Contortion class

Instead of swinging from the rafters at last night's pole class we had what was termed a 'contortion class'. Two young lasses - both dancers - took the class and they worked through a number of progressive stretches that left me feeling totally pathetic. I've never been able to do the splits, so I'm at peace with this, but some other moves...

While there were many that I couldn't do properly because I just don't have the flexibility, there were other balance moves that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did a shoulder balance for the first time, they guided me from a headstand into a handstand (now that I know the technique I should be able to work on it by myself - in theory), they aided a handstand walkover and I even succeeded in doing a dance/gymnastic thing called something like 'dolphin roll'.

A serious chest balance. I didn't look quite this elegant....

But I couldn't even get close with a whole bunch of other moves. Some of the moves felt half ok and then a glance in the mirror showed that there wasn't a hope in hell of my foot / hand / head / leg ever reaching its intended destination.

I definitely have an aptitude for the acrobatic and gymnastic - and not anything related to ballet nor putting one's foot on one's head...

I was quite delighted when the lasses' mom commented, "You must have a gymnastic background". I don't. But that comment made my night.

Circus school definitely improved my flexibility and strength but I've been out of it for a while so I've lost some of this. I left class feeling rigid and pathetic. The class initiated an itch and so I'm hitting a yoga class in the morning. That should scratch it for a while.

Weekend games

This weekend really was a mixed bag. I slept in until about 9am on Saturday morning and, for the first time in weeks I woke up feeling vaguely refreshed.

Taking advantage of the sun, I headed out to my veggie garden to clear the second half of the bed of weeds and old plants and to put in my new seedlings and some plants. Two hours later it was looking amazing. I've put in beetroot and spinach seedlings (and some flowers) and also some heritage beetroot seeds plus some swiss chard seeds. The eggplant plants are doing well and looking far more sturdy than they have been. To complete the session, I put down some mulch from the compost heap.

A bunch of my mom's friends had been asking her about having a Doodle afternoon, where I show them the basics of how to doodle. As you'll recall, I got into doodling late last year and seem to have settled into my own rhythm. So, we set up an afternoon and were thrilled to have a good collection of eager doodlers.

We started off with basic patterns and finished by creating our own bookmark-type things, which I laminated for everyone. We got a really super assortment of doodles. This was a wonderful afternoon of creativity, tea, cake and good company.

Bye-bye Saturday.

Sunday started off with the annual orienteering club relays. This is really the only time that clubs get to compete against each other. We had a women's team and a men's team racing in AR Club colours; we placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in our categories. I ran the first leg and then took some photos of our school team runners as well as any other orienteers passing by.

And then, an extra special treat - tea with my dear friend Pam and Lauren and my sweetness, Stella. She's 8.5 months old now and I last saw her on her 6-month birthday day. She's got more teeth, is crawling like champ and is getting far more interactive. Her development month by month is incredible.

And then I was off for a pole play date. Short story is that I met a lass in a race-entry queue a couple of weeks back. Turned out that she recently did a pole instructor course. She's a personal trainer but very new to pole. She has to do her practical exam soon and needed some help with her routine choreography. It was a really fun session because one of the other very new instructors came long too and so the cobwebs of my pole memory got a clean out as I taught them a bunch of basic moves and variations on moves - things I literally haven't done for years!

That was really fun and I'm not as stiff as I thought I would be today. Tonight I have class, which will certainly work me over.

So, a really nice weekend with a bit of this and a bit of that.

I am stiff

Now three days after Monday night's pole class I can again wave my arms around... (mostly)

Six year ago, when I first started pole class, I remember having such stiff arms and shoulders after that first class that I was hooked. Tuesday morning reminded me of that first post-class stiffness.

It will take me a few weeks to get back into it. My spins are decent and my balance moves and handstands are better than before (from circus school); but my inverts feel a bit messy. They'll need some tidying up as my body-spatial awareness catches up again.

There are hundreds of amazing pole videos on YouTube and I watch them occasionally. My favourites are from the major pole competitions like Pole Art and World Champs and Australian Champs. Oona Kivela remains my favourite artist. She's an ex-gymnast and ballet dancer and it shows in her strength and movements.

Check out these strength drills, performed by Oona. I'd like to say that I can do a few of these with any level of competency... But I don't think I can. Definitely a level of strength and skill and grace to aspire to.

