My second month of aerial silks...

If you haven't heard about my aerial silks adventures, start HERE.

We just finished our second month of aerial silks.  Although I feel a bit stronger, I am still having a hard time because I can't lift myself up and it hurts to put so much pressure on such tiny parts of your body (like doing a foot lock on your foot).  Although I was a bit frustrated with my progress (or lack thereof), Sarah was always so positive and encouraging.  After Bel asked me about teaching the burlesque class, I decided I would take a break from silks.  If I am going to start coming in a couple of extra days each week to learn how to teach, then I don't want to continue getting home so late on Wednesdays.  On Wednesdays, I've been doing pole from 6 to 7:30, then silks from 7:30 to 8:45.  After chatting with people, I don't get out of there until 9 or later, then am not home until close to 10.  I have to go straight to bed to get up for pilates reformer on Thursday mornings.  I also pole Saturday mornings.  And the new plan is to come to the studio on Mondays and Tuesdays to train.  Plus, with Twirly Tuff starting, we'll be doing that Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Lots and lots of Twirly Girls time!  I haven't given up the aerial silks dream...but I do want to lose some weight and gain a little more strength before I start again.  I need to be able to invert on the pole comfortably first.  I want to thank Sarah for being a great teacher!  I will miss class and am looking forward to when I'll be ready to start again!

*Day 25 of 30 day blogging challenge*

My first aerial silks series is over

I had my first taste of aerial silks in September when I did a workshop with Sarah Starlight.  Rita and I then started a four week series at Twirly Girls in November.  You can read my post after the first class HERE.

We have officially finished our first month-long series (and have actually started our second).  I am still working on my core and upper body strength.  It's funny.  I feel like I got stronger every single class.  At the same time, I feel like I got worse at some moves (like climbing).  But I still really enjoy challenging myself and trying something new. 

Like with pole dancing, I feel completely out of my element but I love being slightly uncomfortable.  I am not loving the bruises on my hips bones and the missing skin on my feet.  I appreciate that Sarah is so supportive of me and allows me to move along at my own pace.  She does push me and challenge me but understands my limitations.  I am looking forward to learning even more this month!

*Day 2 of 30 day blogging challenge*

Project 365: Days 160-175

Day 160

Monday, November 21:

Day 161

Tuesday, November 22:

Day 162

Wednesday, November 23:

 Day 163

Thursday, November 24:

Thanksgiving with Taylor

Day 164

Friday, November 25:

Day 165

Saturday, November 26:

Jaxon

Day 166

Sunday, November 27:

Day 167

Monday, November 28:

Day 168

Tuesday, November 29:

Day 169

Wednesday, November 30:

Day 170

Thursday, December 1:

World AIDS Day

Day 171

Friday, December 2:

Me with Aerial Amy and Ellen of Poletential

Day 172

Saturday, December 3:

Sarah Starlight and Jennifer at Poletential's Air Show

Day 173

Sunday, December 4:

Saki, Mahlae and Vicodonia

Day 174

Monday, December 5:

Me with Natasha Wang

Day 175

Tuesday, December 6:

Aerial Hammock/Yoga at Poletential

Poletential seems to be quickly becoming my home away from home.  Although they are an hour away, so I can't really get there regularly for classes, they have some fun events that I have been really excited to attend.  I didn't get a chance to write much about it, but I was touched that Tracey invited Rita and me to Twirloween -- Poletential's birthday party and student/instructor showcase.  There are some videos on my YouTube account if you are interested. 

Of course my first direct contact with Poletential was the Air Show last July.  I had so much fun and am eagerly anticipating the second Air Show next month.

I also attended a Zumba FUNdraiser to benefit the beautiful Tracey Horne.  What a lovely bunch of women who came together to support their pole sister in a time of need.

Also, don't forget Christina and Pam answered my Studio Spotlight questions recently as well. 

In early October I had tried aerial silks at Twirly Girls and saw that Poletential had aerial hammock.  It looked a little easier than silks.  Rita and I signed up immediately, but due to scheduling issues, didn't get in for a class until yesterday.  I saw an aerial hammock demonstration at OC Pole Fitness' open house in September.  I mean, those girls were advanced and did some amazing things in the hammock but I figured anything with the word "hammock" in it couldn't be that hard.

Rita and I arrived at Poletential yesterday, ready for whatever the afternoon held for us.  Jessica was our instructor.  I guess I knew we wouldn't be gently swinging in the breeze, but I still don't know what I actually expected.  I figured it would be yoga-based as I had also heard aerial hammock described as aerial yoga.  But I certainly didn't expect the workout that I got! 

We started seated on the ground doing a gentle warm-up/stretch and then Jessica told us to reach up and grab the hammock to lift ourselves off the floor.  I giggled.  Surely she was joking.  She wasn't and she lifted herself like a cute little genie and floated above the ground with her legs still folded.  I attempted to pull myself up, then saved myself the embarrassment and just stood up.

