Thread: I Need Help Learning The Seductive Art of Burlesque

Hi, everyone
This is my first thread on MOB so be nice, i need some tips and how tos on burlesque and also some what not to dos. I am a complete beginner at burlesque but have always worn 40s and 50s clothes and i am a great fan of all vintage fashion.
All advice is much appreciated thanks *Peachy Cheeks*

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Hi,

I can't give much (or any!) advice at all as I'm just starting myself, but I'd just like to say welcome around. I've ordered the begginers DVD though, I've been told it gave you little tasters of various areas, so hopefully that'll be useful!

DOs:
Watch lots of performances (live shows, instructional DVDs, YouTube/Veoh footage).
Decide on what you like and don't like in other performances before putting your own together.
Customise your own costume pieces.
When performing, use all of the stage and use your body in interesting ways, full of movement and charisma.

DON'Ts:
Use tracks that other performers have used time and time again (there're 2 particular tracks that I have come to loathe owing to hearing them used so often for performances - but I won't name them here as I don't want to offend anyone who is using one/both of them). In my capacity as a promoter, I won't book anyone to perform an act which uses either of these, just because I'm biased towards thinking that it denotes a lack of creativity. I freely admit, I know of no-one else as uppity about this as me, so it may just be me being anal
Jump straight in without having researched burlesque, it's history and it's contemporary goings on.
Blend in with everyone else. Choose a refreshing/unique stage name and style (though, I'm one to talk, using a name with 'von' in the middle! (it's the name of the French Royal Family darnit)).
Include too much repitition in your acts.
Rely too heavily on props or music to carry the narrative of your act. The story you tell should be perceivable through your movement and facial expressions (well, this is in my opinion - there may be others who would disagree).

xox

Hey huni. Welcome to the site. I would definatly agree with Beatrix. You need to research Burlesque a lot to understand it. I would recommend watching you tube for inspiration but never rip off an act. Think about things that excite you, such as rhinestones, pin-ups, bubble baths, champagne, etc etc and try to implement them into your act. You could even use politics as a motivational tool, burlesque isn't always about prancing around on stage. It is an art form.

Look at me rabbiting on..... as long as you are happy and confident then your act will be great. Good luck huni xx

Great tips Beatrix, some things I will definately think about now.
I know what you mean about people using the same music.... the same reason I don't buy people vouchers as presents! xxx

There's some really useful and interesting points here! I'm a newbie as well so I take any advice I can get!xxx

So good to hear there are lots of people asking the same questions as me! I have got the dvd and have so many ideas in my head but find it so hard to get them out of there!

I am good at picking up routines but not so good as making them up myself as that little doubt fairy pops in my head and says ohhh this is silly not worth it. Guess I feel a bit more confident when I am daydreaming!

Any advice how I can get the shimming out of my head and into practice?

Bohemian Blitz x

Originally Posted by Monika

Any advice how I can get the shimming out of my head and into practice?

I think the best way is to just do it! Just starting to put moves together, and fiddling around with music is good. Normally I'll just put on a piece of music, dance to it a few times without thinking, before stepping back and really thinking about how I'm going to progress through the music. It took me a while to start choreographies when I started dancing, and I did a lot that I have never performed! But just practice and let yourself have fun with it. It gets easier, at least I think it does. I usually film myself too, because sometimes it looks different then it feels. Just have fun, I think thats the main thing, because then the routine comes out looking natural, rather than looking as if you have rehearsed every single second a million times.

Although I am a beginner at burlesque I have performed at other forms and the best way is just to listen to the music and try some steps as Luna says. In privacy it does not matter what you try as any performance constantly evolves ( or it should imo ) and ther first 40 - 100 times you try something will normally give you your final ideas.

Just do it (as the ad says)

I seem to listen to a tune, and then a character or story springs to mind - music has always been able to evoke visual images for me - then I just get on with it. Once you start "thinking" the creative juices can run dry.