Quick Tips for Beginners
One of the biggest things when it comes to pole exercise is the type of clothing you wear. It does matter because you want to be able to grip the pole. When I first started pole I learned that I needed my shirt to be breathable and loose, but not where it rose up when I moved. I also needed shorts that were short but breathable. I sweat a lot so having something light is key. You don’t have to start out in anything you aren’t comfortable in either. I’m not quite comfortable with wearing just a sports bra and shorts but some are, and I feel as you continue your journey the confidence will follow. Another tip is to not be upset if you cannot understand or do a move. Everyone learns at their own pace and being different sizes our bodies need to get used to the movements. It may take lots of conditioning for you to be able to lift your body, or it might happen on your first day. For me, I’m finding I need to strengthen my arms and core to be able to lift myself. I’m also able to do some moves but not others. It can get frustrating but what helps me is to keep thinking about what I have accomplished and what I can already do. I keep trying and practicing till I’m able to do each move. It’s a great feeling and I’m always trying you think of that rather than look at the person next to me and think “she can do that why can’t I?” Everyone’s body is different and we all learn at our own pace. Third tip Is to have some kind of grip aid, but in small amounts. It helps a lot with gripping the pole. I find that this and wiping my hands on a towel help reduce sweat and increase grip. I get to a point in my workout where I cannot grip the pole or slide after I get very sweaty. I do my best to execute moves. I also find if I stop and take deep breaths and take a mini break I’m able to cool down enough to grip better. It is important not to use lotion on your body the day of pole dancing or it may cause more trouble with grip. The key is to keep moving forward no matter if you are able to do a move or not. It takes time and practice in anything you are learning.
Instructor Training Log 10: Final Thoughts
Well friends, it’s the final blog of my instructor training logs! I hope you’ve all enjoyed this journey with me as I reflected on the whole training process. While I could get cheesy and say something along the lines of I’ll never stop learning, and will always be a student at heart, there’s a piece of that that is true. This is going to be a continuous process of learning and growing with the other instructors in my training class and with the experienced instructors too. This has been the start of such a fun journey and I can’t wait to grow as an instructor with Aerial Dance. The process has been fun to document along the way too. I’ve been able to try so many new things in the process of learning how to be an instructor. It’s been so interesting to get a deeper insight into each apparatus, to not only learn the moves, but learn how to teach the moves. Seeing as how I was basically still a beginner in a lot of the classes and am now one of the people that is able to teach you in those beginner classes is so cool to me! Am I going to mess up sometimes? Probably. But through my learning and talking with the other, and more experienced instructors, it takes time. With any project, apparatus or skill you want to accomplish or get better at, it takes time and practice. When I was asked if I wanted to become an instructor, I was in complete shock. Why would they want me? I’d only been a pole student at the time for the last 4 to 5 years. To be an instructor you have to have experience in all the classes that are offered. When I went to my interview and asked them “why me?”, they told me it was because they believed I could become a good instructor and that I could pick up on the other classes with time. I accepted knowing that I would need to put in more work then some of the others offered an instructor role because they had experience in the other classes. Accepting the role of being an instructor has been one of the happiest decisions I’ve made! The months of training, the extra hours, the extra classes, have all been worth it! I can’t wait to look back and see how far I’ll have come, I can’t wait to grow with each and every one of you! <3 Thank you to every instructor who taught our training group and thank you Paula for bringing us onto the team! <3
Building My Confidence
When I started to attend pole classes, I had no idea how much it would positively affect my confidence level and body image. My relationship with my body has always been a bit of a rollercoaster. I stepped on the scale more than I would really like to admit. A lot of ups and downs in relation to my confidence levels. Before pole, my relationship with my body and my overall confidence was highly dictated by the scale. Honestly, I just wasn’t living a very healthy lifestyle and I kept saying “I’ll start tomorrow.” The pandemic added to this with working from home, not seeing people, and not being active. Throughout this time I wasn’t leaving the house all that often, which led to a decline in how often I was exercising and interacting with others. I filled my day with sedentary activities, and foods that would make me feel terrible but give me that rush of dopamine. I forgot how much energy I got from socializing, I was just really not putting in effort. I wasn’t feeling my best physically, which caused my confidence to waver. I wasn’t performing as well as I once had in general. I knew I needed to find a way to take back what I had lost. I started taking pole classes just before the pandemic with a friend and I had so much fun! Part way through the pandemic I committed fully to keeping up with it. It helped me create structure and I felt a change almost immediately. I began to feel like myself again. I don’t know if the energy I found was from working out or from interacting with an amazing group of people. I could tell I was gaining strength, especially in my core. The physical changes I was experiencing, in addition to the positive atmosphere and reassurance during class helped me to see the growth on my journey. I was beginning to find appreciation towards my body and the strength I was gaining. I actually stopped stepping on the scale, which sort of happened naturally, and focused more on my health mentally and physically. I didn’t know I could focus on my body for its abilities instead of just the way it looked. Strength came in more than one form. Pole gave me new goals and appreciation and I’m so thankful for this journey and the amazing people along the way.
