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Adapting Pole Tricks for Different Bodies
How to Create Variations of Tricks for Dancers Who Move Differently By Jody Ryker Not long ago, I dropped into a pole class when I was out of town. Whenever possible, I always drop into different pole studios when traveling. I enjoy getting a chance to connect with other pole people (which is the easiest…
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Injury Reduction in Pole Dance
Note: This document was created to assist an amateur performance group of students at my studio. Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I have attempted to combine my knowledge and over ten years experience in pole acrobatics with information I’ve learned from studying with physiotherapists. The intention of this post is to share some…
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How I Choreograph a Pole Dance Act
Many pole journeys culminate in a performance or competition opportunity. However, transitioning from pole student to choreographer can be a challenging step. Choreographing requires not only technical proficiency and pole vocabulary but also the ability to create instead of just replicating. I had my first opportunity to perform after training for only eight months. My…
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Deep Core Activation for Aerialists & Pole Dancers
Do you struggle with any type of inversion, on the ground or in the air? Do your backbends feel unstable or always end up too much in your low back? Does your belly “pooch” whenever you sit up? Do you suffer from low back pain? When one of my students complains of any of these…
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My Experience as an Autistic Pole Dancer
“Aren’t you happy?! Why aren’t you excited?!” my coworker at my local circus school exclaimed to me after we had just received some good news. I don’t quite remember what we had just heard, maybe it had to do with a performance or competition opportunity, but I do remember this conversation. I was excited! But…
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How to Plan a Pole Dance or Aerial Class
By Jody Ryker When I moved to Santa Cruz in 2013, I started dropping into pole classes at the local circus school, Aerial Arts Santa Cruz. Shortly after, the studio owner, Jeanette, offered me my first teaching job. It is fairly common in this industry for advanced students to be asked to start teaching…
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Math, Sexism, and Pole Dance
By Jody Ryker TW: sexual assault, harassment I still remember the first time I solved a math problem without someone showing me how to do it first. I was five years old. My twin brother Jeff was undergoing treatment for leukemia, so we both had been pulled out of kindergarten (I had told my parents…