After years of collecting pole dance DVD’s I have accumulated a bundle – oh I still have a way to go but the pole DVD library is coming along nicely.  With so many quality DVD’s on the market I get a lot of students asking me which one they should buy.  Well….. How long is a piece of string?

I remember the first DVD I bought…… I had had about 2 lessons, bought a pole, set it up in the lounge and bought a DVD.  I was ready to GO!  So I put it on….. Pantera’s Pole Tricks 101!!

If you have seen it already or know anything about it, you’re probably rolling on the floor laughing at me right now.

This DVD was one of about 3 available at the time and I had heard it was the best.  Jesus Christ…..I was SOOOOO not prepared for what I was about to see.  Oh yeah, Pole Tricks 101 was one of the best in the day and I think it still is…..but it is DEFINATELY not for beginners!  One of the ‘easier’ moves on there is an Aysha for example!

I quickly realised that my plan was about to fall flat on it’s arse and so I saught out lessons.

So why are DVD’s Bad?

Candy & Chrome as a result STRICTLY recommend the use of pole dance instructional DVD’s as a supplement to your class lessons ONLY.  You may think you are doing it on the cheap by getting a pole and a DVD but believe me, no matter how good the DVD is or how professional and safe the presenter is, a DVD WILL NOT -

*Tell you where you are going wrong

*Catch you if you fall

*Spot you

*Explain in a different way if you’re not getting it

*If you mis- interperet a move shown on a DVD – you could injure yourself for life!

*It can’t even tell you if you are doing it right!

*A DVD won’t pat you on the back or tell you that your arms are looking stronger, or your waist is trimmer

*A DVD won’t tell you if you look like a muppet, an honest instructor WILL, where necessary - and help you get better!

*Know how to treat an injury

So what are DVD’s useful for then?

So, lessons – wether they are with Candy & Chrome or any other school are DEFINATELY needed, and DVD’s should be used purely as a supplement to your learning only.  If you pick the right one, you CAN

*Learn how to clean up your posture from a DVD

*Learn different techniques

*Learn new variations of the same moves you learn in class

*Pick up new dance moves

*Practise a routine demonstrated

*Learn and develop your styling through DVD.

All of this is pretty useful stuff and can only make you a better pole dancer, so we thought we would root through my DVD library and write thorough, honest, constructive reviews on each of them so that if you decide you would like to buy one, you can come here first, read what it’s all about and make an informed choice – instead of a bone-head blunder like I did!

Which one should I buy?

Pole DVD’s range in quality and ability level.  Candy & Chrome have an extensive pole DVD library and will be adding new DVD reviews as often as possible to help you find what you need.  Just visit the ‘DVD Review’ section regulary for newest titles.

• Burlesque Beat
• Pole Fitness with Denise Mulder, Basic & Advanced.
• Advanced Pole Work & Fire
• Pole Work
• The Vertical Dance Workout Box Set
• A Pole Lot of Fun
• Pantera’s Pole Tricks 101
• A Comprehensive Guide to Pole Dance Trilogy Box Set

Who is it by?:

‘Mr Burlesque’ aka Rodney James

Who is it for?:Anyone interested in learning the art of modern Burlesque

Costs: Around £23

Buy at: Dance Fitness Institute

Candy & Chrome Rating: ****  4 out of 5 stars

Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous…no pole though









The Review

Warm Up

First things first – Rodney is shockingly camp and ultra fabulous – he takes a bit of getting used to at first in his PVC hotpants and all,  but believe me, this guy is very professional throughout, delivers instruction clearly and makes it very fun at the same time.

The first time I watched the warm up I thought it was long – but it’s not, it’s just right to be honest.  And the exercises used are very specific to what’s about to come next too, making it an effective pre-workout warm up.

Step by Step Routine

Mr Burlesque comes into effect here as he purposely over exaggerates relatively simple movements in order to let the watcher easily follow the routine and make it look sexy.  That’s really important.  Not everyone oozes sex appeal and shimmying, bodywaving, slinking and even strutting does not come naturally to so many people, myself included – we NEED to have it broken down and over exaggerated so that we can learn how to do it slowly and build up the confidence to be able to do it and make it look natural and sexy.   Mr Burlesque uses this perfectly and his movements are that much easier to follow.

The routine is burlesque inspired but modernised, reminds me of something from a Pussy Cat Dolls video.  There is no clothing removal to worry about, more like a choreographed dance routine designed to show off any curves or other assets a woman’s body may have, in a sexy way – but without being too vulgar about it.

Chair Dance Routine

Again it’s very sexy, modern and Pussy Cat Doll-esque.  Easy to follow and nice to watch too!  The clear instruction also leaves very little room to get yourself tangled in a knot around the chair or falling about the place!  it’s used more like a prop to show off your body again rather than a balancing beam!

The Challenge

In this part of the DVD, Mr Burlesque and the girls demonstrate both the step by step routine and the chair dance routine together as one, in full costume.

Rodney’s boots will cause some jealous prangs so watch out for that, but overall the girls look fabulous and the routine is sexy and fun.

