MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS | ANDREA

Photo Credit: Xandra Yugto

What apparatus(es) do you do/teach?

I teach pole exclusively.

How long have you been doing pole?

Just over four years now! In some ways, I feel like it’s been forever, and other times I still feel like a relative pole baby, although I’m nearly 50 so I’m no baby

How did you start?

A few of my friends and I thought it would be fun to try pole dancing. We bought a Groupon to try it out, but then they all bailed on the intro class and it was just me showing up. I decided to do it anyway, and within one class, I fell in love with it. There was something so inspiring about being able to express myself through movement, all while using strength and flexibility. I was like, “I’ll never be bored again working out now.”

What made you try pole?

I’ll try most things once, and this was no different. It was just a new fitness class to try for me at the time. I was coming off a serious Megaformer/ Lagree method obsession and looking for something new to shake things up.

What advice do you give beginning dancers? Advanced students?

Find your deeper why and remind yourself about it frequently. And I don’t just mean “I want to do an Ayesha, or an iron X”. Skill goals are great, but beyond that… what drew you to this sport, and why are you committing your time to it? It’s important to remember, because when things get hard, or stale, it’s easy to fizzle out. Come back to what inspired you over and over; check in with yourself to make sure you’re feeding that part of yourself.

Why did you start teaching?

A few years into my pole career, I started showing a few curious friends a few pole basics, and then eventually friends of their friends. Those people would say, “Hey, you’re pretty good at explaining this,” or they would nail something they didn’t think they would be able to do. That was such a rewarding feeling. That’s what drove me to seek out teaching certification. Ultimately, I realized teaching was fueling my “deeper why” in a turbocharged kind of way. It's exciting to nail your own milestones and pole goals, but when you help someone else do it? Magic!

What is different about your teaching style that you think students are drawn to?

I don’t know if it’s “different” per se but I try to mix positive energy with compassion and precision. I really take the time to explain new moves in all ways people may learn, whether that’s verbally, kinesthetically, or visually. Some beginner moves were difficult for me at the beginning of my pole journey, so I always try to explain the hacks that were my own big “a-ha moments”. It’s funny how some of those early nemesis moves are now my favorites to teach.

What would you say is the biggest struggle or obstacle among pole students that you come across? What would be your advice to them?

Honestly, people are their own worst enemy with how they compare themselves to other students. The common things I hear: “I thought I’d be <climbing> <sitting> <doing this skill> by now”… or “everyone else in class is doing this one skill and I just can’t.” I get it because I’ve been guilty of it myself, but there’s no single thing that’s more demotivating than that. It sounds so cliché, but it’s true: the only person you can compare yourself to is you. Period. No one else knows your background, how your brain and body work together, how you process information. No one else has your precise anatomy. Your body is your own unique vessel, and it has its own path to follow.

What would your advice be for students who want to find their own style in dance?

Freestyle regularly. And by freestyle, I mean, turn off your camera and move without judgment to music that moves you. Try to express the emotion you feel, either through the song or just what you’re feeling that day. Notice what movement patterns feel natural to you. Try not to worry about a list of tricks, just pick a couple to focus on at a time that are speaking to you, or feel like they map to the music you’re dancing to. If you do that enough, you will find your own style. Cultivate it. Choreo classes are great because it’s good practice for your brain and body to work together, but at the end of the day, choreo means you’re moving the way someone else moves. Find out how YOU move.

What has been your biggest challenge in your pole/aerial journey? How did you overcome the difficulty/challenge?

My biggest challenge is my spine. I developed scoliosis as a teenager and it became severe enough to operate on in 2000 when I was in my mid-20s. As a result, I have two titanium rods in my back that have fused nearly my whole thoracic spine and part of my lumbar spine together. So, not only is my back extremely inflexible, but the operation basically caused my back muscles to lose enough sensation that I really had no idea how to move my scapula deliberately when I started pole, let alone any muscles along my spine. To overcome this challenge, I first had to learn how to “feel” my back turning on, and I also had to develop enough flexibility in my hips and shoulders to compensate for my spine, even to do simple moves like body waves (which I can now do, but I will never have a beautiful, exaggerated arch in my back doing them.) I have been working with an incredible circus arts and pole-specific physical therapist every week (shout out to Kindra McDougall!) who has helped me do both. My overall flexibility has skyrocketed but the biggest surprise is my thoracic mobility has increased from measuring 30-something degrees to almost 80 degrees. That is something I never thought was possible. Being able to see measurable progress encourages me to keep going. That said, there will always be moves that are just a hard no… for instance, I will never be fish flopping around the stage! The trick is figuring out which ones are a “never”, and which ones are a “maybe one day”, because so much more is possible than I would have initially thought.

