WHAT IS BURLESQUE?
The textbook definition of burlesque is “a work designed to ridicule a subject matter, or to dignify a ridicuous subject matter, usually in exaggerated terms”, incorporating striptease in the 20th century.
A popular form of entertainment from the 1920s
to the 1960’s, burlesque was featured in vaudeville shows, nightclubs and carnivals; with the focus on the ‘tease’ burlesque features dancers practicing the old bump and grind, pasties and g-strings.
Although it originally died out in the 70’s and 80’s
(due to the rise of topless and full nude shows), burlesque began it’s rebirth in the mid 90’s and is continuing to grow in popularity.
Often, burlesque acts features a transition,
a character arch or a punchline by using
choreography, costuming and music selection.
It can be glamorous, funny, political or extreme
and can be performed by both men and women
of all shapes and sizes.
BUT I’M CLUMSY…A DORK…DON’T HAVE BIG BOOBS…I’M NOT A SIZE 4? I CAN’T BE SEXY.
The sexiest part of any woman is her confidence!
And in burlesque, all body types are welcomed!
At Striptease Symposium, we strive to teach our
students ways to channel their inner kitten!
We teach clever ways to use costuming to
camouflage the areas with which you are
uncomfortable, using make-up and hair to make
you seen from the back row and work on your
dance skills so that you can feel comfortable performing in front of others (whether you are in front of a
loved one or a whole room of people). We at
Striptease Symposium want to give you permission
to feel beautiful.
DO I HAVE TO SHOW MY BOOBS?
No, with an emphasis on the tease, the power of suggestion (what the audience thinks it's seeing)
is up to you! We can give you the skills to
even twirl tassels and keep covered!
WHAT DOES ALL LEVELS/DANCE TRAINING WELCOME, NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY MEAN?
As Jewel of Denial puts it “Burlesque is like Tofu—
it absorbs whatever flavor you put into it!”
And she’s right: whether you have a background
in dance (belly dance, salsa, hip-hop), come from a theater/stunts/performance art background,
comedy and improv, or have
never danced before, these classes are
suited to all levels and background.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN “WATCH THE FIRST HALF
OF ANY CLASS FOR FREE?”
If you want to check out a class before signing up,
Jewel and Penny wholly encourage you to come to
a class and observe the first half to see if the class
is right for you.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN CLASSES MAY BE CANCELED/INSTRUCTOR AND INSTRUCTION
MAY CHANGE?
As with any series of classes, should student interest
be low, we have the right to cancel the session and refund your money. As to changing instructors and curriculum, things happen, and our instructors might
be called away for business, family matters, or we
have access to a great dancer who is passing
through LA! We will try to give you as much
notice as possible.
WHAT KIND OF WORKOUT IS THIS CLASS?
We start every class with a series of stretches and
warm-up based on several disciplines (dance, yoga, pilates), then move into a cardio section. The cardio
can have simple choreography or can be “a slumber party free-for-all” where we just dance! From there
we focus on choreography, featuring many dance techniques.
WHAT ARE WORKSHOPS?
Burlesque is more than just dance! History,
costuming, make-up and hair, and other skills are needed before you hit the stage. At Striptease Symposium, we like to give everyone a well-
rounded education. In most cases, these
workshops are instruction with an emphasis on
finishing the project at home. Generally,
for each series, an outside workshop is offered
in costume construction, free to our currently
enrolled students, and will have a
different time than the scheduled class.
WHAT IS A CLASS ‘COSTUME’?
With burlesque, quite often you are rehearsing
with your stage costume over your workout clothes, putting your fancy beaded bra over your t-shirt for example. This is why we recommend a fitted t-shirt
or tank, yoga pants or leggings (or hot pants).
And you will need your dance shoes. We will
warm-up and learn new choreographies barefoot,
but there will come a point in class where you will
need to do the steps in your shoes. Again, we ask
that you go for comfort and safety over style:
stripper shoes (4” heels or higher) are not recommended.
I’M A BOY—CAN I STUDY TOO?
Striptease Symposium is an equal opportunity classroom! With the exception of Beginner
Burlesque, all classes are open to both
sexes. (Since Beginner Burlesque can
often be about finding your own sexuality, we
like to keep the comfort zone of ladies only.)
Although you may not be tassel twirling or
making a beaded bra, all other elements of
performance come into play for the
boy-leseques of the class.
I WANT TO TAKE THE CLASS, BUT I’M NOT
SURE I’M READY TO PERFORM!
We’re not here to force you on stage! You can
still take the class, but understand that the final
few weeks for the intermediate class will be
focusing on getting ready for the show.
Quite often, students who thought they
did not want to perform change their minds
when they see what fun everyone is having and
how good they look!
I’VE STUDIED WITH OTHER BURLESQUE INSTRUCTORS, WHY SHOULD I TAKE A
STRIPTEASE SYMPOSIUM CLASS?
Ask any dancer (and yes, burlesque is dance)
and they will tell you that they study with many
different dance instructors, because you will take
away something new, be it a new way to warm-up,
a new combination or a new costume or make-up technique. In fact, all of our instructors continue to
take dance classes on a regular basis.
One of the goals of Striptease Symposium
is to open our students up to continued learning
and guest teachers from not just Los Angeles,
but from around the country.
I WANT TO SOLO—I DON’T SEE THAT
LISTED ANYWHERE
To be a quality burlesque dancer, you need
to be a choreographer, a costume designer, an
engineer, a music editor and make-up artist.
Whew! At Striptease Symposium, we like to
offer a variety of classes and techniques before
you get out there own your own, so that you are
armed with the skills you need to
knock ‘em dead!
If you should decide you want to fast track to
the footlights, we offer a solo class. These
classes are by invite only
to any
former student of Striptease Symposium,
Lux LaCroix's Bump and Grind 101.
If you have not previously taken a burlesque
class, but you have a background in dance
or theater, you may petition us for a
spot in the class. Why all the hoops, you
may ask? Here at Striptease Symposium,
we feel you simply can't go from zero
to stripteaser in 6 weeks without
some prior experience.
We also offer private lessons with a focus on
developing where you most need help, everything
from music selection and editing to dance and
costume skills, to videotaped critiques.
CAN I GET CLASSES FOR MY LOVED ONE?
Yes, you can! Striptease Symposium offers
gift certificates for individual classes as well as
full series. (In fact, we are working on setting up
a gift registry so you can tell your friends to
contribute to course of study.)
DO YOU MAKE HOUSE CALLS?
We sure do! We can teach anywhere as long
as there is room to move! From one-on-one
privates and semi privates,
to bachelorette parties where we
can teach a burlesque routine to a
burlesque make-over (for smaller groups)
Contact Jewel of Denial
jewelofdenial @ sbcglobal .net
for details.
I’M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DANCERS FOR A CORPORATE OR PRIVATE EVENT
Got a Birthday, wrap party, holiday event you need entertainment for?
ontact Penny Starr, Jr. directly for
party packages and themed shows:
augusta @ itsachick .com
DIDN’T SEE YOUR QUESTION LISTED?
DON’T BE SHY!
You can e-mail any question to Jewel of Denial at
jewelofdenial @ sbcglobal .net
