I Should Have Been a DJ (At least, I Believed I Should Have)

By Krystal Bryce

Once upon a time, I thought I knew all the music that had ever graced our ears. I truly believed (with every musical note in my body) I was the only one that could decipher which song would make it to the top in every single genre. Once upon a time, I learned I was sadly and irrevocably mistaken.

My abilities to know exactly what people needed and liked to hear were not as superb nor as extraordinary as I had once concluded. It was shocking to my music-loving soul that me, myself, and I were not, in fact, the “All Knowing” nor the “Grand Poobah” of the music world.  Furthermore, not only was I totally and completely unaware of the vast magnitude of vocal and instrumental sound that existed in the world, but I was also unaware of what it would take for me to make a playlist that would please a classroom of 25 dance-hungry students. Little did I know.

My first teaching position was with S Factor Houston. I had just been put through the literal teacher-training ringer. We trained six days a week for eight grueling weeks. There were a total of six of us. We worked diligently to become the best possible S Factor teachers we could be. At the time, there was nothing else in the area to compete with. There was a lot of pressure to succeed, as pole dancing was a new experience for women and men to dabble in. The management and teacher mentors decided it would be best to start out by having us teach parties.  In one of my earliest parties, I remember playing music that I thought was FABULOUS!! Like drop your panties FABULOUS!! However, a party it was not. It lacked luster. People were frowning! I was mortified! I seemed to be the only one enjoying the tunes of Massive Attack, Morcheeba, and Portishead.

Now let me assure you, I had been told – more than once in fact – that the people coming in to dance at a party were not looking for music that wasn’t being played on the radio. They wanted familiar tunes. Music they could identify with. Music like “Pony” by Ginuwine or “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails. Now that was the stuff. It only took me one time to discover I had to definitely make it about my students. I’ve met people and talked to students who have left teachers because they didn’t like their music. We all know you can’t please everyone. Conversely, however, you most definitely can pay attention to what your students respond best to. This then helps you attain stunning playlist skills that keep them coming back.

I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned over the past 11 years of teaching sensual dance with you beautiful sensual people. Firstly it’s not as serious as some of us make it out to be. I can tell you that I am constantly making playlists. My journey for the perfect sensual, naughty, flirty, dangerous, scary, mysterious, grown and sexy, silly, down to earth, relaxing, awe-inspiring, chill-provoking songs never actually ceases. I start working on my playlists sometimes two to three weeks in advance. Right now you’re probably wondering if I take my own advice. I used to stay up at night worrying over the playlists I was making for classes that weren’t even on schedule yet! I don’t do that anymore. I promise. Even though it’s not that serious, it is part of who you are as a dancer and a teacher. It’s a part of your teaching signature. Your signature is what makes you unique. It’s what brings your students back again and again. Music can be a huge tool when making connections with others. How do you get a nice balance of your personal song choices as well as what others enjoy? Be on the lookout for the next Liquid Motion® Teacher Blog to find out how I build my playlists every week.

XOXO

Krystal Bryce

 

Featured Instructor of the Month: Mel Heins

Mel Heins is co-owner of The Salt Mine, a Pole Fitness Co-Op in Salt Lake City, and leads the Instructor-In-Training Program for the studio. In 2008, at almost 40 years old, Mel walked through the doors of Studio Soiree and quickly became obsessed with the strength and beauty of pole dance. She made it a goal to become an instructor. A year later, she was certified and taught her first class.  With no dance or fitness background, Mel has always had the heart of a teacher. She loves learning new movement, as well as teaching and helping others surprise themselves with what they can do. She is certified in Liquid Motion® 1.0, 2.0, and Heels.

1. You’ve been in the Liquid Motion® family for quite a while now, almost from the beginning! That gives you a unique perspective on how the company, and the industry as a whole, has changed over the years. Tell us how you got started with Liquid Motion® and how it has evolved from your point of view.

