Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Make metal hardware (snaps, hooks, zipper pulls, &c) coordinate with your costume by painting them with the appropriate color of nail polish.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
When making pants tear-away, start with a pair that is at least one size larger than usual.
The easiest way to make tear-away pants is to cut open the outside seam and add snap tape (we’ve used velcro and don’t like it). However, the creates an overlap and thus reduces the size of the pant leg. Your leg is going to create pressure on the snaps if the pants are too tight and you’re at risk of premature poppage.
The picture to the right shows Brigitte and me in our “Factory Girls” overalls. Because I’m leaning over and putting some tension on the fabric, you can see the line of snap tape at the overlap. It would have been better if those overalls were maybe one size bigger, but they were originally made for someone other than me.
You can always make pants fit better with a larger overlap at the waistband. We like to use a whopper popper at the top to keep everything nice & secure and then release them right before the tearaway.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Friday Tip
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! By the way, the weather is kind of nuts here in New England. Last week we had one of the warmest days on record and it’s supposed to snow next week. If you’re coming for a visit, just pack everything. That’s not your tip, though. This is!
Consider your venue when selecting an act for a show.
Some acts are more appropriate for some venues than others. A big stage in a theatre calls for an act that can fill the space — this is a great time to use your big props. A bar wants something a bit more streamlined. Raked seating means the audience can actually see your floorwork. Performing in the round isn’t the best for a fan dance (although I’ve done it!). If the only “backstage” is the ladies’ room, choose a costume that’s fairly compact. &c., &c., &c.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Your tip today comes courtesy of Betty Blaize, who, as we speak, is on the west coast with her Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance) guru preparing for an amazing dance performance she’s going to present in Boston next month.
Betty’s choreography creation metric: one minute of music = one hour of choreographing
For every minute of music in your act, expect it will take you an hour to create the choreography for that minute. Similarly, if you are teaching someone else a choreography, plan on one hour of teaching time for every minute of music.
This is just a rule of thumb. You might be on fire and whip through your creation process. You might get stuck and things take much longer than expected. Once you add more people into the dance, you need to add more time for both creation and teaching.
When you’re figuring on how long it’s going to take you to go from zero to performance, this is a great metric to keep in mind.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!
Price your merch at three to four times what it cost you.
If you are making products, remember to factor in your labor as well as the cost of materials.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
I’d love to tell you that I’m back at my writing desk, but the rigors of February have caught up with me and I am laid low by a wretched illness. Soon I will be back to finish recounting the wonders of The Great Burlesque Expo and tell you all about my trip to L.A.
But even weakened and coughing, I would not forget your Friday Tip. Today, a travel tip for you.
When flying à deux choose the aisle and window seats. There’s a good chance you’ll end up with an empty seat between you.
Obviously this doesn’t always work, but it’s always worth a try. Nobody chooses to sit in a middle seat unless there are no other options.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
As you read this, I am winging my way to lovely, warm Los Angeles, but I would never forget your tip. Here it is!
Done is good.
Sometime we just don’t have the luxury of time, money, or skill to make something exactly, perfectly as we dreamed it would be. You can always go back and fix it, but for now, when you need it, done is good.
Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Expo 2016: The Conference
Dear Constant Reader,
I confess that I went to fewer classes this year that I think I ever have before. I was just so busy and tired this year. However, the ones I made it to were uniformly terrific.
Saturday
Lazy Stripper Techniques: Eye-Fucking for Beginners (Maggie McMuffin): Eye contact is one of those things that’s so important and yet I often shy away from. We did some really helpful exercises, practicing eye contact with different messages. Besides eye-fucking we also learned about the importance of walls.
Burlesque, Broadway & Hollywood (Sailor St. Claire): This was so much fun. A look at how burlesque influenced (and still does) Broadway and Hollywood productions. Accompanied by one of Sailor’s terrific presentations with stills *and* clips from “Silk Stockings” (you must see it!). Apparently she knew this class would be Mina-bait because she included as many pictures with fans as possible.
Sunday
Burlesque vs. the Real World (panel): A discussion on how to deal with being a burlesque performer in a world that can be hostile to what we do. Honestly, this isn’t usually my interest, but panels often bring up things I never would have thought of. Mostly, I’m lucky that “outing” has never been a problem.
Stalking the Stocking (me): Although Scandal did her best not to throw me under the bus this year (9am on Sunday, opposite Willy Barrett, &c.), I only had a single student. However, she was completely new to the world of stocking removes, so we had a terrific one-on-one lesson that I hope was valuable for her.
Adding Drama with Isis Wings (Baroness Blitzen von Schtupp): I’ve had a pair of wings gathering dust (and wrinkles) for a couple of years now. I’m a lot more comfortable using them now after this class. I certainly got my quota of spinning and an arm work out. Number one project before I try using the wings again: replace the sticks. The cheap wooden ones had broken inside the wings which made holding them a little challenging.
Dirty, Sexy, Smooth Chair Dancing (Red Hot Annie): A fun class and a real work out.We learned chair moves in a little choreography, which changed and evolved as we did it. The song we used was “In These Shoes”, which Betty often uses for a warm-up, so there was a little aural confusion for me at first. The hotel chairs are really terrible — the backs are too high and they’re balanced poorly — but we did our best. I decided to save the inversion tricks until I’m in the studio with my beloved Stefan. A few people went down and I didn’t want to add myself to those numbers.
As always I’m grateful to all the teachers who share their knowledge and all the students who give the teachers someone to teach and Scandal and her staff for making it possible.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful time at The Expo last week. It’s hard to believe it was a week ago. I’m still recovering and Stately Babydoll Manor is a wreck.
Of course, there’s no time to rest because tomorrow and Valentine’s Day The Boston BeauTease are presenting R&J: A Shakespearean Burlesque. Tickets are almost sold out, so jump on it or miss out!
And now, here’s your Friday Tip!
Pack headphones in your gig bag.
You’ll want to listen to your music and warm up your act before you go on stage. But you don’t want to disturb any of your fellow performers who have their own pre-show rituals with their own timing of them. So, make sure you always have your headphones.
Like this tip? There are more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
The Expo starts today! It’s been a really busy several months and this week has been really crazy. The weekend is going to be so busy, but so worth it. You can find me performing in The Rhinestone Revue, judging The Main Event, teaching “Stalking the Stocking”, hosting my Tea Party, hosting The Sunday Showcases, and, of course, working strike. I hope to see you there!
With no further delay, here’s your tip! Straight from the lips of Mr. Scratch…
Get your butt to The Expo.
Seriously folks. It’s an amazing event. It’s worth it just to check out the Exhibit Hall: shopping, the Costume Exhibit, Art Show, Historic Lingerie Display and Fashion Show, meet the Legendary Guest of Honor, Drop-in classes! But what makes the Expo so incredible is The Conference, where you can take classes from experts from all over the world. And of course, the fantastic shows and super-fun parties. Let’s face it, it’s just an incredible weekend.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 