5 Steps to Get Started in Burlesque

I love when audience members or fans approach me and ask how to get involved in Burlesque. Our community is very accepting of new supporters and performers, but there are certain ways that will rocket you to the top of the newbie ladder very quickly, if your goal is to get on the stage with us.

Here's a quick 5-step guide to getting involved in the scene!
- This should work no matter where you are, not just in Toronto. If you're from a city with a small or non-existent scene, more of your research will be online-based, but it can be done!

1. See Some Shows!

• This should be obvious! You need to see the shows in the community and become familiar with your local performers! Go see and be seen! Take a moment after the show to compliment the producer or the performers that you liked and introduce yourself! Try not to do this before the show, as some showgirls (and boys) need to get into their headspace and may have a long list of things to do.

It's important to support the community in burlesque if you want the community to support you in return. Believe me, you do.

Burlesque is such a community-driven industry, and that (not the money) is one of the reasons I believe so many people are involved. You should never stop supporting other performers, and in return they will be the happiest, most encouraging, and possibly the most fulfilling supporters of you!

If you need to find shows to see in Toronto, take a look at my website! I produce three or four a month. There is also most definitely a meetup group, Facebook group, or other such thing in your city. Make use of it! Pick up flyers at shows you attend! Add the performers you like on Facebook or Twitter and take a look at what they're up to!

2. Do Your Research!

• You should know what burlesque really is, and was, before you throw yourself into it. Never test the water with both high heels! Part of this is helped by seeing a variety of local shows, as stated above. Another amazing resource, no matter how amazing or empty your local scene is, is Youtube. Thousands of performances are available for you to watch and analyze,and you should do this throughout your burlesque career!

While the current burlesque scene and how to get into it may be your primary concern, you must learn about its roots. You don't need to be an expert (though the information is far more entertaining than the rest of history class tends to be) but you should know where burlesque came from, who Bettie Page, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Lili St Cyr are, and definitely MORE than that.

There are a ton of books, websites, and movies that you can take a look at for this. Take a gander at good 'ole Wikipedia or pick up some of my favourite books and movies on the Amazon sidebar.

Also take a look at the Burlesque Hall of Fame and some major burlesque news websites like my favourite: 21st Century Burlesque.

3. Find a Teacher!

• Yes you need lessons. You don't have to be an amazing, classically trained dancer. You don't need to have a history in theatre. You don't need to take a university course. However, a lady taking a single ballet class and calling herself a ballet dancer is ridiculous. Burlesque is similar. Any performance background will help you, and while dancing skill is not necessarily needed on stage, grace and rhythm will only help you!

Find a local teacher who understands burlesque* and who is experienced enough to be teaching. The more experience and travel and professionalism (website, business cards, etc) your teacher displays, the better. Many cities have a burlesque school. The Toronto School of Burlesque is our local school. We have has been known to bring in outside teachers such as Ray Gunn, Dangrrr Doll, and Bettina May! New York has Jo 'Boobs' Weldon, Chicago has Michelle L'amour, there are plenty of classes you can take!

Your teacher may be able to connect you with a mentor, or become your mentor themselves. Take every opportunity to learn possible. Take dance classes (jazz and ballet, or maybe even the Pussycat Doll style burlesque classes to get 'sexy movement' down), take improv classes, take clowning or circus classes. The more you know the more you can apply to your stage persona and technique.
Performers who are constantly learning start from a strong base. I myself took lessons with Coco Framboise for about a year and a half before getting on stage. I was also a gogo dancer, ballroom dancer, theatre nerd, and more before getting interested in burlesque. You don't have to have previous stage experience, but you do have to learn. Believe me that you can tell the difference between performers who take learning opportunities and those who don't.

You can also learn from books, Youtube, and videos if a teacher in not available to you, or you can make the yearly pilgrimage to BurlyCon and learn from some of the top performers in burlesque. I'll see you there!

4. Volunteer!

• Once you've seen a few shows, taken some classes, and learned what burlesque really is, approach some of the friends you've made and ask about opportunities to volunteer! There are many positions you could fill.

Stage Kittening is a very solid and great place to start. The job of the stage kitten is to set and clear the stage between performer's acts. This will give you a chance to learn more about who's who in the shows you're working, and get a backstage view of the shows. I stage kittened quite a bit starting out, and it's also a relatively easy job to excel at! Pay attention, smile, and be cute!

