Try Something New
You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. – Brian Tracy If you didn’t get a chance to attend the Love Yourself Party at the studio on Sunday, you missed a really special event! I was a half hour late but still had a great time and learned a lot. It was so cool to see my fellow pole sisters express themselves thru clothes – not pole shorts and tank tops that I always know them in – jeans, dresses, heels, sweaters, leggings, travel t-shirts, even ocean footie pajamas made an appearance! Everyone was wearing something they were comfortable in or made them feel beautiful. (I, for one, was Finally able to squeeze back into a dress I hadn’t been able to wear since September 2016! Yay! Win for me! I didn’t feel comfortable or confident but I did feel beautiful and accomplished!) As I watched everyone having such a great time and enjoying themselves, I was amazed at what everyone was still able to do not in pole shorts. Pole is very different when skin isn’t there to grip the pole! But, despite that there were still many cool tricks being done. I got on a pole and tried a few tricks in my dress and was surprised at how different it was, good and bad. It really made me focus on good shoulder engagement and using proper grip points with no cheating. The girls in heels were playing with some floor work of gripping the bottom of the pole and sliding their feet straight out and then back in and up. Without heels, this move would rip off a toenail but it looked super cool and classy with the heels! Another fun thing we could do was blindfolded pole… It was very interesting to watch so I tried it when I got home. This takes an amazing amount of spacial awareness and focus. If you lose contact with the pole there is a very real possibility of wacking an arm or your face as you attempt to relocate it. But it was fun to “see” how much I could do while disoriented. Lots of box tangoing, struts, back hooks, front hooks and fan kicking. But there were a few other pole flow and careful floor flow moves I was able to do while maintaining contact with the pole. Seeing, listening and experiencing all of this on Sunday was very inspiring. This is my 5th time through Intermediate and, lately, I’ve been getting kinda bored in class. Not because it’s not challenging, with my physical changes post baby it’s still physically challenging (which is actually even more discouraging), it’s just so repetitive. Aside from asking Kim to teach me a Sad Girl Drop I haven’t learned a new move in months. Sunday helped to encourage me that, while I may not be learning new moves, I can still do old moves in new ways. I highly encourage you to ask your instructor at your next practice if you can try to pole with leggings or a sweat shirt on. Just play and see what you discover your body can still do. Get better at shoulder engagement and strengthen your grip. Ask if she’s ok with you trying blindfolded pole and see what that feels like! It’s fun to really become aware of where on your body the pole hits or grips for certain moves. I wasn’t really aware just how useful my stomach is for Embrace until I had to just feel it. We always focus on our arms hurting but our abdomens really take a lot off! Are you Really getting close enough to the pole for Fireman Climb? You’ll find out if you’re blindfolded and you don’t feel your lady bits touch! Can you hold a sit long enough to just listen and enjoy your favorite song with no visual distractions? If you feel stagnant or discouraged in your pole journey, or, if you’re just wanting to freshen things up because you feel pretty accomplished and no longer challenged in pole, I encourage you to try something new. Try dancing blindfolded, wear jeans, heels, a fun costume, a prop like a balloon that you’re not allowed to drop, the possibilities are endless! Share with me some of the fun ideas you come up with! Photo Credit: Jenny Lang
Register for Spring Pole!
Registration is now open online for 8-week Pole Courses running March 4 – April 28th. Beginner Pole courses cost $160 and include 8 classes and 8 practices to use over the 8-week term. Sign-up online to reserve your spot!
