hook, which I've included the video of here:
I have open pole with Gabrielle on Tuesday, so perhaps I'll try a little testing for half the class, then work on some moves for the recital piece as well. but for today, my hands are getting a much needed rest!
my friend and former-coworker, Heather Maggs was coming up to NYC this weekend and wanted to take a beginners climb and spin with me, so we signed up for this morning class. first off, there were 10 people in it, which was a little crazy. I am so used to taking class with small amounts of people, that it was a little bit of a shock. plus we were in the smaller studio, which didn't make any sense. I barely got my stretching in, since I was right next to the door that went into the lobby and people kept going through it.
I had never before taken a pole class with Gabrielle and was surprised at the combos we were doing right off the bat. not much of downtime, hip circles or transitional work like Lauren, but rather climb, descent, fan kick, spin, spin, splits, floor work and back up. Heather did a good job considering it was her first time and learned how to hold herself up on the first level of a climb. it was a great combo, but just a lot of moves and quickly at that. I do have to say that at one point, I did land a spin not directly on my right heel and fell off my shoe, sort of twisting my ankle a bit. even now, two days later, it's a bit sore, so I'm taking today off to give my ankle, hands and wrists a rest.
pheon walked into the studio and we asked Gabrielle is she was going to be doing the same routine and since it was a yes, I decided to stay and give it some more practice. so saturday I got two hours of pole in and realized I am gripping the pole too hard when I spin, thus causing the blisters and torn skin on my fingers and pole burn on my wrists. I DID however work out my chair spin, which is looking nice and really felt good about the routine at the end of the second hour. Pheon took video, so here we go!
pheon was supposed to make it to open pole this am, but wasn't able to due to work, so there were only 3 of us in open pole today. Anna did a good job taking her time with each one of us, going down the line and working with us on what we wanted to do in that hour. one girl was inverting, another was working on her illusions and I continued my testing. I should start working on my routine for August, but I'll do that on Sunday. it proved to be a good decision on my part because I checked off a few more things!
- lunges (spins) - CHECKED OFFoutside hook, making sure that knee is against the pole like a regular front lunge is, while the back leg is straight. start off with a basic star prep move and fall into the spin, using that outside leg to swing around and gain momentum for the spin. make sure not to look at the ground, but rather over your shoulder at your back leg. one thing that Anna mentioned is that once I put my stilettos on, I get a great deal of height, but I'm not using it to my advantage, I need to whip that leg around and get some spin on it.
- sundial/double attitude - still not checked off. this is the double attitude move that I described before. still need to get my torso straight and core tight, position my hip out and back, pulling my back leg back and towards the other side of my body. when I stood at the pole and Anna helped me just put my leg in the air, in the position it's supposed to be in the spin, damn that hurts! still have to work on this one, but I think I'm getting a bit better.
- straddle (spin) - ugh! keeping your body straight and your core tight is hard. it's all the little things that you have to think about that makes pole dancing harder than just whipping yourself around a pole. need to get those legs straight, even if they're not as high as they should be.
- floorwork - CHECKED OFF pedals, straddle waves, in/out, shoulder rolls (first time doing them! like a backwards somersault)
- transitions - CHECKED OFF hip circles, body wave, dips
I get a few great tips from Anna this morning: - she told me to overexaggerate my moves, don't be afraid to mess up, because it will force my body to reposition itself correctly (keeping core tight and straight). - she noticed a blister on my right pinky finger (damn it hurts!) and pole burn on my wrists. this is because I'm gripping the pole too hard and dragging my wrists against the pole. I need to LOCK my wrists when I do my spins and hold my arms correctly or else I'll end up with more pole burn (which was killing me today) and tension in my forearms (which I am totally feeling right now).
great open pole! can't wait for class with my friend Heather tomorrow morning then a semi-private class with Suzanne, Shirley and Pheon on Sunday evening. gotta get ready for the recital!
there were four of us in class last night and the routine was a lot of fun. it was actually just a spin class, we didn't get to any climbs. probably because we were working on out freehang angel legs spin into outside hook (fireman spin). making sure that your body stays away from the pole, you keep your body straight and don't go flying everywhere takes a lot of work, but I did well with it and went into the outside hook after a few tries. ok, not just a few tries. a lot of tries :) but it definitely felt good!
