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Burlesque is a type of performance bringing together a sizzling dance style with elaborate vintage costumes, cool retro tunes and a lot of sassy fun!
Burlesque as an entertainment art form evolved from the late 19th century through to the "bump and grind" era of the 1940s and 50s. In burlesque's heyday (those golden days before television, when people had to go out to be entertained) burlesque was a grand affair! A burlesque show combined live music, comedians, variety acts, a chorus line and of course, glamorous burlesque headliners, in an elegant theatre with a full orchestra, grand sets and elaborate costumes! A burlesque queen in this golden era would enchant with her beauty, delight with her dance, and captivate her audience with the art of the tease!
Burlesque died out in the 1960s, as the sexual revolution transformed gender norms and sexual taboos, and full nudity and explicit pornography flooded the market, but it was revived in the 1990s as a post-modern movement by women for women. The neo-burlesque movement champions the natural beauty, glamour and sex appeal of women of all ages, shapes and sizes. In particular, neo-burlesque performers around the world have adopted the aesthetics of the 1940s and 50s, embracing the womanly curves denied by modern popular culture. Today's burlesque is a sugar-coated approach to sexuality, bringing mystery, allure, fantasy and glamour back to the stage
Burlesque takes many different manifestations, as varied and unique as the many individuals who strut the burlesque stage. Burlesque is not a dance form that you need to conform to, but a dance form that moulds to your individual tastes, style and body type. Burlesque is for everyone! Your personality, your body type, your musical instincts and your personal inspirations will influence your particular brand of burlesque.
Please wear whatever you feel comfortable in, and clothing that will allow for ease of movement/dance. Basic "workout" gear such as leggings and a top are perfectly fine if you so wish, however we do also encourage people to come along a little bit "dressed up" to each session as it really does add a bit of "Vamp", is great for your movement/dance technique, and most importantly, your self-confidence. Heels are also very useful and please don't wear jeans!
We will be having “Dress Dances” where we have basic “costume”, but these items should be easily found in your own wardrobes and underwear drawers. Once you start to learn certain routines, we can then add the finishing touches by means of clothing, props, accessories, etc.
Definitely not! Burlesque isn't about nudity, it's about the tease! It's about allure, about mystery and glamour, everything we're missing in today's society. Though it may have been scandalously saucy in the early 20th century, against the backdrop of the 21st century, burlesque is an innocent and playful approach to women's sexuality. Today, it is most definitely more tantalizing to conceal than to reveal
The main difference between burlesque and stripping is the idea of the tease. Stripping is simply about revealing nudity, whereas burlesque is an entertainment art, based around dance, musicality and the art of the tease. For instance, in the time that it would take your average strip-act to have removed the entirety of their clothing, a Burlesque performer may have only just finished peeling off her satin glove.
Burlesque also evolved alongside vaudeville and cabaret, so it has an entertainment focus that is missing in stripping. Burlesque is often light-hearted, involving comedy, parody or theatrical elements. And of course, modern burlesque celebrates real women with real bodies. Burlesque is about vintage glamour, sophistication, spectacular entertainment and a little bit of fantasy!
Burlesque courses are recommended for ladies only to help create an atmosphere in our burlesque classes in which the ladies can feel safe and relaxed. This is not to discourage men, in fact, 'boylesque' is a big contributor to the richness of neo-burlesque scenes worldwide!, If a few gentlemen register their interest to participate in a course, we will occasionally run a co-ed course.
No more than 10 students are in any workshop, which guarantees
lots of individual attention
I have never done any dancing before, can I still take the course?
Absolutely! No experience is needed whatsoever. All our classes
cater to all levels of dance experience, from those with two left
feet all the way through to experienced dancers!
Absolutely! Burlesque is about drawing out your inner sensuality and finding ways to express it that suit you, no matter what your style, age, size, body type, background or ability. It doesn't matter if you're skinny or flat-chested, plus-size or pear-shaped, if you have cellulite or tattoos, whatever! You will leave feeling sexier and empowered, and a whole lot more glamorous.
Book a course or session on the Course Payment Page. Please telephone for further details or contact us through the enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as possible
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On this beginners 6 week course you will learn
to dance Burlesque in a variety of styles ranging from authentic
Burlesque, Bump & Grind, Striptease, Belly Dance, Chair Dance,
Fan Dance plus Stage and Show styles of Burlesque.
Using
props & themes, our burlesque classes help build confidence,
improve body image and will tease the vixen out of any woman! We
will teach you to release your sexiness and use your femininity
in saucy burlesque style! You are guaranteed to have fun and
will leave feeling empowered with masses of sex appeal. There
will be no full nudity in class and the basic striptease
routines will be done with underwear on the top of clothing.
