Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day
I started my pole journey about a year ago with my first Beginner pole class. Everyone starts their journey for different reasons. I started pole to gain upper arm and shoulder strength. I knew my shoulders were weak and I wanted to gain strength. And maybe I wanted to look a little badass in my tank tops. My journey for pole has been a little bit slower. I have been in intermediate pole for several terms, and some ladies that have started with me are now in advanced. I am still in intermediate and I plan on being there for awhile, and I’m okay with that. The instructors are always saying that everyone has their own pole journey, and they are so right. There are some ladies that seem to be born to do pole. There are others that have to work on it and put the time in. I am one of those people. In my first few sessions of pole, I attended my pole classes every week as well as my practices. I had some personal things going on in my life and I started cancelling my pole classes telling myself that I would make up that class on another day. Then I would cancel my pole practice. Summer then rolled around and I just wanted to be outside enjoying the nice weather. I stopped going to pole consistently and stopped going to practices. I told myself that if I didn’t put in the time and effort I wasn’t going to magically be able to start doing difficult things on the pole. It’s a progression. You have to make the time and commitment to yourself to go. Initially I signed up for a class on Sunday evening with the intention that I would go because I’m home on Sunday and it’s in the afternoon. Well that didn’t always work out I told myself that I needed to sign up for a class that I would consistently go to and that worked in my schedule. There are so many options for classes and I found the right class time that I could commit to every week that worked with my schedule. I went to that class every week and built on that. I told myself that I need to make it to the studio so many times a week and I need to take so many classes. I made personal goals for myself and I wrote them down on my calendar and felt a certain pride and accomplishment. I decided to stop making excuses for myself and put the time in, because this was my journey. I noticed that I have stronger shoulders and arms and am able to do things I wasn’t able to do. I also think I finally figured out the push pull and how it is supposed to feel. I’m a work in progress, but someday I am going to get there. I know that some ladies are like me. You make excuses for yourself of why you can’t do this. Don’t give up, give it your all and make a commitment to yourself and your personal well being. I guarantee you, you will see improvements. They may be small at first, but Rome wasn’t built in a day…….
Pursue your dreams and drive your car
I was raised in the country in the middle of no place, which is where I still live today. The closest town to get groceries is 28 miles away one direction. If I want to go someplace, I must drive. When I was in high school it was 56 miles round trip to school. When I go to the doctor it’s almost 90 miles round trip. I could move but I love where I live. I want to be in the country, and I want to be close to my family. Almost five years ago, I wanted to start taking pole and aerial classes. I started to do research. I was looking for a studio that was close to my home and of course there were no options. Aerial Dance is 1.5 hours from my home one direction, or 3 hours round trip which is 138 miles. I thought to myself, is all this drive time worth it? Do I want to drive that far for this experience? I decided I will give it a try. I knew I didn’t have to do it forever however if I didn’t try, I would always wonder. I would wonder what it is like? What did I miss out on? Could I do it? I decided to start taking classes one day a week. I would drive 3 hours round trip for a one-hour class. Then I started to take additional classes at the studio, so I would drive 3 hours round trip for three hours of classes. I am so grateful I decided to get in my car and drive to pursue something I wanted to do. Aerial Dance brings so much to women’s lives. Aerial Dance is a community of women that support each other. We provide amazing workouts that women stick with. Women see changes in their confidence and their bodies all while having fun. It’s a safe environment where women want to be. I am now at the studio 5 days a week which equals 15 hours of drive time just to go back and forth to the studio. I truly believe that if you want something, you go after it. Don’t let drive time, your fears or your mindset get in your way from pursuing something you want.
Hoop There It Is!