One on One

And the fun isn’t over yet, in this section we join Rodney in the gym for a little bit more burlesquing which could be added to the original routines if you like.

Girlfriend Party Time

Rodney and the girls then show you his above routine in full costume and as a group to prove how fun it is and how fabulous you and your friends can look performing it all together.  This whole DVD and it’s choreography is designed to inspire NORMAL women to try the art of modern burlesque and prove that it really is for anyone, and of course that sexy is for EVERYONE!

Overall Comments

Ok like I said, Rodney takes a little getting used to at first – maybe in Australia it’s a general everyday occurrence to have your male instructor sashay around the room like a Pussy Cat Doll in PVC boots and hotpants, but for some I can see this being a little unexpected.

His clear instruction and exaggerated movements make the routines easy to follow for EVERYONE, even the not-so-co-ordinated which really makes it something that everyone can try.

The choreography is sexy without being vulgar, does not include costume or clothing removal but definitely makes full use of ‘The Art of Tease’, whilst still being modern enough to appeal to all. 

I also think the routines have something for everyone and would suit any woman regardless of shape, confidence or level of fitness.

Who is it for?: Beginner to Intermediate students

Costs: £10 each

Buy at: Amazon

Candy & Chrome Rating:    ***  3 out of 5 stars

Would be great, if not for the language barrier.







The Review

Warm Up

Ok this whole DVD is in Dutch so it’s obviously going to cause issues for most, however the instruction and physical demonstrations are very strong so it’s not a complete loss.

Denise shows a bit of originality by choosing her famous ‘GoGo Aerobics’ for warming up – and as an extra section at the end.  From what I can make out on these DVD’s she has hired a friend, a professional GoGo dancing coach to perform a warm up routine to start off with.  You gotta love this guy, he is so enthusiastic and energetic in his movements.  Verbally, there’ not much you need to know – links means left, Rechts means right, Upp is… well, up!

The routine is very fun but personally I would find it a nightmear to follow as I am not super co-ordinated naturally, and they whizz through each new move with very few reps so it would probably take me (and Beginner level students) a lot of practise to follow this right!  Never the less, the warm up is very energetic and fully immobilises all the body’s joints, ready for exercise, it’s very efficient.  The stretches seem to be limited to just legs though really, so if you are using this DVD warm up, don’t forget to throw in some arm stretches too.

Basic Moves

Basic DVD Only: Denise uses this section to demonstrate some basic ‘filler’ moves for transitions and routines, such as hip sways, head rolls (which surprisingly DO take practise before they look right, so this is useful), hip rolls, stand ups etc.

Pole Techniken

Basic DVD: Includes: Kneecurve (Front Hook), Stretched Kneecurve (Wheelspin), Fireman, Accelerated Fireman (Leaning outwards mid-spin for more speed), Supported Knee Turn (Goddess spin, Side Spin), Flamenco (Sunwheel), Basic Kate (Carousel), Flashdance (Back Hook), Rapid Falshdance (Flying Back Hook), Polesteps (The Dip), Playgirl (Orbit, Cradle), Playboy (Orbit Variation), Helicopter (Exploding V), Vertical Break (Inverted Crucifix).

Advanced DVD: Flying Free (Candy Cane Corkscrew), Swan (Back Hand Grab), Rapid Swan (variation), Split (Static V), Split Back Support, Split & Turn (Boomerang), Seated Split (Wrist Seat), Hangover (Cross Ankle Release), Spilts On Pole, The Monkey (Step Up Spin), Sitting In Pole (Seated Lady/Chair), Stretched Legs (variation), Backslide, Upright Stand, Cliffhanger (Scorpio), Pole Handstand (Split grip released), Take Five (Pole Seat Variation), Supported Handstand.

Extras

Basic DVD:

Pole Workout:At the end of the Pole Techniken section on each DVD, Denise then shows us how we can use all the spins she has taught throughout this DVD in an improvised routine.

GoGo Aerobics: Back to our GoGo dancing Guru, he breaks each hand full of dance moves down for you to copy, and combines them into a routine for you to follow.  Again this is going to be tricky for those who struggle with co-ordination, but it looks like good fun anyway!

Pole Praktijk: Uniquely, Denise allows us to be a ‘fly on the wall’ inside one of her classes at the end of the DVD.

Cool Down

The GoGo guy demonstrates a series of exercises designed to cool the body down, lost of swishing arms make it a pleasant and relaxing cool down routine, combined with stretches.

Overall Comments

All demonstrations are show at normal speed first time, then super slow mo, then full speed again with another student or two trying the same move.

All moves are performed very cleanly, and are very visually easy on the eye, making this a good purchase – even with the language barrier.  I wouldn’t recommend it to students that aren’t already taking professional lessons as it would be a bit difficult to follow, but having done some beginner level classes, and being able to recognise the moves, this would make a good supplementary DVD.

