F up your pirouettes!
I find myself playing this game on occasion, especially if (1) I don’t have a lot of time but I wanna find a groove, (2) I’m not getting enjoyment (feeling stuck) from particular movement patterns, (3) I generally want to release some stress and need to shake it out. The twirls help, y’all. 😉
The premise is really simple, and you can bend or break the rules as you like:
➡️ TRY NOT TO DO PIROUETTES THE WAY YOU USUALLY DO… that’s it!
And I’m talking about all the qualities:
✊🏼 The way you grip the pole
👋🏼 Where/how you release the pole
➡️ Where you apply pull/push forces
👀 Where you’re looking
🎚 What level you’re moving at
🚆 What speed you’re moving at
🔄 Which direction you’re going
👣 What you’re feet are doing
🛑 Where/how you pause
🌊 Your movement quality, texture, shapes…
… I could keep going
What do you KNOW about the way you do it, or the way it’s demonstrated, and what can you CHANGE?
When you’re first playing with this, of course the traditional pirouette and urge to do it the way you know… is going to show up, don’t worry, no buzzer is gonna ring blatantly exposing your error. 🚨🚨🚨 It’s all good.
Also, coming back to your “normal” pirouettes after will give them a boost!
(This is because everything will be more “awake” and “online” after this)
But, really try, PLAYFULLY, with curiosity!, and enjoyment!, to challenge your turns.
Take risks. Let yourself miss, stumble, look awkward. Problem solve in the moment. Make a puzzle and try and resolve it.
Do something cool you discovered over and over again! Then remix it!
Sure, you may find a deep pocket of flow state somewhere along the way, but this game works well open-ended, your movement doesn’t have to be super continuous.
Anyway, I had a blast last night. And it reminded me how much I love this style of pole dancing.
Long live the pirouette… and f*ck it up!
SURRENDER YOUR HEAD, SURRENDER YOUR THOUGHTS
Let your head (and neck) go into and with the movement, and your thought quality will change.
Give it a try. ✌🏼🧠
BLESSING A SPACE WITH MOVEMENT/DANCE
Blessing and clearing a space can be done many ways, #dance is one of them.
Sound 🔊 is another.
💁♀️ Freestyle tip today: Move in a space that could use a little of your love and attention. Make it a prayer for your good intentions. What do you want this space to emanate? Work together to find the words or feeling. 🙏🏻
(New floors and new space 💡for this room in my 🏡)
YOUR PROMPT IS... HICCUPS
A Movement Exploration Idea For You ✨👇🏼 (Hands)
Select an object (can be person, place or thing) to orient your movement to/around… without being in direct contact with it.
Look but don’t touch.
Move near, but don’t engage.
Have a relationship, but avoid contact.
As you move, the slower the better, start to allow your conscious awareness to consider the following:
“What am I spiraling around (thought, word or actions), but honestly am somehow avoiding?”
“What do I want to be closer to, but am unwilling to touch?”
“What do I want to bring in to my experience, but can’t seem to?”
The exercise as is combines your environment, with your body, with your senses, with your inner felt sense and stuff deeper and older.
It allows you to take something that might seem a little hard to see or understand, and puts it right in front of you. And your body can then interact with this.
Notice what comes up.
Keep moving, keep staying in your awareness, and as things arrive inside and out, you can follow what feels like it wants to happen next in your movement, or your body.
If it feels honest to come into direct contact with that thing you are avoiding, slow that way doooowwwwnnn, and follow it.
Again, notice what comes up.
Give yourself at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 20) to explore this whole thing, so you can enter and exit without moving too quickly for all the parts of you that might become involved in the exploration.
You might enjoy journaling afterward.
If you try it, let me know how it goes xo
💡 Wanna work together? Check out my online membership here, drop-in schedule here, and in person events here.
Slippery Hands 👏🏼
I have seen innumerable examples of folks who stop their freestyle because their hands are slippery. I get why, I do it, too. 😉 Folks new to pole are especially susceptible - but it can be a flow-halting-habit over time that gets ya down.
May I encourage you to keep going?
Comfort and adaptation when your grip is bad can only be harnessed by pushing past that point where you’d normally stop, give up, or “pole clean”.