What has been the most challenging move/trick to learn?

That would have to be the shoulder mount, because of my spine. I don’t have the ability to lift my chest through my arms because of where the fusion starts, nor can I lift one vertebra at a time—I’m basically having to lift that entire fused rod in one go. It’s a challenging move for most people, but I’m going to have to develop disproportionately Herculean strength in this movement pattern to be able to do it. That said, I’ve made some progress since committing to try. I’m able to tuck up from a shoulder mount position now, which used to be too hard for me. I’m also working on holding half flags in a horizontal position to build strength to take my body from a tuck into more of a horizontal position. It is very challenging, although I am not going to say it is impossible. Still, if I don’t get this one ever, it’s ok. It doesn’t define me as a pole dancer.

What is your favorite pole move?

It’s tough to choose just one, but it’s definitely something splitty or straddle oriented! That’s my go-to movement pattern. Maybe an open Jasmine split or a wrist sit. The classics never go out of style.

What is your greatest achievement so far in pole?

Easy answer… deadlift and aerial inverts! Again, it all comes down to my spine. Learning how to turn on my muscles in my mid-back was a game changer, and even though that spinal rod makes it so much harder, I’ve gotten strong enough to smash this. I’m probably the only pole dancer who feels immense joy when circus climbing

What are you currently working on? What are your goals for this year?

I have a short-term goal of freestyling every week, to reconnect with the concept of infusing expression into my dance. I’ve been very trick-focused this past year so it’s time to expand on that. Hopefully this will feed into my longer-term goal which is to perform again this year. Skill wise, I want to get brave enough to try Ayesha (which I’ve only ever “accidentally” done; that was a scary day!) and of course I’m still working on that elusive shoulder mount!

What is your proudest moment in your career?

The day I officially became a teacher at Ascendance

What has made you stick with Pole?

I found my deeper why, and it’s about feeling artistically inspired, mentally engaged, and physically challenged. Pole checks all those boxes… particularly now as a teacher, where seeing my students progress is inspiring on an entirely different level.

How did people around you react when they learned that you were doing pole?

People are usually surprised and curious… many questions usually follow! Overall though, friends and family have been very supportive, and many of them have even signed up for beginner lessons with me.

Do you perform regularly?

No, I like to think that I’m cursed, as pretty much every time I decide to perform, I either get injured or get called out of town. I hope this is the year I break the curse.

What is the most important in a pole performance in your opinion?

Stage presence. Look at your audience…show expression. Draw them into your performance. Honestly, some of the best performances don’t have the coolest tricks; they tell the most compelling story.

Do you have any pole idols? Anyone in the pole community who inspires you?

I don’t really believe in the concept of idols. The people who inspire me are my students. There’s nothing better than watching someone really commit to the conditioning and to the hard work, despite whatever obstacles they’re facing, and progress as an athlete.

What is your favorite pole workout wear?

Anything that doesn’t cause a wardrobe malfunction, haha.

What are your other hobbies? What do you do in your free time outside of pole?

Free time, what’s that? Honestly, though, between my daughter’s schedule and school obligations, my own poling and all my cross-conditioning work, time with my family and friends, traveling, and my work as President of the Board for Ascendance, my days are pretty full!

What is your all-time favorite song to pole to?

I don’t really have an all-time favorite specific song, as I go through phases. But I have to say, dancing super slow to an aggressive heavy metal song may be one of life’s greatest artistic joys. It’s fun to do the unexpected.

What’s a YouTube pole video we should check out?

Anything by Elizabeth Blanchard! Her tutorials are chock full of great tips.