Who is it for?:  Advanced students

Costs:  £16

Buy at:  Isn’t she pretty

Candy & Chrome Rating:  ****

4 Out of 5 Stars – FANTASTIC, but brief!





The Review

This DVD is laid out a little differently from the normal format.  There is no warm up or stretches, instead – at the start Fawnia introduces herself and explains a few things about the DVD, which features some of the world’s most famous pole dancers of the time – Tammy Morris and Kelly Kane.  Also, this DVD includes some impressive extras which you wouldn’t normally expect to find on any other pole dance instruction DVD, which for me was an eye opener.

Due to the layout I will have to stray from the usual format and just review as I find.

The DVD is split into sections as demonstrated by each instructor.  Tammy Morris demonstrates wonderous flexibility and strength in this DVD, whereas Kelly Kane demonstrates core strength and gymnastic ability.  The moves on this DVD would suit an advanced level student, although because of the supreme quality of the instructors abilities, it would also suit instructors wanting to perfect their form.

Tammy Morris

Tricks include:  Hands Free Handstand (Iguana), Upside Down Pole Slide (Shoulder Mount), Upside Down Pole Contortion (Scorpio into Gemini), Handstand Pole Contortion (Cross Knee release into contorted handstand).

Kelly Kane

Tricks Include:  Handstand Variations (Advanced handstand positions from handspring - Jacknife, Jacknife into drop splits, handspring split, handspring mermaid legs, splits on pole from handspring), Multiple Handspring Combo’s, Fan Legs, 360 Degree Fan Legs, Candy Cane Corkscrew, Bodywave (mid pole), Monkey Drop, Flagpole.

Kelly also proceeds to demonstrate some impressive combos of the above moves.

Extras

This DVD uniquely offers us a look at Poi work, including fire Poi, as demonstrated by Natasha Bird.  I know diddley squat about Poi work so I can’t comment too much about this extra section, but it looks very cool and I can see a lot of people being interested in this.  Natasha shows us some basic Poi moves to practise and this would suit an absolute beginner in Poi.

Contortion

Tammy and Kelly both show us a series of contortion moves to try – A Backward Arch, Extended Backwards Splits, One Arm Plank, Back Spin, Looking Through Legs.

Overall Comments

Instruction very brief so this DVD is for someone with a fair amount of pre-move knowledge and pole ability as the pole tricks are visited very quickly!  Also, the pole sections of the DVD are quite brief because of this.

The voice over lady has the strongest lisp I have heard in a long while which for me is really glaringly obvious on my ears.

The contortion section is amazing but it mostly scares me.  However it MUST be a useful skill to learn in pole as the girls performing are world renownd for their pole ability and flexi moves, you won’t be able to take your eyes off them and the quality of their movement is something to aspire to – for that reason, this DVD is a high ranker in my collection.

Who is it by?:

Who is it for?:  Beginner building to Intermediate level students

Costs: £6 new, £3 used.

Buy at:  Amazon

Candy & Chrome Rating:   ***

3 Out of 5 Stars – A Golden Oldie





The Review

Warm Up

Hmmmm, ok so the warm up is pretty basic, jogging on the spot for 5 mins. Fawnia then quickly runs through a series of basic pre-pole stretches, again these are pretty simple, easy to perform stretches and seem to take no time at all, so if you’re planning on a long session with lots of complicated moves, I would look at doing a more thorough warm up and do a lot more stretching beforehand.

Spins & Pole Tricks

This DVD includes:  The Fireman, One Handed Fireman, Sunwheel, Sitting Around Pole (Seated Lady), Sitting Around Pole Variations (inc a Boomerang), Back Hook (Front Hook), Crouch Spin (Orbit), Handstand (Handspring), Upside Down Spin (Chopper variation), Upside Down Spin Variations (Chopper), Backwards Handstand (Reverse Mount), Splits on Pole, Three Step Sunwheel, Scissors (Exploding V), Frozen Standing Move & Variations (the Straight Down, Mermaid, Static V, Static Sunwheel, Static Orbit, Static Straight Legged Orbit, Back V), Climbing the pole, Sitting on the pole, Hanging in Mid Air.

Transitions

In this DVD Fawnia demonstrates how to transition out of moves as she teaches the spin.  We see various twirls into a finishing pose, a Backarch, a Backslide, Bodywaves and she is just generally a natural mover and nice to watch. 

Overall Comments

Ok so this DVD is another oldie, it’s right around the same era as Pole Tricks 101 when nobody really knew what they were doing, pole dance instruction for fitness was very new and pole dance instruction DVD’s were cutting edge!  So it’s nowhere near that standard of a lot of the other more modern pole DVD’s we have now, but Fawnia Mondey is a vertran, making her a very experienced pole dance teacher and is still highly respected in the industry today.  Any pole dancers of my generation pr older may well remember learning from this very DVD at the beginning.

Fawnia’s instruction is generally very clear and simply put, making the moves relatively easy to follow, although towards the end of the DVD they do bring in another dancer to demonstrate, and the instruction seems to dwindle whilst she performs.

Even if you have already nailed the Fireman yonks ago, I would still recommend watching this DVD as Fawnia has a unique look to all of her spins and incorporates a lot of speed, power and control which is useful to see.  She is not a feather light ballerina of a pole dancer, as a female body builder how could she be?!  So she has a very interesting strong style to her dancing, and although flexible she is not a contortionist either, which makes her moves ‘attainable’ with practise!  Despite being a strong and powerful mover, how she gets out of her moves is always so very polished and pretty.

