A New Journey
My journey at Aerial Dance started when a friend gave me a gift certificate last Christmas. She had started classes and loved every one she took. She knew I had grown up dancing and coaching dance and thought I would benefit from attending some classes at the studio. At the time, she gifted the certificate to me I was going through a rough period in life and was questioning everything about myself. I questioned who I thought I was and what I was doing in my life. I felt lost and that I didn’t know myself. It took me another 10 months before I worked up the courage to attend an Intro to Pole class. By that point I was going through an intense divorce. I was still questioning myself (even more). I was trying to find new outlets to not only fill my time, but explore things I had interest in but had never tried before or would’ve never tried. New and unknown wasn’t something I did- I was always the one who had to plan and figure out all outcomes to try and prevent chaos from happening. I was nervous to attend, but honestly, equally excited. I decided to take advice I always gave my dancers before they performed. I would say when they were nervous: Nerves are good, they mean you care how it turns out. So I went in. From that first session I was in love. It was new, exciting, and scary. It was uncomfortable BUT felt like it fit. Like this was something I should’ve been doing all along. I left knowing that couldn’t be the last time I do that. I felt like I had found a new friend that I clicked with. Something that was meant to be. It also made me feel like I had found a piece of me that I hadn’t met before. And after feeling lost for some time, it was just what I needed. The newness and the unknown was exciting to me after having to plan everything in life. It can be so scary to try something new. I am usually the person who overthinks and over analyzes. That often prevents me from trying (part of the reason it took me 10 months to use a gift certificate!). After coming to Aerial Dance I have realized how important it is to try new things and things that scare you. If you’re the slightest bit interested or curious about Aerial Dance- DO IT! Remember, nerves mean you care and things that scare you a little can be some of the best things that happen to you in life! Start your journey with Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial and see what classes at Aerial Dance are all about!
Support
I have been a part of multiple dance teams over the course of two and a half decades. I’ve been both a team member and a coach. I am a huge believer in teamwork and in encouraging one another. I know the value of a strong support system. Sometimes the only reason you start something or keep going is because you have someone cheering you on and believing in you! No where is this more evident than at Aerial Dance! Most women who walk in the door here are trying something new, stepping out of their comfort zone. That is intimidating and super scary! This combo can make you self conscious. Worried everyone is watching and judging what you do, or don’t do, what you say, how you look. All these thoughts get in the way of doing the work and having the fun. However, from the second you walk in to Aerial Dance you feel the support. Everyone on staff, everyone taking class- they are so encouraging and helpful! Trying new things in class isn’t as nerve wracking when the instructors walk you through, give you different tips to make the pose work, and cheer you on each step of the way! They encourage your progress and want to help you grow. You see it and feel it no matter which instructor you have! And that safe space and positive energy transfers to students. I haven’t been in one class where I haven’t experienced encouraging words from someone in class. Whether you’re trying a new move or working on a previous one those words spur you on to try harder. It also makes you want to return the favor. It creates a space of empowerment and respect. You realize very early on that no one is there to judge or to compare and “be better” than anyone else. Everyone wants everyone to succeed, have fun, and feel good about themselves! Aerial Dance had given me a safe, supportive, and encouraging space to discover my confidence and realize who I want to be with an amazing group of women cheering me on every step of the way! Start your journey today and join our amazingly supportive community!Try Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial to see what Aerial Dance is all about!
Retraining My Brain
Sometimes in life we need a shake up. Something that enters our life and makes us rethink what we’re doing and why. Aerial Dance has been incredible in so many ways for me, but nothing short of amazing in helping me retrain my brain in a season of my life I needed it most. I have been dancing for two and a half decades. When I first came to the studio I naively thought I had an advantage being that I danced for most of my life. Wrong. There are some similarities (music, counts) however the very basics on how things are done could not be more different. The dance I’m used to heavily relies on leg strength. Sure, arms need to have strength to hold shapes but they are more decorative lines than actual support. To make moves happen, I rely on a plie and push up into moves. Moving on my feet to music. That’s what I know. In pole, your arms do the heavy lifting (no pun intended). They are your go to, your arms need to push and pull to hold the shape. They are what supports you. What leads you. Even getting into a pose needs to be something your arms lift you in to. I can’t tell you how many times I would try to plie and jump into a pose. The problem is this can jerk your arms/shoulders and cause injury. I had to really concentrate on what I was doing because using my legs is second nature. In dance, it’s just me and my feet. In pole- there’s a pole. I needed to learn to dance with the pole instead of in my own dance space. Two classes in, I realized that I was thinking linear when I was in pole class. I was still dancing forward and backward, side to side and I had to focus on walking and moving circular instead. I found that if I didn’t I was not close enough to the pole. Almost like it was in my dance space and I wasn’t sure how to adapt. It has been so beneficial for me to attend classes. I have learned so many things about myself and realized so many things that I would like to be through my terms. The different instructors have their own way of explaining things, showing me there is always more than one way to do something. I have learned to re-evaluate things in my life that I have always done just because that’s the way they’ve been done. I’m retraining myself to see other ways to operate, there are other ways to live! It’s opening up so many new possibilities and I’m finding that I’m becoming the person I have always wanted to be! Aerial Dance is for everyone! Whether you are a dancer or always wished you could be.Try Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial and start dancing today!
