Safety first: use a crash mat

The bruise on my shoulder, resulting from the fall

I am going to sound like a nagging mom in this post, and I suppose I am nagging a bit, but I am very serious when I talk about this topic. I have had several discussion with polers about crash mats, and a lot of people seem hesitant to purchase one because of cost. That is what prompted this post.

Buying a crash mat is a big expense. I understand that it is hard to budget $200-$300 for something, especially after you just spent a lot of money to get your pole. That being said, pole has it's hazards, and falling is one of them. I am going to tell you an experience that I had that forever changed my perspective on poling and safety.

Best of 2013: My Dog is Okay - PDBA December Blog Hop

The best of 2013

This blog post is written in separate segments, is very disjointed, starts out sad, and is not pole-related,

so be forewarned. This is just a compilation of my thoughts through this entire ordeal.

Around Thanksgiving 2013:
This year is turning out to be terrible. I hate being negative, I truly do. Honestly, I wish things were different so much. I tried being strong, and managed for 2 weeks. Something is wrong with my dog, and I still don't know what. It started with him yelping when I pet him, a few days before Thanksgiving. That lasted for a few days, so we had him checked. Vet figured it was a bruised rib and gave him some pain medication. Within days of the visit, small masses began appearing on his torso. He has at least 10 that sprouted within days. One of them is the size of a ping pong ball. They are tender we you feel them. At this time he also developed a fever. The fever goes up and down everyday. Part of the day he's normal temperature, other parts he's got a fever. This has been going on for 2 weeks. Doctor did an needle aspiration and found nothing. Most of the slides didn't even take, which fat can do, but why would fatty tumors appear so suddenly and give him a fever. I don't think they would. My fear is he has an aggressive cancer. Right now he is acting happy. He eats, plays, goes potty normally. He's just very lumpy and has a fever. He's on two different antibiotics.

Jazzing up your heels!

One day, while I was perusing pinterest, I came across Heel Condoms.

Of course, my girly side emerged and I got so excited, but I am on a budget and cannot justify the expense at the moment. One day I will invest in a pair, because they are just so darn cute, but in the meantime I have a cheap option to get a similar effect. This would be a great way to jazz up your pole shoes, or even your everyday heels.

For about $3, you can buy a roll of ribbon from JoAnn's, or any other fabric/ crafts store. Cut a long length, and wrap around your shoe. There are many variations on how you can wrap. You can also do this with hem tape. I found a cute black lace hem tape and nabbed a pack for about $2. If you have shoes with a broken strap, or no strap, this can work as a cheap alternative to clear straps. Below are a few examples of what I came up with (pardon my dog, he wouldn't go away):.

Pole levels: are we disouraging?

Poling levels seem to be varied depending on the studio one is at. There doesn't seem to be a consistent definition of what the levels are in pole. Some studios consider most basic spins to be level 1, while others consider them level 2. I have a DVD that considers and handstand on the pole a basic move. Some studios use the terms beginning, intermediate and advance. These discrepancies can cause confusion to the students, and can be rather discouraging.

I've gotten to the point where I dislike the terms "beginner," "intermediate," and "advanced." They do not seem to be descriptive of the challenge that pole poses, and they can be discouraging to individuals who are stuck in the "beginner" or "intermediate" phase. I know I got frustrated when I had been poling for 2 years and was still considered a "beginner."

Why do you hate me 2012?

So 2012 has been interesting for me. It did have it's good side, but boy did it have it's bad side!

Lets start with the bad...

This year I have injured myself more times than I have EVER injured myself in my lifetime. Some of it was pole related, some not. Almost all of them have hindered my progress in pole though.


This summer I did something stupid, and it taught me to ALWAYS USE MY CRASH MAT! I always use my crash mat, but the ONE time I didn't, I fell out of a bow and arrow, landing on the side of my head and shoulder. That move is now on my NEVER AGAIN list..

This is what my shoulder looked like after the fall...I hate to think what my head looked like...

"Stripping" the sexy: October pole blog hop

We all know pole has a stigma. Many of us hide our poler side from others in order to protect ourselves from job discrimination, family drama, being shunned, etc. Due to this stigma, there is a "sanitization" movement occurring in pole. I do not mean rubbing alcohol on the poles to get off our grip aid residue. No, the goal of this movement is to make pole more accepted in the mainstream world, by stripping out any element that ties pole to the exotic dance industry. But is this "sanitization" really necessary?

X Stage Lite

I give you, the x stage light. This stage pole has almost 10 feet of usable pole, is portable, sturdy and safe. It differs from the original X stage in that it has a shorter platform and a bit more usable pole. My X stage lite is my baby. I am very protective of my baby!

 Stage poles are mainly for poling outdoors or doing public performances, at a venue that does not have poles. Though they can be used as a home pole, it is not recommended, as that is not their intended use. It can be used as a home pole if there are no other options for the individual. Keep in mind that the bearing may need to be periodically replaced due to heavy use. 

Stage poles have a lot of flex. That is because they are not secured at the top. Though the dancer probably won't notice the flex, it can be seen by bystanders. The first time I used my stage, in front of my fiancee, his eyes got huge and he said "sooo much flex." It's okay honey, it wont break!