Allison Sipes Guest Post

As you all know I’m heading down to Florida in a few weeks to work on learning aerial silks and aerial/hammock yoga.  I’m beyond excited to learn more about these two amazing forms of fitness.  The woman who will be doing my training, Allison Sipes, is such an amazing instructor and athlete.  I first got to know her through her pole fitness classes, which were the most amazing fitness classes I have ever taken.  Through these classes I always saw amazing improvements and gained more strength both physically and mentally in every class.  And guess what?  Allison has so kindly agreed to do a guest post for us today!

Allison is a professionally trained dancer and was a National Junior Olympic gymnast as a child. After graduating from the University of Florida in 2005 with a BA in sociology, she discovered pole fitness in Orlando and instantly became addicted when she realized she was able to combine the strength and grace of gymnastics with the expression of dance. Her classes focus on combining dance, spins, aerial tricks and flexibility training from beginner through advanced levels. Allison also emphasizes proper technique and stretching for injury prevention.

In 2009, she founded www.OnlinePoleLessons.com as an outreach to those interested in learning Pole Fitness at home. Her site features lessons from beginner through advanced levels, on static and spinning pole. New lessons are added each month, along with a blog that features articles on health, nutrition, beauty and everything pole dance related.

Allison was a judge for the 2011 Polesque competition in New York, and choreographed a pole dance piece for the “Mommies Rock – A Musical Blog” that toured all over the United States. She is sponsored by XPole and Bad Kitty Apparel and is a Fitness Rep for Pole Dance International Magazine. Allison was a finalist in the 2011 and 2012 “Pro Division” US Pole Dance Federation Competition, making her one of the top Professional Pole athletes in the country.

From Allison:

I was first introduced to Xpert Pole Fitness in 2010, (I had been instructing years previous to this) and was inspired by the format and structure of the program. The methods and techniques taught in the training have taken my personal teaching experience to a whole new level of understanding. I use these techniques in my classes to help my clients to become the best pole athletes they can be. The material and information covered in the XPert training is great for anyone looking to further their knowledge and skill level for this growing sport.

I also teach aerial silks and Lyra as well as aerial yoga which involves an aerial hammock. These aerial arts compliment pole fitness in many ways, including strength conditioning, endurance and flexibility. Many of my students have experienced major transformations with themselves after taking classes including weight loss, muscle toning, overall flexibility improvement, and a huge confidence boost to top it off. Many students are happier with themselves and their progress in class and this positive change carries into their personal lives.  This allows my clients to be confident to try things they may have once thought impossible, and I like to think it’s attributed to them accomplishing things they never thought they could through fitness and dance training.

The thing I find most rewarding about pole fitness is that people are able to find a form of exercise that is fun and changes their perspective on how they view themselves and how strong and reconnected they become with themselves. For someone’s first class they can expect it to be a lot more challenging and fun than they ever thought!

Allison is an XPert Pole Fitness Master Trainer and loves teaching others the ‘art of pole.’ As the founder of the Florida Pole Fitness Championship and the Florida Pole & Aerial Arts Showcase, Allison hopes to bring awareness to the wonderful art and sport that is Pole Fitness. Allison not only brings her professional competition experience but also her classical dance expertise from her 20 years of training to create a unique teaching environment in the “art of pole.” You can view one of her videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllieGatorUF

In 2012, Allison founded the Florida Pole Fitness Championship. This was the first pole competition of its kind for Florida, and featured an Amateur, Professional and Masters (aged 40 and up) division. The event sold out with over 500 people in attendance and is being held again on Sunday, March 3rd in Orlando, Florida. This year’s competition will include a Men’s Division which is open to all US residents. After the success of the FPFC, Allison was inspired to create a second event called the Florida Pole & Aerial Arts Showcase, which was held in October 2012. The Florida Pole & Aerial Arts Showcase promotes awareness for pole fitness and aerial dance as an art form and alternative fitness where performers of all backgrounds and skill levels can participate. It is an event open to the public where artists can take the stage and share their passion with friends, family and the performing arts community. The second Florida Pole & Aerial Arts Showcase will take place in the fall of 2013. For more info on these events, please visit: www.FloridaPoleFitnessChampionship.com, www.FloridaPoleShowcase.com.