Formerly winner of several ‘Miss Nude’ competitions, and well established in the exotic dance industry, Fawnia also has a stripper-esque dancing style, but with an energetic twist, which I think students wanting to work on their dancing style might find a useful starting block.

One thing I didn’t think was appropriate was the addition of  a handspring!  I wouldn’t recommend going into the handspring this early after learning a fireman!  That’s a trick students are probably more likely to learn a lot later on and I found it a bit random to see it in there amongst some basic beginner spins.

Who is it by?: 

Who is it for?:  All levels of student.

Volume 1 = Beginner & Intermediate Students

Volume 2 = Intermediate & Advanced Students.

Costs:  £15.99 each

Buy At:  Vertical Dance

Candy & Chrome Rating:  *****

5 out of 5 stars - Excellent and Professionally made, a safe purchase.





The Review

Intro

Before the warm up starts there is an intro section which to be fair is very thorough but I can see it boring the pants off most beginners.  Most people who have just bought a pole DVD are desperate to open it and get it on, SOME manage to resist the temptation to skip straight to the pole bit, but I can imagine many probably don’t care about the science of warming up or learning about synovial fluids beforehand.

The Tips Section

This is well worth a look as the points illustrated in this section are tips that usually only an instructor would point out to you personally – it is all too common to try the first trick you see on a DVD and not see where the proper hand placement may be, or understand why your spins are short and stubby for example.  This section also explains how common ‘beginner’s errors’ affect your technique, and how to avoid them.  

The Warm Up 

Aerobic exercise routine:  The warm up starts with some mobility moves, marching, shoulder circles, heel digs, wrist circles, hip circles, it’s very simple, very effective and very easy to follow.  Now we walk around the pole, switching directions, step touches, double step touches, then it gently flows back into the mobility sequence again.  Repeat one more time.  It’s a very clinical, uncomplicated and rhythmical routine and any level of pole student should be able to follow it.

Pre-Pole Stretches:  Are full thorough and very efficient.  It covers the whole body but focuses on the muscles being used in the workout.  But why does nobody ever include the Soleus stretch?  As an added extra, KT, Kat and AJ perform a brachialis stretch, which I’ve not seen before but thinking about it is incredibly helpful – I have heard of many dancers that feel ‘twinges’ in this area after they have been pole dancing for a while and perhaps this could help towards preventing those injuries.

Splits Training

Volume 2:  In Volume 2, Vertical Dance offer some splits training stretches and advice to help intermediate students begin learning to perform the splits.

Transitional Moves

Volume 1:  The Walk, The Static Walk, The Step Around Walk, Kicks, Hip Circles, Figure 8′s, Body Wave, Pole Squat, Pole Push, Pole Circles, Pirouette, Easy Up, Spin Up.

Poses

Volume 1:  B Hook, Ballerina, 2 Handed Crab, Crab.

Spins & Tricks

Volume 1:  Cross Legged Fireman, Fireman Push Up, Closed Front Hook, Open Front Hook, Back Hook, The Swinging Back Hook, Jumping Back Hook, Front Hook To Back Hook, The Attitude, The Attitude Kick, The Basic Chair, Reverse Grab, Carousel, Boomerang, Bouncing Boomerang, Side Spin, Side Spin Extension, Corkscrew, Arm Attitude, Cradle, The Tuck Spin, Pole Seat, Thigh Hold, Basic Invert, Inverted Crucifix.

Volume 2:Revisits the Basic Invert, Various Dismounts, Inverted Thigh Hold, Air Invert, Caterpillar, Spinning Caterpillar, Reverse Caterpillar, Handstands, Inverted V, Helicopter, Helicopter Hook, Gemini, Scorpio, Hip Hold, Cross Knee Release, Cross Ankle Release, Basic Bow and Arrow, Advanced Bow and Arrow, Pencil, Basic Shoulder Mount, Shoulder Mount Split, Super Shoulder Mount, Superman, Spinning Superman, Superman into Figurehead, Floor Diva, Diva, Pole Splits, Basic Butterfly, Cradle Butterfly, Butterfly, Extended Butterfly, Straight Edge, Straight Edge Split, Straight Edge Hook, Hand Spring, Handspring Split, Jack Knife, Knee Hold, The Electric KT, Flag.

Climbs

Volume 2:  In Volume 2 KT shows us various climbing techniques including:  Seated climb, Basic climb, Spinning Climb.

Muscle Strength & Endurance

Usually, at the end of an aerobic exercise programme there is a muscle strength and endurance exercise section.  This isn’t terribly necessary in pole as the best way you can build your muscles for pole is to POLE! But for reference, This DVD does include some exercises for you to follow on and off the pole, covering the major muscle groups.

Cool Down Stretches

This section includes very efficient cool down stretches for the whole body. 

Overall Comments

KT shows her experience as a fitness instructor through her very clear demonstrations from multiple views.  The movement she demonstrates is clinical and precise, making it easier for the viewer to follow her.

For more information about KT, you can read our exclusive interview with her HERE.

The two DVD’s perfectly cover what I would call the national ‘Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced’ standard.  It eases you in gently with the first few spins and transitions that many of the British pole dancer’s first learnt when they started out at the beginning of the pole dance fitness awareness age.  The tricks and spins chosen are generally what is currently being taught in most UK pole schools as standard, so any student looking for a second reference to use at home when not in the presence and direction of their instructor – THIS DVD series is for you.  Most of the moves you will recognise, and although some are advanced, none are too out of reach or for contortionists only.  This DVD series stops at the advanced student level and does not intimidate people with it’s difficulty levels – which is nice to see.

 The two other’s present in the beginner level DVD are AJ of the  Pole FX school, and Kat of the Pole Love School.  Some instructual DVD’s chose to feature students – to show a real class environment, but Vertical Dance has chosen to use two instructors – I think this works in their favour as Kat and AJ perform the moves very accurately and look very symmetrical next to KT so no one’s view is thrown off balance by varying confidence levels, however you do get to see two very different dancers performing the same clean moves.  AJ’s figure 8′s are stupendous by the way – I hope you all catch that. 

I found that the music which included lyrics clashed with the voice over and blagged my ears a bit, but I only found this during one section of the first DVD. 

At the end of the DVD’s, Vertical Dance give you tips on designing your own routines and developing your own dancing style, improvising and combo’s to try.

Who’s it for?:  Absolute beginners, real women, the out of shape, starting from scratch.

Costs:  £15

Buy at:   www.isntshepretty.co.uk

Candy & Chrome Rating:   **

2 out of 5 stars – Does what it says on the tin, but you won’t learn much.





The Review

Warm Up

The warm up starts with marching and jogging on the spot, which isn’t terribly imaginative but being as it is set in someone’s living room, this is fine if you have limited space.  Followed by that are arm circles, hip circles, ankle rotations, neck bends, arm stretches, shoulder stretch, quad stretch, hams stretch and that’s pretty much it.  I have to be honest in saying I’m not impressed by that so far, no where near thorough enough for a pole work out.  ALTHOUGH, the moves performed on this DVD are super basic and very UN strenuous and the risk of injury must be relatively low and therfore the warm up might be adiquate.

Transitional Moves

The Walk, The Pirouette, The Dip, The Backslide, Rollover to Crawl, Standing from Crawl, The Bodywave, Still Spin, The Back Arch.

Spins

The Fireman.

Cool Down

None

Extras

None

Overall Comments

This DVD is clearly aimed at those students that are very unsure about trying out pole dance as a form of fitness.  The student is ultra normal, cocks up plenty like a REAL student would, doesn’t get moves right away, even the simple ones.  This would suit the older lady, those who are out of shape and unconfident or of limited movement and co-ordination.

Pole dance fitness can be quite indimidating to many ‘normal’ women as it is often marketed by super fit, super glamerous babes!  So, what I DO like about this DVD is that it undoubtedly PROVES that ANYONE can try pole dance, no matter how clumbersome, out of shape or un graceful you are – everyone has to start somewhere and this DVD could be the first step towards building your confidence to try more adventurous pole tricks and spins.  The finished routine at the end performed by the student is actually a joy to watch as you can see some very definate progression as her confidence builds up and she executes the moves gracefully and with ease.

Instruction is very clearly demonstrated and the  descriptions are very well broken down and simply put.

I have a feeling this DVD probably does well because it is presented by Fawnia Mondey, who – not that you can tell from this DVD, is a very experienced, talented and world class pole dancer.  Fawnia has instructional DVD’s of her own which are very competant and highly regarded, her experience in instructing pole for film is shown in this DVD.

Who is it by?: 

Who is it for?: Good question, pay attention….This DVD is for advanced pole students, serious pole enthusiasts and even instructors.  Not for beginners!

Costs: Around $23 to $30  (£15-£19)

Buy at: www.amazon.com

Candy & Chrome Rating:  *****

5 out of 5 stars – Just because!







The Review

Ok this review is going to be structured a little differently to the others, for no other reason than this is the first DVD I bought and it is my all time fave ever.

You have to appreciate that this DVD was one of a small hand full only available in the beginning.  Pole dance DVD’s have kind of exploded SINCE this one but there were not too many before it, and even if there were, this one was the most famous.  Pantera breaks ALL THE RULES with this ‘product’ and despite the fact that it’ s a bit mickey mouse by today’s standards of pole DVD’s it will ALWAYS be one of the best. Pantera is famous the World over for her advanced tricks and ability on the pole and this DVD is no exception.  I have banged on about it throughout this website and I will continue to show it y everlasting favoritism and complete bias.  Here is a bunch of random reasons why:

*The music is like cheesy porn music, but you can’t NOT love it!

*Pantera, as a presenter is covered in tattoos, naked in some parts and best part of naked in the rest, teaches in the most ridiculously sky scraper high heels and just generally shows no fear or pussy footing around!

*The showreel performance takes place in a strip club

*She lies flat on the ceiling for Christ’s sake!

