Welcome to a new feature on how certified and licensed Liquid Motion® instructors have found their niche. Prepared to be inspired!
What drew you to Liquid Motion®?
I ran across Jeni Janover’s videos on Instagram early on in my pole journey and thought “I want to move like THAT!” There was nothing forced about her movement, and it just made sense to me – even if I had no idea what the moves were. I started taking Liquid Motion® classes at my studio in Virginia at the time and loved the whole feeling of the class. I felt very present in my body and aware of movement in a non-hypercritical way. It allowed me to explore movement pathways with an attention to detail and curiosity, which ultimately helped me cultivate my own style in pole and dance.
Did you teach movement before learning Liquid Motion® and becoming certified and licensed?
Not for very long. I had wanted to become certified in Liquid Motion® long before I became a pole dance instructor, but life and pregnancy kept putting it off. Finally, I was able to register for a certification in 2019 and became certified just a few months into my pole teaching career.
How did you find your niche?
I believe my niche found me! I was approached by a friend of a friend who was preparing for their first figure competition in the bikini division and was very nervous about walking in heels. She thought that since I was a pole dancer I might know a thing or two that could help her be successful on the stage. She had already worked with a posing coach but had trouble finding her “flow” between the poses, and she found herself checking her balance often during transitions. Figure competitors work so hard and train so much that anything that can help them feel confident and enjoy their moment on the stage is going to have a positive impact on their journey and competition experience. I definitely pulled a lot of training material straight from the Liquid Motion® Heels manual to explain the science of walking in heels in layperson’s terms during our training sessions. She went on to win her first competition, and graciously shared my name with her teammates and fellow athletes.
Who is your demographic?
I love working with bikini competitors because while it is a competitive sport, there is a huge sense of camaraderie and everyone is trying to be the best version of themselves. I particularly enjoy working with moms because I know how hard it is for them to find the time and discipline to focus on caring for themselves and their bodies with all the chaos of motherhood going on around them. Helping them feel confident and flowy out on the stage brings me such joy and satisfaction in the work I do.
Was it easy to figure out your niche or demographic? Or did it take time? Tell us about your journey.
My niche definitely found me and it did take time. I was plodding along teaching Liquid Motion® 1.0 classes at a pole studio, then COVID hit, and by the time things had opened up again my life looked very different. I wasn’t living anywhere near a pole studio anymore so my only opportunity for teaching and being a student were through online classes. I researched teaching Liquid Motion® classes at local gyms, and while I recognize that Liquid Motion® has applications in contemporary movement, I knew myself to be a sensual, sexy-style dancer and it ultimately would not have been a good fit. Not being the most badass aerial trickster on the planet, I continued to train my low flow, basework, and Liquid Motion® heels programs and posted my progress and success videos on social media. My heels videos drew notice from some friends in the community and I was ultimately approached through DMs to move into coaching bikini competitors through the “art and science” of walking in heels.
What advice would you give someone else looking to teach or integrate Liquid Motion® into their teaching/offering?
Much like our LM 1.0 certification process, the Liquid Motion® license gives you the building blocks to create a vocabulary or foundation upon which your classes and curriculum are run. You can start by teaching 1.0 classes and see who shows up and why. Are your students interested in connecting with their bodies? Are they looking to increase their fitness? Are they there because they’re looking to have more flowy movement? Your students and clients will tell you what they need. Through listening and observing, you may be able to curate your skillset into a fabulous offering tailored specifically to your target demographic.
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