Angie is a ballerina turned exotic pole dancer, known for her mile-long legs and fantastic foot work. She has been teaching for UV for over 3 years, and is an avid performer and lover of all styles of dance. She can chameleon from sexy/exotic style to barefoot and ultra moody. This expert pole dancer shared some of her fav moves, tips and tricks with all of you below. Read on and never stop dancing!
Fav pole moves
1. What are your 3 fav pole tricks and why?
Arghh, I hate choosing but...if I have to narrow them down I would pick one that shows strength, one that shows leg technique and one that shows grace. (not that pole sport and dance doesn't combine all of the above in all of the moves but just to be more specific :P )
1) Reverse elbow grip Ayesha in leg pike
2) Box splits on the pole
3) Ballerina
2. What are you 3 fav base tricks and why?
I love bendy, acro based tricks but also interesting, thready leg shapes.
1) Love a good kip! My favourite is the one with the forearm.Forearm on the ground hand grabbing the base of the pole , other arm straight up on the pole, legs together press up to a straight pike position, start arching the back while bending the legs into a scorpion, head lifts and looks at toes and feet eventually find the ground. (*add a buttercup)
2) All the bboys and their variations!!!
3) I love thready shoulder roll backs...Some moves don't even have a name so I will have to show you in class. (you comin??)
3. What are your 3 fav floor tricks and why?
So hard to choose but.... I love all spreadies! They are a definitely a showstopper and are achievable even if your split isn't square or flat to the ground. There are many ways to create an illusion of a straight split and thus "trick" the audience. Do them and the crowd will go crazy!!!
1.Splits (front,middle or fake/elongated legs that give you the illusion of a split)
2.Splits in any shoulder stand position (*add a heel clack, 'cause why the hell not? )
3. Travelling splits across the floor (*add a hair toss for extra cheering)
4. How did you develop your trick style?
1) Practice practice practice .Never underestimate the power of strengthening and working towards your flexibility, it's not one or the other, it's a commitment to both so you can avoid injuries and work on building different progressions in the future.
2) Cross-training. Probably the most important that took me a while to realize. It's ok to take a break from pole tricks, choreography etc. Listen to your body and mind and try a different apparatus or approach. Aerial hoop, yoga, running,ballroom dancing , stretching ....I know it sounds cliche but it even taking a day off to meditate, listening to your breath, closing your eyes and doing a gentle stretch flow can be a game changer.
3) Repetition. Did you know that learning requires the growth of neural connections in the brain so doing something once is not enough to create and stabilize these connections? It is only through repetition and practice that these new neural pathways will be reinforced and become automatic. Also, by closing your eyes, you can achieve that mind/body connection that leads to muscle memory. So, think about that next time you are reviewing the same moves or choreo :)
4) Inspiration. It is very important to draw inspiration from others and adjust it to fuel our own unique style. I draw inspiration from my students, other dancers, music, different dance genres or disciplines, my travels,cats (it's funny but hey..their body limber on all sorts of ways !!!) ...
5. Do you have Any feedback for dancers who are developing their style?
Don't be afraid to experiment and be exposed to different kinds of dancing and teaching styles. There's not only one way of learning or doing things, that's for sure :) Throw on your favourite outfit, put your favourite song on and just dance. Even if you don't know what to do at first, start by combing 3 simple moves and repeat over and over again. Now change the song, perhaps you want something more lyrical or more upbeat? Observe how your attitude,tempo and movement changes. How does it make you feel? Pole dance can be whatever you want it to be so make it yours :)
xoxo,
Angie