By the end of the course, you will be a fledgling burlesque
performer with new found confidence and all will discover your
own style with the knowledge needed to put together your own
performance!
We will start with the exciting history and background of the Burlesque dance as a performance art form and the burlesque style clothing and accessories. This will be done lecture style using images and videos so you get a real idea of the Burlesque image, style and performance’
We will then explore some very simple every day gestures and movements and their evolution and transformation into Burlesque choreography. You will learn how to stand and how to walk. This will be followed by techniques, poses, positions and will cover the bump and grind movements. Without these foundations, no one can evolve into a true Burlesque Artiste! We will also cover the difference between Belly dance and burlesque and explain/demonstrate their similarities. You will then perform a very simple routine made up from these simple bump and grind movements.
You will learn further performance skills and will be taught gestures and the power of stillness and eye contact with your audience. You will be taught shimmy movements and a progression of the chair work as a prop, ending the session with a simple burlesque chair routine incorporating all of the movements learned during this session.
You will learn how to use a prop in your act and learn the art of the elegant fan dance. We will teach you how to use a fan and some simple fan techniques. We will finish with a fan dance routine and guarantee that you will fall in love with this elegant dance form.
On this session you will learn useful stripping and teasing skills and how to remove items of clothing (underwear will be worn on top of clothing). You will then be taught strip tease routines to different styles of music utilising all of the movements, poses and techniques learned from the previous weeks. We will also focus on the difference between the UK and USA style of Burlesque.
You will learn how to incorporate the movements into a routine that is a little more complex involving shimmy’s, bump & grinds and movements that will allow you to progress around the stage. Gestures will also be a focus, using the face and body to expand on your awareness of the art of seduction and playfulness.
We will recap the previous week’s lessons and go through the majority of the routines that you have learned. This session will focus on the cabaret style of Burlesque and will end with a spectacular performance of either the famous chair routine ‘Mein Heir’ as seen in Cabaret by Liza Minnelli or the ‘All that Jazz’ routine from Chicago
The course will start with a recap on what you learned on the bump and grind and shimmy techniques and will work on the sexy ‘Hootchy Cootchy’ style and also incorporating gestures and how to gain eye contact with the audience and have fun with what you are doing.
We will progress on your further performance skills and taught more complex moves on the chair ending with a chair performance, again incorporating gestures and further chair skills that you have learned.
We will teach you how to use other props such as feather boas, umbrellas, hats and feather dusters and how to incorporate a prop into your routine. We will also recap the fan dance and improve on your skills on this art performance.
You will progress with striping and teasing skills and we will show you how to incorporate nipple tassels into a routine and then finish with a strip tease routine ending with nipple tassel twirling (on top of clothing as an option).
We will teach you the basics of Belly dancing . The focus of the dance being the pelvic and hip area. We will finish with a routine choreographed to a modern piece of music.
We will recap all of the previous 5 weeks and end with the Lady Marmalade dance from the Moulin Rouge video, this will also give you an opportunity to perform, bringing your very own style into your performance.
In infusion of Burlesque style dance utilising the pole. There are no spins or tricks, just dance moves that will be choreographed in a way that is designed to make you feel sexy and sassy!
The session start with a pole warm up and then you will be taught pole dance moves both on and off the floor. You are encouraged to wear your high heels for this session and will be taught and easy to follow sexy pole dance routine. The more confident you become of the routine, you will be encouraged to free your mind and body as you move to the music. The classes will finish with a wind down stretch to leave you feeling invigorated
You will be taught a burlesque style chair dance utilising the pole. No spins or tricks and a little more physically demanding than the Polesque (much less demanding than the pole fitness classes!) which means you will get a total body body workout, working your stomach, arms and legs.
This session will give you the moves to perform an extremely hot lap dance and routine with a chair and a smile. You will learn the most sensual and enticing dance ever created
You will learn a few basic moves in this style of burlesque. Can can is energetic, fun and suitable for everyone. Can can was originally a rowdy, raucous dance, so we are encouraged to be as loud as possible on your final session.
Why not organise a Burlesque dance session to
celebrate your hen party? The sessions are a fun filled one and
half hour activity. The lesson is light-hearted striptease moves
with NO nudity! You’ll learn how to walk a boa, peel a glove &
stocking. Shimmy, shake, bump & grind - with an easy to do
routine. Modern striptease is classy and the men in your lives
will love it! The workshops can be adapted to suit particular
groups and there are 3 different workshops to choose from. Nibbles are included in the price as well
as certificates at the end of the session and you are asked to bring
your own drink.
Minimum 7 people required for hen parties
Minimum age 18 years
We suggest wearing shorts and a vest or something you can move
freely in
Don’t forget to wear a pair of high heels or boots to get a real
feel for the day.