All you need now from this moment...
- willingness to move another way, or anyway
- less grip-required skill pressure
Use this slickness 💦 to encourage this instead:
- rely more on your legs
- get closer to the pole with your upper body
- alternative grip or contact points, see waist here
- practice the active pull-down feeling without worrying about lifting your body off the ground, you’ll get a nice sensory and visual reminder of the action in the hands sliding down the pole from the effort
- notice your hand detail or allow your hands, wrists, palms, and fingers to dance
- allow your sweating, don’t fix it, it’s all good, just means your working hard (or it’s just hot, which you can’t fix)
- slow down, pull your focus away from your hands, what else can you notice, what else can move?
- encourage your body to simmer in shapes and positions, let the music guide the texture
....
Or what else?
Dancing past this moment will bring you so much peace eventually, as you learn to make peace with environmental changes and “dance in the rain” 😂
NEW: INTRO TO @FINDINGYOURFREESTYLE
THURSDAY, 5/20
2:00 - 3:30 PM EDT if this post calls to you. ❤️ Code firsttime.
FYF CHALLENGE #28: Freestyle Friday Challenge
LAUNCHED: FEBRUARY 21, 2017
THE PROMPTS:
If you’d like to read more about this challenge, check out our blog here.
So excited to bring back the FYF Challenge, and in a new way – introducing the FYF “Freestyle Friday” Challenge! Each Friday, we will kick off the week with a fun, guided, movement prompt meant to inspire your practice and encourage playful exploration and experimentation. You can use this as a focal point for a freestyle practice that week, or spice up your training regimen to keep it feeling fresh by focusing your mind and body in new or interesting ways on and around the pole!
Each week will feature examples from our FYF Brand Ambassador team (I can’t wait to see these videos!), and be structured by an overarching theme. Why themes? Because by focusing on ideas that work in collaboration with each other (rather than a random list of tasks) we can build a stronger creative foundation, one which helps us make even better connections with time. My hope is that you will walk away from a theme with more movement wisdom and options from your own practice!
Our first theme will be CONTRASTS... two opposing movement ideas that have close associations! Why CONTRASTS? Because we do not fully understand that which is until we understand that which it is not (you may need to read that once twice!). So... in movement, it is really valuable and important to explore on both ends of a spectrum to get a fuller grasp on your preferences and possibilities!
As always, if you share an entry on social media (this isn’t a competition, just an outlet to share and connect in your practice) – please use the hashtags #FYFfriday, #FYFchallenge, and #findingyourfreestyle so we can follow along... and also remember to support everyone else by following our 3-2-1 Social Media Rule – which basically means if you post something on your profile, please try to take the time to comment on and like 3 other posts in the challenge. To get support, we have to be supportive as well!
Sending you so much love for doing this! LET’S DANCE! Here are some more details of the weeks...
Friday, 2/24 Hosted by Meri Burgess
Select & Focus on 2 Parts of the Body
Try and keep the body parts you are focusing on within your movement far away from each other, maybe one at the top of the body, and one at the bottom, or one left one right, get creative!
Friday, 3/3 Hosted by Love Muwwakkil
Slow & Fast
You can work a lot with your musicality here, adding pauses, space, speed, and dynamics... you can even play with opposing the songs cue’s on pacing for extra fun!
Friday, 3/10 Hosted by Aggie Ng
Hard Lines & Soft Lines
You can think of circling/rounded movement, and then movement that is more linear/sharp/flat – with the pole it’s also helpful to think in terms of 2D and 3D!
Friday, 3/17 Hosted by Anna Grundstrom
Fold & Arch
Another way to say it? Close and Open!
Friday, 3/24 Hosted by Teresa Rodriguez
Small & Big Movement
Combining subtle, nuanced details with intention vs. bigger, more obvious movement that unapologetically takes up space!
Friday, 3/31 Hosted by Brynne Levy
Back 2 Back Songs: Freestyle to 2 Songs that Contrast
Pick and then freestyle with 2 songs that have opposing qualities and move to them back to back... you can think of contrasting emotions like love/hate, or songs that are simple vs songs that have many textures and layers, whatever feels right for you!
