Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

As the year draws to a close, I’d like to thank you for being my Constant Reader. Without you, I’m just shouting into the void.

For your tip today I’d like to echo something I’d heard recently and which has stuck with me.

Be kind.

I hope you all have a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful, and very kind 2018.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! And a merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy your Chinese food and movie! Here’s your tip!

You don’t have to do it all. It’s okay to get help.

In burlesque, as in other fringe arts, there’s this DIY thing. There’s an expectation that the performer should also be a choreographer, costumer, producer, promoter, teacher, graphic artist, prop fabricator, music and video editor, roadie, &c.

Most of us aren’t good at everything. You can hire other people or trade your skills. It doesn’t mean you are less of a performer; it means that you know how to delegate and how to prevent burn out and frustration.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Tonight The Boston BeauTease are presenting Brrrlesque at The Thalia and it’s sold out! We’re bringing the show to Salem tomorrow and the early show is also sold out! Last I heard there were still some tickets available for the 9:30pm show, but I don’t expect they’re going to last very long.

And now, your tip!

When performing on a particularly small or unusually-shaped stage, mark the same size or shape on your rehearsal space floor.

By having a clear delineation of the performance area, you can see if your act needs to be modified (“if I do that, I’m going to smash into a wall”) and you get used to performing within the constraints of the space.

We have a wooden dance floor in our studio, so we use painter’s tape to mark the area. Make sure it’s tape that can be peeled up without damaging the floor. If tape isn’t an option, you could use string or perhaps chalk.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

After wearing heels, stretch your calves.

We burlesque performers love our high heels, but wearing them can cause tight muscles. My favorite stretch is to grab a chair back, a barre, or press your palms into a wall. Step one leg back, bend your front leg, keeping both heels on the ground. Tilt your hips up and press your chest forward. Repeat on the other leg. Sweet relief!

What’s your favorite for high-heel recovery?

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Happy December! Here’s your tip:

Problem solve out loud.

This tip was inspired by this piece from Siderea, author of excellent, insightful essays. If you like it, consider supporting her on Patreon — I do.

When you’re trying to work something out, work through it out loud. I often talk to myself, or these days, to Albert A. Cat (he’s a great listener), when I’m trying to figure out a problem or a plan. You might see your issue from another perspective or realize the solution when you’re trying to explain it to yourself or someone else (or your cat) in a way you can’t when you’re just mulling it over in your head.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe it’s November already. I’ll be performing tomorrow in Bad Luck Burlesque at The Strand Ballroom and I’m teaching and performing next Saturday at RuffleCon. Hope to see you there! And now… here’s your tip!

80% of success is just showing up.
–Woody Allen (attributed)

This is one of those quotes that shows up in a bunch of different forms and can’t be positively traced back to the original source. I like this phraseology best.

It’s often hard to get motivated and sometimes we’d rather stay home, cuddle the cat, eat chips, and watch Netflix. Just by getting your ass in gear and showing up for whatever it is, a class, an audition, a rehearsal, an interview, &c., you’ve done most of the hard work.

I’m reminded of someone I knew, who like most of us, hated going to the gym. His deal with himself was that he could blow off a workout, IF he got dressed, drove to the gym, got out of the car and touched the gym’s doorknob. And most of the time, having gotten there, he figured he might as well go inside and work out.

And if you don’t show up, you’re pretty much guaranteed not to succeed.

Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.