Ashley

Say it with me: “I’m not broken. I’m just under reconstruction.”

When you are dealing with an injury or feelings of body dissatisfaction, it’s easy to get stuck in the trap of equating and/or limiting your value to what you see (or don’t see) and what you can or are unable to do. You are not your injury, it’s just part of your story. 

Remember that you were not broken. You are not damaged. You are not unworthy. You’re just under reconstruction. You’re putting your movement back together and finding new pathways that work for where you are and helping you towards where you want to be.

Between life and health issues, I’ve had to reboot my pole/aerial career so many times that I’ve become a certified #ProfessionalBeginner. Through all of the starts and restarts, I’ve mastered the art of starting over and I’m learning to embrace it. 

I’ll be real though, starting over isn’t easy and honestly sometimes it down right f*cking sucks. 

But at the same time, it’s made me a better coach, because I rarely feel comfortable in my own body, which means I’m: always struggling, always learning and always adapting.

So here we go again, restarting again after almost a year of not being or feeling like “ME”. I’m ready to embrace all of the learning and growth that comes with starting over. 

If you’re reading this and facing a restart too, know that you’re not alone and YOU CAN DO IT.

Often it’s thought that freestyles (or any dance really) has to be fancy, hard and full of tricks. However that couldn’t be further from the truth. Less can be more in the most beautiful way. 

Three things to help free your freestyle

1️⃣ Focus on finding comfort and control of your movement. 

2️⃣ Explore and embrace the mistakes.

3️⃣ Move until you master it.

️ Sharing one of my last freestyles below. It was all about pirouettes, turns and circular movement. I have myself one simple challenge/ focus: keep turning!

Dancers, like anyone else, have diverse preferences and interests. However, there are several things that many dancers tend to enjoy or appreciate:

1. Dance Opportunities: Dancers often love opportunities to dance, whether it’s in a studio, on stage, or in a social setting. Workshops, classes, and dance events can be particularly exciting for them.
   
2. Quality Dancewear: High-quality dance attire and accessories, such as comfortable dance shoes, leotards, and leggings, are often appreciated by dancers. They may also enjoy stylish dance bags to carry their gear.
   
3. Inspiring Music: Dancers often have a deep connection to music. Consider gifting them a playlist of inspiring dance tunes or a subscription to a music streaming service.
   
4. Training Tools: Items that aid in training and practice, such as resistance bands, stretching aids, or a portable dance floor, can be valuable for dancers looking to enhance their skills.
   
5. Health and Wellness: Dancers prioritize their physical well-being. Gifts such as massage tools, foam rollers, or a session with a physical therapist can be beneficial.
   
6. Performance Tickets: Dancers generally appreciate watching other dancers perform. Tickets to dance performances or shows can be a great gift.
   
7. Books and Educational Resources: Dancers often enjoy reading about dance history, different dance styles, or autobiographies of famous dancers. Educational DVDs or online courses can also be valuable.
   
8. Customized Dance Gear: Personalized or customized dance gear, like monogrammed dance bags or custom dancewear, can add a special touch.
   
9. Cross-Training Opportunities: Many dancers engage in cross-training to enhance their overall fitness. Consider gifts related to activities like yoga, Pilates, or strength training.
   
10. Nutritional Support: Dancers are often conscious of their nutrition. Consider gifts like a high-quality water bottle, a cookbook with healthy recipes, or a subscription to a meal delivery service.

Remember that individual preferences vary, so it’s always a good idea to consider the specific tastes and needs of the dancer you’re buying for.

❤️‍🩹4 Days post-op! There’s a lot about my days that’s different, but there’s also a lot about my days that’s the same. I am working on being thankful for what my body can still do as I heal and get back to my normal. And despite my limitations, my Ashlete Toni was able to still have a successful day of training and make progress on her outside leg hangs. 

Her training for #PDoutsideleghang started off the pole with corrective exercise drills to inhibit tension in her overactive quads and drills to strengthen her hamstrings to prepare her for outside leg hangs. We paired that with Jasmines, climbing drills and then progressed to aerial jasmines. We did this until she could do it with ease and then moved her onto descending into her outside leg hangs. 

