Thread: Why I’ll never be a burlesque star. The opinion of a humble Spanish ballerina

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At this point it is unnecessary to describe how a burlesque starlet should be like. But, for the newbies, here is a short introduction: A TRUE burlesque starlet has a distinctive and catchy physical appearance, some sort of ability (like eating fire, hula hoop, outstanding comicity or just good dancing), and a bold personality. She has a stage name, which matches her “essence”. She performs at venues, first for friends and in her hometown, and later on she goes to festivals all over the world and starts to get some recognition. Photographers kill for shooting her, and amazing promotional photo shoots come as a result. She eventually has her own merchandising like T-Shirts, or produces her own burly shows, and, of course, has her own website (not creepy MySpace’s anymore)


A true starlet, who remains in the same “style line” and never steps back, unless it is for better. Once she is known for something, she is able to hold “that something” and tease around with it. She has a lot of fans. Eventually she can make a living of burlesque.

For those who are interested, I gave it a pretty serious try. Of all the above I think I only had the ability – dance and act (I am an ex pro classical ballerina). My artistic name was random and absurd, my physical appearance is… well, no curves, no coloured hair, no tattoos (for those rockabilly fans) So maybe nothing very special, I only know how to dance. I am not a diva. And I did pay for my first promotional photo book. That was horrible, by the way.

After some time performing, some disappointments, false friends, -but some amazing people really trusting me and my work-, and important money loss, I decided to give up. Date of the death: August 2010, right after Burlesque Garden Viareggio Festival. Many reasons there: a bad health moment and a deep, severe sadness.

Months passed, and after some time, and seeing burlesque finally seems to bloom in my hometown and you are not seen like a slut in a corset anymore, (sic, from one of my friends) I think to myself: why not take it up again? It is fun, and you love the stage, no matter what you do on it.

And after a little thinking, my little head comes to the following

REASONS

Practical Reasons

1. I don’t have a sponsor. This is critical. Unlike others, no brand behind me to lend clothes or no sponsor /choose your option: parents, friends, boyfriend, whatever/ to pay for ALL THOSE "BASIC" THINGS YOU REALLY NEED if you don’t want to seem ridiculous and poor in stage, such as:
a. Decent corsets - and I don’t mean ebay Chinese ones
b. Decent Shoes
c. Atrezzo.


2. I don’t have the money to buy clothes (direct consequence from point 1 )
3. I don’t have the time to think of witty ways of making my own clothes at a low price, because I have got an actual work who serves to pay my mortgage and bills – clothes not included here obviously.
4. I CAN’T SEW, HOLY CRAP. When God gave skills away I was late for this!
5. I don’t have the time to learn to sew (refer to point 3) and stick rhinestones


Mental reasons


1. I am a ballet dancer and will always be it of soul. I was taught to do exactly what had to be done and not to stand out from the crowd (or the corps de ballet). Unless, of course, I was a soloist - which happened twice. I danced for almost 20 years and every single day I had the impression I had still a long way to go. No success in two months - no way. Just day-a-day work.
This is kind of opposite to the diva personality a burlesque starlet should offer (unless she is really nice face to face, though) And the opposite to what usually happens in the burly career: with determination and money, one can become quite successful in burlesque in ..months? (Remember: me, 20 years doing pliés).
2. When I gave burlesque, I was 10 kg fatter. I felt ugly. I don’t feel much better now, though I am in shape again.

3. In the end (Italy), I found no pleasure or compensation at all. Would I do it now? I don't like to repeat mistakes. Expensive mistakes especially.
4. Is it that easy to leave "a world" and then come back as if nothing had happened? How would people react?
5. Would I find a solution for all the Practical Reasons?

That is all by now. That was kind of random writing and hope nobody gets upset after reading it.

I had to say it, anyway. And I wrote in English because...I don't know. Just came out this way.


So, to be continued! Or not....

xx

NB A special note of thanks of lovely people who have been in the middle of all this thoughts sometimes and have encouraged me to move forward: Lolo Font, Sharon Kay, Murray, Rosa Garcia.
I am leaving some people but I would like to mention the most important -and persistant- ones.

