Friday, December 30, 2011

Holiday Burlesque - Coco Framboise, Armitage Shanks, and more!

This holiday season was one burlesque event after the next! I don't think I had a chance to stop and enjoy the 'holidays' until I left Toronto on the train on the 24th!

Charlie Quinn and Timmy during rehearsal.
However, the rehearsals and meetings and events were fun and definitely worth it.

I had the pleasure of working with Coco Framboise, my teacher and mentor, and took advantage of the chance to pack my mind with a ton of tips and tricks she uses to stay cool and classy during a month that was even more hectic than mine. 

I also took advantage of the workshop class Coco ran with Armitage Shanks. This is the second one I've attended by him, and his format really encourages experimentation and learning. It really was amazing to learn from him, but also to learn from the other members in the class and how they executed his challenges, and what it took inside my own head to complete my portion of the workshop.


video by Spanish Fly Films



I'm trying to pull some of the attitude I displayed on poor Coco's lap into the act I'm doing tonight! We'll see how it goes!

Up Your Chimney: A Holiday Spanktacular, was an amazing show surrounded by hectic circumstances. There were many other events bracketing the show for Coco Framboise, including a huge personal inconvenience, a dashing out-of-town guest in Armitage (who was amazingly organized and amusing all times I saw him despite the busy schedule), and something like eleven gigs on her table.




Here are some backstage photos from show night!


Percy Katt as the Baby Jesus, Charlie Quinn, and El Toro in the backstage explosion.

Some components of the costume Lady Bonah, Coco Framboise and myself fabricated for our act.

Miss dd Starr making sure my rack was in place. Much thanks for the help!

Everyone pulled together to put on this show, and it was spanktacular to be able to work with such talented and sexy people who I've known and admired for a while. The show was a blast, and I had some dear friends in the audience who I were so happy could make it!


~ Red

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Burlesque Classes - Coco Framboise hosts Armitage Shanks


Armitage Shanks is back in Toronto and teaching again at Coco Framboise's School of Burlesque!

I had the oppourtunity to take the first version of this class last time, and those who know me know I'm a total sponge for classes. I'll take any chance to learn that I can!

Armitage was one of the best teachers I've had from Coco's selection of classes. There was theory and technique and improv all rolled into one. It's amazing to be able to learn from a performer who's been practically everywhere and produced and directed and worked with a multitude of performers across the international scene.

To me, classes are what can send an average performer to star status. One should always take the oppourtunity to learn from the successful people in your industry. Researching them online and seeing their shows is one great way, but nothing can really beat the educational experience of a class where they lay it all out for you and you get an oppourtunity to connect one-on-one.

In short: Take classes. Take this class.

I'm going to be attending this class once more, and hope to take the chance to polish up some of my routines for the load of shows I have coming up, including one on December 17th with Coco Framboise and Armitage Shanks himself! Up Your Chimney will be one of the many productions Armitage is hosting with Coco during his stay in Toronto, and it's definitely one XXXmas show to catch!



More info on this show (and others) to come! See you there!

~Red
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