You know that saying, “You don’t use it, you lose it.” Well Steve and I got a real wake up call last week! Redesentizing is always a little bit of a shock, but when you have a doubles partner hanging from you……. the SHOCK is amplified. Steve and I plan to dance in the Aerial Dance Student Showcase! This will be our second performance. Working with Steve is always an amazing experience! Building a hoop routine with Instructor Kelly really helped us learn how to communicate better. Not only do we communicate better on the hoop, but it has helped us grow in our relationship too. Steve hasn’t touched a hoop in almost 6 months. Thankfully Steve and I were fortunate enough to participate in Instructor Leah and Instructor Sarah’s Doubles Co-ed Hoop Workshop! The workshop was a blast, but we both realized that we need to get down the nitty gritty to put in the work so that we can be ready to perform. In the workshop we learned some thrilling and challenging new tricks! One trick requires a lot of trust and leaning. ! I unfortunately don’t have a picture of Steve and I doing the trick together, but that is next on the agenda. So please enjoy Instructor Sarah and myself. Another problem Steve and I are currently facing is that in early January, Steve was getting out of his truck to unload some wood we needed to burn at my parents and fell hard. He fell like a sack of bricks! I was thankful that he didn’t hit his head on the guard rail, we thought that maybe he only had some bumps and bruises, but after attempting some of the tricks and combos at the workshop, we found that Steve’s right calf/knee is not okay. It is very painful for him to squat down and then try to stand up in the hoop. We are working on trying to figure out if he just has soft tissue damage that will heal or if an MRI is in his future. I am hopeful that we will be able to solve this problem and work through it. Otherwise we may not be able to perform in the Show Case at all. Steve and I for sure have a lot of conditioning is in our future and will work hard to be able to share our love of hoop with all of you! Until Next Time, Janelle
A new year and new beginnings
In my last blog, I felt anger, despair, and sadness from having been let go from my job. After being unemployed for approximately two weeks, those feelings have changed to being hopeful, optimistic, and positive. As I was going through my box of my work belongings this morning, I was dancing to “Burn” by Usher in my pajamas. This was the first time that I have been happy in quite some time. At that moment, I realized that I will overcome this.I no longer experience the feeling of dread on Sunday nights and constantly saying that I don’t want to go to work tomorrow. I no longer have to feel depressed when my alarm goes off at 5:30am. Furthermore, I no longer have to be in survival mode until Friday.In having been a claims adjuster for almost 10 years, the job started me make me cynical, numb, and devoid of any feelings. Also the politics and “good old boys club” mentality of my former employer was starting to break me down over time and causing me to shut down. I knew that I didn’t have a future there. I would always say that the job was a “paycheck and health insurance.” My primary reason for staying at my former employer was that I went to the Appleton studio during my lunch. The guy that I am seeing told me that was not a good enough reason to stay at a place that I was miserable at. Well, I wasn’t miserable for an hour out of my work day. I was able to actually be myself on my lunch while at the studio.Overall, I feel that this situation has been a blessing in disguise. I have been busy searching and applying for jobs everyday and interviewing. I have been getting things done around my house too. Next thing on the list is to finally get my Christmas decorations down. I decided to take this situation and make it an opportunity of getting out of the claims adjuster field. I am feeling hopeful, optimistic, and positive about my future. I am hoping not a find just a job, but something that I enjoy doing.Here is to a new year and new beginnings!
Your body will adapt
Having a safe pole & aerial education is the top mission point of Aerial Dance. It even comes before “fun” because you can’t have fun if you’re hurting! Because of this, we are constantly “encouraging” students to do things on both side and to use proper engagement. To me, this is a no brainer because of my own experiences and the damage caused to my body by not doing this. My first career was as a professional bassoonist. I started at 12; I have three college degrees in bassoon; and have played over 30,000 hours in my life. (probably a lot more, but that is good conservative number because I never counted, I just practiced 5-9 hour a day, seven days a week for 13+ years and still play.) The bassoon is a heavy instrument held obliquely across your body. The majority of the weight is on your left hand and your wrist is slightly angled downwards when you play. There is no way to do bassoon on “both sides”. Over the course of my career I noticed my body learning because my skills grew as I practiced. But what I didn’t realize was that my body was also adapting on a structural level to accomodate my bassoon. What do I mean by this? My left wrist is actually physically different from my right. The bones and tendons moved. The picture below shows where my wrists are both “straight.” Notice how the left one (on the right in the photo) is clearly leaning towards the pinky while the right actually looks straight. My fascia learned that straight for the left is actually at a downward angle because for so many hours it held my bassoon and my body moved to accommodate. The body is fascinating. My range of motion is similar between my two wrists. But because my left wrist starts “lower” the range of motion is very skewed in that direction. Without my meaning to, by not doing things in an even way at all, I actually structurally changed my body. Now, are you going to spend 30,000+ hours doing a pole grip to cause a physical change? Likely not. But your body IS learning and adapting by what you are doing. It is because of the brilliance of your body that moves like the claw grip are fully ban at the studio because of the long term damage they can cause structurally.