⚠️ NOTICE NO INVERTS WERE REQUIRED. Why? 👇🏽

Because Where there’s a creative and knowledgeable coach 🙋🏾‍♀️there’s a way! 

🙅🏾‍♀️I’m NOT advocating training with injuries or putting yourself or others at risk.  I am  also NOT recommending that coaches coach while injured

🙋🏾‍♀️What I am a supporter of is working around and with limitations, and having more inclusive teaching practices that support ALL BODIES while focusing on Safety, technique and progressive training. 

A few crucial factors: 

1️⃣ I understand my body, abilities and limitations.

2️⃣ I understand how to safely distribute my weight around and without using my injured leg.

3️⃣ My Ashletes and I have constant open communication as we train.

4️⃣ Most importantly, my Ashletes trust me.

My creative teaching isn’t just about how I teach my students to move and overcome limitations, its also about how I move and overcome my limitations. 

Want to learn more about Body Inclusive Coaching? Sign up to get first access to the everyBODY Masterclass: https://deft-producer-573.ck.page/3eb2d16259

#everyBODYCan #BGPConnect #BlackGirlsPole #FlexyFit #FlexyFitOnline #livingflexyfit #everyBODY #everyBODYPole  #everyBODYCoach #AerialAshletes #FlexyFitOnline #PolePoised #polecoach #AerialAmbition #UnitedbyPole #PoleCoach #AerialCoach #poledancing #poledancenation #poledancersofig #bodyandpole #curvygirlspoledance #polefit #polefitness #creativecoaching 

Shoutout to all of the birthday book love I received. My heart is so full and my mind is about to be even fuller. While I posted this picture as a thank you to my gifters and to give your scrolling finger a rest, what this post really represents is REST and SELF CARE.

You see these books are not just because it was my birthday. This is my team, my friends, my family, my Ashletes encouraging and supporting my goal. 

What was my goal? To do everything and nothing that I want do. I challenged myself to do something very not like me, which was to take an entire weekend off from working and to just sit with myself and do me. Yes, I basically had to convince myself to take a vacation. Is that weird? That’s totally weird. 

But when you’re self-employed, in a service based industry and a natural born leader and teacher that loves solving problems, you spend a lot more time with your wheels spinning. I might actually be a true work-a-holic. And even though I am passionate about what I do, I realize that recharging is a MUST and that everyone has a breaking point. 

So thank you to everyone that supported me through this personal challenge and I can’t wait to read all of these books. 

I read books so my client’s don’t have to!!! LOL

#BGPConnect #BlackGirlsPole #FlexyFit #FlexyFitOnline  #livingflexyfit #knowledgeispower #bookboogie #readingismysuperpower  #everyBODYCoach #AerialAshletes #FlexyFitOnline #PolePoised #BlackInfluencer #womeninbusiness #polecoach #blackwomeninbusiness #AerialAmbition #AmericanCircusEducators #UnitedbyPole #melanincrushdaily #TheBlackList #PoleCoach #AerialCoach  #TrainWithMe #Soloprenuer #BlackEntreprenuer 

Time, like your attention is a precious commodity. Use it wisely. 

🫵🏾 How’s your time management?

I rant because we can do better. It’s important to look at what you teach, how you teach and managing expectations. 

Short on time? Skip the video and screenshot these 3 takeaways 👇🏽

👆🏽Beginner isn’t always “Beginner”.  Regardless of what a class is called or marketed as or what hashtags label moves as, most of what you see referred to as beginner moves often are not. Feet off the ground for a prolonged period of time? It’s probably not a beginner move. 

✌🏽We need better teaching practices and instructors that not only know tricks, but more importantly understand the body and movement. It’s imperative to address foundational elements (movement, muscle mechanics and technique) to make moves possible/unlock moves. Practice on the ground before putting someone in the air. 

🤟🏽Manage expectations. Students, please know that you’re not guaranteed to get the trick immediately. It take practice. Classes are incremental advancements in pursuit of mastering the move. If you don’t get the move, it’s not a reflection of your ability or value, it’s just part of the process. 

⚠️This isn’t all studios and all instructors, and it’s not just physical classes. I see this all the time with online tutorials and improper use of hashtags. This isn’t about shaming any specific person or studio, it’s just about us coming together to do better. 

