Sunday 29 November 2015

Ice Queen Handbalance

Check out these beautiful pictures of me by Nick Delaney (www.nickdelaney.com).
My Ice Queen performances are available as either Handbalance with Canes and/or Contortion. 
For booking enquiries please email bookings@sallymiller.uk
Sally Xx

Sunday 22 November 2015

Ambient Walkabout Contortion at the Corinthia Hotel

Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to have the amazingly talented photographer Nick Delaney (www.nickdelaney.com) come and take pictures of me as I performed at an event at the Corinthia Hotel with the lovely Sternberg Clarke (www.sternbergclarke.com).

Walkabout Sets are where I wander about the guests finding a suitable space where i then contort my body into crazy shapes, and balance on my hands.

I was recently asked if I prefer performing ambient/walkabout sets or a choreographed to music stage show.  I like both for their different reasons.  I love in a choreographed stage show being the centre of attention on the stage, and being able to combine my technical skills with artistry and emotion to the music.  Ambient/Walkabout sets then I love the freedom and randomness of it all, that i can show all of my technical skills that might not be included in my choreographed acts, and i like that the guests can also get to speak to me and ask me questions about my flexibility :)

Anyway, here are the lovely pictures that Nick took of me :)   Please do not use these pictures without permission.








Wednesday 18 November 2015

BIMM & SOMM Winter Symposium 2015 Hypermobility

This weekend was the 2015 Winter Symposium by the British Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine (BIMM) and the Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine (SOMM).  This year the topic was Challenging Joints - Management of Laxity, Instability, and Hypermobility.

I was honoured to appear on the front and back cover of the programme with a photo by the wonderful Simon Richardson.  I was also honoured to be able to attend the symposium and listen to the excellent and informative presentations given by some of the leading experts in the field of hypermobility.

Although I am now a full time performer, I graduated from university with a degree in physiotherapy, and my interest in physiotherapy still strongly exists. One of the topics that absolutely fascinates me is hypermobility symptomatic and asymptomatic. 

Although in my current working life I see, work with, and teach many people who could be classed as hypermobile as they are crazy flexible and score great on the Beighton scale then they are not symptomatic. There is a management side of when I'm teaching them, but they are the lucky ones as generally they do not have one of the symptomatic hypermobility syndromes that can affect others so severely.  (On the subject of the beighton scale then interesting fact is that I only score 3. Yet my knees are officially hypermobile, hurt each day, and from puberty to about until 3yrs ago subluxed/dislocated regularly, I also have a few of the systemic symptoms).

This symposium looked at those who have symptomatic joint hypermobility syndromes. It also looked beyond the joint at the systemic problems that can occur.

For me I listened and absorbed information on each and every talk.  Usually if I'm up at 6am after not very much sleep then I am flagging by midday and sitting through lectures would send me to sleep.  I was so interested in this subject that I never once flagged or felt tired till I got home!

As well as learning a tremendous amount then the day did a few things to me. It taught me to be aware of the extra symptoms of joint hypermobility disorders, as someone who deals with flexible people on a daily basis I think it's good to have an awareness of these. Secondly it encouraged me to read further about certain aspects that were highlighted on the day that I found interesting. And thirdly it made me want to be back into the physio world treating and helping people. That route would be long and tremendously hard as I haven't practiced since I graduated, but maybe one day... if performing taught me anything it's that not many things are impossible if you are willing to work hard and believe.

A big thankyou to BIMM and SOMM for organising such an amazing day and allowing me to attend :)

Www.bimm.org.uk

Thursday 5 November 2015

Handstand Workshop Feedback and Pictures

Last sunday I led my second very successful workshop at Bikram Highbury and Islington to learn how to handstand.

My workshops cover the building blocks for successful handstanding and inversions, I use progressive steps to show how to build up the strength required, and develop the correct technique to ensure success.

If you would like me to run a workshop in your venue, or if you are interested in private handbalance classes then do get in touch with me on sallyacrocoach@yahoo.com.

"I cannot speak highly enough for Sally's teaching! Her structured approach, deep understanding of the human body & passion for handstands makes her teaching inspiring! I highly recommend anyone who is interested in improving their handstand to attend one of her workshops."

"Love it. Learnt some good techniques to help my handstands. Very clear and helpful teaching. Thanks Sally."

"Sally makes everything possible. Really good to build strength for your yoga practice."

"Really great workshop. Sally took us throughall the progression steps and broke it down so that we could all build on our skills regardless of our level."

"Very Good. Great content about technique but also fun to do."