A Blog Reference Guide

Hey y’all! So I put together a short guide to the blog for those of you who may be new. There’s been an entry posted every weekday since February, so there’s about 150+ entries to get through to catch up, which… well, that’ll take you a few days of reading pretty seriously.

I hope this comes in handy: you will be able to get to all this info from the permanent link way up there ^^ in the navigation bar. If there are particular entries that you loved and that you think I should include in this list, feel free to let me know!

So, if you’re just joining us recently, try reading these entries first:

• Sweaty hands? Look no further then this entry.
• Bruising? Here’s your cure.
• Just getting started? Peek in my pole bag.
• Working to improve? Get a videocamera.
• Thinking about teaching? Take a read.
• Music rut? Check out the Thursday Tunes
• Need a pick me up? Feeling like you suck? You don’t. And you’re just right the way you are.
• Trying to keep track of classes? iPhones check here.
• In a rut? Or, do you have the pole blahs?
• Transitioning to spin mode? Here’s a list of things that helped me.
• Want more productive practices? Practice with intent.
• Getting ready for a photo shoot? This might help.
• If you are looking for tutorials and tips on tricks, take a look at Tuesday Tips
• Feeling crafty? Glitter your heels, make butt floss ties, alter some booty shorts that are too small, rip up a shirt, rhinestone your shoes!
• Need non-pole inspiration? Watch Chaz Buzan, Marie Chouinard, Kerri Kresinski, Wade Robson’s choreo, Jacoby & Pronk, Prague,
• Struggling to find your own style? Read Amber Richards’ advice here and here, or Michelle Stanek’s take.

I’ve also included answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any more to ask, feel free to post them in the comments!

When and how did you start pole dancing?

I started back in 2007: A friend mentioned the amazing pole dance classes that she was taking, and how personally rewarding the classes had been for her. I went to an intro class, and was immediately hooked. Since then, pole dance has been an important part of my life– I’ve gone consistently ever since.

Do you have any athletic/artistic background?

Absolutely not, and I’m proud of it! I may not have any training in any formal disciplines, but I am proud of what I have accomplished and I am so inspired by all the people I see around me, of all ages, shapes, and sizes, who are exploring pole dance. Prior to taking my first pole class, I had never gone to the gym or been any good at any athletic activity (although I did run hurdles, slowly, in high school).

What is your training regimen like?

When I first started taking classes, I went to a studio that focused on movement and fluidity– I went to a 2-hour class once a week for about 3 years before I started getting more interested in advanced aerial combinations and tricks and stepped up the intensity. Now, I teach about 5 hours a week (beginner through advanced), take class as a student or rent studio time for 3-5 hours, take a couple 2-4 of Circus (silks, flying trapeze, lyra, Chinese pole, static trap) and an hour or so of pilates. I went from sitting on my butt all day long to moving and shaking a couple hours every day! I’ve never been happier, healthier (I smoked for 10 years!), or in better shape, and it’s all thanks to pole and being inspired to explore what I’m truly capable of.

Do you have any pole idols?

I don’t– although I look up to many polers, including students, friends, and instructors. I think that we all have different bodies, different experiences, and different emotions, and those all play a role in the way that we dance and naturally express ourselves. I’m really working to be the best dancer that I can be, and come to an understanding of the unique way that my body truly loves to move!

Do companies pay you to recommend their products?

Absolutely not! I write for the Bad Kitty Blog as a staff writer, but I am not interested (and neither are they!) in having paid product placement published in my blog, or getting anything other than the truth when I review an item. I started this blog to honestly share whatever experiences and learnings I thought might be of interest to others, and my integrity is too important to me to ever compromise that.

How do you have time to blog every day?

I don’t know! I do work 9-5 (I’m a project manager at a firm that does apartment renovations for very rich people in Manhattan), and I have a boyfriend, a dog, friends to keep up with, not to mention a mom that I don’t call often enough and a ton of classes to take and teach every week. But this blog has come to be really important to me, and even if I have to come home late night after working, teaching, taking a class, and then having dinner and drinks, and edit a video for a Tuesday Tip, it’s really a labor of love. I try to set up a week’s post in advance by using the timed publish feature in the blog software I use, but there’s no secret and I’m honestly surprised in myself that I still have stuff to talk about every day!

Do you have anything you’re curious about? Ask away!

Tomorrow’s post: Thursday Tunes…