October 2024 content release article
Using prompts to spark inspiration
Have you ever felt like you want to create something new but the ideas just aren’t there? When you’re busy planning for your classes it can be hard to keep the inspiration flowing – that’s one of the driving forces of this site’s content. For this release we’ve used the prompt of ‘open and closed poses’. This can be interpreted in many ways, which gave us a whole lot of options to play with!
Open poses can be big shapes, with extended lines or open can be considered facing away from the equipment. For the fabric folk out there, the equipment offers a bonus option of open fabric skills too!
Closed poses can be interpreted as small, compact shapes; they might include a foot grab, creating a closed shape with the body. The may also face in towards the equipment.
This month’s combos showcase a mixture of open and closed poses together for you to take away and make your own!
Keep reading for 5 more prompts to get your ideas flowing or click here to skip to the combinations.
Just want to see the videos in the classic layout?
5 prompts for inspiration
- Forwards and reverse
- Bend and extend
- Turns and tumbles
- Hangs and holds
- Braces and blocks
Looking for the micro tutorial? Check out the teachers tip section to explore three reversible sling combinations with Spin City’s resident silks expert, Sally Lamacraft-Perrett.
Combo content
| Discipline/level | Combination | Featured move |
| Pole intermediate | Closed hang glider (scorpio) to open hang glider to hang glider chiropractor | Open hang glider |
| Pole intermediate | Open twisted viva to closed twisted viva to teapot to thigh hold | Closed twisted viva |
| Pole advanced | Dropped sailors to arms only to poisson | Poisson |
| Hoop beginner | Splits away on knee (step over) to secretary seat to criss cross pike away | Step over |
| Hoop intermediate | Straddle through hoop to hip hold | Straddle through |
| Hoop advanced | Closed recliner to open recliner | Open recliner |
| Silks beginner | Hitch sequence with open tails | Star with open tail |
| Silks intermediate | Double footlock splits to crossed double footlock stag to kite | Kite |
| Silks advanced | Uneven footlocks to standing arabesque to teardrop | Teardrop |
| Sling intermediate | Russian climb to Russian seat to Russian mermaid | Russian mermaid |
| Sling intermediate | Seatbelt to seatbelt hiplock to side back balance | Seatbelt hiplock |
| Sling advanced | Seahorse to thigh hitch climb over to cloak | Cloak |
Move variations
Teachers tip
Pole micro tutorial
Symmetry in Sling: Reversible Moves – with Sally Lamacraft-Perrett
Explore three sling combos with Sally, both in forwards and reverse to double your content!