Then the real fun began:  Warming up with one of our legs in the hammock.  I will pretend that part of why I struggled so much was because I chose a hammock a little too low to the ground.  So my leg in the hammock was angled downward a bit instead of straight out.  Yeah, we'll go with that.

Ten minutes into the warm-up, I was sweating my ass off.  I struggled through some of the poses, mostly due to my own inability to balance (weak core, yes, I know!).  I joked with Jessica that I had signed up for the gentle hammock class (not the boot camp my body thought I was putting it through).  She shot back that we were almost done with the warm-up...and I don't think she was kidding.  :-)

After some awesome yoga poses, both on the ground and in the air, and some inversions (which I was only able to do for a little bit because the silks dug into my bad hip a little too much), we snuggled into the hammocks like little bugs in a rug for Savasana -- the final resting pose in yoga.  It's the few minutes you get to lay still, recover and reflect after you've worked so hard.  I swear there was a small earthquake.  The hammock swayed gently and bumped into one of the girls behind me.  It was not scary or uncomfortable.  It was kind of weird -- almost re-assuring that another person was floating in space with me. 

I really enjoyed the class and am really sore today.  I know I have a long way to go before I would be able to consider myself even slightly adept at aerial yoga.  But I am always down for a challenge and am hoping to get in there at least once a month.  I also want to thank Jessica for putting up with me.  I know I tend to be a bit silly when I'm uncomfortable. 

Thank you to Poletential for always being so welcoming to the Twirly Girls.  Next up:  I am definitely looking forward to trying some Liquid Pole with Ellen soon!

Pro Spotlight on Sarah Romanowsky

I saw Sarah Romanowsky perform at Poletential's Twirloween last month and loved her.  I am really excited to see her perform again at the Air Show in December.  She is also a really good sport because she answered my questions even though they were initially written for a pole dancer and were badly converted to "aerial questions" by me (bad, bad blogger!!).  We welcome Sarah as an aerial sister!

What is your fitness background?

I spent years training at a gym, but since discovering aerial arts, I've hardly been back. I still dance, I love to hike, and I include Pilates & yoga in my aerial warm-ups, but primarily, the tissu/silks is my apparatus of choice for fitness.

What is your fitness routine (on and off the pole/silks)?

Climbs, meathooks, skin-the-cats, pull-ups, leg lifts, straddles. More than anything, though, I recommend just being in the air. Spend longer amounts of time on the fabric. Stack moves upon moves and you will undoubtedly get stronger.

What kind of diet do you follow?

Believe it or not, after years of being a vegetarian, I've finally added meat into my diet, and I actually feel a lot better. I have more energy and gain muscle more easily. You have to listen to your own body, try different diets, and see what you respond most favorably to.

Do you have a dance background?

Yes. I grew up training in ballet & jazz dance, then obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Loyola Marymount University, where my training also included modern & contemporary styles.

Which competition(s) do you like to do?  Do you have any title(s)?

Competitions & titles are not a big part of the aerial world. I wish there were more opportunities in this arena, though!

Where do you train?  Do you have your own pole/aerial arts studio?

I do not have my own aerial space, but I received all of my training from the instructors at Hollywood Aerial Arts, and now teach there myself, so I consider HAA to be my home studio.

Do you have sponsors you'd like to acknowledge?

Once again, we do not have sponsors in the aerial world as you have in the pole world, but this is an avenue I would be interested in exploring.

What first interested you about pole dancing/acrobatics/contortion/aerial arts?

With my extensive dance background, the tissu/silks really spoke to me on an artistic and expressive level. Now that I perform & teach it myself, I feel the exhilarating experience of blending strength and power with grace and extension. The fabric feels alive...it feels like a dance partner - it has me, it holds me. I can wrap it an a garment around me...I can ascend and descend...I can tell a story. I fall in love with it over and over again.

 Do you have a preference? "pole fitness" or "pole dancing"

I think it entirely depends on the approach of any given class or instructor. Similarly to pole, there are some studios that teach aerial silks from a fitness standpoint, and others that teach it from a more artistic standpoint.

What do you think about the stripper vs. pole fitness debate?

I think the pole is an impressive apparatus to work on, and one that I've chosen to cross-train on this year. It's unfortunate that many people still view the work through a clouded lens. More and more, though, opinions are evolving on it, and people are accepting it for the amazing apparatus it is.

What is your favorite product to help you stick to the pole (when you are pole dancing)?

I use Firm Grip spray or rosin on the fabric.

How do you deal with the dry skin on pole days (and on off-pole days?)?

Not a problem on fabric.

 Where do you like to buy your aerial/pole workout clothes?