FYF CHALLENGE #27: ONE MINUTE MOVEMENT
LAUNCHED: JUNE 10, 2016
THE PROMPT:
If you’d like to read more about this challenge, check out our blog here.
This movement challenge (for lack of a better word...) is a focus on duration AND task. I suggest creating freestyle sessions that last at least 10 minutes. It takes me on average about three songs to fall into my flow state. You should allow the full arc of experience in a session, first warming up the mind and body (don’t forget meditation and stillness), letting yourself be aware of what’s going on physically, mentally, emotionally. What feels good? What doesn’t? What sensations are more heightened, is it what you hear? Feel?
See? Sense through contact or weight transfer? Then maybe a song or sensation or breath cycle may spark a larger or louder reaction inside your movement, go with it. Follow your own curiosity and instincts. There is no way to explore in a WRONG way! The juicy stuff that happens during and at the ending moments your session also be quite special and useful. (Has a freestyle that happens when you are physically tired, been especially beautiful or honest?) True creativity is gifted through the power of time and attention. Think about the things in your movement that genuinely improved when you didn’t rely on denial and selective attention? A creative process that drags you both through the mud, and into bliss. In these longer formats, we experience integration of all parts, and we become more whole.
Post your #oneminutemovement both for yourself, and your peers. When we train our eyes and perspectives daily to look for more beauty, we inevitable find it. Look past the single beat, the single moment, the 4 seconds of dopeness. Embrace the subtlety of your smaller or still moments, allow the build up, allow the aftermath.
I encourage you be inspired to create your own long-form prompts within the #oneminutemovement. Create your own hashtags and challenge your friends! The more people we can encourage to share, the more confidence and support you may bring to their practice, and your own. I have a few I thought could be great, and will be playing with them as well:
#oneminuteflight (one minute up the pole, woohoo!)/ #oneminuteleghangs / #oneminutebodywaves/ #oneminutefankicks / #oneminutetwerk / #oneminutefloorwork / #oneminutecircles / #oneminutestaticspins / #oneminuteslowmotion / #oneminutelowflow
FYF CHALLENGE #26: PLAYING WITH GESTURES
LAUNCHED: January 3, 2016
THE PROMPT:
I wanted to have some fun playing with an element of FYF class...online! Let’s develop and play with creative GESTURES, integrating them into our dance and freestyle! Watch
the video for more the explanation, and an example...
Gesture Tip: Working with the gesture I give you, find movement that integrates, honors, or is inspired by this gesture! Allow yourself to feel that gesture physically, what ideas it brings to your movement, shapes, and transitions from the floor to the air. Then, potentially tap into the emotional nature of that gesture! How does it feel, or make you or others feel? When you watch your video, what do you see? You may explore one song, or a few songs to find a way where the gesture can be fully inhabited. Don’t forget to change the perspective, you have so many apparatus, angles, and levels where this gesture can come alive – find your own way that works for you. I will post a new gesture to work with after we have explored this one! Have fun!!!! Happy Freestyling.
If you want to follow along with others, follow the hashtag #findingyourfreestyle and/or #gestureplay, and tag your friends and fellow movers so they can join you!
FYF CHALLENGE #25: DANCING MY GRATITUDE
LAUNCHED: NOVEMBER 19, 2015
THE PROMPT:
It is that perfect time of year when endings become beginnings, and reflection is at its strongest.
Let’s dance through the words, thoughts, and things we are and can be grateful for.
Gratitude unlocks joy, allows what IS to be enough, and lets our visions and peace thrive. You can write it down, or just dance it out – don’t forget to tag so we can share in your good vibes...
You may explore gratitude in movement with the breath, posture, gestures and lines, pacing, and music selection. There is no right or wrong way to feel grateful and to move through it!
FYF CHALLENGE #24: Leg Hang Love
LAUNCHED: AUGUST 19, 2015
THE PROMPT:
Very much like a previous challenge we did called #positionplay over a year ago, this next challenge attempts to work within the movements you love – LEG HANGS!
