Transcript
My name’s Mai Yee. I’m the instructor at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor Studio in Manhattan, New York. I’ve been doing this movement for five years now, and it’s a movement that combines ballet, Pilates, strip tease, and pole dancing. We have a website where you can get more information and that’s www.sfactor.com. And I’m here today to talk to you about pole dancing.
One of the really fun things about pole dancing is that we get to wear stripper shoes. That’s what we call these. These are generally six inches or higher in the heel and they have a platform. They really accentuate your hips, your breasts, that beautiful arch in your back, and it reminds you you’re a woman. You can’t forget you’re a woman when you’re wearing these shoes. You can buy these shoes at specialty stores, online, or at your local studios. And there’s just tons of different styles to choose from. I would recommend having something with an ankle strap so that it keeps your ankle stable while you’re dancing. And you want to be also aware that if you have fabric or ornaments like this, it’s going to make your climb a little more slippery. If you want a good grip when you’re climbing, stick with plastic, vinyl, or boots. Boots give you a great grip when you climb.
I’m going to show you how to get used to the balance in the shoes. So if this is the first time you’re putting them on, just stand with your feet hip width apart. You’re going to soften your knees. Just shift your weight from side to side. Just feel that balance. That’s OK, right? No problem with that. Now much more gingerly, you’re going to shift your weight forward and backward, but much smaller and much more gingerly. Whoa. So what you feel is the balance is much more vicarious forwards and backwards. The balance in these shoes are sideways, so remember that.
We’re going to take a little walk with these shoes now. Drag your feet, crossing the front of your body and push out with your hips. At S Factor, we call this the S-walk. Push out with your hips. You’re taking advantage of the sideways balance of these shoes and accentuating your curves as you’re walking. So take your time. These shoes are not about getting anywhere fast. It’s more about being seen, so take your time. Anything that you can do without the shoes you can do with the shoes with the pole. Spins, no problem, right? And even invert. It makes working out a lot more fun.