WARNING

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 60 days. information contained in it may no longer be current

Dear Lene, thank you for sharing your honest and heartfelt words. Good wishes to you. Muriel xxx

I think you should just go out there and dance, dance your heart out. If you can't afford a corset don't wear a corset, if you can't afford expensive shoes wear your ballet shoes or no shoes. I barely move and just flap things around and would give anything to have a dance background. Go on stage and be you and dance how you dance and I'm sure it will be beautiful

Originally Posted by Lady Frankenstein

I think you should just go out there and dance, dance your heart out. If you can't afford a corset don't wear a corset, if you can't afford expensive shoes wear your ballet shoes or no shoes. I barely move and just flap things around and would give anything to have a dance background. Go on stage and be you and dance how you dance and I'm sure it will be beautiful

I have a routine wearing a childs fancy dress fairy costume and £4 shoes, and float (!) about like a drunken fool quite frankly. And I don't care if its not ' right' but its fun.
I also danced for many many years, and for the buzz I get for performing at a tiny pub, its worth a lot more than the years of being a nobody as a ' normal' dancer.
If you want it, go get it!

xSNx

Dear all, thanks for the feedback. It is always good to share opinions and get people's ones.

As to the "expensive" clothes, I agree with you Lady Frankenstein, but if you live in a city where there is only 1 decent burlesque venue, this becomes really important. Everyone's eyes are on you. Moreover, if you have to compare yourself with another burlesque performer who has plenty of expensive corsets , the feeling is even worse. But okay that this shouldn't be the most important thing, if we look at burlesque how it should really be.

xxx

I think that you are very brave and honest for writing this. I also think that if it's in your heart then do give it another go. [I am speaking as someone who is yet to even try it - so I need to take my own advice here too!! :$] And I also think that Lady Frankenstein is right - you don't need to have the same type of outfits as the other ones at the one Burlesque venue in town. Not if you have a 'gimmick' or a 'novelty' style. If you can think of a dance or routine based on something that requires a costume that is creative and unusual then you can get around that problem.. You might not even need shoes for it! Look at what you have, or what you can afford and see if you can create an idea around that. It might be very simple, or something mad and crazy. Quite often the burlesque performers that stick in the memory are not necessarily the ones with the beautiful handmade outfits. They are the ones with a unique style - something different - quirky, maybe simply playful. Props come into it too - you might see an item in your bathroom or kitchen and think of an idea around that - so the emphasis is not entirely on the clothing removal - but also on the 'story' and the items you use, maybe something as simple as a skipping rope or a tennis racket.
I'm just saying that while I understand your reservations, there may still be ways around them.
But mostly - best of luck, I hope you will find a way. xxx

Originally Posted by morticiaa

I think that you are very brave and honest for writing this. I also think that if it's in your heart then do give it another go. [I am speaking as someone who is yet to even try it - so I need to take my own advice here too!! :$] And I also think that Lady Frankenstein is right - you don't need to have the same type of outfits as the other ones at the one Burlesque venue in town. Not if you have a 'gimmick' or a 'novelty' style. If you can think of a dance or routine based on something that requires a costume that is creative and unusual then you can get around that problem.. You might not even need shoes for it! Look at what you have, or what you can afford and see if you can create an idea around that. It might be very simple, or something mad and crazy. Quite often the burlesque performers that stick in the memory are not necessarily the ones with the beautiful handmade outfits. They are the ones with a unique style - something different - quirky, maybe simply playful. Props come into it too - you might see an item in your bathroom or kitchen and think of an idea around that - so the emphasis is not entirely on the clothing removal - but also on the 'story' and the items you use, maybe something as simple as a skipping rope or a tennis racket.
I'm just saying that while I understand your reservations, there may still be ways around them.
But mostly - best of luck, I hope you will find a way. xxx

Such sound advice...I once heard of a performer who re-made her costume out of newspaper every time she performed, and it sounded like a really clever act. If your concept and excecution are in place, then the money you spend on the costume and props won't matter. People remember the performer, not the peripherals!

keep at it, above all she fully believes in herself