Dear Constant Reader,
Saturday morning I was starting to feel the effects of travel plus a bunch of dance classes, so I started by day off (after breakfast, of course) with Soft Core Stretching (Inga Ingenue): A blissful hour of stretching, yoga, and a little core work at the end. Just the thing.
Stripping Behind the Fans (Michelle L’amour): Another packed class and the big fans didn’t help visibility at all. Again, Michelle taught perched on a couple of chairs. I’m told the Sunday afternoon run of the class was much less crowded. We learned how to hold 2 fans in one hand (Michelle truly has more strength in her little finger than almost anyone) and how to strip off gloves and a bra while doing so.
A brief break for lunch and some shopping and back to class I went.
Beginner Burlesque Choreography (Perle Noir): Ah, a chance to dance with Perle Noir. We learned a short choreography to “Cuban Pete” (the Desi Arnaz version, not the one Betty uses). It was just complex enough to be fun and simple enough to not be frustrating. Perfect.
Advance Chair Dancing (Lux LaCroix): I was expecting to get my ass kicked in this class. I ended up with a banged elbow (still sore after more than a week), a bruised thigh, and utterly sore muscles. It was glorious. There are several moves I am totally going to use in my next chair dance and a whole bunch I need to work up to. More core for sure.
At this point I took a much needed break instead of going to another class.
Illuminating Costumes (Laika Fox & Scarlett O’Hairdye): This class focused on using LEDs and EL wire in costumes. There was an introductory presentation about what they were and how they worked and then the room was spit into two groups for demos. I was in the LED group. Sewing, even with conductive wire, is right up my alley, so there’s a non-zero chance of working with LEDs in the future. On the other hand, I’m sorry I didn’t see the EL wire demo; I’ve always wanted to learn to solder.
After the previous night’s dinner debacle, everyone was promised there would be enough food, so not to rush the hospitality room. When I arrived, about an hour after service had begun, Scratch was standing in the hallway, directing people to any of the three rooms which had been set up with tables of delicious Mexican food. And the food tables had been arranged so people could go down both sides, which I knew was Scratch’s doing. It was so efficient that I had my tacos (thanks Tigerlily Salon!) in no time.
After a visit to Dr. Jen for some custom foundation formulation (more on that in the missive devoted to shopping), we attended the peer reviews, although missing the first few acts.
For those of you who are wonder what that means, it’s an opportunity to get feedback on an act from your fellow burlesquers. The performer get to say a few words about the act and specify why they want feedback, then they perform. A few audience members, selected by a moderator, get to give commentary and everyone has the opportunity to write notes which are given to the performer. One of the hardest parts is that the performer must remain silent while the feedback is given. I did it a couple of years ago and found it very valuable. Although I must say, performing for my peers (Yikes! Jo Weldon is in the front row!) is much more nerve-racking than for the average audience.
It seemed like a lot of the commenters started out with “Oh My God! That was incredible! You’re amazing and I love you!” Very nice, but it would have made me nuts to have the precious time (I think there’s only about 5 minutes for each performer to receive comments) taken up with empty praise instead of useful feedback.
I was particularly struck with acts by Deanna Danger, Darlinda Just Darlinda, and Sailor St. Claire. I hope I have the opportunity to see their performances again after they’ve incorporated the thoughts they were given.
Then the evening event I’d been waiting for — the Movie Pajama Party! Okay, I wasn’t actually looking forward to watching “Zeta One”, but I had a great outfit.
That amazing robe was made by Catherine D’Lish and I adore it. many people recognized the style right off the bat, so I didn’t even have to brag about who made it. The photo was specifically taken for Corinne Southern who had recently announced that she desired “Catherine D’Lish dressing gowns” and “Boudoir slippers with feathers on them” and when I mentioned I’d be wearing both, insisted on a picture. You can’t see my marabou trimmed mules in the photo.
I stayed just long enough to be seen, not win the raffle drawing, and watch the “previews” (here, I’ll share: a music video, a PSA, and the only actual movie trailer). Then I strolled around in my regal glory, accepting compliments, and never quite managing to make it to the bar for a Kitten DeVille cocktail.
One more day!
Performance Tips (Kitten DeVille): I’ve had the privilege of being in a couple of shows with Kitten and that only made me more appreciative of her sexy prowling and audience-pleasing moves. It’s all in the details, as it turns out. Hand position, eye contact, chin up or down. There’s a lot of subtlety required to really tease the audience. And she made us do this killer leg exercise during our warm-up. I’m totally keeping it.
I did want to wear my Junior Prom gown (yes, I still have it), but alas, my boobs are bigger and my back more muscular than when I was 16 and I can no longer zip it up past my bra strap. Bummer. Despite Indigo Blue suggesting I just let my boobs hang out, I opted for a black cocktail dress that reminded me of the prom gown just a little. I did bring the same clutch I used for the original occasion but decided not to curl and tease my hair into the giant explosion it had been back then. Scratch was dashing in a ruffled tuxedo shirt and a fuzzy tiger print jacket. Pictured is the corsage he gave me, made by Cristal Blu (it can be worn as a fascinator too!). He had a matching boutonniere, but I think it’s still in his suitcase.
This is going to be a long missive, as it was one long day… The drive from Rochester to Cleveland was easy, although there was a *spectacular* thunderstorm as we passed through Buffalo. We got to the hotel with enough time to rest up before we had to be at the Beachland Ballroom. We were at the venue promptly and had time to run our number twice on stage, figuring out the proper blocking. I’ll get back to this later.
Since we were in the headliner block at the end of the show, we could relax and enjoy the whole first half of the show. Scratch was one of the MCs and really kept things moving along, as is necessary with a festival show. There were about 25 acts, plus handing out half a dozen 
We saw stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and the rare stalag-mouse (supposedly the calcified corpse of a pet mouse). After walking through the caves for a while, following the icy River Styx, we arrived at the Lake of Venus and got into boats. Our boat pilot was a gal whose name I never got, but gave us some fun insider dope about being a cave guide. She and her identical twin sister would sometimes switch groups if they didn’t think anyone was paying enough attention. The picture shows Stella and D.D. gawking at the rock formations. And yes, we were all bundled up in sweatshirts. It’s 52 degrees in the cave.
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 