the routine started with 2 half divets, followed with a full divet (repeat this 3 times), step into a full turn around the pole, a half illusion, stepping your inside leg out far enough so you don't get caught up in it during the next part. bring your outside leg to the inside leg, stick it out in the air and slide down the pole on your back, with one leg straight and the other bent. the floorwork included some flutters, straddles and rolling into position to pick your legs up from underneath you into a straddle and then onto the floor in a squat position. I was better at getting that straddle in on my right side, didn't do it on the left. once up, we took it into that freehang angel into outside hook. not took crazy of a routine and it was great to work on that freehang, which I'd only tried once before.
I returned from Maryland on Tuesday night and jumped right back into the thick of it with a beginner's climb & spin class with Kira on Wednesday morning at 11am. Pheon also decided to take class with me and it was just the two of us :)
the top of my right foot that got all scratched up last week from the brass pole is still healing, but my right hands have healed completely. however... I think I must have jammed my left hand somehow b/c it seems as if my middle and ring finger on my left hand are stiff to the point of aching and unable to grip things as tightly as before. last night I put a splint on the middle finger, but I think something is messed up around the middle knuckle, b/c that's the area that hurts. I will say that my hand still aches now (Thursday morning) and it was definitely hard to grip the pole with my left hand, especially when we were doing the routine on my left side yesterday. we'll see how today goes.
back to the class. I had never taken class with Kira before and she was very different than the other teachers. she had us practice our chair spins and climbing with a stag descent before going into the routine. then we just added those into it. I had attempted the chair spin at home at Xpose, but Kira really cut it down step by step so you had an understanding of what exactly you were supposed to do to get into the spin. the same with the stag descent. we worked on (at the top of the climb) really taking the time to get that bicep grip in place before moving our body to the side of the pole, straight legs, then going into a stag, with the outside leg bent and the inside leg straight. Kira said that my bicep grip was looking really good and it felt nice to slowly take the time and get the fundamentals down. She is all about getting the basics down and taking the time to do so. it was a great class. I look forward to taking another class with her since my days are open.
Wed, June 9th: pole level 3/4 @ Xpose Fitness in Annapolis, Maryland
I've been home in Southern Maryland since Fri, 6/4th and it was about time that I made my way to Xpose for a pole class. I only knew that this studio was here b/c Lauren (from NY Pole Dancing) started pole dancing at their Towson location years ago. I called the other day to ask if I needed a reservation and if I could wear my stilettos. NO & NO. damn, so my (well, Annie's) broken stilettos made it all the way to Maryland for nothing! a little disappointed that I couldn't dance in stilettos (your heel has to have the surface space of atleast a quarter), but I happily went barefoot and everything was ok. I figured I could skip to levels 3 and 4 b/c I know how to climb. it all worked out for the best :)
first it was super easy to find, off of Riva Road in Annapolis and everyone there was super friendly! from the front desk to my instructor, Rachal and my fellow classmates, it was awesome. one thing that I was not prepared for was the existence of brass poles in the studio. damn. I could tell my fingers were hurting more than ever, but I didn't realize that trying to do the spins on the brass pole was actually rubbing my skin to the side and opened up like a blister would. brass poles are used by top level dancers b/c they are "stickier" than chrome poles (which we use at NY Pole Dancing). my hands (and tops of my feet) were not prepared, as you can see!
in the beginning of the routine, Rachal demonstrated a carousel spin, where you are basically in a sitting position and you whip around your outside leg, ending where your outside leg is straight and your inside (pole) leg is bent. I tried this, but had trouble keeping my core straight and legs up, so I did a chair spin, where it looks like I'm sitting on the outside of the pole while I spin around. I just need to work on getting my legs up and not just underneath me, dangling for dear life!