Lessons from Pole Class
I have learned many lessons in taking beginner pole. It has been quite an experience and I am very excited to continue my pole journey. One lesson I have learned is that you don’t have to be flexible, fit or thin to pole dance. I always thought that you had to be a certain size and in shape. That changed when my best friend got me to go to an Intro to Pole class. I was very unsure about taking the class, but having a friend to come along helped. I realized that I loved pole dancing. I learned that I don’t have to worry about my size and could wear what I wanted. The instructors really helped to make me feel welcome and did not judge me. I’ve always had people that judged me and felt I couldn’t do certain things because I was “plus sized”. Everyone has been amazing and I learned that there are people out there that do not judge. Another lesson I learned is that it is not as easy as you think. I thought that certain moves looked easy, but they weren’t. I’m still learning and found I need to strengthen my body before I can do some moves. Its about trusting yourself and practice, practice, practice .Conditioning is also important because it helps you to strengthen your body. Not only that, but conditioning helps with balance and muscle memory. I had no idea how important it was until I took classes. I may not like some of the conditioning, but I now know it will help me execute moves in the future. I’ve also learned that everyone learns at their own pace, and some people may be able to do more than others. My friend can do stand, but I cannot. I can do the corkscrew into back fox, but she cannot. It takes time. Just like after 4 months I’m able to do back hook. Personally, I found myself getting frustrated at first because I had difficulty with moves. I continued to practice and kept trying and slowly improved. It takes time. The key is to not get discouraged, and keep trying. My hope as I continue into intermediate is to be able to learn more moves and continue to strengthen my body. I’m excited to learn new things and see what my body can do.
Instructor Training Log 9: Phasing Out of Classes
Hello, hello! Training has been going nonstop it feels like. I open up my calendar app to see which studio I’ll be training at this weekend and which class or apparatus we’ll be training and learning about this time. On top of also attending my term pole classes, attending fitness classes, and attending hoop, hammock or silks if they fit into my schedule. With all of our training though, we’re starting to reach the end of it. Not quite yet, but we’ve covered almost everything and before I know it, I won’t be registering for the next pole term anymore. It kind of makes me sad to think about. We’re learning so much, and doing observation and co-teaches, while trying to still be a student as well. I realized at the end of last term though, that I wasn’t going to be signing up for the next pole term anymore. It’s kind of bittersweet. I’ve basically been with the same group of gals over the last few years. I want to say it was around advanced 1 or advanced 2 that I was starting to be with a consistent group of women in class. We’d ask each other what day we were signing up for each term, we all had our “unassigned assigned” poles that we stuck to each class or ask each other if we knew where someone was if they didn’t show up that night. We all consistently advanced together to the next level of pole. I know I’m not really leaving them, and I’ll still see them around the studio! It’s not like I’m leaving or moving! I’m just transitioning from being a student to being an instructor. It’s not like we’re not allowed to attend other peoples classes, we’re still allowed to drop into a class if there’s an opening available. It’s just a reflection I had recently, that I’m not really just a student anymore. I’m an instructor in training and soon to be just an instructor. It’s a weird thing to think about sometimes. I’m still happy with my choice to become an instructor, but I’m going to keep utilizing my time to be a student as much as I can. No matter the class I’m taking or teaching, being at the studio just makes me happy.