Merchandise and door tables are other chances to help out. Either the producer, or the merchant themselves, might need a little help here. Money is involved so you need to make sure you're comfortable with that level of responsibility.

Approach people you would like to help and offer away! Sometimes you can leave yourself open for whatever they may need you to do, but if you have special skills feel free to offer them up. Are you good at graphics, twitter, organizing or decorating? Make that known!

Do not expect to get paid for volunteering, but don't play down the importance of your position. If you're reliable and a hard worker, your work is worth some value. Whether this is monetary or networking, or something else, is up to you and your temporary employer to decide.

5. Practice!

• Take your time between classes and show to practice moves and develop a routine. Always always rehearse. Even performers who have been doing this for ages rehearse. You may find that you like to strongly choreograph yours acts, or that you prefer loose choreography with defined moments, such as a glove at this point, followed by the next glove during the chorus, etc.

Practice and rehearsal are what set apart sub par performers from the stars. You can refine and polish your act and dedicate your time to doing the best possible act you can. Record your act with a digital camera or your computer, and watch it! Change and play.

When your teacher or your producer contacts decide you're ready for the stage you will have a set of skills to start building an act, or an act already polished and waiting to go! The videos will also give you something to show for your work!



There you have it! Some links and resources for you to get started in burlesque, no matter what city you're in!

Do you have some more videos or places to link? Suggest them in the comments!


~ Red

Performing for Free? Note to Club Owners - Article by Dave Goldberg

A common issue across all performing and artistic communities is the struggle of performers to actually get paid for their art, their work, their time, and their talent.

I am firmly, and occasionally viciously, against performing for free. There are very very few cases in which I think it's acceptable. Especially in burlesque, in which you are stripping. Call it what you like, but you are stripping. There is absolutely no excuse to be giving that away for free.

Don't event use the word 'exposure.' After I'm done shuddering I might just expose you to a blunt object.

This article lays out the 'why' very well. Mind you, it's specifically directed at LA club owners, and from the point of view of a musicians, but the concepts cover all artists and club owners. The next time someone wants you to perform for free, think back to this.

Click here to read it.

Do you want some good points to convince you to click over?

"...it is no longer good enough for the musician to be willing to perform for little compensation...The expectations are that the band will not only provide great music, but also bring lots of people to their venue. It is now the band’s responsibility to make this happen, not the club owner."

"When a venue opens it’s doors, it has to market itself….Do you really want to leave something so important up to a musician?…I’ve played places where for whatever reason only a few people have walked in the door on a Saturday night.The club owner got mad at me, asking where are the people? I turned it around on him asking the same thing: Where are all the people? It’s Saturday night and your venue is empty. Doesn’t that concern you? What are you going to do about it?"

"...explain to the club owner that it’s not in their best interest to operate their business like this. There is too much at stake for them not to be truly invested in the music presented in their venue. Convince them that if they think that live music is important to the demographic that they are trying to reach, then they need to reach out to that demographic in a professional way. "          ~Dave Goldberg

There are many more ideas for how to get this point across tothe clob owners in your area. If this becomes a bit more commonplace maybe we'll start to see a change across the artistic community as a whole.

~Red

What is BurlyCon?

You need to go.

I'm just going to write that there before dumping any more information on you, so you get it. Do you get it? Do you understand?

If you are a burlesque performer, or want to be a performer, or are involved in the burlesque scene in a large way...you really need to attend this event. And if it's not 'for you' to attend? You need to promote it to every performer that you know.

BurlyCon is the only annual Burlesque Educational convention that I know of. No shows, no competitions, just pure, old fashioned learnin'!

From the site:

Our aim is to further the development and historical knowledge of this rare American art form that is experiencing a popular resurgence worldwide. Unlike other Festivals and Expos that highlight Burlesque performance, this weekend-long gathering contains no show and no audience. Rather, all activities at BurlyCon are focused on the behind-the-scenes components of Burlesque: building skills, deepening knowledge, and growing as a community.             ~ BurlyCon

BurlyCon is coming up in November, from the 1st to the 4th. That may seem like a ways off, but the deals for tickets started months ago. I advise you get in on it now!

They also have payment plans available! More information and registration options are AVAILABLE HERE!

BurlyCon 2011 class photo, by Don Spiro

You get four days of expert instruction, over 100 classes to choose from, and teachers like Alotta Boutté, Ophelia Flame, and Peekaboo Pointe! 