Rachal took that straight into a reverse hook spin, which I had previously worked on with Lauren during a few sessions. I knew that I jumped into them and am still working on getting that height from pulling up while going backwards instead of jumping up and into the spin, allowing my inside leg to hook around the pole and my body to spin backwards. all the other women in the class were able to combine these two spins into one combo, but I was just working on touching down for a hot second between both to get my position correct.
after that and some figure eights, we took it into a climb. just a regular climb and I can tell you that I did feel a difference there with the brass pole. my legs definitely stuck to the pole. that explains all the pole burn on my legs and wrists (from spinning). at the top of the climb, Rachal took it into a straddle, where (rightside) her right arm was across her body at her chin, gripping the pole at her elbow and her left arm was at knee height in a reverse grip. once secure, she sat back from the pole and held her body away from the pole in a straddle position. since I hadn't done this, she introduced me to the push-pull effect. instead of gripping the pole with my bent arm, she had me (rightside) sit down from the pole and place my right hand high up on the pole. sitting back a little allowed me space to space to place my left hand in a reverse grip at the height of my knees. now all that was left to do was to push away from the pole with my left hand (bottom) and pull with my right hand (top). It was relatively easy! that is a fantastic grip! getting that bottom grip was a little testy a few times and as soon as I started to push my body away from the pole, I started to spin. you can see this in the video I'll post at a later time. just gotta get those straddle legs up and hold it for longer than a second, but I feel really accomplished about this one :)
between the limited air flow in the room and that fact that I was determined to nail these new moves, I was sweating buckets. no joke. even said so. I don't think I've sweat that much in a pole class ever!
now from the straddle at the top of the pole, we went directly DIRECTLY into a figurehead pose. this was awesome to watch. I do it in the video and am not very graceful, but it did get easier and easier as time went by! and it looks kickass. you pretty much look like the woman at the front of boats. like I said, kickass.
it's sort of hard to explain, but I'll try (rightside): place your right hand high, fling your body to the front of the pole, while hooking your left leg around the pole and straightening your right leg, hooking your right foot behind the pole. now reposition your left hand, so you manuever your head/torso underneath your right arm and you're in front of the pole. now bring both hands down behind you on the pole and lean forward, arching your back. at this point in time, Rachal mentioned that depending on your strength, you could do a lot of things with your legs. you could keep them bent and straight, or bend them both and do some kicks. I think I'd need to work on grabbing the pole higher up n my thighs for me to feel comfy letting that right foot loose from behind the pole. but it was awesome and two moves I'll be putting into my August routine.
we finished up the routine with some floorwork, some booty pops, some butt scoots (which I could not do without shoes or socks on). Lauren would have been proud- I'll have to show her :)
the atmosphere was awesome and of course I had to buy a tank and tee to support the studio. called Suzanne and left a distracted message on her cell's vm (I was in target) and talked to Pheon on ym way home. told her all about the brass pole and my hands being torn up and she recommended that I not go to any more classes until I return and let them get back into shape. I had been thinking about taking a classes tomorrow and saturday mornings, but she's right. along with my Dad. my hands need to heal if I want to take class and not hurt next week at NY Pole Dancing AND do my semi-private class with Gabby, Suzanne and Pheon on Sunday the 20th. gotta prepare my moves for the August student recital!
so, this was a super long blog post! I promise to keep up as I continue my pole dancing journey and to post the video of the straddle and figurehead pose asap.
I had my last open pole scheduled for today, but it was cancelled by Wendy due to scheduling conflicts. Shirley was actually the one who caught it and informed me on Facebook of the issue. I told her that I was going home for a bit and thankfully she extended the expiration date for the opne pole and gave me an extra class! now I have until June 24th to take two open poles and I can't be more excited to get back in there and continue to test! :)
woohoo! I've enjoyed taking class with Brynlyn in the past, so I was excited to take an open pole with her. and even more excited when I learned it was only the two of us. I had her all to myself! AND she had me start to test into climb & invert.
at NY Pole Dancing, you have to complete a testing sheet in order to advance into climb & invert classes. which I think is a great idea b/c you should have your basics down before you start going upside down. I'd like to feel confident in what I can do right side up before attempting to flip my body weight upside down and around a pole. hey, that's just me! but don't think I'm really close to doing that... the testing sheet includes spins, transitions, climbs, descents, etc. and is about 4 pages long. I have a ways to go, but I'm excited to have checked off a few things. as small as they may be :)
- outside hook spin - CHECKED OFF remember to step out of it, but end at the pole
- lunge spin - make sure that you are looking at the pole, your hooked knee is angled in and that back leg is straight!