There is Always an Opportunity
Opportunity Sides Aerial Dance has helped me by providing me with more strength, confidence, and grace than I could have ever imagined. From the time I started my journey, I have always had an opportunity side. Raise your hand if you have ever heard an instructor say, “Make sure you do both sides!” I know that I have. I have heard those words countless times. That phrase has been sounding loud and clear in my head the last few weeks. WORK ON BOTH SIDES JANELLE!! A few weeks ago, I decided that I would take a back muscle progress picture to compare my progress from a year ago. What the picture revealed was jaw dropping….. I knew that I had neglected my opportunity side a little, but I just didn’t realize how much that was. I would say three of the four times I practiced on my right side, I would practice it only once or twice on my left. From the pictures below you will see the significant difference in the height of my shoulders. My right shoulder is much stronger than my left. By neglecting my opportunity side, I have created a whole different kind of journey for myself. A more difficult one to correct. If you would have asked me a year or two ago about my journey I wold have told you that I was diligent about using both sides equally. I am not sure a what point in my pole journey the inequality started, but I did very little to correct the bad habit I had created. Paula and our instructors are going to kill me as I did not listen to their guidance. Please learn from my mistake as you are working on your journey. Be sure to condition both sides EQUALLY! In my near future I will be working on increasing my left shoulder strength. I will be attending more conditioning classes and be sure to practice more on my opportunity side. My Shoulder Plan Moving forward to help change the inequality of my shoulders, I have worked with a trainer to construct a shoulder workout plan. I am sharing it here with you. Please note that the weight suggested is solely for me. If you choose to follow any of these exercises please use the weight is appropriate for you. 1-2 times per week Max shoulder presses with 35 lbs 15 Feet elevated push-ups (the more your feet are elevated the more you will work your shoulders) 8 reverse flies 15 regular push-ups 8 shoulder presses (try with the 30s or 26s) 8 front to lateral shoulder raises 5 dive bomber pushups I am not perfect by any means and I have created a difficult situation to overcome. The beauty of our pole journey is there are always opportunities for us to improve, fix our mistakes, and to become stronger. Wish me luck on my journey to even out my shoulder strength. Until Next Time, Janelle
Back to Basics
“Excellence is achieved by the mastery of the fundamentals.” – Vince Lombardi No matter where you are in your pole journey, it is never a bad idea to go back and review the basics. I’ve been through Beginner twice now and both times learned something in a different way or it just clicked faster than last time. Even though I’m now in Intermediate, I do still occasionally drop in to a Beginner class. Every time I do, I’m amazed that I still learn something new. Often something I’ve been struggling with for awhile just clicks or finally engages properly. In one of my classes the other week, my instructor said, “Practice makes permanent.” How true that is! I’ve been struggling with Back Fox legs for months now. I’ve been told to tuck my pelvis, to squeeze my glutes, point my toes and engage my thighs. Nothing clicked in my head to get my legs parallel to the floor. I thought I would permanently have dead fox legs. In a Beginner class, Kim just said “Think of pointing your knees to the sky.” I got it!!! It finally clicked! Just that mental image and my legs are finally up! A few weeks ago I was in a Bendy Babe class trying to remember how many variations there were to Front Hook. As I named them off, I knew I was missing one. I was astounded when an Extreme girl asked, “What’s Front Hook again?” With a journey as slow as mine and a pole card as empty as mine, I couldn’t imagine temporarily forgetting Front Hook. After I showed her, she laughed and said, “I guess I need to go and review some of the basics again!” That was funny to me. The difference in perspective. I look at Advanced and Extreme as almost unattainable some days, wishing to be able to do a Handspring, Superman, Dragonfly, Brass Monkey, etc, and here they are wanting to take a class with me to review the few skills I know. I will also say, not from experience but from talking with higher level girls, after a while you tend to slip from your solid foundation. Beginner really instills things like shoulder engagement, hand placement, and grip points. If you’ve been stuck and struggling to get a lot of moves lately, it may be good to refresh with a Beginner class. Something may click as to an improper hand placement or grip point. If nothing else, it’s a great confidence booster as you are reminded of how far you’ve come on your pole journey!
It Takes Two!