You may already have go-to shapes and lines in your favorite leg hangs...this freestyle exercise is designed to BREAK those habits. It’s like muscle memory, once you land on something you like (and that works), it sometimes becomes difficult to take risks again to find the “new” in old favorites!
For this challenge, choose static or spin pole (high or low!) and ask your body to NOT make the shapes you may always experience, but to explore the lines, directions, transitions, and focal points you don’t explore. Don’t forget to honor your process and use the intentions that help you most; whether it is shape-focused (straight lines? bent lines? contorted? open/closed?), emotions/expressions focused (What might JOY look like in a leg hang? Melancholy?), or movement or musical quality (Smooth? Aquatic? Rapid? Hitting?).
Good luck, be patient and feel free to try this a few times before you decide to move on or select a clip to share with us! It doesn’t matter if something you discover for you has already been “discovered” by another, this is about YOUR journey and what feels new to YOUR body – not what IG trick invention we can all claim!
Enjoy the practice, love the journey, stay curious, and share success!
FYF CHALLENGE #23: I DANCE TO BE FREE
LAUNCHED: JUNE 15, 2015
THE PROMPT:
We interrupt our regularly scheduled #FYFChallenge to start the MADNESS. Bring out your inner dissonance. Let your freakstyle fly. F*ck controlling or creating those “pretty lines” and embrace your UNKNOWNS. Stop being self-conscious, even if just for one dance. Or apologizing for mistakes. Freestyle without fear of doing the wrong thing, but with freedom to LET IT BE!!!! Take chances, see where it goes. Surprise yourself.
Make sure you select music that helps pull something new out of you, this is the time to stop listening to the music you love to dance to – but find something ELSE! Get recommendations from your friends if you are stuck! Find your louder voice, your crazy voice, your twisted voice, your brave, silly, or inappropriate voice. I am so ready to see more of this in my feed. Let’s change what and how we share for a little awhile, if for nothing else but to not be bored by what we do and see.
Thank you Jess L. and Aggie Ng for your images! Thank you David Haws Photography and Sum Seen!
Share you explorations with us and tag #IDANCETOBEFREE, and #FINDINGYOURFREESTYLE.
FYF CHALLENGE #22: DANCING YOUR DESCENT
LAUNCHED: APRIL 24, 2015
THE PROMPT:
Firstly, I want to thank the talent that is Alloy Images for their beautiful imagery used above.
Also, thank you to Drusilla Ray and Iris Sparrow, my freestyle sisters on the West Coast, for being poster babes for this next #FYFChallenge!
I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile, and I figured now is as good as time as any for the partner challenge to our ever popular #DANCINGYOURCLIMB movement from last year!!! This concept is simple, and is the counter exercise for beauti-fying your climbing movement. Now, take the time to play with the descent, how to let your body sink, fall, glide, or drop down the pole, or off the pole into your grounded dance. There are SO may opportunities for descending dance and transitional movement, or even narrative or emotional exploration that has you moving downward – what can you visually or emotionally communicate with this idea? I cannot wait to see these entries!!!
As always, don’t forget to take your time, find your breath, and hear your music.
FYF CHALLENGE #21: Pole Skating (Also infamous!)
LAUNCHED: FEBRUARY 3, 2015
THE PROMPT:
Even though we had been doing this in the studio on cold days for as long as I can remember, it wasn’t until a workshop with Oona K. in 2012 that I saw it utilized as a creative pole play in the classroom (search YT for “Pole Skating” on UPA).
I’ve loved the floor connection and refinement qualities of this footwork ever since! (And a pole skating clip I shared on Finding Your Freestyle from last week @jolenetheresa revived an interest for me to pose it as a freestyle challenge focus!)
I love doing it in big static spins, infinitely long spin pole combos and play, and also gliding over the toe in heels! So your challenge, should you choose to accept it (and tag a buddy to join you!) show us your #POLESKATING! Socks and covered toes yield the least friction (so, the most SLIDE and SLIP!), you can also play barefoot or in heels for an extra challenge! Spin pole is easier to play with, static pole more physical!
LET’S GET SKATING, it’s Winter so why not!
