Welcome to EXPRESS BURLESQUE!
CLASS INFO
This class runs Thursday evenings 8-9pm ET, October 27-Dec 8 on Zoom. Links below!
Wear whatever you want to class. Go as sexy or as comfy as your mood dictates but... just be ready to move. Heels, flat shoes, sneakers or bare feet are all fine.
This class is more about developing an onstage persona and creating finesse in your movements, so start to think about what type of personality you think it would be fun to flaunt onstage.
In the last half of the class, we will be working with stripteasae moments for clothing, so if you know that you want to take off a particular item, it’s a good idea to keep it close by.
CLASS LINKS
This section contains links for upcoming classes.
OCT 27: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338121425
CLICK HERE FOR OCT 27 EXPRESS BURLESQ RECORDING
NOV 3: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82951369912
CLICK HERE FOR NOV 3 EXPRESS. BURLESQ RECORDING
NOV 10: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82804873303
CLICK HERE FOR NOV 10 EXPRESS BQ RECORDING
NOV 17: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86107750793
CLICK HERE FOR NOV 17 EXPRESS BQ RECORDING
NO CLASS NOV 24 (AMERICAN THANKSGIVING)
DEC 1: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87689333698
CLICK HERE FOR DEC 1 CLASS RECORDING
DEC 8: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82668120098
CLICK HERE FOR DEC 8 CLASS RECORDING
After each week’s class is over, this section will contain a link to the video of the class for students who were unable to attend. The video will only be available during our six-week session of Flirting with Burlesque, and will be removed afterwards.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS!+ OTHER INSPIRATION
WEEK OF NOV 17
Act Inspiration Worksheets. These worksheets are designed to help you create new ideas and find inspiration in unusual places. This is optional, but it might help you brainstorm.
The three exercises are here, and if you do it, you only need to do one!: ACT INSPIRATION EXERCISES
WEEK OF NOV 10: No assignment! :) A few ppl are still working on last week’s assignments, so let’s give everyone a breather!
WEEK OF NOV 3 ASSIGNMENT: CREATE MOVEMENT AS A CHARACTER
This week, pick one of the following actions and create a small amount of choreography for a specific character that exists in your mind. We will be showing these in class, but it is meant to be a casual exercise, so do not spend too much time on it. (30m-1h should be more than sufficient.)
When you create this movement, recall the principles we discussed in class this week: moving around the performance space (V or W shapes work well, but also consider circles and squares!), using movement of different tempos (slow versus fast), and using levels in movement (high, medium or low.)
Actions:
You sneakily enter a space, steal a prized jewel, take a bow for the camera that you know is watching you, and exit, without getting caught
You’re a professional showpony, doing a show in a huge, glamorous theatre. Suddenly the spotlight veers off of you, to the corner of the stage! How you you act? Do you go into the spotlight, or stay put and wait for the spotlight to return to you? What do you do to get focus back on you?
You’re a race car driver who’s stuck in LA traffic and just as you’re about to boil over, someone cuts you off! You’re enraged… until you realize they are exactly your type. What happens next?
You eat a dessert in a fancy restaurant, and accidentally almost eat the ethically sourced diamond ring hidden inside your dessert. When you spit it out, you realize what it is, and give your partner (the camera) a yes, a maybe or a no.
You are jamming out to your favorite song in your bedroom wearing your cutest outfit, and you are FEELING yourself! Suddenly, you realize your window is open, and the cute neighbor across the way is in their room. You choose to either hide yourself or try to get their attention. Whether or not it works (and whether or not it’s sexy/creepy/ weird) is up to the character.
You’re doing a sexy glove and gown striptease… but you’re allergic to the feathers! Sneezes are taking over your performance! How do you ‘work them in’ to the performance?
You’re a chameleon who can change their colors based on their mood (yes I know this isn’t how science works we are doing magic here!) You suddenly realize you have an audience watching you thorugh your computer camera! Do you try to blend in and become invisible, or stand out in a bright and beautiful colour? How do you show off to the audience (or try to evade them?)
Next week, we will show these little skits off in class, and we will also discuss removing several clothing items. The ones mentioned in class were: corsets, stockings, panel skirts, tight gown, stockings and shoes. If you would like to work with any of those, please have them nearby during class. :)
WEEK OF OCT 27 ASSIGNMENT: CREATING YOUR BURLESQUE CHARACTER
This Character Questionnaire will help you invent lots of facts about your character and may give you ideas about what they want, and why. Please answer (or all) of these questions this week to learn a little more about a character you are considering putting onstage! Next week, we will do some movement with the character you are creating. You may want to copy and paste this into anoter document to fill it out. You don’t need to turn it in. :)
CHARACTER QUESTIONAIRE:
What's your character's name? First, middle, last?
How old are they?
Are they gay/ straight/ bi/trysexual/asexual?
Any nicknames? Aliases?
Have they ever been arrested?
Are they single or coupled up?
Where do they live?
Roommates? Pets?
Do they have a job? What is it?
What do they do for fun?
What’s their favorite colour?
Favorite musician?
Favorite animal?
Do they have a lot of money? Do they show it off or not?
Are they nice to waitresses in diners?
Favorite item of clothing or accessory?
Did they play sports in high school? What clubs were they in?
Do they like to travel?
Are they shy or outgoing?
Do they wear contact lenses or glasses?
Where do they like to vacation?
What would their dream life look like?
What celebrities do they idolize?
What's their FAVORITE thing to do in the world?
What's their biggest secret?
What's their biggest regret?
What's their biggest hope or dream?
How do they hope the audience sees them?
Future class assignments (or links to assignments) will also live in this space!
GENERAL INSPIRATION:
Jo Weldon’s book The Burlesque Handbook contains extremely useful information on everything from how to choose a name to how to twirl tassels. I highly recommend it as a companion to your journey into burlesque.
Our class playlist is HERE if you’d like to listen to some of our music!:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6377odIVywjIdKULuUGel3?si=862d72dc5e994a55