How Louise Wawrzynska prepares for pole dance competition
In this blog, Louise Wawrzynska shares with us her tips for pole dance competition preparation. We first knew Louise from Copenhagen Pole Competition in 2013, in which she came 1st place. Since then she has been participating in several competitions and her latest achievement was winning Pole Theatre Paris - Pole Art category in 2016. Watch her competition and dance routines here.
Photo by Jan Teller
1. How far ahead do you prepare for the competition?
I try to start preparing about 3 months before, but when I have more competitions and I want to create a new routine in between, I sometimes only have 1-2 months. I started earlier once, but it did not work. Apparently, I work best under pressure.
2. How do you plan your routine? Do you start with tricks, music, or floorwork first?
I always start with the music! I choose the music if it triggers a strong emotion and I get an idea of the character. After that I start working on my tricks and then floorwork. Sometimes when I find the right piece of music (or the music finds me) I see parts or the entire routine before me.
3. How often do you train a week?
I train 6 days a week anywhere between 2-5 hours. Some days I train twice. For example I can do floor work in the morning and pole in the evening. About one week before my competition, I train 1,5 hour everyday. I do a warm up, run through my piece twice and go home.
4. Do you have any specific diet?
Not really. I try to eat healthy and get the nutrients my body needs. I recently became pescatarian, so it’s been some interesting months. I always bring bananas and some dark chocolate with me in case I start feeling tired and lacking in energy. I’m a bit of a chocoholic ;)
5. Finally, any advice to those competing for the first time?
Make sure you are in good time. In that way you can avoid pushing yourself too hard because you feel like you have to train hard all the time to get ready. You will have the opportunity to take an extra day off if you need so, refine your piece etc.
Try not to compare yourself with other competitors by watching their videos on Instagram/Youtube. That will just make you even more nervous and you do not need that.
Visualize. Visualize. Visualize. I do it all the time: when I shower, drive, walk my dog and even before going on stage. Run through your choreography in your head. Imagine everything: the audience, your positions, hands, head, and every detail. It will help you prepare yourself mentally.
Remember that sometimes less is more! Choose the tricks you feel comfortable doing and work on execution.
And last, have fun! Enjoy the process. This will only make you stronger, and you get to share your piece on a beautiful stage with audience. Besides you get to spend a whole day or even weekend with super talented people with shame passion as you. Make new friends, and cheer for each other. It is such a great experience!
"Remember that sometimes less is more! Choose the tricks you feel comfortable doing and work on execution."