I miss aerial and pole

I've been out of both circus/aerial and pole for way, way too long and I really miss it. And that why I'm returning to pole on Monday night. I'm incredibly excited and so looking forward to class.

In May/June last year circus classes stopped when our instructors were tied up with performances locally and abroad. By the time I returned from Argentina classes were permanently halted as they needed to set up at a new venue when the old one was no longer available. This meant months of building and rigging... Classes only started again at the beginning of this year.

But I'd made the decision anyway not to return. I just couldn't face 30-minutes of travel either way and only getting home at 21h30 two nights a week - on top of other commitments. The toll gantries on the highway don't help either.

I was thinking of starting hip-hop classes - trying a different dance discipline. But I so love the gymnastic and acrobatic and strength elements of the aerial disciplines that I've decided to go back to pole. I haven't been teaching for about 18 months (after four-and-a-half years of teaching pole classes one - sometimes two - nights a week) and so I'm glad just to be returning to pole as a student.

I've certainly lost a lot of the strength that I gained from circus school - it's even the 'little' things like hand-strength for gripping. Nonetheless, I look forward to building it back up and I certainly have better neuromuscular pathways and more strength and stability - like core and shoulders - than when I left pole for circus 18-months ago.

Ooohhh-weeeee... so excited! For class and to see my pole friends again.

Miss Pole Dance SA annual competition

Last night I went to watch the annual Miss Pole Dance SA competition - I think that this is the 5th consecutive year that I've been to watch it.

I've been quite out of the pole scene since I stopped teaching in July last year and took up circus school; but I still love pole and have been waiting for this English course to finish to get back into it. There haven't been circus classes since June/July (I was away anyway) and pole remains close to my heart.

The general standard of performance has improved over the years but there are a number of things that stood out.

• 'Ho heels really have little place in this sport anymore. They look trashy and slutty on stage and I can bet my money that dancers wearing 'ho heels are more interested in how they look and being sexy for the audience rather than their performance. This was pretty evident. Three cheers for those with bare feet on stage - and fortunately there were many. Bare feet are 
• Unless you've got a gymnastic or dance background, your chance of winning any competition (local or international) is slim. It really makes a HUGE difference in how the dancers move, their strength and flexibility. Wow! 
• Every year you see the same moves coming out in the performances from a performance that the competitors have watched online. The common move changes year on year. Today I watched Heidi Coker's winning performance from this year's Pole Art 2013 competition. Her one pole-to-pole transition must have come up four times last night. Heidi beat my favourite-favourite, Oona Kivela at Pole Art. Both videos are so well worth watching for the grace, athleticism and strength. These women make it look easy. It isn't. 
• Last night was big for flexibility moves like 'Allegra Box Splits' and 'Banana Splits'. While I'd love to be able to do these, there are moves - like these - that I think should be scrapped from the performance lists. As with 'ho heels, if pole fitness is every going to be taken seriously then moves that place the audience's attention in one specific place have no place on stage. Fine for playing around in class; not for performance. I know you can do the splits; you don't have to show me over and over and over again. There are plenty of other less 'presenting', similar moves that can be chosen instead.
• I'm still on the fence about the removal of clothing. No, not so that they're n.a.k.e.d. Skin contact is needed for the best grip so there's a reason why performers don't wear loads of clothing... But I'm not so sure about outfits where bits (shirts, skirts, capes - used as props) are taken off and flung across the floor. Again this goes back to pole's 'heritage' and does nothing for the sport. The IPSF states in their competition rules that "Costumes should not be intentionally removed, must fit correctly and not used in an erotic manner". Exactly! [although Evgeny - see below - can take his shirt off ANYTIME! *grin*]

The Pole Fitness Association of SA has an annual competition - must be in around April each year. They're affiliated to the International Pole Sports Federation (IPFS) and they set their competition rules accordingly (yes, there's a World Champs too as well as country champs and various other international competitions). No 'ho heels here.

There were three male entries - and there are other pole guys around. It would be awesome to see more performing.

The highlight of the evening was Evgeny Greshilov. Good golly. I don't know much about him (I've watched a number of his performances online over the last two or three years) but he certainly a classic dance background and watching him there was no doubt in my mind as to why he has won Pole Art (won it this year) and he has been World Pole Dance champ a few times.

