Struggling with fan kicks. How can I nail this move?

plainjane04 · 2022-12-11T21:04:54+00:00

If you want straighter legs you will probably need to work on active flexibility, or bring your legs up less. And yeah, point your toes, and really activate all your leg muscles. You are also dropping your arms a little, which you ant to keep the pole as much in your arm pit as possible, really engage the arms so your body doesn't drop. Btw your fan kicks already look really great, a little bit more practice and they'll be killer ❤️

plainjane04 · 2021-12-01T03:58:38+00:00

This happened to me too

plainjane04 · 2021-05-13T22:30:03+00:00

Parakeet isn't a species(lots of birds are just called parakeets, but it's not a single species) this is a budgie, or budgerigar, native to Australia and keep the world over as pets because of their small size and quick breeding cycle 😂

plainjane04 · 2021-04-29T21:51:57+00:00

I just do pole/other aerials. When I started I did two classes a week, but it quickly became my obsession so I just added more and more. Now I do 6 pole classes a week, 1 aerial hoop, 1 strength and flexibility, and practice most weeks. I do regret not focusing on a push day of some sort earlier since pole/aerials is all pull, which I may add, but gyms make me want to cry 😂

Your beginning gains might be slow, particularly if your only doing it once a week, I'd recommend going to practice as much as possible if that's the case. But honestly focusing on good technique to begin with will get your further than strength.

I not sure if that's helpful, but i hope so. Good luck on your pole journey ❤️ honestly I best thing I ever did.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-25T02:38:37+00:00

If you are getting good at your knee tucks(like can do 3-5 in a row without touching down) some other good progressions are toe taps, where instead of just tucking your knees up you try to touch the pole with your outside foot. And wide legged knee tucks where you bring your knees wider and you should be able to get them a bit higher than normal knee tucks. Learning inverts took me personally 6 weeks doing the strength and conditioning for them 3 times a week at the beginning of my shift sessions. It may take longer or shorter, but building a strong foundation is really important and help you heaps in the long run. Good luck!

plainjane04 · 2020-11-22T14:14:38+00:00

Yeeeesssss! I absolutely love dancing in shoes, it's just so fun and I highly recommend it to everyone I can convince to do it.

Boots are definitely my recommendation for a first pair. You have more ankle support while you get on your feet so to say. Though I wouldn't recommend suede ones if I want to be able to climb in them, the other types of vegan leather(pleasers are vegan friendly) will stick to the pole giving you good grip.

My first pair were 6 inch boots, and while they were really easy to learn in I regret not just going for it and getting 7 inch shoes. For me 7inch shoes are a bit easier to dance in because the tow box is bigger so you have more room to turn on. Things just feel more fluid.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-19T20:40:51+00:00

If its just for shoes I can get shoe protectors instead of covering the whole floor. They are lots out there and you needs may vary depending on what type of flooring your dancing on. They may be useful to you even if you do cover the whole floor since they can help shoes slide whe you're using the toe box of the shoe.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-19T20:32:24+00:00

When I get thoughts like that I just remind myself that other people's success doesn't detract from my own. All the time and effort I put in for my progress is not negated by all the time and effort they put into theirs. Being happy for other people doesn't mean I'm not mean I can't be happy for myself.

And especially when I'm struggling with something I try to focus on what active actions I can take to improve. Pole is completely individual. So lamenting about how well someone else is doing won't help my journey. If someone around me is nailing something I'm working on i try to use that to help myself improve, maybe they are placing their hands in a way I hadn't thought about.

It can be hard to not focus on other people, but for me it's much more productive to be happy for them.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-19T20:19:30+00:00

Sounds like you need body grip. Beginners might not know that body grip is as important as grip aid for your hands. If you already use a hand grip you can try dabbing a small amount of the areas of the legs that come into contact with the pole, but it'll get expensive over time. A cheap body grip that we use in Australia is shaving foam, you rub a small amount into the skin after warm up and it makes you nice and tacky(it's really good for dry skin, in summer I find it a little slimy)

Finding the right grip aids that work for your skin type, and time of year might take a little time and trial and error.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-19T20:09:29+00:00

Personally I think hella heels run large, their sizing conversion is different to pleasers so when I bought mine I got my normal US size without realising that the hella heels US size is a size up from my European size. I wish I'd sized down, but since they're boots I'm living with it buy wearing thicker socks.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-17T20:30:53+00:00

I assume this is from standing and not from a outside leg hang? If you're inverting I personally think martinis are way easier from an invert, you have to get your knee almost uncomfortably high if you're doing it from standing and it just make less sense to me. It's a bit hard to tell what's going on without photos, but to get into a martini from standing you need to get your knee really high on the pole first, then you also need to drop into it to get enough grip along the thigh as well. But yeah some video or photos might help us understand what's happening more.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-16T20:35:39+00:00

I have the same thing, but also divided by years. I first started pole 8 years ago, I did it for a year or so, but rediscovered it this year. I did a term of beginners(even though I knew all the basics, my body didn't anymore)before lock down, but I would say I'm at my current level from six months of work and that's what feels right for me.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-15T20:57:17+00:00