Oh my! I have been in the pole industry for 11 years now. Teaching for 10. I met Jeni about five years into my pole career when I stumbled upon a free Liquid workshop at Pole Con LA (I think it was the 2nd Pole Con!). There were about 40 of us in that big ballroom. I remember Jeni having us all “go black” – empty our heads by screaming. I had NEVER experienced anything like that in my life. It was super freeing. Then she and Danielle Mayzes took us through the Wall Sequence and the Liquid Crawl. I saw my life change right there. During the freestyle at the end, I was so into what I was doing that I never even made it through the whole sequence. It felt GOOD. I was so FOCUSED, my judgmental thoughts about myself disappeared; it was revelatory, epiphanic. After the workshop I stopped by the booth, where the super-friendly Jeni was perched. I basically forced her to come to Salt Lake City because we needed her. My studio was the very first Liquid Motion® Workshop outside of the east coast! I had the opportunity to work with Jeni and Danielle at Pole Expo, offering a helping hand during workshops. This was way before certifications and manuals. We spent downtime rolling around on the hotel room floor playing around with windows and threading, now a fundamental of what Liquid is today! It has been so satisfying watching the company grow and yet still retain the core values that Jeni started with. I actually got super emotional at my 1.0 cert when I opened the manual and saw all the hard work over all the years right there in front of me. I know how much blood, sweat, tears, and hours and hours are in those manuals!

2. What is your teaching philosophy? Do you have a motto or mantra?

I read a book a long time ago about how each of us is a circle. Some people feel like they need to make other people’s circles smaller to make theirs bigger, as if the size of their circle was directly related to the size of someone else’s circle. This book talked about how there is infinite space for us all to grow our circles as big as we want – that someone else’s circle does not determine the size of your own. I am confident that my circle is big, and my job as a teacher – and as a human – is to help others realize the bigness of their own circle. So, that’s my number one directive. When I teach, I make sure each student has a “win” – that moment of shining or getting something with an AH HA! Whether it’s finally activating your glutes or doing an exceptional Buttercup, I will find a way to celebrate that with you. 

3. What has been your most rewarding teaching experience?

There have been so many for me; I REALLY love teaching!!! A recent one that sticks out is my starfish class. At the Salt Mine, my Liquid students call the studio “The Liquid Lagoon.” Our lights are blue and it’s dark and lagoon-like. So, a lot of my analogies have to do with sea creatures and the ocean. One day, I was teaching side crunch progressions – relatively simple movement from Liquid 1.0. However, everyone was getting confused and couldn’t figure out which limbs went where. So, I had us all start on our backs in what we call Starfish. I walked them slowly through the side crunch progression, then I said “OH MY GOSH! We are back in STARFISH!!!” We must have done this at least 10 times, just repeating, “Starfish, Crunch, Cobra, Thread, Side Crunch, OH MY GOSH I’M BACK IN STARFISH.” My students all started to yell, “OH MY GOSH, I AM A STARFISH AGAIN!” and various exclamations of Starfishiness. In those moments, I realized how much my students trust me. That I was NOT going to let them fail. They would have continued doing this simple movement for hours if I told them to. Having a room full of people trust you that much is a precious gift that not everyone gets to have. I am so lucky! My Venmo account was full of payments from students with star and fish emojis and “I’m a BEAUTIFUL Starfish” comments. I actually broke down while we were cooling down because I was so grateful. And now, every single student knows those side crunch movements soooooo well!

4. What has been your biggest hurdle or learning experience?

Myself! My fears. My head tries to tell me that I’m not good enough! I took my 1.0 cert in March, and I did not teach my first class until May. Why? Because I had myself convinced that I wasn’t fluid enough and that I didn’t know enough about the methodology to speak authoritatively about it. I wanted to make sure I honored Jeni’s baby! All these crushing thoughts had me delay. Mind you, this is movement I have been following for about 6 years! When I finally taught my first class, I realized what a waste of time that delay was. I had all the tools I needed; I just had to get out of my own doubting head! I still have moments of insecurity, but I acknowledge them, move through them and teach anyway. I prep and train much more since I took my Liquid 1.0 cert. Because we are such a community, I feel like I have a whole team behind me and I need to present my very best self. 

5. You’re a well-established studio owner and instructor. What tips do you have for running a dance-based business, as an owner or as an instructor?

Half of my career has been as an owner; The Salt Mine is celebrating its 5-year anniversary this year!!! As an instructor, my biggest piece of advice is to educate yourself. Take certification programs, watch anatomy lessons and lectures, learn other disciplines (I am TRX and Stott Pilates trained as well as pole and Liquid certified). Take classes from your fellow instructors. Sign up for specialty workshops. This all costs money, so my second piece of advice is KNOW YOUR WORTH! When we opened The Salt Mine, I had been an instructor getting paid $16 per class – with a little extra if I had more than 4 students. Our first decision was that instructors could decide what they were worth. They set their pricing and they make sure their students pay them; they run their own business. This makes me hustle! Students will go to a cheaper studio if I don’t keep in touch! But, this has allowed our instructors to thrive and to make a more livable wage.