Keep an eye on their website for more updates, or sign up for their newsletter!

Will I see you there?

~Red

The Rules: Be the Perfect Date - by Elle Persephone

You may remember the gorgeous and witty Elle Persephone. from a previous blog series: Top 3 Tips for Women Doing The Rules for Online Dating. If you haven't read this three-part guide for ladies on how to use The Rules of dating, you should. Go on, I'll wait.

Makeup by Mark Boyer of 3BArtistry, Photo by Kenneth Lam

Elle has been continung to track the trials and tribulations of hunting down an acceptable man over on her blog. I definitely reccomend reading it, for both men and women (single or taken), not only because she's gorgeous, but because she's just the right amount of honest and brutal. 

Recently she added a wonderful guide for the men, outlining how to be the perfect Rules date. Here's a little blurb, but go on and click through to read the whole she-bang!

How to Be The Perfect Rules Date 

 While I cover how to get a date in “Here’s a Tip For the Fellas, too”, I did not cover what to do once you are in situ. Here - as a special (french) kiss to all my male readers - are tips for men on how to be the perfect Rules date...

Learn all you can, boys!

~Red

Burlesque Producing 101

Ok, so I've been asked a few tims how I manage to produce the shows that I do.

I found a few pieces that explain what it is I actually do between productions. Take a look.

And for clarification, a video:

See? Now you know!*
 
~Red


* I may actually publish a real blog with some tips. But seriously, all cats were showgirls or drag queens in a past life.

Pin-Up Modeling Tips and Tricks From the Pros

The lovely folks over at Pin Curl Magazine published this informative tidbit for models hoping to achieve a Pin-Up look in their next photo shoot. This article has so many tips that are great for newbies and seasoned pro's!

Pin Curl January 2010

The tips are gathered from three incredibly successful pin-up photographers: Roy Varga, Stacy Barich of Atomic Cheesecake Studios, and Shoshana of Through the Looking Glass Studios.

Here are some of my favourite tips! Click through to the full article to see all 20 tips!

Pin-Up Modeling Tips and Tricks From the Pros

3. If you want to wear a garter belt and stockings, avoid anything that is designed to “stay up” on its own. Rubberized “thigh highs” and “stay ups” can make even the most toned thighs look like sausage. There are lots of online retailers that specialize in classic stockings that won’t bind your legs. Also, if you have less than toned thighs, a good trick is to find some completely sheer “sheer to waist” pantyhose as a foundation. (Make sure they are not control top! A good choice- Sheer Energy Sheer to Waist- they have the green stripe on the box.) The pantyhose will make your legs looks great, and then you can pull the stockings over them to have the stocking look with toned upper thigh.
 ...
14. When posing, try to keep your tongue firmly glued to the roof of your mouth. This will slim your face, and cut down on the double chin.
...
18. Create lots of angles with your body without pointing a joint to the camera. Never point elbows, knees, or armpits directly to the camera; this is extremely unflattering. Instead create angles where these joints are pointing away from the camera.

Good luck modeling!


~Red

Burlesque How To: How Do You Apply Pasties?

When dealing with newbies, right after "How do you spin them?" comes "How do you keep them on?"

Both of these are incredibly important questions, as the first thing aspiring tassel-twirlers want to do is just that: twirl! For details on how to get the spin down, take a look at my previous post, featuring Elvira!

For details on how to make them stick, read on!

There are many school of adhesive when it comes to putting on your boob-hats. Eyelash glue, double sided tape, spirit gum, and more! I personally use Spirit Gum to keep my pasties on, and have yet to lose one in the heat of performance, but others swear by their own methods.

For a great article by Black Mariah, check out Pincurl Magazine's The Tape Dilemma

Black Mariah, Photo by Travis Lilley

"I think the only real point that will never have one answer between burlesque dancers is “how do you keep your pasties on?” The answers will range from Flash tape, eyelash glue, spirit gum, toupee tape, and the list grows every year I spend in the world of burlesque." - Black Mariah

Take a hop over, and get stickin'!

Burlesque dancers, do you have a preferred method? Have you ever lost a pastie? Let me know in the comments!

~Red

Burlesque Decor - 3 Ways to Sexy up a Pumpkin!

