New York's Most Experienced Burlesque Teacher!
Voted Best Burlesque Teacher and Mentor at the 2006 New York Burlesque Festival.
NEW YORK CITY
About the weekly class:
Registration (opens in a new window)
WHEN:
Sunday classes are from 3-4 pm or 4:30-5:30 pm for the dates listed. Two-hour basic moves workshops are usually from 2:30 to 4:30 pm on the second Saturday of the month.
WHERE:
440 Studios, Studio 3B
Click here for map and directions.
September 10 (SOLD OUT), October 8, November 12 (3-4 pm): Chair Dance.
Learn the nuances of burlesque posture and attitude! Make any movement into a burlesque. This is a chair-dance class.
Bonus: The moves in chair dancing help to tighten abdominal and upper arm muscles!
September 17 (SOLD OUT), October 15, November 19 (3-4 pm): Your Fine Feathered Friends: Fan-dancing, Classic and New.
Walk through the basic moves of the fan dance.
Marabou fans will be available in class, but bring a pair of your own fans. When you make a reservation, you'll receive information on where to get various kinds of fans, ranging in price from $5-$500 each. Check out http://www.pearlriver.com for big paper fans and http://www.thefeatherplace.com for all kinds of feather fans. The least expensive place to buy a pair of the large ostrich feather fans is ostrich.com.
Movements include the Swirl and Winging It.
Bonus: The moves involved in fan-dancing can lengthen and tighten upper arm muscles!
September 24, October 22 (3-4 pm), November 19 (4:30-5:30 pm): Costumes and Choreography: Memorable Costuming and Embellishment.
You've got to put it on if you want to take it off, and in burlesque, the way you take it off dictates your choreography. In this class you'll learn where to shop online and in New York City, and how to embellish store-bought costumes to make them your own. You'll also learn how to make any item breakaway. You'll get tips on how to make your burlesque costumes stand out. You can bring your costumes to be workshopped. Movements include the "strap tease" and the shimmy.
Bonus: the bump, grind, and shimmy are great exercise!
October 1, October 29 (3-4 pm), November 12 (4:30-5:30 pm).
Developing an Act
This class is is about music, themes and characterization--i.e., coming up with an act. This is a lecture and discussion oriented class. If you've wanted to discuss your ideas for performances, this is the place!
Bonus: Coming up with new ideas and themes keeps your creativity constantly developing!
NEW CLASS!
Pastie-Making and Tassel-Twirling
In this class you will actually make your own pasties, and learn how to decorate them, make tassels, and create various shapes for the holidays! Includes 10 patterns for popular shapes such as heart, star, Christmas Tree, flame, and skull-and-crossbone.
FEE:
$30, includes all-pastie-making materials.
WHEN:
November 18, 4:30-6 pm.
WHERE:
440 Studios, Studio 3B
Click here for map and directions.
$10 deposit via paypal required.
Make a reservation.
The weekly classes are conducted in a dance studio. Each class is one hour long. Each series of four classes repeats monthly. When you email me to reserve a spot, you must tell me the date of the class in which you're interested.
Classes and/or workshops may be taken in any order. You do not need to have taken the two hour workshop before taking a one-hour class, or vice versa. Take whatever you're interested in, in any order, or even take only one.
Classes and workshops are suitable for just about anyone without physical restrictions that prevent them from being able to do chair dance or fan dance (your registration implies your responsibility for this--please check with a doctor if you're not sure whether or not chair dancing or fan dancing is safe for you. You may have your doctor contact me to verify what these dances entail).
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions, such as "What to wear?"
Click here for the two-hour workshops, which take place every other month. The next one will be held November 11.
All schedules are subject to change; if you have made a reservation, you will be informed of any schedule changes.
Reservations required.
Click here to find out how to make a reservation.
I will have some accessories available when needed, but please bring gloves, a boa, or any other item you want to learn how to perform with.
You won't be able to take my accessories home, so you won't be able to rehearse after the class if you don't have your own!
In the two-hour workshop, I go through many moves quickly. In these one-hour classes, we'll spend each class going over only one or two moves or aspects of performing.
Each one-hour class is $15, 4 for $50. You can also buy a package of two classes and one two-hour workshop for $50. Please bring cash (exact change is great so we can spend less time handling money and more time dancing!) or pay in advance via paypal. Pastie-making kits will be available for $5. On some occasions premade pasties may also be available, but they will not be available in every class. When available they will cost $10.
You don't need to have taken the workshop or have any experience to take the class.
These classes are perfect for both beginners seeking confidence, and experienced dancers who are curious about the language of burlesque.
Please note: classes repeat. That means that the two-hour workshop in June is the same class as the two-hour workshop in November. Taking it twice can be fun, but it's not necessary. This is not a college, there are only half a dozen different classes offered.
I will have some items available, but please bring gloves, a boa, or any other item you want to learn how to perform with.
You won't be able to take them home, so you won't be able to rehearse after the class if you don't have your own!
You can wear whatever you'll be comfortable in; there will not be anywhere to change. I do recommend wearing a bra with straps to the costuming class, so you can practice the "strap tease."
You won't be expected to remove any clothing, although if you prefer to for the tassel-twirl, you may do so. You can wait and see how you feel about it in the class.
After the workshop, you'll have the opportunity to perform in a Student Showcase at the Legendary Slipper Room! This is NOT the student showcase that is occurring the night of your class. The date of the next showcase will be announced in my yahoo group. You must join my yahoo group to be notified of showcase performance opportunities.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be 21 or over to perform at the Slipper Room.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gstringsforever/
Members of the yahoo group will be the first to be notified of showcases and the showcase is usually booked up with yahoo group members, so please join if you want to perform in one.
In the one-hour class, you'll be able to request to work on a particular move or aspect of performing.
Class content may be determined by class concensus in the first few minutes of class
or via email beforehand.
If you have a request, it's first come first served.
Otherwise, I will determine the class content based on the content of previous classes.
I'm organized by email, so please use email to contact me. rocknycity@aol.com
When you email me to reserve a spot, you must tell me the date of the class in which you're interested.
I may need to contact you to let you know if the class is cancelled or timechanged.
Printouts pf my handbook may be available in class for $7.
The handbook includes a brief overview of the moves, plus tips on creating original performances, coming up with a stage name, costuming, where to shop, what music you can practice with, plus a list of recommended movies and books.
The longer version of this handbook with photos is in production and under contract.
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