As an owner, SAFETY comes first – for your instructors and students. You need to create a place where every person feels ok to be who they are and become who they want to be – and, ya know – fire extinguishers and crash mats and equipment checks and insurance and all that too….

I don’t think anyone just decides to open a pole studio because it is a good business to be in. We open them because we LOVE DANCING! DON’T FORGET WHY YOU OWN A DANCE STUDIO! I take two classes a week from my instructors because I NEED to feel like a student and because I still need to learn how to move. I know we think there is never enough time – so, make time. Remember – YOU LOVE THIS!

6. What are your goals in your own personal movement journey? Has Liquid Motion® had any impact in the way you approach these goals?

I love to perform but have gotten away from that and hope to get back to it. Performing gives me a goal, a focus, and a timeline  If I don’t have that structure, I tend to get a little lazy. As an instructor and studio owner, I don’t make time for myself and my progression.  Liquid has given me so much to learn, and the support and community to help me learn it!  With my Liquid classes, I get to the studio at least an hour ahead of time so I can move through sequences, play around with what moves can flow into the next, work out what conditioning exercises my students need, set the lighting, and get my songs ready. Liquid Motion® has given me the desire to better myself.

7. What’s your all-time favorite song that makes you want to get Liquid?

Just one?? OH Lord. I have never been super into music; my pole playlist was the same for years! When I started teaching Liquid Motion® at our studio, it turned me into a music junkie! I am always looking for melty songs that move me in some way. I also rely on my students for what moves them! They are all younger than me and have such gems for us. But, the song that I could play on repeat and move to forever to is “Killing Strangers” by Marilyn Manson – something about a heavy drum beat is just so sexy to me.  I usually freestyle to that song.

8. Do you have any hidden talents?

I am a finder of lost things. My adult kids still call me to help them find lost items. I walk them through their memories and help them see exactly where the item most likely will be.  This supernatural ability has my husband thinking I am a witch. I will neither confirm nor deny….

9. You appear to have a positive, empowering approach to life. It’s refreshing and infectious. How do you keep yourself motivated, even when things aren’t going your way?

I am just one big ball of happiness all the time! I love life so much! ALL of it – ups and downs, ins and outs. How do I keep this positive disposition? I remind myself that everything is temporary. The winter? Temporary; spring will come soon. Sadness or grief? It will eventually turn into something else. Even this life – all the good and all the bad – is temporary. So I just go through things knowing they will eventually change. I have always had a spark of joy at my core and I have chosen to fan that spark. I do understand that not everyone has the same verve that I have, but I feel that my job is to share some of my light with those around me – as annoying as that can be sometimes! Some people may think this attitude makes me shallow or a “Pollyanna.” I do still feel deeply and get angry and sad; however, at my core that spark of joy burns super bright.

10. What advice would you give someone who is thinking about trying out the Liquid Motion® class for the first time or thinking about taking a Liquid Motion® certification?

In certification welcome emails we get from Liquid Motion®, there is a list of items to bring – water, knee pads, pen and notebook, etc. The very last item is always the same thing – an Open Mind. This is something I always make sure to tell a first timer. Have an open mind and listen to your body. Just move and don’t judge your movement. 

As for the certs, my students have all heard me rave about the Liquid Motion® certifications – about how much you get at the actual cert, the beautiful manuals, the community, the videos, the marketing material. I LOVE it all! I have been through several certification programs in the fitness industry, and nothing comes close to all the perks that Liquid gives us. It really is like a family; we encourage each other, share and lift up….it is much more than just a 16 or 24-hour certification. I could literally go on and on.

I took all three Liquid Motion® certs offered (1.0, 2.0, and Heels) within months of each other – March, June, and October. It is a lot! I noticed (and so did my students) that my teaching style changed for the better after I took 2.0! It gave me a lot of confidence in the movement and helped me create my own really great classes. Even though 2.0 was a mental struggle for me, I would not change the way I took the certs.

 

Featured Instructor of the Month: Nicki Royce (Willow)

Nicki Royce, also known as Willow, teaches independently in Dayton, Ohio, and has always been drawn to sensual movement. She feels moving boldly and unapologetically provides freedom in a world that tends to praise smallness and agreeability, especially in women. You can find her class information by searching “Liquid Motion® With Willow” on Facebook.