Now I know Halloween is coming, and pumpkins are all fall-season appropriate and whatnot, but aside from drawing faces on mini pumpkins (I do this. It's awesome. Give them a monocle) what other sort of things can you do to this kind of squash to make it last a little longer than the Halloween standard Jack-o-Lantern? 

Instead of stabbing your squash, removing its insides, and carving a face into its skin, consider putting down the knife and opting for a more long-lasting pumpkin statement this fall. Besides, like most disemboweled things and one-night stands, they start to go flaccid and smelly really quick. 

How do you burlesque a pumkin, you might ask? You class that shit up!

I've scoured the internet for some classy pumpkins for you. Now go grab your gourds.



1. Rhinestone It!

Like any burlesque dancer, you know the power of shiny. Grab some E6000 and some of the cheaper stones* and get to gluing!

You could try a design on your pumpkin, like a bra, maybe a set of pasties, or stay spooky like below and do a spiderweb! Add on a glittery spider (of course!) and you're set.

Pumpkin Source

 Or, if that's a little too minimalistic for your style, go all sorts of E6000 crazy and rhinestone the hell out of it. The examples below did some wonderful pattern work by varying the jewel sizes!

 

Pumpkin Source

 2. Lace it Up!

Lace makes everything prettier! Grab an old or cheap pair of stockings you may have put a snag in, and cover that pumpkin! As you can see above, painting pumpkins white can make them look a touch more elegant,  and in this case it'll show off the contrast with the lace particularly well!

Pumpkin Source

3. Silhouette it!

Always classy, and gives a certain Victorian flair to your squash! Find a silhouette you like, or create your own, and paint it flat black on another of your white-painted pumpkins. You can see in the photo below they've added some ribbon as a border.**

 Pumpkin Source

There you have it! Three ways to class up your pumpkins for fall decor, burlesque style! Bonus? No hollowed out pumpkin corpses!


~Red


* Leave the swarovskis for your boobs!

** Ignore the twig pumpkin. Not classy enough.

Red Herring Burlesque featured on Applied Glamour!

All the way back in July, I was interviewed by Laura from Applied Glamour!

Photo used in the article is by Toni Wallachy of Orangeroads Photography

Laura is a makeup artist bent on showing ladies and gentlemen that they too can be glamorous, beautiful and stunning creatures. Her blog contains tip and How-to articles, reviews and interviews, and more!

GLAMOUR: the quality of fascinating, alluring, or attracting, especially by a combination of charm and good looks!

Think you don't have those qualities?!? Think again! Applied Glamour is here to insist otherwise!

Take a look at her blog, read some hilarious remarks I've made regarding boob contouring, and learn!

~Red

New Classes at The Coco Framboise School of Burlesque

My fanny-tastic tassel-twirling jet-setting teacher Coco Framboise is teaching another set of classes in the Coco Framboise School of Burlesque downtown Toronto!

I can't attend the full run of them this round, due to a double-booking on Wednesday nights with my bootcamp. I shake my fists at the heavens. You, however, should go.

Go here to pre-register at discounted rates! Information is also available on her website.

If you are of the female persuasion and either have no interest in performing, or all intentions of shimmying for the public, she teaches for both. She offers two hour-long classes a night (that sometimes go long, but never cut short). Coco is responsible for adding polish and rubbing in the raunch on many of Toronto's performers, including the sexy Obskyura, Keela Watts, and Trixi Jones to name a few.*

Me, Trixi Jones, Keela Watts, and Obskyura - Photo by Jojo Dacres of Circus Entertainment

Minnie Tonka and Dew Lily are coming out this time too, as first-ever guest teachers!

Minnie is straight from New York, where she's best known for being one half of The Schlep Sisters and competing at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas for Best Group in 2009 and 2011, she was also voted #32 in the Top 100 International Burlesque Industry Figures of 2010.

Dew Lily is from Toronto's own lurid backyard, and is often seen naked in the company of Les Coquettes and Boylesque TO.

Both guest teachers are sure to be incredible resources of sleaze and tease.

Of the classes, I reccomend the Vegas Fan lesson. This class turned me on to feather fans in a bad bad way. I went out and got my own pair shortly after. I suggest no lipgloss. You'll be spitting feathers.

I'll be attempting to attend a few classes by switching my bootcamp from 6pm to 6am for those days. That, ladies and sexpots, is how dedicated I am to edification!

Hope to see you there!


~Red


* Note: a large part of the reason my boobs are on stage is Coco's fault. Blame her with diamonds. She likes that.