Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Invest in professional quality fishnets.

They’re made of a very strong elastic that really holds and shapes everything. You’ll want to make sure you clip the waistband to avoid a weird silhouette (I speak from experience here!). Yes, they are much more expensive and yes, they’ll leave net-dents on your legs. They’re very durable and can actually be mended, so they’ll last much longer than the cheaper ones. They’ve got solid soles, so you’re not standing on mesh. If you get them in a color close to your skin tone, they’re practically invisible and all the audience sees is your great legs and amazing ass!

Here’s a pair in action!

M2

Published in: on 1 November 2013 at 2:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! This week’s tip was inspired by recent personal experience.

Don’t bobble your buttons; make your removes a snap!

Cute, no?

I love a good button tease. Slowly slipping a little button out of its snug hole, gliding the fingers down to the next one, all the while eyes are on the audience… Lovely.

However, if those buttons are devilish, don’t fumble around. Replace them with snaps. Well, don’t *replace* the buttons, because they are a lovely detail and make your garment look finished. Hide the snaps under them. This will mean that your garment now opens the opposite way, so be aware of that.

And don’t forget my previous tip about positioning snaps!

I was rehearsing an act for the Halloween show at the Landsdowne Pub on Tuesday which involves a prim blouse with a ton of buttons down the front in sets of three. Here’s the catch: only the middle button of the three is a fastener. It was making me crazy trying to unfasten the correct button smoothly and without looking. Snaps it is!

But to make the blouse look right, I couldn’t just sew snaps under the buttons, because of those decorative buttons flanking each buttonhole. I had to remove the “real” button and sew it on top of the buttonhole between the other two and then sew on the snaps. I think it came out pretty well.

Here it is being modeled by My Little Friend. I don’t think it’s obvious that those buttons are now faux. Decide for yourself when you see it in action on Tuesday night.

M2

Published in: on 25 October 2013 at 10:25 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

As we get closer to Halloween, here’s a tip that’s applicable all year ’round, but especially now.

Consider very strongly before investing in an all-black costume.

We all love black. It’s sexy, slimming, and mysterious. However, details and contrast are often lost. Backdrops in venues are frequently black, making you vanish into the curtain. Also, because there’s low contrast, your gloved hand is going to be invisible against your gown, making your come hither gestures also invisible.

Here’s an illustration:
champagne on ice
Can you see my black stocking against the black curtains in the background? Yeah, me neither.

Combine black with accent colors and your costume will be more versatile and visible.

M2

Published in: on 18 October 2013 at 10:31 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Classes at B.A.B.E.

Dear Constant Reader,

I hope you won’t mind a brief commercial plug here. As you know, I run a modest school devoted to teaching ladies of all sorts to tease and tempt. We’ve got a few fabulous classes upcoming!

Every month we teach Introduction to Burlesque. It’s a four-week course that covers all the burlesque basics (and then some). The 90-minute classes are designed to stand alone, so you could take just one to try it out, but it’s more fun with all four (and we have a special Early Bird rate). Take it with Devora Darling on Mondays in November or Mandy on Thursdays in December.

Don’t have time to commit to an entire class series? Burlesque for Beginners will give you a grounding in the fundamentals in just two hours. We’re offering it on Thursday, October 24 at 7-9pm with Stella Diamond.

Once a year we offer Burlesque Your Way, in which Mr. Scratch and I guide students through creating their very own routine. Students who successfully complete the course can perform in The Original Newcomers’ Showcase at the Great Burlesque Exposition in February! The course is 5 weekly classes, starting on Thursday, January 2nd and requires Introduction to Burlesque, Burlesque for Beginners, or the equivalent.

