Tag Archives: pole conditioning

Extend Yourself: Professional Pole Training

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Extend Yourself

“Your playing small doesn’t serve the world” ~ Marianne Williamson

The pole world has grown in ten short years from a tiny, niche group to a global community complete with studios in every major city, online magazines, apparel producers, thriving brands and international championships. Our industry was built on a performance art that many now also call a sport. Yet for all the focus on performance, the art of presence and the way a performer connects with the audience seem mostly to be drowned out in favour of the level of difficulty of tricks.

There is so much more to performing than how many times you can flip your fonji or how flat your Jade split is. Strength, control, stamina, flexibility, and general quality of movement are very much part of a great show, but what use are big tricks if you are hiding, playing small, unable to connect with what you are doing, let alone the audience sitting in front of you?

What is this art of performing, of connecting, of being present in everything you do on stage? This is what I’m here to help you to bring life to. Train your body as an athlete and train your performance as an artist. Be the brightest, most magnificent version of yourself, for all the world to see. Extend Yourself!

For more, see the Extend Yourself page. There are only four places available in my two-day intensive, coming up May 5 & 6 at Studio Exclusive in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. Contact me here to apply. I’m excited to receive your application & even more to dance with you!

 

Pole Rocks the Crossfit Open 15.5!

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Las Vegas, Nevada, Thursday March 26th: The Crossfit Open came to Crossfit Max Effort to reveal the workout for Week Five of the Open. As part of the pre-show entertainment, audience members were called out to show extraordinary talents. I am a member of Max Effort and my entire crew pushed me to the stage! So, what to do … I climbed the rig and did a handspring! This was one short moment in the whole of the night, but I believe it was a huge moment for a lot of Crossfit fans who didn’t perhaps know much if at all about pole and its highly acrobatic nature. For one of their own to jump up and hold a split invert, especially after very challenging gymnastic movements coming up over the last few weeks of the Open, the word is sure to be spreading now. If not, well, there is always this post on the Crossfit Games Instagram page!

* Update: Check out this video from @superfitmoms on Instagram!

Jamilla Deville: World Tour 2015

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My tour schedule for 2015 is filling fast! When I’m not at home in Vegas teaching at Shine Alternative Fitness or Pole Fitness Studio, you will find me here:

March 6-10: Midwest USA

April 18, 19: Nashville USA

April 24-May 8: Australia & NZ

May 14-31: Europe – Ibiza Pole Camp, France, Greece, Switerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Norway

June 4-8: International Pole Convention, New Orleans, USA

August 19-31: South America – Chile

September 9-13: Pole Expo, Las Vegas, USA

For more details, check my Upcoming Events Page!

To request a booking, please contact my management, Poles On Tour.

A Week In the Life of a Pole Dancer and Crossfit Athlete, Part Two

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One thing I’ve learned in my time as a professional pole artist is that as creative as we are, we are also athletes. And being a successful athlete is as much about how you feed, mobilize and rest your body as it is about your tricks and achievements on stage and in the studio. There is no health, no longevity, without balance. I mix up my pole training with Crossfit and Strength classes at CrossFit Max Effort here in Las Vegas, along with as many flexibility classes as I can manage at Shine Fitness and Pole Fitness Studio. Pole and Crossfit BOTH require a level of commitment to achieve and maintain a high level of performance. The last year or so has been all about finding the balance of both, plus mobility, plus nutrition, plus rest. I can honestly say that what I have put myself through is only enriching what I have to offer as an instructor (I can’t wait to get back on the road again!). Here is a taste of my last week, which brought its challenges as well as its victories. But no matter what, each new day is a chance to take on the world yet again, and each evening is a chance to reflect on how damn lucky I am to be living here, surrounded by so much talent and passion, living my dream.

I am available for specialty workshops at your studio! For all tour bookings, please contact my manager Kristy at Poles on Tour.

A Window into a Pole And Crossfit Athlete’s World

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Over the last week I recorded some of my pole classes and Crossfit training sessions. I have mixed highlights together over a short video clip for you to have a glimpse into a pole and Crossfit athlete’s world.

I have been a professional pole artist for over 14 years. Crossfit is relatively new for me, as I have barely a year of experience under my belt so far. This one year, however, has made a world of difference to me as an athlete on many levels – not just physically (though the changes in my body have been incredible too). I find the parallels between the two intriguing: both have a “reputation” in the media and broader public, a myth as it were, that not everyone is willing to explore or search beyond. The myth is EXACTLY why I stepped into these worlds and a big part of why I love them so much. Stepping outside what’s deemed “safe” inevitably brings more scope for growth on so many levels. Doing “just sports” is not for me. I don’t just want to excel at a particular movement. I want to be able to take that movement, and a whole bunch of others besides, and make them into a story of their own. I’m an artist at heart, with a love for physical expression. Along with that is a fascination for the possibilities and marvels of the human body, and how the mind and body are intrinsically connected. Both pole dancing and Crossfit challenge my mind every bit as much as my body. If my mental game isn’t on, my body won’t be up for breakthroughs that day. But if I can find that groove, that zone, that focus, then game on!

I hope you enjoy this minute and a half or so of my two happy places! If you’d like to see more of my adventures, please Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.