Pole Kisses
Each week, I look forward to my pole classes. I am excited to learn something new and take something home to practice. It’s definitely an activity you cannot get sick of! There are a lot of things that comes with being in a pole class: strength, flexibility, positivity, and BRUISES! When it comes to building strength, it takes a lot of determination! However, it is the first change that I noticed in myself after going to a couple classes. My first time going, I have to admit I was pretty weak. After a while, I could lift myself about halfway up the pole, then fully up the pole, and now I can do multiple pull ups on the pole. That is so impressive to me! I used to hate carrying cases of water bottles after grocery shopping. Now it’s a breeze and I can stack items on top of the case to take one trip! When it comes to flexibility, that is something I still need help in. I am not a bendy person. I believe that my body is not made to bend at all, but I keep working stretching and warm-ups so that the flexibility comes with practice, time, and patience. I would love to do the moves that I was shown already. That to me seems impossible due to leg placement or even just straightening my leg to make the move look ‘pretty’. Since I have to work on this part A LOT, joining the Elite membership gave me access to all of the workout classes, instead of “just” my pole classes. This way, I have even more help in teaching my body the art of flexing! When it comes to positivity, it’s easy when you’re in Aerial Dance! Literally everyone there is supporting you, cheering for you, and helping you learn all of the things! It’s such an uplifting place to be. Even if you don’t get the move you’re working on right away, everyone offers tips and advice on what you can practice in order to get better, and once you get it, they are all SO HAPPY for you. I am not a naturally cheerful person, but like I said, it’s easy to stay in the positive mindset when everyone is so great! Lastly, BRUISES! Or, like the everyone in Aerial Dance likes to call them, POLE KISSES! They are like little trophies you get to bring home after each class. Every time there is a new one, I have to show it off! Try Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial today and come chat about which membership will work best for you!
Stronger Every Class
Aerial Dance has given me the strength both mentally and physically to do things I never would have imagined. I can walk into the studio with my head held high. I can walk into a studio full of beautiful, strong women, some I have never met but still greet me with a smile and a “how’s it going”. I truly enjoy how everyone is always so uplifting towards each other. They’re always cheering each other on when someone nails a new trick or a trick we have all been working hard to nail. From my first class on the many different empowering women at Aerial have helped me conquer my fears of judgment. I always used to be afraid of joining a gym or fitness center. It had been so long since I was in shape or even knew how to properly work out. I was so scared of not being accepted or looking bad when trying to do thing that I would always back out. I never had that negative, judgmental, pressure going to Aerial. I have always been welcomed with open arms. I am praised for my successes no mater how small they may have been and always pushed and cheered on to do more. It’s a comforting feeling not having to worry about a thing when I walk into a studio. My first class I had such an amazing instructor. I was exhausted, sore, kissed by the hoop as we say, but the next day I woke up feeling on top of the world. Like I had just accomplished the goal of a life time. I got through a 50min intense workout. I was so impressed with myself. Not just because I made it through the full class, but because I had lifted my full body weight off the ground and into a hoop multiple times. I had never done anything like it and this was the first workout I had done on purpose since having my son. I felt like a super mom! I now look forward to every class and learning the next cool trick. I have struggled for years trying to find what I always thought was impossible, but I found it at Aerial! The love, encouragement, strength, and patience these beautiful women show everyday is a total breath of fresh air. I 1000x over recommend anyone and everyone to try a class. Break from the norm of working out and try it out you will not be disappointed! Join our community and get strong! Try Intro to Aerial or Intro to Pole today!