Here are some of the graduates of Burlesque Your Way performing at The Expo in 2012 (photos by Chris McIntosh):

Amber

Amber Bu Táne
Dagny

Dagny Vanderlust

Lana del Legs

Strawberry

Strawberry MILFshake
Gigi

Delilah Spring
Pink Lily

Pink Lily

And speaking of the The Great Burlesque Exposition of 2014, applications to perform close on Halloween! I want to encourage everyone to go. There are amazing performers (including Angie Pontani, Bazuka Joe, and Perle Noire!), excellent classes, tons of shopping, and fun parties. You’ll be totally inspired. It’s a fabulous opportunity to grow as a performer or just enjoy a glitter-drenched weekend. Price for The Whole Shebang (that’s access to absolutely everything*) is currently only $175, but that’s not going to last.

I hope to see you at B.A.B.E. soon!

M2

*except Master Classes

Published in: on 16 October 2013 at 12:12 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , ,

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday and time for your tip!

Sing your choreography.

This is a trick we picked up from Betty. If you sing the steps of your dance to the tune of your song, they’re easier to remember.

Just the other day we were talking about an act we haven’t done in nearly a year and ended up chorusing “To the right, to the left, bounce in a circle, shoulder shift!” to the tune of “Little Brown Jug”. I can’t hear the opening of Joe Jackson’s “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” without thinking “lunge outward, now turn around, lunge inward, now turn again”.

Try it! It’s fun!

M2

Published in: on 11 October 2013 at 1:35 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Thank you all for the messages of support and sympathy about our venue woes. The W. R. Athskellar Cabinet of Curiosities will be seen someday, just not this October.

On to your Friday tip!

It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.

I’m quoting Jimmy Dugan from A League of Their Own which Scratch thinks is the greatest movie about burlesque* ever. He frequently identifies with the Rockford Peaches’ manager and quotes him often.

M2
* And the greatest baseball movie too. I respectfully disagree in that Bull Durham is the greatest baseball movie.

Published in: on 4 October 2013 at 2:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

I know I’ve been away from my writing desk for ages. I will try to find some time to let you know all about what’s been going on with The W.R. Athskellar Cavalcade of Curiosities.

Today’s tip comes from poet Shel Silverstein:

Some kind of help is the kind of help that helping’s all about. And some kind of help is the kind of help we all can do without.

I think we’ve all found ourselves either giving or receiving that second kind of help…

M2

Published in: on 27 September 2013 at 12:28 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I’m sorry for the lack of epistles, but things have been a little frantic as we get ready for The W. R. Athskellar Cavalcade of Curiosities. More frantic than planned, but that’s a story for another time.

Today’s tip is about bras and it’s not just for the burlesque performer.

Your bra’s band should go straight across your back. If it rises up between your shoulder blades, it’s too big.

Too often ladies compensate for a band that’s too loose by tightening up the shoulder straps more, which only compounds the problem. A properly fitting band should be snug, but you should still be able to slip one finger under it. The shoulder straps should never be cutting into your flesh.

M2

Published in: on 20 September 2013 at 11:02 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

I find myself sewing a lot of snaps on costumes right now. Lining up the halves perfectly can be fussy. Here’s a little tip that will help:

For perfectly aligned snaps, sew one half of the snap in place, rub it with chalk, then close the garment as if it was being worn. There will be a chalk mark right where the other half of the snap should be sewn.

M2

Published in: on 13 September 2013 at 11:19 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

A couple of notes before we get to your tip.

First, between the Boston Babydolls’ show and the B.A.B.E. workshop we raised $550 for Dixie Evans Week. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Next, Tuesday is Teaseday! Get your tickets in advance and save! Support your favorite performer and she might get The Great Teaseday Cookie! Last I heard Vikki Likkerish was in the lead.

Now for that tip!

Make your act the same length as your music.

I’ve seen too many performers walk off stage while their music is still playing or have the music end before the act is over. The key is to know your music, know your choreography, and know where the 2 intersect.

You should have milestones in the music and in your choreography, so even if you get a little off-track, you can find your place again. You might have to briefly vamp or speed up, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable, if you are confident in what you do.

If you’re still always coming up short, edit the music or adjust your choreography.

M2

Published in: on 6 September 2013 at 12:44 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »