It’s one thing to do an exhibition of pole moves and another to really pole dance. That’s what this new series, Putting the Dance Back in Pole Dance, is all about – those finishing touches that transform a collection of spins and inverts into a true dance performance.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the dance tips and techniques I’ve learned from over 20 years of belly dancing. No special dance background is needed; just try it out and see what works for you. 

I’m starting with arms, since I think graceful arm movements are an essential part of any dance performance.  So let’s get started …

Using Your Arms while Pole Dancing

In some ways, pole makes life easy on us in terms of arm movements. Since so many moves require our arms to be actively engaged, there aren’t many opportunities for our arms to hang lifelessly at our sides.  Nevertheless, it can happen to the best of us, especially during transitions.  So I thought this would be a good time to talk about what arms are really there to do while we’re dancing.

Framing

Arms can create a beautiful frame around your hips, your face, or the length of your body.  They add a finishing touch to your moves.  One thing to keep in mind when using your arms as a frame, is to keep a soft curve in them. A curved line is often more visually appealing and can introduce a note of delicacy, which can make an interesting contrast with bolder pole moves.

Gesturing

Another thing arms do really well is gesturing.  By that I mean, indicating to the audience what they should be looking at.  (Eyes are great for this, too, but I’ll get to that in another post.)

Now I know you’re thinking, isn’t it obvious where they should be looking?  But the answer is, no, it really isn’t.   Sure, they’ll notice the big changes, but if you are putting in some subtle accenting as you move with the music, arm gestures can be a beautiful way to show the audience where they need to be looking.

Enhancing Accents and Expression

Slow, languorous arm movements play up the sensuality in a piece of music, while sharper accents and flourishes can be used to highlight rhythm changes.

Gaining Flowing Arm Movements

A graceful, flowing arm movement comes from moving through the joints in your arm, one by one, biggest to smallest.  That means, for sweeping gestures, you would move from your shoulder to your elbow to your wrist, and then through each successive joint in your hands and fingers.  For smaller, accenting gestures, you can start with your elbow and flow out from there. Use the exercise in the video below to gain fluidity in your arm movements.

Pulling it All Together

Here’s a little video of me pulling all this together.  It begins with a simple arm exercise and ends with a brief pole dance. I’m, at best, an advanced beginner on the pole, but it will give you the idea and you can adapt it to your own level. Happy poling!