- sundail/double attitude spin - hip back & out, look for your back foot over the shoulder of your bottom hand.
- inside and outside skater spins - CHECKED OFF (I like these)
- inner thigh spin - fallfallfall !! with your leg behind you & when the inside leg hits the pole, switch legs and catch high on your thigh (not just above your knees like I've done in the past)
- spinning climb 1 - outside hook w/one leg in front and back of pole, grip thighs to stop spinning
- spinning climb 2 - right climb with your left leg straight, right leg behind pole, grip thighs to stop spinning
It was really great to have the one on one attention b/c Brynlyn would do it, then I would do them over and over again on both my right and left sides. keeping these notes are def going to help me in the long run, so I can remember how do do some things. I also need to start YouTube'ing some tutorials just so the basic moves are fresh in my mind. it's hard not having your own pole to just work on your hand positions.
Thurs 5/27 & Fri 5/28 were very strange days to say the least. at the end, I didn't have a job to get up and go to after Memorial Day weekend. definitely hard for someone who was unemployed for 9 months in 2009/2010 and had only been working for 3.
it's disappointing, but it was completely unexpected and I am interested in seeing what's out there for me now. as I write this backlog, I'm at my childhood home in Southern Maryland, just took a pole class in Annapolis and an enjoying spending down time with my parents and friends.
Mon, May 24th: advanced climb & spin w/Lauren
song: "She Seen Me" by Usher
moves:
backward pencil - inside leg bent (ALWAYS bent the wrong leg!)
ninja descent - swing your body from the back of the pole to the side, lean your body weight into the pole and fold over a bit. bend your inner leg and straighten your outside leg. make sure to keep your body weight leaned into the pole as you descend down the pole
lots of floor work. booty shakin' and poppin'. straddle splits that took me a little longer to do and not completely plop my body onto the floor.
the notes I have for this class include no song, but the following sequence- a fankick onto the pole and stand up. we finished the routine with an outside hook spin into a spinning climb and a spinning descent.
I do remember that I hadn't worked on my spinning climb at this point in time, so I just did a regular climb.
I have notes on this practice at home in my apartment, I'll have to fill this one in when I get home. but there was another girl in the class and we worked on a bunch of spins, I really hadn't worked on a lot before.
just a little note: between taking pole classes, going to concerts, heading to DC for the Intl Pole Convention with Suzanne and Pheon, seeing friends and getting let-go from my job, I haven't updated my blog. until now. I'm home with Mom and Dad in Maryland recharging and after a fantastic pole class in Annapolis tonight (which I'll write about in a few posts), I knew if I didn't update my blog soon, Suzanne was gonna have at me with a stiletto! here we go.
Thurs, May 13th: beginners climb & spin w/ Brynlyn
same routine song as the previous Monday, "Freaky Gurl" by Gucci Mane. the reason I took this class again was b/c I wanted to try the routine again after a few days and after my mind had a bit of a rest. I was getting so incredibly frusrated that Monday and knew that I was better than that. I actually wrote down that night the moves to the best of my ability, so I could refer to them in the future. not going to go back into it, but atleast when I hear the song now, I can visualize the routine in my head (well, atleast the beginning!).
I wasn't planning on taking class tonight, but Pheon convinced me. some prep work had to go into this though. a trip to old navy and american apparel to get bra/top and high waisted booty shorts (awesome!!!). borrowed Suzanne's stilettos from her NYPD locker and felt like a youngster again, trying to remember how to work a combination lock. good thing I have a good memory. all this took place after I left work and spontaneously got my ears pierced. yeppers.