Dance shops. You need fitted leggings that cover the backs up the knees. Leotards. Unitards. You need your waist covered. You do not "stick" to the fabric as you would to a pole, so stay covered, or get burned!

Do you like to dance in heels or barefoot?

Barefoot!

What did you do before competing and/or opening your pole studio?

I was a professional dancer. I was a classic showgirl in Las Vegas for awhile - in Jubilee!

What is your favorite song to dance to (at this moment)?

Beyonce's Love on Top. I love her! Her music, especially on this current album, makes me wanna throw my hair around a lot while I'm in the air.

Do you have any other upcoming events/competitions you'd like people to know about?

I freelance around Los Angeles and also travel to perform nationally & internationally. I have lots of fun jobs coming up throughout the holiday season and will be sure to post video and pics!

What else would you like people to know about you and/or your studio?

Check out my work at www.LAaerialist.com.  I update it constantly with new photos and videos. I will also be starting my own blog soon!

You can also follow Sarah on Twitter!  

Aerial Silks Class

Rita and I started a four week series of aerial silks classes with Sarah at Twirly Girls last night.  I really do feel like the special needs class compared to everyone else.  But I still had so much fun.  I don't know about Rita, but I am SO sore.  My arms and abs are killing me -- probably just from the warm-up.  My gut is a little sore too from laying across the tied silks. 

We started with a pretty intense warm-up that had me ready to take a nap.  I was already tired because we had an hour and 15 minutes of pole dancing before silks.  During class, I attempted to lift my own fat ass up, flip over and pike my legs toward my face.  Yeah, didn't happen.  But I was able to do one Russian climb up and, later, flip over into a star. 

I am really committed to pilates so that I can improve both in pole and silks.  As my core gets stronger, I'll be able to do more of these moves!  My second series of pilates reformer at the Absolute Center in Lafayette is almost done and I'm noticing a HUGE difference in my body now.  I have muscles again! 

I am so excited about working out again!!!

Aerial silks at Twirly Girls

The words "pole dancing" have a negative connotation to some people (boooooo to those people), and I've noticed lately that a lot of pole dancers are learning all kinds of acrobatics and (formerly) circus-type acts in order to compete in the pro circuit.  "Pole dancing" is now encompassed in the more tame "aerial arts" description.  Aerial silks are also in that category.  I went to a rotary meeting this morning and one of the men asked if I was one of the girls who did the trapeze.  Sure.  That's what I do.  :-)

On Sunday, I took a beginner aerial silks class at Twirly Girls.  It was so much fun!  I literally cannot do most of the moves, but I did rock the ONE I was able to knock out (I can flip over and hang upside down like a monkey -- only IF the knot is low enough so I can sit without having to lift my own fat ass up using my arms).  It not only requires good core strength, but some upper body strength as well.  I'm really excited that we have silks at Twirly Girls and am looking forward to continuing with my pilates reformer classes so that I can improve at silks AND pole.  I have set all of these pole goals and can't hit any of them until I get into shape!  I'm finally ACTUALLY on my way there now!

Here are some photos from our class.

Poletential's Air Show

On Saturday, I joined some of the Twirly Girls at Poletential's Air Show.  It was AMAZING.  They had some of their students perform.  Then they had performances by Jenyne Butterfly, Alethea Austin, Natasha Wang, Amber Richard and Rebecca Starr.  I videoed using my iPhone.  Apparently it malfunctioned and I didn't get some of the awesome performances.  However, Melody saved the day and is uploading her videos too!  

Natasha Wang is the recent winner of the USPDF competition.  She is so beautiful and sweet.  I had sent her a video of me doing her "toe slide" and she remembered me!  I was so excited to meet her.  I was also excited to meet Amber Richard.  She is tall like me (although thin and in MUCH better shape).  Still, we had chatted on Facebook about being a tall pole dancer.  She also remembered me and it was really cool to meet her in person.  

In addition to the pros, some of the students performed with aerial silks and a cube.  The cube girls were EFFING AWESOME!!!!!!!!  So strong and beautiful (and did it blindfolded).  Of course, that was one of the videos my phone didn't record properly.  :-(  I am still hoping to find someone else's video to share!!  

Here is my video of Jenyne Butterfly.  If you surf around my channel, you'll see the other videos I posted.

Amber Richard:

Melody's videos are on Facebook, so if you are interested in seeing them, add me and I'll send them along.  

Additional video I found on YouTube from the show:

Back row: Lori (me), Alethea Austin, Daisy, Jenyne Butterfly, Amber Richard, Gina, Yolanda.

Front row: Rita, Bel, Melody.

Thanks for a fun night, oh ladies du le pole (probably bad form, huh)!  You were all amazing!!!!!!!!!

Here's an amazing P.S.:  The cube trio performance.  Seriously, I got out of bed early for the first time in weeks to go to the gym because I WANT TO DO THIS!