brandx1969 started this discussion ·
I was just wondering what workshops you have been to and if you liked them or not? What were the pros/cons? Did you walk away with a lot of progress?
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ohhhh, what a great post- I've not been to one so I hope this thread goes far
I have had a lot of workshops now...so here goes Wendy Traskos She was awesome she taught us choreo and it was my first time with choreo and I loved it - she made it simpl and easy to follow. She is a great instructor and spotter! I could do the moves she taught but she taught me how to make them nicer, more dynamic and she taught me to air invert on opposite side. I walked away with a lot but mostly I started to learn how to make up a choreographed routine. Alethea Austing I don't care how bendy you are, she has something for everyone. I love her sexy flexy and learned new ways of warming up and learned great stretches for splits and so floor work that I really like. She was very informative but fun. I also did a semi private with her and she is a fantastic teacher. I learned a lot from her. Amber Richard I took Ambers Polished Pole and I learned a ton there!!!! I learned my new favorite spin which wasn't super hard (for me) but I had never seen it and I love the way it feels and it's so fun. I learned about extension and lines and I got great tips on some moves I am STILL working on. From an instructor perspective I walked away with new conditioning exercises that I love. Even though I could do most of the things we covered Amber taught how to make them pop and dynamic. I LOVED her workshop Karol Helms I just spent all weeked with her and I cannot tell you how many things she taught me! I learned the tornado, thie beautiful get up and invert from the ground, some new floor moves, how to do an entirely no handed drop from cupid - I mean dropping right out of no handed cupid! I got help with some things I am working on splits advice. I learned a ton and had a blast. I LOVED her classes! Well worth the money. So in my experiences they have been awesome. I will copntinue to search out workshops with people.
I would LOVE to go to anyone of these workshops! Cant wait to hear about more! 😀
I think its good to take lessons with everyone and not just look at big tricks. I just got certified through ETED and I learned a ton of great moves that were just basic transitions or spins that were part of the Instructor DVD. In class the other day we were working on the scissor hold (I love *scissoring* 😂 😂 😂 ) and I thought hey maybe I can do this as an advanced plank but my legs in the scissor ( 😂 ) position. So what I am saying is anytime there is a special course or workshop check it out. You get something from EVERYONE. Most workshops let you take notes or pictures. I highly suggest taking anything you can.
Amber Richard Workshop: Awesome! It looked like there were different skill levels; however, I think everyone was able to learn something new or to improve. I don't consider myself as far along as many, but I did come away with many things to practice and learn. One trick I even consider on the Int to Adv side and I can do it. She is so patient and encouraging, works with everyone at their level and makes sure everyone is included. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity take a workshop with Amber to do so. You will be touched not only on a pole skill level, but on a personal level. Thank you, Amber! Other workshops I've taken are from local instructors/studios. I also learned a thing or two from these that were fun and exciting to learn.
i've taken workshops with karol, amber, jenyne, pantera, and alethea. i would recommend doing workshops no matter what, because you will definitely take away a lot of new stuff to work on, but if you are intermediate/advanced and have the budget, i would strongly recommend doing privates or semi-privates with them instead, so you can focus your progress and have specific tricks to develop.
This is AWESOME! I can't wait to hear some more : ) Thank you ladies for your responses! I have been able to do advanced moves but unfortunately with bad form or grips so I haven't been able to pole in months. I need to relearn or learn the proper way to hold the grip for these moves.
we are a new studio and so only just begun to host workshops. and what a great place we started ! just last week amber richard conducted 3 of hers: conditioning & flexibility, choreography and polished pole. we had multi levels of ability present, all of which she addressed. and all levels were able to come away with having learned something. we can't speak yet about any of the other workshops, but can totally recomend Amber's !
I've only done a workshop with Amber. But, if you get the chance, DO IT DO IT DO IT!!! 😀 😀 She is an amazing teacher, fantastic spotter (I swear she has the touch! It's like she puts her hands on you and you have insta-balance no matter what!) not to mention she is knock-you-out-GORGEOUS and such a nice person that she is just a joy to be around. The true professional....she listens to you when you talk and overall is just really kind-hearted. I was super frustrated at her workshop because I recently had Lyme's disease and my overall strength and stamina aren't quite back up to par, so not only had I lost some ability, but also the psychological factor of having lost confidence in myself, but she encouraged and pushed me, she saw through my uneasiness and could tell better than I could what I could and couldn't do. I should apologize to her for bursting hear ear drums with the scream I let out when she helped me get my first elbow grip aysha 😂 😂
I did one with Amber Ray at Pole Convention. I learned few new things. We had so many folks in our class that we did doubles poling. Which is fun b/c I hardly get to do that. Her warm up was the most fun warm up I had been too. I did a progress a bit and really got comfortable on being on spin on an x stage (neither one I had done before). I totally believe in taking workshops when you have the funds. IMO you never top out on learning, theres always a new spin, trick, hold, performer etc. It wont ever get old! I never want to plateau!
With the exception of Amber, I have had workshops with all of the aforementioned women and agree with all of the descriptions. I can add: KT Coates....her attention to detail and her ability to break down a move and figure out exactly what you are doing wrong no matter how subtle is amazing. Jenyne Butterfly....beautiful choreography and great flow and body alignment in her workshops Michelle Mynx...another instructor who has incredible ability to break down a move and explain it in detail. Lots of tips and tricks for every move. SallyAnn Giles...again, breaks things down extremely well. VERY patient and willing to take her time. Didn't have a workshop with her but Marlo was in our pole jam at the DC Convention and she was so good at instructing everyone on several different moves.
