Bruising - What your pole kisses can tell you about your technique
For some they are badges of honour, evidence of a dancer’s success at nailing a new trick. For others they draw too many questions and require aerialists to wear long pants and long sleeves to cover up the black and blue.
I have always bruised easily and very early in my pole dance journey I questioned if I was doing real damage to my skin, capillaries, and muscle tissue from so many constant bruises. Behind my knees, inside my thighs, along my upper arms. Now training lyra and silks I find bruises along my back, inside my elbows, and across the tops of my feet.
Asking my instructor about the bruising she assured me that as I gained more strength and control, I would bruise less. Instead of having to grunt into moves and grip with each contact point for dear life, I would soon be able to lift and place each limb with more grace. As my technique became more refined I didn't have to shuffle into moves as much either, reducing the chance of bruising along my entire thigh or upper arm from using trial and error to find that perfect spot.
Five years on as I train lyra and silks as well as pole, this concept has come up again. My lyra teacher speaks Khmer and she tells us "Choo Laor" - which roughly translates to "pain is good". In some respects this is true. Aerial arts, whether pole, hoop, silks, trapeze, or corde lisse, all require a certain amount of pain tolerance and skin conditioning. Having metal, rope, or fabric rubbing against your skin as you attempt to support your body weight is never going to clean and simple.
But how much is too much pain? And does pain indicate that there is actually a better way to accomplish the move?
What actually changes as you progress in aerial arts is a combination of an increase in pain tolerance and improvement in technique. Learning how to engage muscles, through extension and contraction, will allow you to support your body weight more evenly and you will rely less on simple holding on.
Consider two tricks on the lyra - during a front balance you will need to engage the psoas, and for a secure back balance, engaging the upper part of the glutes is important. Simple resting on the hoop and using your legs or upper back to hold you in position does not support the part of your body that is maintaining contact with the hoop.
Mai talks about the different muscle engagements needed to create an effective shape in a yogini pose for pole here.
Finding ways to ensure that your bones are not hitting the pole or hoop at any time will also help keep bruises at bay. Strengthening your upper body and using your core as you transition, will ensure that you are lifting with control and making precise movements, reducing the chance of accidental bruises from making contact at the wrong time or place.
Next time you are kissed by the pole have a think about the move you were doing and consider if your movements could have been smoother or more controlled. Your skin and muscles will thank you and you will make improvements in your technique that will support safer and more graceful dancing in the future.
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Written by Mel Nutter as Baudelaire.
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