9pm beginners climb and spin w. Anna and I believe we danced to 'Walk Away" by Christina Aguilera. in the video, the routine starts, but in class, we didn't start the routine until after she finished her speaking intro. came out fine either way and playing with my iMovie for the first time was fun. finally, I got to rotate the video!! :)
we worked a lot on the straddle spin, which this blog's title is all about. stabilizing your core, so your body stays straight in a sitting position, making sure that your legs are straight and up. my legs definitely needed some work keeping straight (both at the same time, so difficult for me) and in alignment with my hips. like your sitting on the floor in a straddle. it's hard to get your legs up there, but I'll keep working on it!
I rushed through that backwards step back move b/c of all the momentum from the first swing around, which I also need to control, so that's why I look so awkward for a moment. then I hip circle it out for a long time b/c I couldn't remember what came next in the routine. Pheon told me "fan kick" and I proceeded to do so, to my liking I might add :) DEFINITELY need to work on getting my legs off the pole during those peddle descents and not keep the pole in my inner thighs. gotta work on that arm strength.
either way, great class with Anna. she really focused on each of us in class (4) and made sure that she gave us feedback. check out the video and I'll be back soon with another blog.
booty camp'd it out this evening (7:30-8:30). a little step aerobics, with some abs, triceps and biceps thrown in the mix. great stretching and I officially met Jenny, who is tiny and amazing!
walking out of advanced climb & spin (9-10), I didn't feel the same way. Lauren was sick, so Brynlyn filled in and chose an appropriate ghetto song for the routine this evening- "Freaky Gurl" by Gucci Man, featuring Ludacris & Lil' Kim. holla!
there were 7 people in class and some of them had long legs! had to stagger a few spins, b/c I got kicked at one point. we had to go in two groups, which doesn't allow you tons of time on the pole and I def sat out every other time, while people got more time on the pole. it happens. the routine was great, a little quick in the beginning and in the middle for a hot second, but awesome.
I just felt... defeated. there's no better word. I could do the moves for the most part, but once Brynlyn stepped away and watched us, I was done for. 3 out of 4 run-throughs at the end of class, I bit the first part and jumped back in, not concentrating on my face or feeling the music, but rather trying to get my routine in shape and keep up. I think I did well on my inner thigh spin though, but need to work on transitioning my hands from that spin directly into a reverse body spiral with straight legs, which I've never tried before. that's gonna be something to work on in open pole. I know I just have to take my time with it. but it sucked tonight. I couldn't climb to save my life. not even one level, I kept slipping, even after I rubbed down the pole with alcohol and I didn't have any lotion on all day. if there was a bear sitting underneath my pole with his mouth open, I'd be dead right now.
and it's so damn frustrating. no really, I don't think you understand. if you know me, you probably know that when something bothers me, I mean really bothers me, I get all quiet and my eyes fill with tears. this is dancing and it's fun and I just felt like I sucked at it tonight. and to top it off, Brynlyn could tell I was getting increasingly annoyed with myself, after I just gave up in the middle of two run-throughs.
I know it's only one class and Thursday is going to be better and I have new moves to practice at open pole with Lauren on Sunday, but it still bothers me. I DID however once get to the top of the pole, swung myself to the side, opened my legs in a straddle and came down to the floor in a split. THAT was cool.
beginners climb and spin with Brynlyn last night, Thursday 5.6.10. we danced to "Am I the One" by Beth Hart. it was a slow jam, very seductive, slow, sexy. we were told to give a lot of attitude and you know I didn't disappoint (in my humble opinion).
we worked on controlling our full circle around the pole, keeping our core tight and straight, making sure that if using two hands, we kept a baseball grip, if with one hand, we did something fun with it. remembering to stay straight definitely helped me to control my up/down motion of stepping around the pole without losing control at the end.