*The voice over is a cheesy American DUDE

*There is NO warm up or stretches or cool down….there just isn’t any….Nada….Zippo

*They can’t spell GYMNASTICS, or VERTICAL

*The ACTUAL recommended dance-wear is ‘A bikini or less’

*It was made with a ‘Let’s take a stab at this’ approach

*At the time, NOBODY in their right mind could pull off these tricks, except Pantera.

The DVD is divided into Mounts, Climbs, Spins and Poses.  There is no warm up, pre-stretches, cool down, Transitional moves, or floorwork to speak of, but again at the time, nobody wanted to learn this stuff, it was made without a specific market in mind, or the practises you see in pole classes and other instructional DVD’s today.  Pole dance in general has developed a whole lot since it was made and Pantera herself even said that her producers didn’t really have a plan and told her to just do what she wanted – Pantera genuinely had no idea what sort of level her ability was at so they just hit the record button and went for it!

The DVD is styled the same way throughout, Pantera shows you the starting position and the frame freezes as the cheesy American Dude explains what she is doing with her hands, there are some big belting red arrows on the screen pointing to the area of focus so you can clearly see what is being described.  The frame resumes and they then focus on Pantera’s feet in the same way.  Finally, they show you the trick again in one shot.

Pantera’s demonstrations are very strong, she can hold difficult static poses for extra long amounts of time and has impeccable control, this makes her instruction easy to follow and you can clearly see how to get into each move which is why it is an excellent supplementary DVD.

Mounts

In this section Pantera covers three pole mounts – The Vertical Mount (Step up onto pole), The Shoulder Mount, The Reverse Mount (From handstand).

Climbs

In this section, Pantera covers three climbs.  The Vertical Climb (Basic climb), Side Stepping Climb, Reverse Climb (the Caterpillar).

Transitions (From Climbs)

Pantera demonstrates three advanced, mid pole combo’s.  The Backside Hand to Vertical Leg Hold ( lift up from the cross ankle release position), Vertical to Inverted (an air shoulder mount!), From Inverted to Vertical (Crucifix to straight edge, to brass monkey, to a pull up, to a seat).

Spins

Included are:  The Split Heel (spinning vertical splits on pole), Split Spin (Boomerang), Hip Spin (Chopper), Spin n Snap (from a 1 handed handstand), Swivel Hips (hip circles whilst in a boomerang, mid pole), The Jezerbelle (a Spinning Shoulder Mount).

Poses

Included are:  The Backslide Hand (cross ankle release), the Bow & Arrow, the Straight Edge, the Knees, the Brass Monkey, the Angel (splits on the pole, mid pole), the Arm Hook (the teddy), the One Hander (1 handed handstand), the Gemini, the Aysha.

Other Comments

There are other reviews of this DVD available via this link – http://www.amazon.com/PoleTricks-101-Ultimate-Dancing-Training/product-reviews/B0001K2OSU/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Amazon Customer Reviews:

‘This DVD offers some advanced moves that neither Pole Katz or A Pole Lot of Fun are prepared to teach. In this respect, Poletricks 101 is for the more advanced. The instruction is very clear and the instructors themselves are energetic and passionate. A quality production.’

‘I’m surprised this is called POLE TRICKS 101 because the majority of tricks are very advanced. She’s quite the amazing pole dancer, though I find her a bit scary with those body tattoos, pierced nipples and platform stilettos. This is definitely not your pole dance as exercise DVD. (I would recommend the very thorough KT Coates 2 DVD’s. Still, Pantera is a pole phenomenon and I admire her athleticism.
I like the red arrows that show you where to apply pressure to the pole but the shots are often cropped too close and you miss important details. Other key pieces of info are also missing (such as how to get into an advanced pose before an even more advanced pose). And she doesn’t cover transitions at all. Maybe we’re to assume that’ll be covered in POLE TRICKS 201? If there is one, I don’t think I’ll buy it. ‘

‘If your a real pole lover this ones for you. Pantera is awsome!! She takes it to the next level,so you might wanna STRETCH really good before watching!! Beginners may want to wait on this one!’

‘This is a wonderful DVD if you are looking to learn tricks that are absolutely stunning. Moves are more advanced and require pre-existing knowledge of what you are doing on the pole. Even though there are a lot of advanced moves, even someone with intermediate experience can take a little something from Pantera. Lots of wonderful moves to aspire to-after all, practice makes perfect!’

‘I have been pole dancing for several years and perform many feature shows as a result. I bought this DVD because I was told that it was good for advanced pole dancers and thought it might give me something new to try.

The overall tricks are impressive and unique. But I have to admit that they do not always show you the most graceful or easiest way to get into position or carry out a move.

My two biggest issues with this DVD is that…
1. The camera is often focused dead center of the pole. There are MANY tricks that you can not see her feet or her complete grip. This annoyed me to no end. I can not understand how such a crucial issue could have been overlooked! You almost have to just guess where her feet are at times. So it makes trying to follow the instructions rather difficult.