Accountability
It’s a new year and it’s so easy to make goals for yourself for the year on paper. The hard part however is working hard and actually achieving those goals. One way to make sure that you work on your goals is to find someone to hold you accountable! Maybe they have their own goals and you can both encourage each other and help each other remember to work on their goals. When you are making goals for your pole and aerial journey start small! Your end goal can be an amazing trick or combo that you want to get but start with the building blocks for what you want. You will be much more likely to achieve your big goal when you use smaller ones to get there rather than jumping to the big one. Conditioning is awesome for building up to the moves you want so be sure to make that part of your goals. Keep track of your progress! It will help you see how much you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. Plus if you have someone to help hold you accountable then you have proof that you have been working on everything. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals either. You can always make new ones after you get your end result. Burning yourself out with a large amount of small goals definitely won’t help you in the long run. Make sure you are setting and achieving goals for you!!
Becoming an Owner
When founder Paula started talking about expanding to open a Green Bay studio location I was ecstatic – I wouldn’t have to drive as far to use our facilities and get to play and practice as much as my little heart desired! But then she kept talking…. dollars and expenses and getting it off the ground, and marketing. It was going to be a massive undertaking, more than she wanted to do alone. Was anyone willing and able contribute and buy into the company to embark on this new adventure with her? I like to teach, and I love to dance. I’m told I’m pretty good at both if I can toot my own horn a little bit. 😉 So for me it was a no brainer! The opportunity to continue to do what I love and work with more women (and men) in a brand new community that hadn’t seen anything like us was thrilling. I was so excited, and I still am, to get to say that I am one of the co-owners of Aerial Dance Green Bay. It hasn’t always been easy, between cracked mirrors and indoor waterfall walls, there is definitely more to it than getting to teach in a beautiful new space. Having jumped in with both feet, I’d definitely do it again in a heartbeat.
Competition Stars!
Here is a little about some of the lovely ladies who competed in the Minnesota Pole Completion! I was not able to speak with them all as I believe Aerial Dance had over 10 competitors last weekend! These ladies made us so proud! Please enjoy reading these amazing ladies journeys! Nikita Nikita Barbeau has been a member with Aerial Dance for about a year and a half. She started out on pole, but had an unlimited membership. She waited a few weeks to try all of the other apparatuses and quickly found that hoop was her second love. She is currently in advanced pole, and her first invert was at the beginning of last year. She started pole with the drive to be on the Competition Team and wanted to be in every show that Aerial Dance had to offer. This was the one fitness regimen that has actually worked for Nikita and something she’s been able to stick to. Pole is something that challenges her every time she walks into the studio. Nikita says, “I never stop learning!” Minnesota 2020 was her first competition, and she was extremely excited. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was still a thrill for her to perform in front of new people and expand her friend/knowledge base. Nikita’s number one goal for this competition was to have fun. She says she has to remember that she was competing against several other talented individuals, and should not be discouraged if she didn’t place. Nikita feels she is always hard on herself when she knows her full potential, but falls short. Nikita is super competitive with herself. She gives herself reminders that she has worked super hard and everyone’s journey is so different. Also, when the going gets tough for Nikita, the studio has always been there for her. Supportive instructors, owners, friends, and community… the studio is like a second home to Nikita. Nikita took third place this past weekend in intermediate artistic category! Molly This was Molly’s third competition! She competed in the Intermediate Performance Theatre category. Her goal was to push herself further and further out of her comfort zone with each performance. Molly’s routine this year was more difficult compared to last years, since her song is fast and upbeat with more difficult tricks, faster transitions, and lots of kick-ass dance moves thanks to Instructor Kelly! She also challenged herself to be more comfortable getting into character on stage and she believes this routine really shows the progress she has made. Molly used to be scared and timid on stage, but with this routine she really learned to let loose and completely transformed into a different person when performing. When things get tough for Molly, when preparing for competition, she reminds herself why she is doing it. She does it to share her love of pole with others. Placing was not a major concern for Molly. What matters to her was knowing that she gave it her all and had fun on stage! The biggest reason she competes is for herself. Sometimes all she needs to do is step back and realize that she is performing in a pole competition! Something she never imagined she would be doing! How awesome is that!?! Molly feels that everyone should compete at least once. It’s an opportunity learn so much about yourself and have a blast! Competing can be nerve-wracking, but it is worth it! It’s amazing having a wonderful audience who cheers you on no matter what. The pole community is amazing. It’s awesome how complete strangers can feel like family and support you. Molly took second place in her category, and