that motion took us straight into a reverse body spiral, which I had never tried before. Lauren had taught me how to do a regular body spiral in one advanced class and I had a hard time keeping my bicep grip and body next to the pole. in the reverse body spiral, you need to readjust your hands, so your forearm/elbow grip allows your elbow to line up with your shoulder. once I tried it a few times (and failed) I got the hand of having your elbow sort of wrapped in front of the pole, in a position where your forearm is right against the pole tightly. I like that grip and unlike the bicep grip, it makes you keep your torso away from the pole for an amount of time while your doing your reverse body spiral. there's space between the pole and your side. gotta get that core tight. all the while, keeping one lef bent in front of you throughout the entire spin. this I had a problem with. it wanted to go behind me like a reverse hook. the body spiral (forward/reverse) will be practiced at my next open pole :)
Brynlyn gave us two types of climbs and she told me to do the second one. YES! I'm improving! it was a lot of fun too. on the right side- basic climb with the right foot behind the pole, lift yourself up, sort os dragging or extending your straight left leg around to the front of the pole. reminds me of a running climb, where you are basically climbing the pole with your back leg only and using that momentum from the straight leg to keep going up. once my legs are around the pole, you do a little booty swing from side to side, then take the climb to the second level, booty swing and descend the pole in a stag descent (one leg bent, one straight). where I found it was hard for me, was after the booty swing b/c it was then that I had to climb again, not having really any momentum to take the climb to the second level. so it felt like I was using my arms a lot to get there. after some practice I felt better with it, so it all comes in time.
I keep forgetting that I've only been at this just past a month and the instructors are telling me that I picked up climbing very quickly. I love it :) got some bruises back on my inside/back thighs and I must have sliced myself with my stiletto on the side of my left knee b/c I have two parallel scratches (that drew blood). it's getting dangerous, this pole dancing.
I experience my first open pole class today at NYPD w/ Lauren and lucky me! I was the only one signed up! a one on one experience without the price tag, exactly what I needed.
last night I wrote a comprehensive list of what I wanted to work on during today's open hour: knee hook spin (forward and reverse), baseball grip hip circle (meatball) from standing position and the floor, hitch kick (not so great at that), straight leg descent (chest into the pole, legs off), stag descent, climbing and holding my body at the side of the pole (definitely need to work on my arm strength for this), inner thigh spin. practicing each of these moves a few times on both the right and left sides took the entire hour, with a few minutes over to record some of the hilarity that ensued (it's a blooper reel).
spending that time with Lauren really gave me insight as to body positioning and things I had to work on. and she reminded me that taking some time off a move help clears the mind, so when I return to it, I have a better understanding from the get-go of what to do. like with the knee hook spins- I really need to remember to drop my torso and not hold myself up because it hinders my legs from spinning completely to the ground. in the video you can see that I bite the forward knee hook spin both times and end up dropping to the ground. oh so graceful, I know :)
I bought an open pole package, so my next one is scheduled for Sunday 5.16, which will give me some time to get some other classes in and return to the pole with a clear mind of how to set-up each movement. my calluses from rowing on my palms came back and I have some pole burn on my wrists, but all is good. my body is totally sore, but I'll be back tomorrow for beginners climb & spin w/ Brynlyn at 8 and stretch class at 9.
last Monday was my last pole class in my package and last Thursday was the first in my FIT package. FIT class examples are stretch & booty camp. anywho, I waited for the May newsletter which had specials in it and decided just to go with the 20 climb and spin, which I can use over 90 days. they'll definitely be gone in a little over a month though. I just couldn't convince myself tha 30 classes (18 c&s and 12 fit) could be done in the month of May for me- I'll be gone two weekends and have some work weekday events that cannot be missed.
I made my return to the studio today, Tuesday and damn, Tuesday classes are energized! this is how it went down...
6-7 pm: booty camp w/Gabrielle
- stretching, abs, legs, arms, kill me, biceps, right arm actually shaking uncontrollably, pull up your limp lower half on the pole, forearms, sweating, not remembering to breathe
- this kicked my ass and was fantastic after all was said and done
8-9 pm: beginners climb & spin w/Bonnie
{few different song choices throughout the routine}
- stretching, tons of ab work TONS!, strength work with biceps curling our body into a ball and holding our body up, hips in front of the pole
- reverse knee hook spin (the opposite of what Brynlyn taught me last week) - you start off in the same position, but fall backwards, like you're sitting in a chair, while bending your outside leg and straightening your hooked leg. THIS is why I have pole burn on the back of my knees and thighs. I apparently had a death grip on my hooked knee and top hand, so I wouldn't continue to spin down the pole, instead stopping half a foot from the floor and stuck there. over and over again. even in the routine I had trouble getting into position for the spin, always coming out of the illusion badly with my foot too close to the pole to get into proper position. something to work on.
