Catch up with Velvet Butterfly - Developing your burlesque persona

“There’s never going to be the perfect time to debut your first solo. You can spend so much time being wrapped up in your head trying to perfect it, that you put off performing. Don’t do this. Just get out on stage and give it a go! Also, don’t go chasing perfection, there is no such thing” - Velvet Butterfly

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My favourite at home movement channels!

As I write this draft, Southern Tasmania has entered it’s first snap, ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown since the first stage of the COVID pandemic hit our shores in 2020.

But it got me out of my normal safety net, of my regular yoga schedule, and my gym routine. And reminded me of some of the great tools I have been able to access since the pandemic.

Here are my favourite channels!

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Burlesque Fan Dancing - Some of my favourite fan dancing videos

I was so thrilled to recently host a fan dancing workshop with some amazing students. It’s one of my favourite styles of burlesque performance and holds a soft spot in my heart. I have included some videos of performers that I think show the art and craft so well and so elegantly - things we can all learn from!

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Body acceptance in my burlesque classes

I focus on body acceptance over body positivity in my classes and in my practice. What’s the big difference? Do I even care? It might not make a big difference to you or to your experience if you engage with me online or in a face-to-face class or show. But for me its enabled a strong shift away from the emphasis on looks and body over all else.

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How to break the ice in your burlesque class

A big challenge (and opportunity) as a burlesque instructor, is to make the class a great space for the students.
I think one of the jobs we can do as teachers to help our students is to make sure we break the ice for them.

I often have a few ‘go tos’ to help facilitate introductions and encourage students to get to know each other.
Here are some of my techniques and tips that I use to break the ice in class.

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Part two in my part series on ‘good’ burlesque classes.

This is part two in my part series on ‘good’ burlesque classes.

I’ll explore some qualities that I think teachers can engage with to make sure that they are really living up to their student’s expectations and developing the best atmosphere they can in class.

This isn’t coming from a place of thinking that my approach is ‘the best’. It’s just about what I think works well from a teaching perspective. I hope anyone that is planning on running classes or is already doing a lot of hard work in this space sees ideas that adds to what they are doing. It’s not about beating yourself up or reprimanding yourself.

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What to expect at your first burlesque class

Coming to your first burlesque class can be a bit daunting, right?

You book in through a vaguely anonymous booking system – maybe having seen a few photos or videos online.

If you aren’t coming with a friend, it can be a bit daunting to turn up for your first class.

Here are my hints and ideas about what you can expect - whether you’ve booked in for a full term or just a one off workshop. It’s not a set in stone post, but it might give anyone a bit nervous or daunted an idea of what they can expect

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Let's all give Postmodern Jukebox a rest, okay?

So this isn’t a shady blog post aimed at anyone that has performed to Postmodern Jukebox.

As someone who produces burlesque shows - and that tries to be pretty encouraging to anyone starting their performing journey - one of the biggest frustrations can be a total overwhelming number of acts set to Postmodern Jukebox. So read on for some of the issues I have found, and for some great alternatives.

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Picking yourself back up off the floor

There is never a quick fix solution when you are feeling a bit down about performing. But for my ten cents worth there are a few consistent things that I do if I feel down about performing or super stressed. These aren’t going to be the most ground breaking things you have ever heard - but if you need a starting point it’s not a bad launch pad. The most important thing is to remember that everyone feels down about their burlesque career at some point.

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