FYF CHALLENGE #20: Inspired to Freestyle
LAUNCHED: DECEMBER 29, 2014
THE PROMPT:
Watch a dance or movement video, find a word (or words) that describes that dancer for you – apply that word/tone/movement quality in your own freestyle. (And ps. SHARE IT)
Tips:
1. It’s easy to find the qualities we love in ourselves in others, it’s harder to try and infuse or by inspired by qualities we don’t think we have or those that aren’t strong yet. So feel free to play with this Challenge as a comfort exercise or one that takes you COMPLETELY out of your zone.
2. You can also hashtag the words you picked!
3. It’s always lovely to show gratitude by linking to the original video or person that inspired you! Use this as a prime opportunity to thank those that help you along your own journey, directly or indirectly.
FYF CHALLENGE #19: HAPPY FESTIVUS FREESTYLE
LAUNCHED: DECEMBER 18, 2014
THE PROMPT:
Throughout the Festivus season, share your freestyles with Finding Your Freestyle!
(Seinfeld reference)
For FESTIVUS, the annual holiday for everyone, we dance with our pole, we air our grievances, we show our strength. So however you are feeling for the season, be it elated, Grinch-y, grateful, sad, full of nog...let’s embrace it. Grab your pole, give it a twirl (Holiday music welcome!) – and let’s get in the spirit, whatever that spirit may be. HAPPY FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!!!!!
FYF CHALLENGE #18: FYF Tag Challenge (The infamous!)
LAUNCHED: OCTOBER 7, 2014
THE PROMPT:
The new Finding Your Freestyle TAG CHALLENGE is here!
The rules are simple; post a freestyle, tag someone you think:
a) loves freestyle
b) needs to freestyle MORE
c) is a mover that inspires you
d) really you don’t need a REASON!
…and then they have 7 days to post their own freestyle video. They then can nominate/tag anyone they want! The FREESTYLE tree begins to grow!
Don’t forget to use #findingyourfreestyle #FYFchallenge so we can follow along on FB & IG!
FYF CHALLENGE #17: Pole Clean
LAUNCHED: SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
THE PROMPT:
We interrupt our regularly scheduled Freestyle Challenges (#FYFchallenge)... because we HAVE to clean those damn poles once in awhile – so why not get creative while doing it!!! BIG THANKS AND CREDIT goes to Natalia Noris of Dolls Kingdom Pole Dance for this amazing and fun idea! Also big thanks to our sexy poster girl and pole cleaning kitty... Michelle Stanek!!!
This challenge is super easy, and the ingredients simple: put on a jamming good song, grab a towel (and your favorite pole cleaner), and show off your creative pole cleaning ways!!! Is it a grounded booty twerk? An inverted drop? A sneaky magic towel trick? Anything goes! Don’t forget to tag your entries to be featured #findingyourfreestyle AND #poleclean. HAVE FUN CLEANING KITTIES!
FYF CHALLENGE #16: Dancing Your Climb
LAUNCHED: AUGUST 12, 2014
THE PROMPT:
This is pretty self-explanatory, but basically the pole climb is one of the most beautiful opportunities in your pole freestyle to do meaningful, interesting, musical things – and many people rush right through it to get from A to B as quick as possible! But alas! We can sit in this ascending moment and do it with creativity, and intention. So try putting on some music, and invest some time developing your different climb variations. Share your explorations with us!
FYF CHALLENGE #15: Pants On Dance On
LAUNCHED: JULY 7, 2014
THE PROMPT:
One of the most popular challenges to date, a @findingyourfreestyle challenge with @jordankensley! We are connecting the east and west coast in our love for PANNNNNTS. smile emoticon When you freestyle with them, they make you dance differently, feel differently, add different dynamics to your floor and pole surfaces. Enjoy the freedom (if it’s it’s new for you, NEWNESS!) of freestyle in layers. Find your favorite pair of pants (Is it leggings? Sweats? Something soft? Drop crotch? A creativity inducing color?) and show us how you love to move in them. Try and use them to your advantage to explore floor, aerial, and spins in a new way. And don’t forget to share! Tag #pantsondanceon to join the movement, and don’t forget @jordankensley and #findingyourfreestyle! Happy pole pants revolution!!!