- worked on a climb with a stag descent, one knee bent, the other straight sliding down the pole. we only did this once and for the rest of the class kept doing the routine minus the climb. to the point where I was tired to even get any of my footing correct.
- definitely a good class with 4 other people, but it was a mess for me personally.
tomorrow 5.5 I scheduled open pole w/Lauren at 7pm. open pole is where students can come in, have their own pole and work on whatever they want to work on- spins, climbs, a routine, etc. with an instructor watching and giving their input. just some time for you to help conquer the pole. and so far I'm the only person reserved, so I'm really looking forward to just working on my spins, climbing and descents. I've learned a lot so far and just want to practice each a few times with an instructor to give me tips on how I can improve. and I definitely want to work on my running climb and possibly a spinning climb.
that's all for now, super tired and we'll see if I have any bruises from today's spin in the am :)
today at 6pm, I took my first booty camp with Brynlyn at NYPD. we did the complete stretching routine that we do at the beginning of each climb and spin, then split up into 3 circuits, working our triceps, abs and biceps. each circuit was 1 minute and damn, it started to hurt after just a few reps because while you're doing your exercise, you're keeping your core tight and working on your body's stability. definitely had to push through some of the last reps! Brynlyn had to keep reminding me to breathe, as I tend to hold my breath when exerting myself.
following the strength circuit, we did a cardio circuit made up of mountain climbers, jumping jacks and those jumping squat into plank things that I completely hate to do! my heavy breathing indicated to me that I have to work on my cardio, which I've known but conveniently put out of my mind recently.
finally, we did some ab work on the floor, with our feet on a exercise ball. unfortunately I think my all was too big for me, so I had a hard time planting my feet on the top and going through the motions completely. there's always next time.
I really enjoyed booty camp and I am eager to try out other teachers, as each has her own style and exercises. tonight I met Pheon at the desk and we started chatting about the upcoming pole convention in Washington, DC in late May put on by Pole Pressure. looks like a fun weekend getaway with the girls, so we'll see what happens!
after being unemployed for 9 months, I took an office position working for a NYC-based pole dance company. within two weeks, we were putting on a showcase at a local club and I was in the middle of it all. learning about the business, the dancers and the sport. these women are amazing at what they do and felt it was only fitting that I start taking classes.
this post is just an introduction. I am going to try and put up a post (I'll backlog) mentioning each class I've taken, the music, the moves, the bruises. it's definitely not easy on the body, believe me. epsom salt baths and Arnica gel have become my new best friends.
I am overjoyed to announce that today marks my 1 month anniversary of pole dance classes!
a friend recommended that I start a blog about my adventures in pole dancing because I started a photo album on my facebook page and kept mentioning how much fun I was having while beating my body up. the pole dancing community it rapidly expanding, but still very close-knit and I am happy to have made so many new friends in this past month. everyone, students/teachers/bosses, are incredibly supportive and it feels good to be part of something again (I used to row in college).
as I start my second blog of all time, I find myself a bit overexposed. myspace, facebook, twitter, skype, blogger x2, gchat, bbm, aim. I don't consider myself a shy person, although I can be. as an only child, I've come to feel comfortable being alone- traveling, seeing shows, living in my own space. however, stemming from that is my need to share everything. I am lucky to lead the life I do and try not to take it for granted, but I want and need to share. maybe that makes me self-indulgent or a bit narcissistic and I accept that belief. it is what it is because I know that I don't let it overpower me. oops! time for a facebook status and profile update! j/k. not really.
with that said... I look forward to posting all of my adventures in pole dancing and I hope you enjoy the ride. it's great fun and I highly recommend everyone take an intro class :)
a few NYC studios:
New York Pole Dancing www.nypoledancing.com
Exotic Dance Central (EDC) www.exoticdancecentral.com
S Factor www.sfactor.com
Body & Pole www.bodyandpole.com {co-ed studio}
Shockra Studio www.shockrastudio.com
The Sky Box www.theskybox.org
