Upping My Game: Cross-training for Pole Dancing
I do really want to pole dance all day long. Okay, maybe spend a little of the day with my dog. However, I also really want to be the best pole dancer I can be -- the sexiest, most graceful,…
Keep Your Pants On!
When I first started pole dancing, I always came to class in my tiny pole shorts and tank top. Now, I always come to my studio in pants (shorts underneath), and I try to keep my pants ON for as…
How to Create Your Own Signature Tricks
My students often ask me how I come up with my own tricks and combos. I also remember when I started learning pole and how badly I wanted to have my own signature trick. I recall racking my brain for…
Back and Shoulder Flexibility
Flexibility has always been a struggle for me. When I first began training in pole, I was all about power and strength moves. I have always enjoyed lifting weights, and after years of doing that and only sporadically stretching, I…
Pole Dancing With Health Problems
Pole dancing is hard for everyone. But it’s hard for me in ways that other people don’t always understand. It might not be obvious that I’m less-abled, that my body has a tendency to sabotage itself, because my smile and…
Tutorial: Brass Monkey
Brass Monkey is a touchstone advanced pole move. It’s an impressive trick that teaches knee pit hangs and transitions. In this tutorial let’s examine the gold standard approach through the Shoulder Mount, which is one of the safest ways into…
How to Ace the Chest Mount
The Chest Mount, also called the Broomstick is a strikingly beautiful move and all the rage at the moment. Here are a few tips and tricks that can aid in achieving this move. But before we go anywhere with this…
Guilt & Shame at the Gym: 3 Ways to Overcome It
I know the story. You want to be about that fitness life 24/7, but you're ashamed of something (everything) and are paralyzed by it. To hell with that -- time for you to step into your badassery! COACHES, these make…
What Happens When Your Routine Gets Messed Up… er REVAMPED—Part 2
A couple of months ago, I blogged about what to do when your routine gets messed up. For me, my disruption was a move almost halfway across the country. New city, new job, new everything. Plus I needed to find…
Conquering the Butterfly
The Butterfly is one of the most desired achievements in pole. It’s classified as an intermediate move, but, let’s face it, it’s a difficult intermediate move and the struggle to get the Butterfly is real. Don’t get down on yourself…