won best costume! Kayla M This was Kayla’s fourth routine and 3rd competition. As she looks back it is crazy how much she has grown from her first competition in May of 2017. Kayla didn’t want to compete at first, she thought she didn’t have the right body type or wasn’t good enough (what HORRIBLE things to think) but Instructor Chrissy and Sarah P talked her into it and it has been the best thing since, almost an addiction (the very good kind). Kayla’s body can do amazing things just like everyone can do amazing things which should be shown off. For Kayla’s first competition her goal was to win….. She decided that was the WRONG goal for her to have. Kayla was heart broken when she ended up coming in 2nd to last place. Then she realized her goals needed to change. For Kayla’s Castle routine her goal was to just get back on stage after she had shattered my ankle and to have fun! Kayla’s Jump routine was to challenge herself and wear heels for the first time on stage. For Kayla’s Pony routine her goal was to get on stage in a sexy outfit and not doubt how sexy she looked in it! She wanted to be remembered. Even though they are competitions Kayla feels she performs better if SHE JUST HAS FUN (key point)-because everyone should just have fun. Not only does she have a blast performing but the bonds she builds with her pole sisters at competition weekends are priceless. Kayla took second place the Classique (exotic ) category this past weekend! Zandalee Zandalee is 26, recently got married, and she currently works for a bank. Zandalee is only 26 and has personally struggled with self love and self esteem. When she first joined Aerial Dance in December 2018 she had one goal: to lose pounds off the scale for my wedding. That didn’t happen. Instead she found herself gaining strength, self confidence, love for myself, a hobby (and workout) that she loves, and friends. The Minnesota Pole Competition was Zandalee’s first comp! She felt that preparing for the competition was so much work, but so WORTH the 3 minutes you’re up on stage. Zandalee’s goals right now to just better herself. She wants to build her strength, so that she can transition
When sick derails your plans…
This past November I was cleared to move up to Advanced 1. I was so stoked about it! I had begun my pole fitness journey in January of this year and at that time I honestly thought it would take me a couple of years to progress to being able to *maybe* get my ass over my head. The first week of the session I was doing great. Conditioning at home, motivated, strong. And then—it happened. I got sick. Sore throat, ear ache, body ache, head ache (basically everything inside and out ached). This started to morph into extreme fatigue, a brutal cough and fever. 3 weeks later I was only sicker so I finally saw a doctor and was diagnosed with atypical pneumonia. I was prescribed some meds and now, almost 2 more weeks later, I’m FINALLY starting to feel normal-ish again. This sickness knocked me down hard very quickly. I missed one week of class, then another, and another. I was barely able to do basic things much less exercise and it was pretty devastating after having made so much progress. The mental bashing certainly didn’t help anything and eventually it became kind of scary to even begin again after so long and getting so run down and “weak”. I posted in the ADWI motivation Facebook group about my situation and asked if anyone had recommendations or insight on how to get back at it. I got incredible feedback and support, as always. I was reassured I was not alone and that even though it sucks to backslide everything would be fine with some time and effort and I’d get back to where I was. I was given suggestions about listening to my body, starting with gentle stretching, attending a Bendy Babe class and seeing how it feels. My sisters shared with me some of their similar situations and how they overcame their setbacks and struggles-both physically and mentally. Let’s be honest- it SUCKS to have your routine interrupted. But sometimes, it just is what it is. I wouldn’t have benefited myself or anyone else by showing up to class spewing my cooties all over and certainly unsuccessfully attempting to strain myself to do things my body was simply not in the condition to do. I’m sure many can relate especially this time of year. So for whatever its worth you’re not alone. If you need some support reach out to your peers at the studio and guaranteed you will feel some relief and inspiration. It helped me tremendously and I’m beyond thrilled to say I’ve been able to get in some at home conditioning this week and it’s feeling less scary. I feel confident I can continue to push forward and realign with my goals. As the saying goes- “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up.” That is strength. That is beauty.
Gratitude
A simple word, but when you think about it, its quite complicated. I’ve been extremely busy lately – jut one thing after the next… Christmas show, choreographing Matilda, Christmas, Chicago, training and teaching at the studio, teaching at school, building a house… With as hectic as life is sometimes, I’ve been finding myself slowing down more and more (counter intuitive, I know) to focus on gratitude. Things go awry so easily when we live such fast paced lives – constantly going from one thing to the next – if one appointment runs late it throws off the entire day’s plan!!! We’ve all had this happen, and it stinks. When things don’t go according to my beautiful plan written in my trusty planner, I stop myself. Take 5-10 deep breaths, and think about what I’m thankful for in that moment. By pausing to reflect on some good things, it keeps me calm, and prevents my anxiety from taking over and making an unfortunate circumstance even worse. By shifting my focus for just a few moments it can truly turn around your situation. Don’t get me wrong, its still stressful when things go wrong or meetings run long, but it helps me not make mountains out of mole hills.