Aside from his performance, which was captivating, the only other word I have to describe him is 'charming'. Totally charming. A beautiful performer, his audience interaction is superb - just a smile from the stage was all it took for us to be utterly and completely charmed. He has achieved the balance of displaying grace and effortless movements in his dance performance while still being a guy. I've seen performances online of guys that are just too ballet. Pole is a discipline of strength and for the guys shouldn't be too 'pointed toes' - the performance should remain masculine.

Here's the video of Evgeny's performance last night. I'll pop in the one from Pole Art below it. Enjoy!

Ahh... Evgeny's 2011 World Pole Dance Champs winning performance (video improves once the dance starts)

Play (and move) like a child

At the moment I am so super in love with circus school. Over the past two weeks I've noticed a major improvement, especially when I do moves now that I haven't done/tried in months. On Friday, from hanging (no pushing off the ground), I lifted my toes level with my eyes - straight legs. Twice. I haven't been able to do this without assistance. It's things like this that are SUCH a rush. It's like nailing a PB in running.

I've always been drawn to watching acrobatic acts and gymnastics (my favourite Olympic discipline to watch on telly) but I had never gotten into this stuff until I started pole dancing almost 4.5 years ago. It is so much about gymnastic and acrobatic movements and these are the ones that I do really well, especially the balances.

I've always thought that the way a body should be able to move is like that of a dancer or acrobat. Sure, it takes tons of training and conditioning to be able to put your foot around your neck but there's also a 'non-professional' level of movement that should be attainable. If you can't bend forward to trim your own toenails... that's a problem.

For four months I've been going to 'circus classes' (aerial) and the difference in my strength is absolutely astounding! But most of all I just absolutely love playing there. I also really enjoy the activities where we stand on each other and 'toss' each other. Last week we did a bit more 'tumbling' type of activities. I think of these as more 'clown' movements. I did a really neat handstand, rolling out of it, and also a dive roll. With the latter you run at a mat, jump with both feet - diving for the mat - and then roll (somersault-like). It is just the most amazing feeling to be able to do these things.

Last week there was a new girl and we were doing back arches. She commented, "I haven't done this since school!". There are so many movements that all of us haven't done since school. On the playgrounds we would always be doing hand-stands-up, skipping rope games, head stands, leap frog games... our flexibility and agility at primary school was all-round fabulous.

And then somewhere in high school we stop playing - this kind of play. And from there it's just a downward slide. For me, pole, circus and acroyoga are totally about playing and training my body to do movements that it could do... 30 years ago! I'm very fortunate that over the years my general activities have maintained fairly good flexibility, strength and fitness but I'm always improving.

On Saturday I finally made it to my friend Michelle's 'Flight Club' (page on FB). I've known Michelle for years through mountain biking and common friends (climbing people) and also from pole dance - she is also an instructor. Over the past year she has gotten very much into aerial silks and lyra (metal hoop) and she has set up a regular, social aerial sessions. I did an outdoor session with her shortly after I started circus. This weekend I felt the marked improvement in being able to hold myself up for longer and movements that would have been difficult months ago are very much doable now. These aerial games all look so easy and graceful and elegant; they're mostly not easy!

Here are some pics that Michelle took on Sat. This was my second time doing 'fancy' moves on lyra and most of these were for the first time (like half moon, pike, mermaid, stag).

Lyra: Back arch from top bar

Lyra: balance move

Lyra: forward arch

Lyra: This is called half moon and is my favourite move of the moment. It's like you're suspended from the moon. Very cool.

Lyra: This is a blurry picture of half moon but you get the idea - better angle to show the move. This is what I mean about being 'suspended' from the 'moon'.

Lyra: Mermaid

Lyra: Pike from the top bar. My pikes are getting really good 'cos we drill them a lot at circus classes.

Lyra: This one is called 'stag'

Lyra: (Wo)man in the moon

Silks: Butterfly. I haven't done many fancy moves with silks; at circus class we focus on conditioning with a lot of climbing and grabbing exercises. Michelle talked me through this one and a couple of other really neat moves.

This is a video that was made during class a few weeks ago. It's to promote the fun and games we get up to with aerial disciplines. I'm not very visible in the video but you can see me climbing the silks at about 1:35 and then the back of me during a partner stretch at around 1:53. I'm on the right-hand side (middle level) of the people pyramid.
 

