Anyone that knows me, knows that I deeply love a feather fan dance. It was the first solo I performed and still the most used act in my wheelhouse today.
Most showgirls will have one of some description in their back pocket.
I’ve done some form of fan dance for the past 10 years and here are some of the most valuable tips I’ve picked up - from practicing to travelling to storing your fans. All stuff that might help you up your game and make your life a bit easier!
Read MoreDitch your inner critic and make that performance debut.
Read MoreAs someone who definitely shouts out the love for Shaan frequently, I was excited to catch up with her before her final show for 2019. Read on!
Read MoreCatching up with QT Cabaret producer and all around legend, Gemini.
Read MoreWhat’s it like to transition from a student to a burlesque performer? How does someone get ready to make their debut on stage? Meet Natty Prospect, an emerging burlesque performer in Hobart - about to make her stage debut!
Read MoreAt different points during the year there is an increase in bookings for private gigs: either corporate events for organisations or private parties in the home.
As performers we often have our own guide on how to behave for these events, how to charge and how to be safe.
But clients - or potential clients- can struggle on how to find and book a reputable performer. Check out Grace Cherry’s tips before making that first booking. Or if you just want some advice on keeping your performers safe and happy.
Read MoreHow do you work in an industry when you hate someone? Or you have a falling out? I’ts a hard road to navigate. But it shouldn’t cause you any more angst than any 9-5 work drama should have.
Read MoreGetting disenchanted and loosing some love for burlesque is really normal. Many performers have mini 'breaks' in their career
Grace Cherry shares some things that you can do if you're getting down in the dumps about performing.
Read MoreThe mental health, social, and work life balance have all improved dramatically. Switching off that inner voice and telling it to calm down, has completely shifted my attitude to burlesque itself. I'm more focused on acts that inspire me and delight me, and that I want to work on and build.
Read MoreReally if you want definitive Tease Tips, you need to follow Michelle L'amour. Her daily tips and occasional videos are the absolute bomb!
But there's a lot of little things you can do to really engage with your audience. Try them out and see what works!
How do you go from being a "newbie" to a more established performer. At what point do you stop being new?
Performers can find it hard to know when they aren't a 'newbie' anymore. Or how they can jump out of the 'newbie' category into a bigger pond.
There's no one right or clear pathway. It's not like you can get a promotion instantly in the burlesque industry. Or that you graduate from 'newbie' after meeting a sales target or gaining a qualification. There's a blurry line as you move throughout your career.
Take some tips from Grace Cherry about the transition from ‘newbie’ to a more established artist.
Read MoreToo many events forgetting the absolute basic needs of performers. Consider this blog post some ideas on good practice - and one that should lead to great engagement with your performers and better profit margins.
Read MorePractical tips on taking care of yourself (ArtsHub content)
Read MoreThere's a number of free - or cheap - things you can do if you want to build up your bookings.
Based on a decade in the business, Grace Cherry has five quick tips that should make you more ‘bookable’.
Read MoreIn my last catch up with the Miss Burlesque Tasmania finalists, Jessy G shared her thoughts on the event and how she got her start in burlesque.
Read MoreStarting burlesque? Need a 'go to' list of classic burlesque tunes or inspired tunes? Check out my top picks. Happy browsing
Read MoreMy last interview with the Miss Burlesque Tasmania finalists. Vermillion Rose is based in the North West Coast of Tasmania. She has had a really different experience entering burlesque and has a different background to many of the other performers, which I am so pleased she shared with me. Read more to find out her story!
Read MoreIn many ways I actually hate the term 'confidence'. Because really you can be a great performer and not always be that confident. But you must be resilient to lots of external obstacles that often are out of your control. Here is some tough, but practical advice to getting out of a funk or getting that mojo back.
Disclaimer: This is, of course, not a substitute for proper health advice. If you really are anxious, depressed or having more serious problems have a check in with your GP. There's also Beyond Blue and Black Dog in Australia that are really helpful.
Take some ownership of your behaviour. What are you willing to do to take ownership of your problems? Complaining that you don't feel confident isn't going to get you anywhere. You need to identify your issues and set some steps to solve them. This is said with a lot of love and recognition that this is hard. But you wouldn’t go the gym for a session and expect to lose 10 kilos. You can’t equally do one burlesque class and be instantly more confident. But if you can address each problem bit by bit you will get there.
Having a critical mindset is okay. Not being 100% confident all the time is important, because it stops you doing crazy risk taking behaviour. It's about managing the balance. Some self doubt is fine, It’s only when it consistently becomes a problem or stops you from doing things that you want to do.
Saying that you have doubts or lack confidence is a generic statement. If you want to solve your issue, you need to work out what specifically is scaring you. Is it a physical obstacle? About technical skill? Or is it worrying about what people think about you? Once you have figured that out you can solve it. You aren't getting yourself into a cycle of crazy scary thoughts. You are just saying, "I'm really scared about what someone will say about me". A reasonable fear to be sure. But by naming it up, you can then work on solving it.
