Just Let Go and Dance!
Seems like such a simple request, right? For me, it is. "Letting Go" or "Going with It" has never been a huge problem for me, so when I started to teach Pole Dance I assumed this ability was one that everyone possessed. I was wrong. I quickly began to realize that for some of us the words "Ok, time for our Freestyle!" sounds like "could you scoot forward just a little bit more please."
After years of teaching Pole I finally started to think about the reasons why??
Why is Freestyle such a difficult thing for some and second nature to others? I took the last year to really dig into this idea. I asked questions, I observed and I researched.
You know what I learned? Vulnerability is the reason why.
This blog is for anyone who doesn't know what Freestyle is, for anyone who finds Freestyle scary and for anyone who wants to improve their Freestyle practice.
What is Freestyle?
By definition:
A performance or routine featuring relatively free, unrestricted movement, intended to demonstrate an individual's special skills or style.
I highlighted the words in this definition that I feel are important.
If you poke around on our website www.ScarletStudioFitness.com you will find our Q&A page. On that page we share our studio mission statement. If you read our mission statement you might notice that is has striking similarities to the definition of Freestyle:
"... to give students permission to dance and move freely, with no boundaries, no judgement and no rules beyond safety ... we strive to encourage individuality and personal autonomy ..."
Freestyle is at the heart of Scarlet Studio. We fully believe that being able to move freely and without boundaries is more way important than any trick, no matter how impressive. The only thing more important than being able to Freestyle, is doing it safely.
Why is Freestyle so Scary?
Why is Freestyle so dam scary for some of us?! The answer is because being vulnerable is scary. (I am going to assume that everyone knows who Brene Brown is at this point, but if you do not know who she is, I highly recommend looking her up and watching her TED Talk on "The Power of Vulnerability". )<