Thread: Help for a newbie :D

Hi, I'm new to the forum and relatively new to burlesque in general.

I am performing in August, now I have decided on a song and wondered if I might be able to get some help.

The song I'm using is Christina Aguilara's "Fighter". Could anyone suggest a prop I may be able to use in the routine and maybe help me come up with a costume?

I'm sorry to be a pain, but any help would be really well appreciated.

Thank you from Miss Twilight Storm

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As someone who generally works from a character/narrative outwards I find the approach of picking the music first really daunting but I know some performers always work that way and to great effect.
If I were going to start with a piece of music and create from there this is how I would do it....

- Figure out why you chose the track. Are you strongly drawn to the narrative or character in the lyrics (in which case you could just attempt a direct interpretation of the narrative of the song)? Is it the style of lyric she uses? Is it the melody, vocal style or rhythm (in which case maybe you are leaning to a more dancerly piece)? Is it perhaps the imagery in the music video or the persona of Xtina herself that drew you in (and if so do you want to recreate that mood or persona in your own way or do you want to do a direct homage or parody?)? Or does it have some personal association or a reminder of a certain point in your life (if so draw on that)? Whatever originally drew you to the track will be a strong starting point to creating an act you're passionate about. Don't be afraid to experiment with other tracks that share the same quality too, you may be pleasantly surprised.

- Make a brainstorm map of all the things the song makes you think of, however obscure, un-burlesquey or irrelevant to the final act. They will all help you nail down what you are trying to say with your performance.

- Make a visual mood board - cut out photos from magazines, stick on scraps of fabric, put on colour swatches that all in some way go with what you feel when you hear the song. If you end up playing a human character with a costume (rather than say, needing to look like a cat or a telephone or whatever) this can help you chose your visual look.

- Think about whether you want to perform in a dancerly style, using mime, physical comedy, different skillsets (eg fire, circus, pogo-sticking etc), elegantly, satyrically, parodying, upbeat, downbeat, sad, emotional, sexy - whatever. Make sure you know what mood you are trying to convey and what you want to say.

- Try to think outside of the box. The song (if I remember correctly) is about a strong girl who has learned to toughen up, but if you chose to do a narrative act it doesn't need to be that straightforward. It could be interpreted as a literal 'Karate Kid' type theme, a surreal act where a Kangaroo learns to box, a serious heartfelt act about personal growth, a tribute to Xtina and how she has gone from innocent to trashy to vampy to Lady Gaga wannabe, a female drag.... literally anything. The most obvious interpretation is also often the least interesting unless the execution is way above the average skill level - the thing that really sets many acts apart is the imagination put into it.

- In terms of props, don't just have a prop for a prop's sake. Make sure it has a narrative reason to be there. So many of us have included props in our acts (especially big ones) and found that they are not a help if they aren't used properly.

Good luck and let us all know how it turns out and what you end up doing.

Fantastic advice! And reassuring to someone who's gone with instinct on a lot of thigns (what has drawn me to a piece of music, for example). It's really lovely when someone is so helpful

I was thinking that

After some careful deliberation, Mum has convinced me to switch to something a little shorter - so I've switched to her Candyman. Taking into account everything I'm trying to come up with a basic routine atm.

Thanks again x