I have taken workshops/classes with several instructors including Alethea Austin, Karol Helms, Amber Richards , Mina Morteziae (Miss USPDF Amateur), BadAzz, StarrGrrl, and Wendy Traskos (Owner "USPDF). I can honestly say, that I have taken a little bit of something from each of these fabulous instructors... Taking lessons with someone else is a great way to step out of your box and incorporate new and different ideas into your pole experience and enhance your skills. Whether it be new choreo, new tricks, easier/better ways of doing things you know or discovering abilities you have always had, but didn't know about until they gave you that little push, there is always something to gain from taking classes or workshops with others. 🥂
I would agree with Amy, workshops are great for developing general skill sets but I would highly recommend privates if you really want to work on specific moves. Our team of Instructors have taken workshops with Alethea, Wendy Traskos, Amber, Jenyne, Fiyastarter and Collette. We learned something from them all. 😉
I have been so star struck and feel very lucky this summer. 🥂 The pole stars have been coming here in Canada and I had the great opportunity to take all of Karol Holm's 👸 workshop where I perfected my knee hold into the holy drop and superman fall into spinning scorpio. I also took home a new move to work on = knee hold into the death defying tornado inverted spin. She is an amazing teacher. This month I also took 2 of Amber Richard's 👸 workshop and learned so much about extentions, fluidity and creating choreography. She taught us several new spin one of which is my new favorite , a spinning fan kick, which is superfast and looks awesome. She is also an awesome instructor. And next week , I'm off to Michelle Mynx's workshop of gravity plays favorite advance class. I am super stoke. I also heard thru the grapevine that there is a chance Jenyne Butterfly is coming to ontario. 🤸 🤸 🤸 🤸
It seems that everyone has agreed that you don't want to miss an Amber Richard workshop if you can make it to one. Well, if you happen to be on the East Coast, or willing to travel to Philly, Amber will be presenting workshops at Awakenings Pole Dance Fitness studio in King Of Prussia (just outside the city limits and close to the main highways). She will be offering group workshops on July 31 and August 1 as well as offering duets/private classes. There will be a variety of workshops offered including strength and flexibility, an advanced workshop and a mixed level workshop that any level pole enthusiast will benefit from. For more information and to register you need to go to http://www.awakeningspolefitness.com to the workshop page! You have heard all the rave reviews about Amber's workshops, here is a great opportunity to have an amazing experience yourself!
Awakenings Dance FitnessAwakenings Pole Fitness - Pole Parties, Fitness Classes, and Aerial Arts in New Orleans - PhiladelphiaPole dance fitness classes and bachelorette parties in New Orleans and Philadelphia.I've only taken one so far. Amber Richard held one at the school I attend. I was really excited to do so and came away with lots of things to work on. She is patient and so, so nice! I loved it and if she's coming back anytime soon to my area I would most definitely take her workshop AGAIN! ☀️ 🥂
I've actually been thinking about the workshops I've taken, you learn something different from all, I would NEVER turn down the opportunity for a masterclass/workshop if the finances are ok. A run down of some that I've done: Allegra I did some privates with her, first time training on 100% spinny, also brilliant for sex-ifying moves, and the warm up that they do at Bobbis is *SO* much fun 🙂 The 1-2-1 with her really help with perfecting issues I had, and I was able to learn lots of the 'bobbi's special moves' (plus she's sooo nice!) Deb Riley Some of you US based people might not know who she is, she's a leading instructor and judge in the UK and around the world. She was a judge at last year's World championships and I think at this years as well. She again made us do almost the entire class on spinny, and taught a load of useful spinny moves. The brilliant thing about her was she emphasised doing *each* move perfectly, whether its a simple invert or pose, and to not just scramble into moves. She is one of the nicest instructors I've ever met, and star performers like Felix, Jenyne & Pantera all recommend her personally & professionally. Suzie Q TBH I didn't learn as much from this one, I think because the level of attendees was a bit lower than my own. We did do a short doubles routine on spinny which was hilarious and loads of fun 🙂 Pantera What is great about pantera is her strength and core excercises, she is an absolute machine, and she also breaks down the body mechanics and almost geometry of the placement of your arms, torso and legs, technique and incorporating breathing. It was very valuable to note for power and strength moves like aysha holds and aerial SMs etc, as how you start the move (placement of the various parts of the body), is directly related to whether you are able to do it. Pantera is so passionate about pole, strength and health, I would have done a private with her in a heartbeat if it'd been available! Alethea Austin This girl ROCKS. We did the sexy flexy class she's so famous for, then floorwork, both of which i luurved. If anyone ever wants to improve their floorwork & understand the choreography they should definitely go to her. We didn't have time for much in the way of tricks, but I had learnt sooo much already I was happy (and exhausted!) I'm off as a spectator to the World's in a few weeks, I was hoping to do loads of masterclasses while there, but so far the ones available are £100 (about $150 US) for only 1.5 hours. Now while I'm willing to fork out that much for 3 hours, I just can't justify that cost for such a short class, so I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with watching their awe-inspiring performances. ...wow that was an epic post 🙂...
