Not one to dwell too long on my disappointment (see my posts about IPSF and the decision to cancel/postpone the 2020 season), I felt the need to refocus my training efforts. I had already looked into the PSO (Pole Sports Organization) in the past, but hadn't wanted to add pressure to my IPSF preparation timeline with a second competition.
The PSO exists mainly in the States and serves as a national competition, complete with a final. In Europe, it is also possible to take part in competitions, but each one is a stand-alone entity. Like the IPSF, there is an age category for me (over 40), which is an important consideration. There were a few competitions in Europe coming up: Lausanne in July, which I felt was a bit soon to be sure that it would be held. Then Lisbon in September and Manchester in October. I went for Manchester, as I know it is an easy journey from Brussels and I wanted to experience a competition in the UK.
The next task in the application process is choosing a category and level. The PSO offers different dance styles, with their own judging rules, ranging from more technical to artistic or theatrical and including styles such as low flow and exotic. I chose the category "Championship", which seems the closest to the style I train. In this category, athletes are judges equally on execution, difficulty, transitions, combinations, balance (of routine), variety, concept, fluidity, stage presence and uniqueness. Each criterion out of 10; the total score awarded is out of 100.
The candidate is allowed to select their level, but must do so honestly, so as not to gain an unfair advantage. My level seemed clearly to correspond to a level 4 (out of the 5 levels in total). The difference between level 4 and 5 being no release of pole in level 4 (regrips, flips, certain dynamic movements), which I don't perform, and level 5 candidates should be familiar with the stage, regularly competing and performing (which is not yet true in my case). There are PSO videos available online by level, which can help to evaluate which level should be selected.
A major difference between IPSF and PSO are the rules. For IPSF, there is a 150-page document to be followed when preparing a routine. There are also extensive rules on costumes and music. PSO leaves more freedom of choice, which will make for an interesting new challenge. I have already been listing some favourite combos that I want to include in my routine, and will also adapt a couple of combos I had been working on for IPSF. My aim is going to be to focus on performance and not to overload my routine with difficult figures. I want to enjoy this experience and not be stressed during the preparation.
I'm so excited now and pleased for the opportunity to discover a new aspect of pole sport competiton. I will keep you updated of my progress on here :-).
The PSO exists mainly in the States and serves as a national competition, complete with a final. In Europe, it is also possible to take part in competitions, but each one is a stand-alone entity. Like the IPSF, there is an age category for me (over 40), which is an important consideration. There were a few competitions in Europe coming up: Lausanne in July, which I felt was a bit soon to be sure that it would be held. Then Lisbon in September and Manchester in October. I went for Manchester, as I know it is an easy journey from Brussels and I wanted to experience a competition in the UK.
The next task in the application process is choosing a category and level. The PSO offers different dance styles, with their own judging rules, ranging from more technical to artistic or theatrical and including styles such as low flow and exotic. I chose the category "Championship", which seems the closest to the style I train. In this category, athletes are judges equally on execution, difficulty, transitions, combinations, balance (of routine), variety, concept, fluidity, stage presence and uniqueness. Each criterion out of 10; the total score awarded is out of 100.
The candidate is allowed to select their level, but must do so honestly, so as not to gain an unfair advantage. My level seemed clearly to correspond to a level 4 (out of the 5 levels in total). The difference between level 4 and 5 being no release of pole in level 4 (regrips, flips, certain dynamic movements), which I don't perform, and level 5 candidates should be familiar with the stage, regularly competing and performing (which is not yet true in my case). There are PSO videos available online by level, which can help to evaluate which level should be selected.
A major difference between IPSF and PSO are the rules. For IPSF, there is a 150-page document to be followed when preparing a routine. There are also extensive rules on costumes and music. PSO leaves more freedom of choice, which will make for an interesting new challenge. I have already been listing some favourite combos that I want to include in my routine, and will also adapt a couple of combos I had been working on for IPSF. My aim is going to be to focus on performance and not to overload my routine with difficult figures. I want to enjoy this experience and not be stressed during the preparation.
I'm so excited now and pleased for the opportunity to discover a new aspect of pole sport competiton. I will keep you updated of my progress on here :-).
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