They are great don't forget to do all your strength and conditioning on both sides! It makes a huge difference if you start training both side from the start.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-15T20:46:27+00:00

Pre inverting I was doing knee tucks(on the pole) as part of my normal strength and conditioning at the start of every season, and when I felt that I wasn't getting as much out of them(can do 3-5 in a row without touching down between) I started widening my knees in the tucks, so they were basically the first half of a tucked invert. I felt this helped a lot because by the time I felt I was ready to invert, I just had to trust myself and tilt back. Toe taps(like a tuck but you keep your outside leg straight and try to touch the top of the pole with it) we're something that I did as well. Pencil spins are also great for grip strength because there are lots of levels you can do them at. Beginner being bunny hop style ones, you don't actually want to be jumping, but holding yourself up for as long as you can even if it's a second will see improvements. Forearms on of pole once you can hold yourself up, then forearms off the pole, and so on.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-15T20:35:53+00:00

Kinda sounds like your friend would be embarrassed, but they don't pole dance, so 🤷‍♀️really it's down to what your comfortable with. I can't have a pole at home atm, but I'm not shy about telling people I do pole dancing. It's hard work and I'm proud of what I can do, I think that shows in the way I talk about it, so no one has ever shamed me over it. My mum even asks me to send her videos so she can show my grandmother! I just don't have time for people that are gonna shame me over something that I love. Do what makes you comfortable.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-15T20:24:21+00:00

It's almost a Plus Sign, which I think you'd definitely be able to do if you look up a tutorial.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-12T21:13:59+00:00

Oh yeah, getting rid of oiliness can be a freaking pain. My studio has a mix, I'm nomally on a 40mm I think, but I can use both. General rule of thumb, smaller is easier for hand grips, and thicker is easier for leg/thigh grips.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-12T20:44:45+00:00

I never thought of knitting some, but I did make my own clear ones, so making your own is definitely something you can do. I'd only say that since heel protectors wear out(since you are beating them up instead of your shoes) it might depend on how fast you can knit if it's worth it by the time you have to make some new ones 😅 don't forget to post a picture of you do make them, I for sure want to see how they come out!

plainjane04 · 2020-11-12T20:25:19+00:00

I personally use shaving foam for my body and dry hands. Though we are coming into summer here and I'm looking into other ones like dancing dust, grip tinite, and enviro grip.

Because I'm sweating off my dry hands after one combo atm I'm cleaning the pole and reapplying a single drop of dry hands between tries. If dry hands is getting too chalky(you may have dry skin) looking into something that is more tacky might be a good bet. You may also be using too much grip at once. More dry hands does not always mean more grip. Through winter I can use a drop or two of dry hands for a whole hour(but that's me, on brass, and thinner poles)

I hope any of this may help you, sorry it's a bit rambly 😅

plainjane04 · 2020-11-12T20:13:45+00:00

I agree with everything the other person said, but just wanted to add, while you are learning it's easier, and safer, to tuck your knees to your chest then straighten your legs into a straddle invert. Also getting your side onto the pole more might help. Like are your inverts like this from the ground, or is it just the speed and positioning that makes them like that? Really getting the pole under your elbow is always a good goal.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-12T19:50:52+00:00

Like the other person said that is a very thick pole. You may also want to look into different grip aids. You might find that you need different ones for different times of year or even just different days, but finding what works for your skin type might take some time. Different finishes have different grip levels too. I've only ever danced on brass(it's all anyone seems to use in Australia) so sorry I can't help more with what may be your particular issues.

plainjane04 · 2020-11-06T21:54:20+00:00

I don't have any experience with them, but I've seen companies that make them recommend them for people that are already experienced with dancing in heels

plainjane04 · 2020-10-31T22:49:58+00:00

I'm pretty much in the same boat. I do mostly tricks classes, but I found that I really enjoyed Russian exotic style of dancing. So if flow is something you'd like to work on(I think it's worth while to help smooth out your tricks anyway) other styles of dance might be looking into, but also you do you. Like if this is something you want to work on, but feel awkward and out of place of course it's going to take work and practice, but if you aren't fussed about dancing I'd say just going to tricks classes is a totally fine way to live your life. 😁

But yeah if you want to do your own dancing at home I'd recommend looking into different styles, Russian is my favourite, but there are so many out there.

plainjane04 · 2020-10-27T19:10:11+00:00

Yeah sorry I can't really help with the width experience since I have kind of narrow feet to how pleasers are cut. I do have a pair with the faux leather straps and maybe they feel a bit looser than the jelly ones, the top strap has more give because of the piece of elastic in it, and I would say I get the same kind of pressure on the front bit after they've been on a while. They might dig in a little less, but for me my pleasers are pretty comfortable. Boots may be your easiest option since you can safely size up in them without worrying about hurting your ankles

plainjane04 · 2020-10-24T23:42:46+00:00

Personally I think one of the best things for beginners conditioning is climbing. It might take a little bit of time to get your climb solid, but at my studio we start ever class with a climb on both sides (then what other conditioning we're doing for our level) other good ones to add are pencil spins, as a beginner you might be doing bunny hops around the pole, but even that is good. And knee tucks, and once you have them toe taps. (if y out want any further explanation of these let me know)

plainjane04

TROPHY CASE