Spin City Newbury Blog

This week we chat with Sally and breaking no illusions our students have of her... Sally is our "laughing into a mirror, cocoon sleeping and castle dwelling" silks instructor. Name: Sally Lamacraft-Perrett Age: 27 What do you teach? Silks! How long have you been in your respective discipline(s)? I started aerials in January 2015, so about 4 years! What inspired you to become an instructor? [Amy] Capper made me do it. What’s the most important thing about instructing for you? That no one dies… Then making sure people have fun doing things they never thought they could! What’s a favourite move of yours that might be seen as underrated to others? Belay! I LOVE belays. How do you get out of a funk or get your mojo back? Mix it up, go to workshops, be taught by different instructors, try a different discipline!   What are your best tips and tricks for putting together a routine? Don't be afraid of fre

Inspiration usually hits me when I'm anywhere but in the studio. I hear a song in the car and think of how I might dance to it or I see how I can 'transition' from one end of the kitchen to the other. Then I get to the studio and nothing...  I've been having a think about how to improve inspiration intake and retention to get the best out of training sessions: Get a notebook T his doesn't work for everyone because of the stop-start nature when you're coming up with your own material... but it is an excellent way to remember the moves, combos and flows you've already been taught in class. You can also write yourself a training plan based on that material. Use the resources in the studio We have some laminated training cards for both aerial and pole that include tons of combos or conditioning exercises if you’re stuck. There are also pole checklists that encourage you to train your dominant and non-dominant side! Get the Shazam app

This week's Instructor feature is our very own Boss lady! Katy makes sure Spin City runs the way it does and we couldn't be more grateful for that. Name: Katy Sarah Walklet Age: 31 and a half.  What do you teach?: Pole and Hoop, how to use a knife and fork and the appropriate use of swear words.  How long have you been in your respective discipline(s)? 7 years nearly!     What inspired you to become an instructor? I just loved pole and the people the opportunity came up so I took it.  What’s the most important thing about instructing for you? That everyone feels safe and welcome, like part of the family and goes away feeling like they have achieved something and had a laugh.  What’s a favourite move of yours that might be seen as underrated to others?  I love a butterfly on pole, and I am a front balance enthusiast on hoop...    How do you get out of a funk or get your mojo back?  Generally just being at the studio brings me out of a f

We all need a place where we feel like we belong. Community can be formed by any number of things, our interests, our location, our experiences… the list goes on. It means something different for everyone. Here’s why I think community is important… ·       You meet new people and have an opportunity to 'network’ In my opinion, meeting new people as an adult is actually really hard. Finding a community of people that you already have a common interest with makes that a little easier. Now when I say ‘network’, I don’t think life is one big business opportunity but you never know who you’re going to meet and what they might inspire you to do. ·       You might find a special support network which gives you a sense of togetherness Perhaps you meet someone who finds themselves in similar circumstances to you and you’re able to connect on a deeper level. There are some communities that are formed purely by patients with the same diagnosis. Imagine meeting someone who kn

The studio is back open from today! The New Year brings a few changes to our timetable and with that, I thought what better way to kick-start the blog than by showing off our team at Spin City Newbury! Every two weeks, we'll be featuring of one of our awesome instructors or TA's to help you get to know them a little better.  Welcoming us into the New Year is Natalie! Here she is doing one of her favourite moves, martini. ©The Image Cella Name: Natalie Turner Age: 28 (in two weeks!) What do you teach? Beginners Hoop class regularly Qualified to teach Intermediate Hoop and Beginners Silks How long have you been in your respective discipline(s)? I started at Spin City around September 2014, I’d done pole on and off for years, and I really picked up Hoop in January 2015. I fell in love with it, and then quickly started Silks too. What inspired you to become an instructor? I’ve always loved teaching people new skills