It Takes Two to Tango! Well in this case it takes two to pole! On February 9th Aerial Dance had their annual couples Valentine’s Day Workshop!!!!! When the Studio first started posting about the couples workshop, I didn’t even consider asking Steve to join me. I just figured that he would shoot me down, like the many other pole significant others I have heard about. I continued to see posts, 3 spots left, 2 spots left, and finally ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT. That’s when I decided to go for it and ask him. To my surprise he didn’t even bat an eye before saying, “let’s do it!” I couldn’t believe my ears! He actually said yes! What really made me excited about the workshop was the song. We danced to R. Kelly’s Bump and Grind. You may think that this song choice was a little cheesy, but it helped lighten the stress of the workshop. The workshop itself was not stressful, but the thought of dancing seductively in front of your significant other in a room full of people was! I am not the most confident person to start with, now toss in my boyfriend, who I’ve only been dating for 4 months, and then ask me to be sexy on top of it…. EEEEKKK, I was as nervous as a pinata at a birthday part! Little did I know, Steve was nervous too, but he reminded me that we were at the workshop to have a good time! His gentle reminder helped to put me at ease slightly. It wasn’t until we actually started the workshop that I let my cares go. Instructors Leah and Olivia kept the atmosphere of the workshop light and fun. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. The routine Leah and Olivia designed for the workshop was fun, sassy, and a little bit sexy! All of the couples seemed to have had a great time! There were couples who had been married a very long time, all the way down to relationships that were brand new! For some of the couples the workshop has become a Valentine’s tradition and I know that I plan to attend again next year! Thank you Olivia and Leah! A New Bond Some of the pole students that were at the workshop I knew very well, and others I didn’t know at all. Which for me can be a little surprising at times, because I often feel like I live at the studio and see everyone. It was so nice to get to meet new people. After we completed the couples workshop, a few couples were getting together to celebrate. They extended this invitation to all of the couples who were at the workshop.Steve and I happily accepted to tag along! My favorite part of this little get together was that I was able to get to know some of my pole sisters a little better. Once again, Aerial Dance has provided me with the opportunity to create new friendships! Ladies it was blast getting know you better! Quick Shout Out! I would like to just give a quick shout out the all the pole significant others who went above and beyond! It was truly wonderful to see you actively supporting your lady in her passion! You are ROCK STARS! If you had blast, please share your experience with another pole significant other! Help spread pole love on to others, it could help encourage someone else to give it a try for their lady! Until Next Time! Janelle
Is It Worth It?
With limited time and money, is pole really worth the expense and commitment? We all have lives. And sometimes, the busyness of life causes us to question, “Is this really worth my time?” We all have bills. Sometimes things happen in life that cause us to ask ourselves, “Can I really afford this? Is it worth the extra money?” I’ve mentioned before that I have over an hour drive (in good weather) from my house to the pole studio. This adds expense for gas as well as time. An hour class at the studio isn’t just an hour and fifteen minutes of my time – it’s over 3 hours! It’s also, an average, of an added $10-$12 in gas. Committing to a membership is $138 a month with the expectation of at least one class and one practice a week. When I first got my membership, I did the math and figured I could make each class cost me about $10 each if I took 4 or 5 one night a week. What I usually did was take 3 classes on Monday or Wednesday night, stay with some friends and then take 2 Tuesday or Thursday morning. This made the trip super worth it and my classes more affordable. I was also making Tons of progress fast because I could do 5 classes a week. If we went to visit Luke’s folks for the weekend, I’d squeeze in another class or two on Sunday on our way home. Add Baby… living life means change. Good and bad. I could not be more ecstatic to have my baby girl in my life. But, it did mean giving up some things. I’m not able to stay overnight with friends one night a week anymore because she (and her daddy) need me at home. Doing 4 or 5 classes in one night gets me home way too crazy late. Two nights a week doesn’t work because of all the added gas cost and added time away from my daughter. “Is it worth it?” Wisconsin winters are cruel and harsh. I have Monday night designated as Pole Night but for some reason, the weather