#everyBODYCoach #everyBODY #disrupttheindustry #knowledgebomb #aerialbusiness #polecompetitiontraining #poledancer #poledancing #polecommunity #polebusiness #polecompetition #flexyfit #ashlete  #aerialashlete #polepoised #livingflexyfit #flexyfitonline #ashlete #aerialcompetition #unitedpoleartists #blackinfluencer #blackgirlspole #dallaspole #poleonline #polecoach #aerialcoach #circuscoach #aerialist #circusbusiness #aerialbusiness #trainwithme  #poleinstructor #poleteachertraining #aerialinstructor #aerialteachertraining

Ashley here! My blogging and social shares have been hella spotty over the past couple of years. Besides being ridiculously busy, I prefer living life more than sharing it. BUT I have so many incredible things in the pipeline that I’m excited to share. So you’ll be seeing me pop up in your feed more and I hope that you’ll connect with me and engage in some much needed discussions. �In the meantime here’s some fun facts about me and the many things I do: 

✨ I gave birth to my creative brain child: Aerial Athletics Dallas. It’s not a studio, but is home FlexyFit, Aerial Ashletes, Slay the Stage, Aerial Ambition & everyBODY.

✨ Master torturer is what my Ashletes lovingly refer to me as 😈

✨ Body & movement nerd. CPT, CES, HMS are some of my fancy titles. The more I learn about the body, the more I realize I don’t know.

✨ everyBODY coach that believes in body inclusive teaching practices because no two bodies are alike.

✨ Aerial Ambition: Creative Business Coaching for Movement-based Businesses and Soloprenuers.

✨ Slay the Stage: my gift to our community and a way to pour into our future leaders, teachers, performers and stars!

✨ I’m a shape shifter that has been overweight, in shape, out of shape in broken shape and back. Now I just want to be in a pain free shape.

✨ I love bending & stretching but splits are my fav!

✨ I love to read books and drink Red wine

�✨ Words & Colors are my Jam

✨ Pole/Aerial Competition Coach. I love coaching all levels. My team has a nice pile of hardware🥇 

�✨ Pole/Aerial Competition Judge. I’m a Certified USPSF judge. I also judge for Aerialympics, PSO & Pole Circus. 

✨ Professional Beginner. I’ve started over more times than I can count.

✨ USPSF Athlete Chair. Our future is Olympic y’all! 

#flexyfit#ashlete#slaythestageshow#everyBODY#slaythestagedallas#aerialashlete#polepoised#livingflexyfit#flexyfitonline#dallaspoledance#dallaspolefitness#unitedpoleartists#blackinfluencer#blackgirlspole#dallastrainers#poleonline#womeninbusiness#polecoach#blackwomeninbusiness#aerialambition

Slay the Stage is an independently produced show created to give the DFW pole and aerial community a united outlet to showcase their passion and talent while building performance experience. We got our start as a way to help DFW pole competitors practice for PSO and get rid of performance anxiety and jitters. Little did we know it would evolve into a full community show!

This is an inclusive show that welcomes anyone within the pole, aerial, circus, Burlesque and dance community that wishes to perform. It is our goal to create a safe, welcoming and United environment. We are excited and honored to offer this opportunity to the students, instructors and studio owners of the 21 DFW pole, aerial and circus studios, as well as independent performers.

The Mission of Slay the Stage is: 

• To offer an opportunity to local DFW artist-athletes to showcase their talent and build their performer portfolio/resume.
  
• To connect and unite our pole, aerial, circus, burlesque and dance community by bringing together our local students, instructors and studios.
  
• To celebrate diversity in movement, body, style and level by showcasing and appreciating each performer where they are at now.
  
• To entertain and share our passion as artist-athletes with the DFW community – and maybe even inspire the next wave of polers, dancers and aerialists!

Check out our next show Slay the Stage Volume 2 After Dark happening THIS month!

When: Sunday February 26, 2023 5-7pm

Where: Clique Studios 2650 Midway Suite 120 Carrollton, TX 75006

Want to check out the show? Get more info and tickets here.

Follow us on Instagram.com/slaythestageshow

Website coming soon at: www.slaythestageshow.com

Check out highlights from Slay the Stage Volume 1