In the Audience
I have blogged, and so have others, about the aerial shows in a few different ways and perspectives, yet, I don’t remember reading any about the experience as someone from the audience. I have experienced the annual show and the student showcase as a performer, and I also have experienced both as an audience member. While vastly different, the experiences are both so entirely powerful and riveting and so many other amazing things. There are many reasons you may not be able to participate in one of the shows as an aerialist, and if at all possible, in those situations I would highly highly encourage you to participate by being in the audience. It is an experience, I hope, to continue to have, in some form for many years to come. The atmosphere of the shows are empowering and encouraging whether you are on the stage or in the audience. You can literally feel the power of the performers throughout the audience. The enthusiasm Paula brings as the MC/host is enough to encourage some of the most unexpected to give Aerial Dance a try. Before the show starts there is buzz, there is excitement, there is anticipation. The grace and strength you see on the stage is breathtaking and empowering. I am a person who typically cries and I have had tears come to my eyes due to the powerfulness of some performances. The creativity is fun and exciting. The personality of each of the performers comes through in ways you likely have not seen before. The sisterhood that embodies studio classes is felt and put on display. A uniquity of the Aerial Dance shows is the people at the aerial shows are there to support and encourage and show their love for someone they know on the stage. It isn’t about “going to a show” so much as “showing up to support someone.” And the outcome is amazing. The support and outpouring of love that is the audience is one I have not experienced elsewhere. Every person, every strength, every beauty, all of it is not only embraced but supported and cheered for. The buzz that is alive before the show doesn’t subside or dwindle. In fact, I would say by the end of the show the venue is as full of buzz as ever. The pride that is felt by the performers, Aerial Dance staff, and audience is electrifying. The love and support that is outpouring from everyone would bust through any glass ceiling in existence. It is truly an experience you don’t want to miss. Regardless of my role at an Aerial Dance show, I have left feeling empowered, beautiful, and capable. *nudge nudge** If you were considering buying a ticket to the show (which I cannot believe is not sold out) this is your sign, do it. You will not regret it.
Instructor Training Log 8: Rookie Mistakes
Hello lovelies, I hope you all have been training hard and trying new things! We’re starting to come to an end to our instructor training and it’s crazy to think how fast it has gone! It feels like yesterday that we started our journey and were going through the beginner pole card with Paula. We’ve now covered every apparatus that we offer, pole, hoop, hammock and silks, plus all of our fitness classes; vertical barre, fitness fundamentals, dance cardio, hammock fit, aerial yoga and bendy babe. We’ve covered the beginner levels for each of the apparati and are going to start the intermediate levels shortly, which is wild to think about! I still consider myself a beginner in all the things besides pole if I’m being honest, but that’s not a bad thing either. I’m still learning along with the rest of you, and some days I really feel like a beginner in some of my classes that I’ve taught. I’ve been given all the tools to be able to write a class and execute it, but it all comes down to me being able to teach it. Which is why I’m so grateful of how the instructor process works nowadays! Having to do some observations and then a minimum of two co-teaches for each class. There was a Fit Fun class that I co-taught this week, and I had my whole workout planned, read over the plan sheet, thought I had good exercises, I was ready! Then when we got done with the first circuit, I realized we went through it all so fast. I was so confused! I read my class layout again with the help of my co-instructor and realized I interpreted the layout sort of wrong? The class still flowed and everyone still got a good workout in, I just needed to read the plan layout more carefully. Everyone in class was so nice about it, and it’s something I’ll laugh about later. I kept telling myself that I felt more confident leading the fitness type classes because I have more experience in them, but I’m still a beginner in those classes too! I’m still finding my voice, finding my flow and getting comfortable being in front of the classes. But I have to say, all the women at Aerial Dance make it a lot easier than I thought because you all are so supportive as well! I’ll probably mess up in the future again, but no one’s perfect. There were times when I was a student and an instructor forgot something like a move name, a piece of equipment or some other random thing, and I didn’t think anything of it, because it makes us human. So I’m going to keep trying my best and I look forward to having you all in my classes!