has Monday night designated as Blizzard Night this year. A few times it worked in our schedule to switch to Wednesday night but in January I missed two full weeks of pole just due to weather. “Is it worth it?” Cold and flu season is upon us and, not matter how much you disinfect, once one member of your household gets it, the rest of you are doomed! First Luke, then Charis, then me. One week at a time. Luke took sick on our way to Appleton for a make up class I missed due to weather. We were over halfway, had to pull over, then turn back. Charis was next. Mama can’t leave Baby when she’s sick and miserable and snugly. She just needs her Mama. I couldn’t take 6 hours away from her when she needed constant help just to breathe decent and Luke was still recovering. That left me next. Yep. No pole that week either. Two and a half weeks no pole. “Is it worth it?” Total classes I took in January: 3.5 Total time away from home: 8 Total spent in gas and membership: $158 “Is it worth it?” YES!!! Pole is worth every minute and every penny! And every tear… I cried myself to sleep 5 times last month because I thought I would have to cancel my membership. I was one number away from dialing the studio to tell them I had to quit. But, my dear husband asked me, “What is it worth to you?” Next time you’re at the studio, take a look at some of the things written on the Pole Love Posters. These are just a handful of the hundreds of reasons your pole sisters make the time, effort and room in their budget to be members. – Makes me feel sexy – A place to be myself – Helps me get strong and lose weight – Encouraging and supporting family – Ability to make fitness fun – Variety of classes and workshops – Opportunity to try new things Aerial Dance is SO worth it! I’m so blessed to be a part of this amazing sisterhood!
Showing Some Love!
Showin’ Some Pole Sisterly Love! During the 2017 Aerial Dance Christmas Show Owner Paula introduced our new Instructor Alison! By this time you may have had a class or two with her at the studio! Well, I am here to provide you with a little more insight into our lovely new instructor! She truly fell in love with the Aerial side of the studio. I can’t tell you how many times I have taken a silks class with Instructor Alison when she was just a student and was in aw of her grace. Even then as a student she was extremely helpful in class! I would always be a tangled mess and she was always happy to help untie me. Like many of the women who attend Aerial Dance Instructor Alison had a group of friends who wanted to take a pole class. Her friends kind of fizzled out and she was the only one to follow through. She found pole to be a little intimidating especially by herself until, she had taken an Intro to Pole class with Instructor Leah, had a blast, and the rest was history! She is now on her fourth year of attending classes at Aerial Dance! Getting to Know Instructor Alison Instructor Alison grew up in Neenah, where she graduated from high school. Then she continued her education at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. She went to school for music education. She currently teaches at an intermediate school in Kimberly. For those of you who don’t know what an intermediate school is, it is a school for grades fifth and sixth. Instructor Alison is an amazing women for working with those age levels. The middle school years can be extremely difficult. Not only does she teach full time, is working to become an instructor, but she also teaches an after school choir group! It always amazes me the of amount of instructors who actually teach or have taught in some way! We are truly blessed at Aerial Dance to have so many talented woman! We are surrounded by strong women who are their own girl bosses! Living their own goals and dreams! Sorry I get so side tracked with how amazing our instructors are! Back to Instructor Alison! All through her educational career Instructor Alison was involved in dance, After graduating college she found that she was not dancing as much as she would have liked. After taking the Intro to Pole class Instructor Alison realized that it offered more opportunities to reignite her dancing flame. Her love of dance is what really helped her to push aside her fears of pole and to embrace her potential. Path to Becoming an Instructor As Instructor Alison grew in her aerial skills, she knew she wanted more. She just didn’t know what that more would be. Being a teacher, she was looking for something to do for work over the summer. Then it hit like a sack of bricks. What if she could take something she already loved so much and turn it into a job? Luckily enough for us all things worked out in her favor! Instructor Alison is looking forward to teaching many classes at Aerial Dance, but is most excited to share her love of silks with the students. The constant challenge of the silks is what thrills her so much! There is always some where new to grow! This summer she will be going to a training Seattle! I can’t wait