Like most common love stories, falling in love with Fame was unexpected, spontaneous, and hella exciting. It was just one of those typical work days when a friend of mine invited me to try pole dancing at her current dance studio. After having completed an intensive yoga workshop, I was itching to do anything physical; and before I knew it, I was on my way to my first pole class. Upon entering the studio, I stood in awe and in utter silence as I witnessed the students flow with elegance and grace. Their grip and overall strength in maneuvering the pole were pretty impressive.
They were already in the middle of rehearsing for their second dance recital at the time and instead of chickening out and opting to come back on a regular class day, I began to mentally prep myself for the amount of work I was going to put in the next few weeks because at that moment, I had already decided that in a less than a month, I would join them on stage. During that time, I learned a fun way of keeping fit through dance and more.
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7 Things I Gained from Fame Artists Studio’s Dance Workshop
7. A New Set of Skills
When taking any class, be it dance-, music-, or arts-related, this is always the immediate goal. Anybody can find a way to move with the rhythm of a song, but technical dancing is a different story. In a month’s time, I was able to learn the basics of pole dance and I couldn’t be happier about it. Wanna sound impressive? Easy. Enrol at FAME Artist’s Studio and let your friends know about the super awesome aerialist and performer that you are!
6. An Instant Confidence Boost!
It’s not just about being able to do a trick. There is something hypnotizing about a beautifully executed routine. In class, we are taught killer tricks that are meant to impress, but we also learn how to be graceful in our execution and our transitions. This alone can make you feel like a superstar and you’ll exude confidence without even knowing it — and you’ll carry this with you even outside of class, I promise.
5. The Courage to Let Go
In the beginning, when my teachers would tell me to release, I would think once, twice, and even thrice about it. After a month of attending classes, though, I realized how seldom any major accidents happen when you’re under the supervision of a highly skilled and caring team.For instance, there was a certain inversion I was struggling with and it really took a while for me to achieve the full expression of the pose because my fear kept getting the best of me. On the final rehearsal day, I sucked it up and released my arms and surprised myself with my own strength. It’s scary, no doubt, but you’ll get past that once you put your trust in yourself and in your teachers.
4. The Satisfying Rewards of Passion and Hard Work
In class, I met people of all shapes and sizes and stories. Passion unites our souls and our love for dance, and performing brings us all together. During recital season you see people putting in extra hours and doubling efforts all for a flawless performance. Schedules were tweaked, appointments were cancelled, and the bug had started infecting people one by one. There’s nothing more fulfilling and satisfying than seeing the results of your hard work, though. Participating in a show where there is solid affirmation from the crowd will definitely give you the chills. The result? To push harder and perform better!
3. A Humbling Experience
Being the newest member of the Fame-ly, I was obviously a total noob during recital season. I grew up being part of different athletic teams and back in high school and college, I would be with girls my age who were of the same fitness and skill level. In this dance studio, you’ll meet people who have experience way beyond their years, ladies who are twice your size, or women who have three kids yet all seem stronger than you. It may hurt your ego, but it will also push you to work harder and take it one day at a time. At least, that’s what happened with me.
2. Discovering my Body’s Capabilities
With the variety of classes offered in Fame, you’ll have the opportunity to try different types of dance. Through this, you can figure out which ones you can progress in or just do for plain fun. I’m not saying you’ll have to excel to enjoy dancing, but the thing with having more options is that you’ll have better chances at learning which dance suits you and surprise yourself BY doing things you didn’t think you could do. Come to class without expectations and discover your inner dancer/performer. It’s never too late to discover a talent. The possibilities are endless!
1. A new Fame-ly
In my sentimental post-recital message to my teachers, I said to them, “Coming to class was always the best part of my day”, and I meant it with all my heart. No matter how tired I was or how bad the traffic was, it was the energy and light atmosphere of my family inside the four corners of the studio that enabled me to pull through the stress of recital month. The vibe is not competitive at all. Instead, it’s encouraging. A support system is crucial when trying new things and with Fame, I never had trouble feeling like I belonged. They embraced me wholeheartedly and made me feel like I was a part of something solid and genuine.
For someone without any pole background whatsoever, there were many times when I wanted to cry and quit. I questioned if I was even going to be lucky enough to pull off half of the tricks we were supposed to do. There were moments when I wondered, “What the heck was I thinking? This is impossible!” My month long adventure with Fame brought tears of physical and emotional pain, but it was one of the best times of my life.
Safe to say it had a lovely ending. I developed a newfound love for the art and gained a lot along the way. It was a brutal month, but it was nothing short of an incredible and unique learning experience.
Photo credit: Goethe ‘Dyordz’ Pierre
Fame Artists Studio
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