WOAAAAAHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER

Because we are halfway there.... We have been dutifully blogging for half of the run up to the competition! Let's see how everyone is getting on now that we have passed the halfway checkpoint!

Lexi

Aaaaagh! I can't believe we're halfway there already. Time has sped by way too fast! At this point I'm feeling pretty anxious. I made the teeny mistake of going on holiday for a week during which I managed to do some stretching but not much else. This set me back another week by stealing away all of my strength and stamina (seriously, it goes away super quickly!). My first downface dog press-up in body sculpture last Monday nearly resulted in a broken nose. On Wednesday the grades I normally climb easily felt like Everest. Thursday’s hoop practise made me feel so dizzy and nauseous that kettlebells was a complete no go and at that point I decided the week was a dead loss. But all is well! This week has been much better. Strength is returning and Monday's training went pretty well with a good body sculpture, stretch and hoop class. Lauren helped me with some ideas for transitions in my routine too! I'm looking forward to a long hoop practice session and private on Saturday to iron out more of my routine.


At this point I have music, half of my routine and some bits of potential costume. I say “potential” because it still needs to go through some rigorous testing on the hoop to make sure it won't get caught up during any moves; if it does then a rethink will be necessary! I'd ideally like to end up with a complete routine by the end of Saturday so that I have a few weeks to tweak and polish it. I think I'll feel a lot better about it after that.


I'm still really excited about the competition and can't wait to have a full routine to perfect, perform and hopefully place!


Update: Costume plan B is going to be undertaken! The initial idea doesn't work very well upside down…. Hoop costumes are complicated!
​

Hannah

So half way....just a little nervous as I have my moves but can't seem to string them together effectively let alone to music!!! I've had a couple of private lessons with Zorena and loved the new ideas....I guess that was a eureka moment as I've tried some new spin moves and new dismount ideas as well as keeping a firm few favourites in the routine. I have my costume on order but coming from abroad I have my fingers firmly crossed it will arrive in good time! I have had a week out for holiday and a now I'm being distracted with a few personal life issues being the drama queen I am! I am also flying out to Iceland on Monday so yet another week out. On that basis, I am getting in as many Pole jams and extra lessons as possible to help lessen my panicking!! I thrive under a bit of pressure which is why I manage moves in my private lessons but struggle to get them again when on my own! I'm hoping that last minute cramming will be the making of me over the next few weeks! I still love my music and theme so at least that's one thing...I feel I have also really taken into account the feedback from the video round so hopefully this will be my year. I feel the pressure is on after coming third last year. I want it more this year but I hope I've not stretched myself too far with new music and new routine!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!! I'll try not to disappoint. Haha

Lauren

So we’re now half way through the run up to the competition. I had a bit of a stroppy private lesson last week, which made me question if I could actually compete at the level needed without embarrassing myself or others. I was having a complete mind block and things that should have been simple weren’t happening as they should, I don’t know how Zorena puts up with me as a student, I’m an absolute nightmare if things aren’t going the way I want them too. I get so hard on myself. But this week my pole private lesson was a lot better. I have the base of a routine together so just need to figure out the dance pieces then practice, practice, practice. I’m hoping to sort the majority of my hoop routine out tonight so that I’m in a similar position with that too before I go on my 2 weeks holiday this Sunday to America. Although I’m really looking forward to my holiday, but it makes me nervous about going away in relating to my routine and being able to do everything when I get back. I feel at the moment my body is getting there in being prepared for the competition, so am going to try my best whilst away to be good with a few treats, I will be in America! ☺ I am also going to take some resistance bands away with me, people may think I’m crazy to plan to exercise on holiday but I don’t want all my hard work I’ve put in from the last 6 weeks to go to waste by not exercising at all for two weeks, when I’ve been doing something every day recently. I am at the stage where I am starting to feel comfortable with the way I look, the diet/clean eating plan is working and I think my body is used to the calorie intake and macros I have been set. So all in all at the moment in all, I am feeling positive with all aspects towards the competition. Themes are working, routines are coming together and the contents I want to include are fitting nicely.

Emily

ARGH HALFWAY WHAT THE HELL!?!?! I don’t understand how we have got this far in already!! I was hoping when we started this that I would be able to confidently say that I had at least one of the two routines sussed but now that halfway has rolled around I am literally no closer to having a finished product than when we started!
I got this far in writing my blog for this week and then started a hoop session where we really got down to business and sorted out what goes where and at what time. To do this we printed off the lyrics and wrote down all the moves, decided what to keep and what to cut.
On Monday I had a bit of a meltdown and left the studio in tears because I felt like I was getting nowhere and there was a move that I just couldn’t do. I felt like I was way out of my depth and the ideas that I was coming up with were completely wrong! Every comp that I’ve entered I have threatened to pull out of because I get myself in such a state and that was where I was on Monday, pleased to say that I’m out of that mind set now!  I feel so much better today than yesterday it’s so funny how much difference a couple of hours with Zorena can make! I now have a routine written up  that I can learn and study as well which means I can start running through it in my head when I’m listening to the song which hopefully should help me with my timings! I am very battered and bruised but that is the sign of hard work and I really hope it pays off!  
 I love the theme and the music for my hoop routine it’s really fun although it does involve a bit of an awkward prop that I need to practise with so I don’t get stuck! All that to look forward to!

Sophie

So...here it is the halfway point! Ekk! Still full of mixed emotions, nerves and excitement, not to mention the continuous practicing and hard work I've put into this routine going over and over new combos, and thinking how can this routine be better? At first I was extremely worried I wouldn't have a routine as I struggled for a few weeks with not only my theme but putting combos together and making the routine work and flow, thinking of costumes,hair and make-up etc. It was all a bit stressful at first...now I'm extremely happy with the progress I've made in the last couple of weeks a theme and music, costume...all done, and even some new moves added in and fears conquered! Now to perfect the moves build more confidence and keep practicing leading to the comp! I've had a lot of help and input from SAAS and this has helped me to not only perfect my routine but to make it more enjoyable for me and the audience and it makes me feel confident about performing on the day! I am enjoying every moment leading to the comp and I can't wait to perform...