To Bring Joy
There is a meme that has been floating around and was inspiring my brain to blog about it because I felt very seen reading it. And then, founder Paula also shared it in the ADWi member group and that sealed the deal. I had to write about it. For context, it is a woman on a pole and she says “You know what? My goal is not to be the best. I’m not even aiming to be good! I’m pole dancing because it brings me joy. And that’s all the difference in the world.” Speaking from experience, it absolutely makes all the difference in the world. Showing up with goals is important for focus and for growth. And I would argue, showing up with the right motivation and mindset is even more important. Our journeys all look different. For some of us the journey includes injuries, children, weight changes, changes in our support systems, or mental health struggles just to name a few. Over the years, my journey has included all of those things at various times. Throughout the changes, my motivation to show up at the studio has also ebbed and flowed and changed. I vividly remember coming back from one of my pregnancies and feeling an immense amount of disappointment in myself. (Side note, this disappointment was in no part due to a lack of support or encouragement from the lovely ladies that make Aerial Dance what it is and solely formulated within my own brain.) I wasn’t as “good” as I was before. I didn’t feel as strong as I was pre baby being born. I definitely did not have the same energy I had before. I hadn’t lost all of my pregnancy weight. The list went on but you get it. I was living in the sad lands we sometimes find ourselves in. There was a point when I was in one of my pole classes and I realized not only was I not having fun or feeling joy, but I also was kind of sloppy, which perpetuated my negative thoughts. I was so focused on “getting back” to where I was and so frustrated by the fact it wasn’t just happening. I wanted to be able to keep going on my aerial journey and become great at all the things. And I forgot to enjoy the journey. I blamed my body instead of thanking it. It was at that moment that I decided if I wanted to keep doing aerial, I needed to enjoy the process. I needed to focus on what brought me to aerial. It wasn’t being the best; let’s be honest, many of us, myself included, started this journey never believing we would be able to lift our own bodies in any way but definitely not over our heads. And yet, here we are, showing up doing just that. I needed to focus on having fun, on gaining strength, on doing something for me. I committed to the little things, well not really little because they are still amazing and baddie but you understand. I focused on trying to invert without a jump or step. I focused on fan kicks that looked slow and graceful. I focused on learning who/what my body was. I avoided needing to do the things I did before the pregnancy. I avoided feeling the need to be able to do every move well in the classes I took. I focused on showing up for me, not for the next move. You know what happened? I started having fun again. I started celebrating the wins I did have, however, “small” they were. I brought joy back to my journey and I never want to experience doing aerial for any reason other than to bring me joy again. Don’t forget why you started and what has kept you coming back.
Instructor Training Log 7: Group Fitness Certification
Studying. Exams. Learning the planes of the body, types of learning styles and scope of practice and looking at the words “Group Fitness Instructor” or “GFI” hundreds of times over the course of 14 chapters. Why did I have to do that? Well to be an instructor with Aerial Dance, we have to get a certification to be able to do so, that way we can better understand what it means to be an instructor and learn other safe ways to help students. It was a great learning opportunity and it helped me understand more of how to be an instructor, but boy did it stress me out and consume a large part of my life in a short period of time. In school I procrastinated on a lot of projects and homework, because my life was busy back then too but also I found that working under pressure with a time constraint worked better for me (most of the time). But this however, was something I could not procrastinate on. I chose to get my certification through ACE (American Council on Exercise) and it gave me an online book with 14 chapters ranging from topics of the muscles and bones of the body, to types of learning styles, program style and many more relating to group fitness. Not gonna lie, some of the chapters were SO boring and took me ages to get through, while some chapters were pretty insightful and taught me things I never would have known. While studying and reading chapters on my free nights, I was still attending trainings at Aerial to learn the other apparatuses, and class formats too. At the end of a training session, whoever was leading the training would tell us to start designing our own classes for our co-teaches. I however chose not to focus on those just yet, as I was too focused on studying for my exam. The day came around where I had to take my exam, 150 questions later and I passed!! I literally almost cried. I was so relieved that I passed because I was so stressed about this. I’m excited that this huge weight is off my shoulders finally and that I can finally start focusing on my observations and co-teaches. I know that I’ll be able to give them my all since I don’t have the exam to cram for anymore. So even when life feels busy or that you feel like something is too overwhelming, know that you can do it, just give yourself time, and use your support system around you. Whether it’s family, friends or the women at Aerial Dance. While I was doubting myself, every person I talked to told me that I could do it and they believed in me. It was great to know I had such a system around me. See you all around the studio!