2. They do not show ANY dismounts. They show you how to get into the tricks but they do not show you how to safely get out of them! Many of the tricks that are being shown on this video can not be dismounted in the same way they were mounted. I suppose they just expect the viewer to hang there and try to figure it out for themselves. ???

I would also like to add that the performance footage that they show at the beginning and end of the video are performed on a spinning pole, yet the instructional breakdowns are performed on a stationary pole. Holding your position and the amount of momentum needed to work on a spinning pole is COMPLETELY different then that of a stationary. They should have completely avoided any footage of the spinning pole as those tricks will not look the same on a stationary one.

All in all…it is always entertaining to see Pantera on the pole. So if you are a fan, definitely buy this DVD. But if you are looking to actually learn and perform these tricks for yourself….find another DVD or get a private teacher! Pole tricks 101 is not worth the money.’

Who is it by?: 

Who is it for?: Varying levels of pole student, serious pole enthusiasts and Instructors.

Beginner DVD = Beginner-Intermediate students.

Intermediate DVD=Intermediate-Advanced Students & Material for instructors to improve the look of their moves.

Advanced DVD = Serious pole enthusiasts or Instructors, not for students.

Costs:  £14 each, or £40 for all 3 at once.

 Buy at:  www.acomprehensiveguidetopoledance.com 

Candy & Chrome Rating:   *****

5 out of 5 stars – Excellent, but may be a bit advanced for some.

The Review

Warm Up

The warm up on this DVD does not include a brief aerobic exercise routine prior to stretching, although Tracey DOES explain that it is important to do this beforehand.  Tracey starts her warm up with pre-pole stretches, and shows you have to execute them properly.  Her instruction is very clear, her demonstrations are very clean, systematic and sensible.  Tracey starts at the top and works down to the bottom of the body, explains how to stretch each muscle, showing you a front and side view of each stretch so the viewer can correct your posture accordingly.  Could probably do with a couple more leg stretches at the start as a hip flexor, calf stretch and soleus stretch for example are missing.  The warm up is thankfully not too long – it’s difficult to get this right as instructors generally want to include as much warm up material as possible for safety sake, and also to mobilise the muscles fully – but sometimes this can seem to take forever for a beginner and most people are too tempted to just fast forward to the pole bit!  But I do feel that maybe there should have been a brief aerobic exercise routine beforehand and a few more leg stretches.

Poses

Beginner DVD Only: This DVD includes some poses, which is useful for beginners as it gives them a starting point for routines and is a non strenuous way to get used to ‘working with’ the pole.  Kat (a second instructor on this DVD) demonstrates four powerful poses for the viewer to try.

Transitions

Beginner DVD Only:In this DVD Tracey also demonstrates transitional moves, this is an area easily forgotton about on a lot of DVD’s as it’s mostly regarded as common sense, but to be honest, when you first start out in ANY sport or new hobby, you just don’t have any common sense!  it takes time to build up that kind of learning but fortunately Tracey and Kat give you some basic moves to set the ball rolling.  Also, there are many ‘basic pole dance transitional moves’ that DO NOT come naturally to a lot of people.  The body wave for example, if you’re naturally snake hipped and watch a lot of R&B music videos, this might be pimps for you, but for anyone else sexy moves like bodywaves and hip circles takes practise! and it helps to have some actual tuition on HOW TO move yourself in a certain way.

Floorwork

Beginner DVD Only:  Hooray for floorwork!  So many DVD’s forget about floorwork altogether!  As a basic rule – beginners start low on the pole, then as they get better the higher up they get.  So floorwork, poses and transitional moves are equally as important to learn at this stage as tricks on the pole in my opinion, otherwise people get into the thinking that pole dancing is all about what you can do on a pole, when really it is SO much more then that!  The best pole dancers and pole performances feature routines that use the whole of your dance space…INCLUDING the floor so of course you need to learn how to do it!

In this DVD Kat demonstrates some basic floor moves, they are relatively simple, pretty, and teach the viewer how to get used to cavorting a bit….WITH STYLE!  Tracey then follows her to demonstrate some more exciting floor moves.

Spins & Pole Tricks

Beginner DVD:This DVD includes the First Spin (Fireman), the Forward Hook Turn (Closed Front Hook), the Backward Hook Turn (Back Hook), the Ballet Turn (Attitude/Sun wheel), the Fairground (Carousel), the Sitting Turn (Chair/Seated Lady), the Reversed Ballet Turn (Backwards Attitude/Backwards Sun wheel), the Spin Up (which is like a fireman from the floor), the Tuck (position is like the Cradle), the Strong Hold (like the Jump & Slide), the Pole Sit, the Pole Cartwheel (Fan Legs), the Shoulder Mount Backslide, Climbing the pole, Basic Invert.

Intermediate DVD:The Backwards Hook Turn (the Back Hook) , the Tuck Spin (the Cradle/Orbit), the Wide Leg Spin (Boomerang), the Reverse Grab Attitude (Back Hand Grab), Climbing the Pole, Basic Invert & Dismount, the Crucifix, the Serpent Dismount (or chest dive she calls it), the Thigh Hold (the Tammy), Upside Down Leg Hooks 1 & 2 (Gemini & Scorpio), the Caterpillar, the Butterfly, the Crossed Leg Release, Straight Leg Release, the Archery Position (the Bow & Arrow), the V-Leg Wrist Seat, the Arm Hold (the Teddy), the Ipcia (the Iguana), the Shoulder Mount.