1. As one of our veteran Liquid Motion® instructors, you’ve been through the whole Liquid Motion® certification process, taking every training program available thus far. That’s an impressive feat! Tell us how you got started with Liquid Motion®.

Back in early 2014, while very active and hungry to grow my dance skills, I became struck with agonizing chronic back pain. While in treatment I would do my prescribed Pilates exercises, and after, I found myself exploring floor movement. It felt good, it kept me dancing, but lacked structure. A year later I took a Liquid Motion® class in NYC and was hooked. I got certified as soon as the first certification was released.

2. What is your teaching philosophy? Do you have a motto or mantra?

We live in a world that says don’t take up space, be small, be silent, hate yourself, be fearful. But we have the right to take up space, be bold, move and feel freely, and love ourselves. All art is dependent on it. It can be hard to counter those messages, but, be big. Be powerful. Own who you are and own the space you are in.

3. What has been your most rewarding teaching experience?

It’s always an honor to be told someone took ownership of their body, was inspired to create, or felt safe to be themselves due to my class. I especially love when I can witness the transformation before my eyes. Seeing students eventually move closer to the front in class, stand taller, move bigger, dress different, and become a leader to others in the room. Nothing like this really existed in my city when I started, so witnessing the fulfillment of this need I had in myself also get fulfilled in others, really felt like the beginning of a movement.

4. What has been your biggest hurdle or learning experience?

A challenge for me is getting out of my own head and just being present and connected, at times. It’s easy for me to get wrapped up in providing the perfect experience for each class, and I have to let that go to be in the moment fully with others. My biggest learning experience has been paving a path based on my personal values and realize my worth as an instructor and entrepreneur along the way. I think it can be easy as an artist to allow others to assign your value; nobody can do that but you.

5. You’ve created a wonderful student base as an independent instructor. Do you have any tips for others who may want to start teaching in the future?

Fear and doubt love to dress themselves up as excuses. If you have the desire to teach you just have to act on it. Know what you bring, remind yourself often, and continue bringing it. Push through perceived failure. Push even harder on the days you feel like quitting. Know that giving of yourself in this way is very vulnerable, it will change your own dance practice, but it’s insanely rewarding. Also, know your value and make sure you are paid accordingly for your time and expertise. Take risks. Be consistent and reliable. Never stop learning and being open to growth and lessons along the way.

6. What are your goals in your own personal movement journey? Has Liquid Motion® had any impact in the way you approach these goals?

I have taught dance for pushing two decades, so my personal goals currently are around rediscovering my own movement practice, exploring, building more style, and simply having fun. I’ve always prescribed to quality over quantity, and Liquid Motion® has helped solidify that in me even further. Style, breath, and full articulation of movement are what I love seeing and working on. Liquid Motion® has helped me come at all of it in a much more empowered way.

7. What’s your all-time favorite song that makes you want to get Liquid?

I’m music obsessed. The first ones that comes to mind are Liquid Diamonds or Give by Tori Amos. If I’m feeling some kind of way, The Hills by The Weeknd can snap me back to life really fast too.

8. Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m pretty funny. It tends to surprise people once they get to know me since I’m a pretty quiet, observant person most of the time.

9. You are very candid in your social media posts about your personal growth and all the ups and downs that go along with that. It is inspiring to see people being real on a platform that usually lacks true authenticity. How do you think that the dance/pole/movement community can benefit from this kind of approach to social networking?

So many have confided in me over the years about how scary dance is when you didn’t grow up dancing. Pair that with society’s standards of beauty and perfectionism, and it leaves too many not enjoying art, their bodies, or the freedom to learn something new. Knowing of these battles, and fighting my own, I know there’s nothing to gain by pretending I’m immune. When I stand before others to lead I know it isn’t about me. It’s about them, so trying to maintain an image of perfectionism is only going to put an enormous amount of pressure on myself, and discourage those who are observing. It takes courage to start, vulnerability to grow, and persistence to grow skill with an art form. That’s not easy. Giving off the perspective I’m an exception to that formula, when nobody is, isn’t what I want to model for anyone, especially those who need to feel safe with me.

10. What advice would you give someone who is thinking about trying out Liquid Motion® for the first time?

I think as an adult, opportunities to play and explore movement can be pretty rare or inaccessible. Our world is also very disconnecting from our full range of senses. Being able to have a safe, accepting space to indulge in these things is truly a gift. So, if you have the opportunity, take full advantage.