It’s hard to accept stuff you don’t control. One of the things I hear constantly from new performers and students that stands in their way is a fear of what the audience will think about them. You have basically zero control over that. So it's pointless circling through that in your mind. Accepting the things that are outside of your control is the first step in building your confidence, and stopping that cycle of talking negative shit about yourself.
Remember that we wouldn't let our friends talk the same amount of smack that we talk about ourselves. It's not helping you to constantly talk shit about yourself. It's not getting you to the goal of being a better performer. It's normal, sure. But not helpful. Make a commitment to changing it up. You might need some strategies to address this. It could be a mindfulness app, proper counselling or therapy, or having a walk or chat with a friend. But commit to changing your cycle of negative self talk.
If you are worried about your abilities or your competence as a performer, you can totally solve that problem! But equally, if you haven't performed for a while or you are a newer performer, it's really unlikely you are going to be Dita Von Teese overnight. That's not a realistic expectation. So set yourself a standard that you can meet to be a good performer at the level you are at now. And then set some goals for how you are going to get there. This might be:
20 hours of rehearsal time per month
Spending $200 on my costume
Spending 2 hours on technical advice (e.g. a workshop, dance class)
Seeking some mentoring
Doing 3 dress rehearsals
If you set some key goals that are realistic you can meet these. And then you'll feel really good about getting to those goals.
All of these tips really help me in changing up my attitude when I'm feeling really shit about myself. They aren't rocket science. But it makes the fear conquerable. You do need to give yourself that 'tough love' in wanting to solve your problems - rather than wallowing in your problems. But you can totally get there.
Let me know if this helps! Or pop in the comments below if you have some other great tips about how you get your 'mojo' back.
In many ways I actually hate the term 'confidence'. Because really you can be a great performer and not always be that confident. But you must be resilient to lots of external obstacles that often are out of your control. Here is some tough, but practical advice to getting out of a funk or getting that mojo back.
Disclaimer: This is, of course, not a substitute for proper health advice. If you really are anxious, depressed or having more serious problems have a check in with your GP. There's also Beyond Blue and Black Dog in Australia that are really helpful.
Take some ownership of your behaviour. What are you willing to do to take ownership of your problems? Complaining that you don't feel confident isn't going to get you anywhere. You need to identify your issues and set some steps to solve them. This is said with a lot of love and recognition that this is hard. But you wouldn’t go the gym for a session and expect to lose 10 kilos. You can’t equally do one burlesque class and be instantly more confident. But if you can address each problem bit by bit you will get there.
Having a critical mindset is okay. Not being 100% confident all the time is important, because it stops you doing crazy risk taking behaviour. It's about managing the balance. Some self doubt is fine, It’s only when it consistently becomes a problem or stops you from doing things that you want to do.
Saying that you have doubts or lack confidence is a generic statement. If you want to solve your issue, you need to work out what specifically is scaring you. Is it a physical obstacle? About technical skill? Or is it worrying about what people think about you? Once you have figured that out you can solve it. You aren't getting yourself into a cycle of crazy scary thoughts. You are just saying, "I'm really scared about what someone will say about me". A reasonable fear to be sure. But by naming it up, you can then work on solving it.
It’s hard to accept stuff you don’t control. One of the things I hear constantly from new performers and students that stands in their way is a fear of what the audience will think about them. You have basically zero control over that. So it's pointless circling through that in your mind. Accepting the things that are outside of your control is the first step in building your confidence, and stopping that cycle of talking negative shit about yourself.
Remember that we wouldn't let our friends talk the same amount of smack that we talk about ourselves. It's not helping you to constantly talk shit about yourself. It's not getting you to the goal of being a better performer. It's normal, sure. But not helpful. Make a commitment to changing it up. You might need some strategies to address this. It could be a mindfulness app, proper counselling or therapy, or having a walk or chat with a friend. But commit to changing your cycle of negative self talk.
If you are worried about your abilities or your competence as a performer, you can totally solve that problem! But equally, if you haven't performed for a while or you are a newer performer, it's really unlikely you are going to be Dita Von Teese overnight. That's not a realistic expectation. So set yourself a standard that you can meet to be a good performer at the level you are at now. And then set some goals for how you are going to get there. This might be:
20 hours of rehearsal time per month
Spending $200 on my costume
Spending 2 hours on technical advice (e.g. a workshop, dance class)
Seeking some mentoring
Doing 3 dress rehearsals
If you set some key goals that are realistic you can meet these. And then you'll feel really good about getting to those goals.
All of these tips really help me in changing up my attitude when I'm feeling really shit about myself. They aren't rocket science. But it makes the fear conquerable. You do need to give yourself that 'tough love' in wanting to solve your problems - rather than wallowing in your problems. But you can totally get there.
Let me know if this helps! Or pop in the comments below if you have some other great tips about how you get your 'mojo' back.
Need some help getting your mojo back? Here are some ideas if you have lost the love of burlesque.