Advanced DVD:The Switch Up (changing direction mid-pole from inverted crucifix to upright crucifix), the Knee Grip (2 Knees), the Reverse Climb (Caterpillar Climb), the Straight Edge, the Aysha (shown as a variation of the Straight Edge), the Supergirl (Superman), the Spider Girl (Pole V), the Hanging Splits (the Jade), Straight Edge Dismount, the Monkey Pose Dismount, the Handspring (including leg variations, jacknife etc), Handspring from up high, the Flag Pole, the Rocket (Rocketman), Lowering the Ipcia, the Matrix (Twisted handspring), the Chinese Flag (including leg variations).

Combo’s

Advanced DVD Only:In the Advanced DVD, Tracey and Kat also teach the viewer some pole combo’s – combining several tricks at once and demonstrating how they flow into each other.  This again is unique to this series of DVD’s as usually tricks are demonstrated one at a time.  This is definitely for the more serious poller or instructor and should not really be attempted by students.

Combo’s  include:The Spider Girl with turn & Knee Grip, Reverse Climb & Straight Edge combo, The Straight Edge & Supergirl, Helicopter to Straight Edge, the Arm Hold with Leg Variations, Shoulder Mount Combo’s, the Monkey Pose & Sitting Up, the Monkey Pose & the Straight Edge, the Monkey Pose & the Archery Position, the Supergirl & Shoulder Mount, the Supergirl & Arm Hold, the Supergirl & Hanging Splits, Handspring into Leg Switch, the Rocket & Leg Release, the Rocket & Flag Pole, the Ipcia with V-Leg Wrist Seat & Sitting Up, the Chinese Flag from the Caterpillar, the Chinese Flag & Return.

Cool Down

Again the post-pole stretches sensibly start from top to bottom.  Clear descriptions, clean demonstrations, generally an all round good cool down.

Extras:

Tracey does a pole show for us at the end of each DVD which includes the moves featured on the instructional sections.  Tracey Simmons is in my opinion an extrordinarily talented and exquisite pole dancer, winner of several National and International pole dance competitions, and is recognised as one of Britain’s top pole performers.  Her moves are sleek, fast, precise, creative, smooth, beautifully extended without being contorted, flowing and natural and the pole shows featured in the extras does not disappoint! 

With an array of glittering wardrobe, she even subtully demonstrates how to remove layers of costume cleverly, incorporated as part of the pole routine, and sleaze free.

I would say however that as a beginner, DO NOT expect to be able to perform the routine Tracey does in a short time as she includes some more advanced moves too.  The purpose of this is just to show how pole tricks, transitional moves, spins and floor work can be put together into a creative pole routine.  Tracey is a bit too good to pull off a basic, bog standard beginner routine and to meet her standard will take LOTS of practise!

Overall Comments

This DVD series has a bit of EVERYTHING and has something for every generation and genre of pole dancer.  Some of the unique points I noticed are:

* The beginner DVD also includes a brief lesson on ‘Pole Termanology’ – which is useful for beginners as many instructors start their teachings telling people to use their ‘Dominant Arm’ on the pole for example…..which one you have tried pole dance a few times seems a pretty obvious comment, but as a total beginner, this might not be so obvious!

* The series offers Poses, Transitions, Floorwork and Combo’s as well as the usual pole tricks and spins. An absolute joy to see!

* On the Intermediate DVD, Tracey revisits some of the beginner spins and then demonstrates advanced variations of the move by increasing the difficulty level.  She very clearly explains how to do this and the difference from the basic version. 

Other notes about the series that are worthy of recognition are that the filming of the DVD slows down to show a proper break down of how to achieve the variation, and all spins are demonstrated with postural corrections and comments.

From a constructive criticism point of view, I could only nit pick on 3 points!  They are:

* The ‘Going Upside Down & What to do next’ section – Tracey whizzes through some moves and dismounts a smidge too fast without a whole lot of instruction, and some of the intermediate pole tricks are explained in brief, this COULD have been explained slower, with further break downs.

* Some of the intermediate tricks could be classed as more advanced.

* Does not explain about skin grip, pinching of the skin & pain barrier.

Overall I have found that there is a lot to be learned from Tracey as a beginner level student, though reaching the same quality will take time and this should be stressed.  The Intermediate DVD was equally suitable for students and instructors alike as many teachers can fall into the trap of being content and become ‘sloppy’, watching the Intermediate level DVD would be beneficial for those looking to polish up their moves and achieve a more ‘professional’ look.

The Advanced DVD is for instructors and the more seasoned dancer.  Admittedly there are a lot of moves and combo’s on this disc that I cannot perfom myself, and I know many other instructors would seriously struggle to compete with this sort of standard also so I find this DVD of imperative use for anyone wanting to advance to competition/instructional class pole dancing.