Aerial circus school - play time

Circus school started in Jo'burg this week! I've been so envious of the Capetonians with Zip-Zap and National Circus and now we've got something here - well, at least for six months. I heard about it on Monday via a friend on Facebook (this platform has its advantages) and I went for my first session last night (last night was the first night).

The focus here is on aerial arts like chinese pole, silks, straps, ropes and trapeze and for now they're working on conditioning exercises to build our strength to be able to execute moves. Goodness gracious! It was hard, hard going. We did three disciplines last night. I found the straps to be quite challenging and although the silks really work your hands, I like them. Chinese pole is quite different to my normal pole but I feel quite at home with it - the pole is familiar.

As I'm not teaching pole at the moment (as of this week) for the first time in three-and-a-half years, I'm focusing on playing. For me. When you teach then you don't get to play much and I've found that over the past 18 months I really haven't progressed much with my pole stuff. My strength is reasonable, my balance is inherently good, flexibility is ok and I'm not scared of heights or of trying new, challenging moves. I manage but I'd like to be better, especially with the aerial/balance/strength moves which I really get a kick out of and for which I have an affinity.

Circus school offers the best of all worlds because I'll get conditioning and strengthening training in various aerial disciplines. So I'll give straight-up pole a break and instead jump into the (circus) ring to play, play, play for the next few months.

As my mom quite rightly put it last night, play time will be good for me because most things I do are work (some have elements of 'fun' but they are work) - where I am responsible for something or an outcome.

I spent only six months in pole classes before I started teaching, which means planning classes, always coming up with new stuff and a weekly responsibility. I've been involved in a  project for the orienteering federation for the past year - I'm writing manuals, organising this and that... AR is often work with writing articles, maintaining the website, organising AR Club evenings and admin... Work, work, work.

I wanna PLAY!

Aerial silks

I've been keen to give aerial silks a try for some time. Last weekend at the pole jam the one girl I know said she was putting silks and lira (the hanging hoola hoop thing) into her studio this week and we set up a play date for yesterday afternoon.

What fun we had! My other pole friend came through - she's been teaching silks for a few months.

Well, it is hard work! In some ways it is harder on your hands. A pole is solid and you can grab it tight. Fabric you've really got to squeeze tight to pull yourself up. And, like pole, it is one of those things where you have to learn to balance on the fabric, learn how far you can or can't learn back and many, many techniques for wrapping the fabric to achieve moves.

I learned how to climb and to do a single foot lock and a lean back thing. I also learned to twist myself up from sitting on the silks (tied in a knot - like a swing) and then Michelle got me to do a death-defying forward tumble. Crazy stuff!

I'm looking forward to more ;)

Up and around the pole

Ooohhh.... I am so super-mega excited. On Sunday afternoon I'm participating in an advanced pole workshop with one of my favourites, Miss Suzie Q. Graceful and strong, she's incredible. Good dance background and she does a lot of aerial stuff like trapezee and those aerial hoops and such. Her doubles partner, Toby J, will also be instructing at the workshop. Yes, guys also do pole. There's even a men's category in the big competitions.

My favourite Suzie Q video, from Miss Pole Dance Australia 2006 isn't on YouTube anymore. There are lots of others but video quality of most is really, really terrible. Her 'Lara Croft' themed dance from Miss Pole Dance Oz 2008 is ok quality - not great.

My favourite-favourite, who I only discovered earlier this year, is a lass Oona Kivela. She has just won the first  Pole Dance World Cup, which was held in Rio (only been doing pole for three years - same as me!). I don't know her background but can bet that it is sure to be ballet and gymnastics. This woman is strong and flexible and agile. Without putting you on a pole you just don't cannot get how hard the stuff that she is doing so fluidly really is. She makes it look easy. It isn't. Sure, I can do some of these moves, but mostly in isolation. Not one after another after another with such speed. And some I can sorta do. I say 'sorta' because I can do them but not half as well as Oona (I can't do the splits). And then others I cannot do at all - not strong enough, not flexible enough... I really like that Oona dances in barefeet and not in ho'heels, which puts this sport in the other commonly associated perspective.

Watch and enjoy the acrobatic, gymnastic and athletic elements of this incredible sport, thanks to Oona.

Oh-oh-goodness... just found this. Yeah, ballet and gymnastics. Really nice little interview with Oona.