to see what she brings home to teach us! She Has Goals! One of her main goals is to decrease her dislike of cardio. She is hoping that by teaching the conditioning classes it will help her to keep her mind off the fact that she is doing cardio. Of course she will continue to work on all of her Aerial Skills. One reminder she has for us students is to continue to challenge ourselves! Give yourself something to work toward! Top Three GOAL SET! Not only set a goal, but also have a way to keep track of that goal! Bring a friend on your journey to help you stay accountable, journal, or just have someone to chat with! TRY NEW CLASSES! Sometimes we get stuck in a rut with one class! Go off and try another, before you know it you are having fun and building the strength to help you get out of the rut in the other class! LOVE THE JOURNEY! Love all of the small steps you take to accomplish your big goals! Welcome! Instructor Alison, we are all so excited that you are joining the Aerial Dance team! You have some many talents to offer the students! Good luck on your journey to becoming the best instructor you can be! We look forward to taking all of your classes! Until Next Time, Janelle
A Gift for the Imperfect
This last weekend I had a very enlightening experience… My Dad took my sister and I and my sister’s fiance to a dance to celebrate his birthday. I’ve always loved ballroom dancing and my dad used to teach us girls when we were young. I’ve since forgotten most of it but on the rare occasion Dad takes me dancing I pick it back up pretty quick. We were dancing together and had several laughs as I stepped on his toes or spun into another couple while trying to remember the Swing and Cha Cha. A song ended and, rather out of breath from dance and laughter, I said to Dad, “Ok, I need a break! You should grab Jasmine and dance with her.” To which my Dad replied, “I don’t think she’ll try. She’s more self-conscious than you.” I burst into a laugh of disbelief. If you haven’t met my sister Jasmine, you’re missing out on a real treasure! She’s fun, bubbly, out-going, gorgeous, kind, thoughtful, half my size, and the most confident person I know in public settings. She’s a social butterfly and flourishes in groups while I, the introvert, feel like throwing up when more than 6 people are in a room together. So, when my Dad implied that I was more confident than Jasmine to be free, be myself, let go and have fun no matter what all these people thought of my terrible dancing, I was astounded! A quote came to mind from our Smart is Sexy meeting the week before – “For many of us, there is no form of self-expression that makes us feel more vulnerable than dancing.” In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown talks a great deal about vulnerability and how important it is to be the real you instead of who you think others want you to be. She says, “If we have a friend, or a small group of friends, or family who embraces our imperfections, vulnerabilities, and power and fills us with a sense of belonging, we are incredibly lucky.” The only place I have always been filled with a true sense of belonging despite my imperfections and being incredibly vulnerable is Aerial Dance. I show the most of myself there (emotionally and physically) and have never once felt judged, belittled or ashamed for who I am. Quite the opposite in fact – the first people in the world to see my post baby belly was my Intermediate class learning Embrace. How ironic that they cheered me on when I showed the least attractive part of myself and embraced me who I am and what my body could do. As we discussed her book last week, I listened to how many others at the table struggled with authenticity and vulnerability. Many shared their stories and I noticed that, while we all have insecurities, many of our greatest joys and stories happen in the moments we are out of our comfort zone. Brene wrote, “True belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world.” Every single person is a work in progress, not a one of us is perfect, no matter what someone’s facebook profile looks like. Dancing with my Dad made me realize that Aerial Dance has helped me with more than just strength and weight loss. It is a place that has helped me learn to embrace myself for who I am. I have begun to own my story, good and bad, struggles and successes, and share than story with others. I have become a more authentic person. A person who can see someone struggling, walk up to them and say, “Hey, I’ve been there. I’m willing to listen if you want to talk. We all have bad days and I’m able to help you get through yours. Whatever you need. I care about you.” Aerial Dance gives you a safe place to reveal the real you and practice authentic courage, practice compassion for yourself and others, and building real and meaningful connections. I’m so very blessed to have found a place where I can open up and practice being Tessa without judgement so I can slowly start being the real me in the rest of the world!
