Feather Fans For Everyone with Porcelain Doll
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 7 pm - 9 pm Central About the workshop: Porcelain Doll lives for feather fans and teaching feather fans to everyone who wants to experience the joy of this beautiful artwork. With a decade of studying feather and all types of other [...]
Providing Accessibility Both On and Off the Stage: Producers and Instructors with Minda Mae
About the workshop: Disabilities vary widely from person to person and can be visible or invisible. They can be due to physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional, or sensory impairment. Disabilities can also be dynamic or affect one person entirely differently than another. Accessibility Statements share existing accommodations and accessibility [...]
Requesting Accessibility Both On and Off the Stage: Performers and Students with Minda Mae
Dates: Tuesday, November 14th, for 90 minutes and Tuesday, November 21st, for 30 minutes at 7 pm Central. This will be recorded! About the workshop: Being a performer and student is hard enough as it is. Being a disabled adds more complicated layers, especially if you don’t know [...]
Introduction to Burlesque with Mellogamy Muse
About the workshop: In this 6-week series, you’ll learn basic fundamental burlesque moves adapted where required to suit your ability. Walks, Traces, Bumps and Grinds, Shimmies, and Teases are all included in this fun introduction to burlesque. This is a beginner's burlesque course designed for those who may have [...]
Seated Spanish Fan with Anani I’naru
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 7 pm - 9 pm Central About the workshop: This 2-hour class is for anyone interested in learning some of the history of the fan, the language of the fan, and how to use it in dance (movements to music will be [...]
What was the most accessible event you’ve been a part of?
What comes to mind when you think of accessibility? According to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education, accessibility is “when a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the [...]
What was one accommodation you were pleasantly surprised existed, even without having to ask?
It feels like disabled folks are constantly having to ask for accessible options or accommodations, but it sure is nice when we don’t have to. In addition to things like being able to roll into a venue and be able to access the bathroom, dressing room, and stage [...]
Face It: Storytelling From the Neck Up with Margo Mayhem
About the workshop: Did you know there are 42 muscles in the human face? And you can use them as part of your storytelling! Come release your inhibitions and learn useful tools to help your face match your movements as well as how to maximize your expressiveness onstage. Taught by [...]
Red Flag, Green Flag: Liability Concerns for the Burlesque Industry
About: The second panel in our “Red Flag, Green Flag” series builds on our broader conversation about safety. Liability issues that aren’t properly addressed beforehand can lead to irreparable harm and significant financial burdens. Performers, producers, stage technicians, venue owners, and managers should know how to keep themselves, and [...]
What is one thing you wish people knew about disabilities?
The effects of disabilities are as diverse as the people with them. Disabilities vary widely from person to person and can be visible or invisible. They can be due to physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional, or sensory impairment. Disabilities can also be dynamic or affect one person completely [...]
Bendy for All Bodies: DisabiliBabe Edition with Charlie Sharp
About the workshop: Do you want gorgeous lines and dynamic poses to incorporate into your dance routines? These movements start with strength and flexibility. Join Charlie to learn how to warm up the body in a way that supports joint health and protects against injury. Then work with a [...]
What’s stopping you from taking virtual classes?
Work was intense. The roommates are loud. You’ve gotta find a corner with a bare background and log in to YET ANOTHER Zoom. It’s a reality for a lot of people nowadays. While online classes have seen major growth in the last few years and have offered options [...]
Taxes Demystified: Writing off Rhinestones with Court Symons
About the workshop: Can I deduct my monthly mani-pedis? Do I really need to have my receipts? Does my storage room count as an office space? What makes a costume/prop become an asset? If these questions crossed your mind as you prepared your taxes, you are not alone. Join [...]
Accounting Basics for Performers with Nicola Swan
About the workshop: Have you ever wondered if dance classes and costumes are legitimate business expenses? Or how to account for travel that combines a personal vacation with a performance opportunity? Keeping track of finances can be confusing in creative industries! Understanding the basics of accounting can help you [...]
Booked & Busy with Miss Paige
About the workshop: Known to have a passion for branding and identity, Miss Paige sharde how to contact corporate and community producers, differentiate your work, receive repeat bookings, and how to shatter that burlesque glass ceiling, all presented in a clear and approachable manner. Improve your business know-how with [...]
Creating a Business Strategy for Burlesque Performers with Kitty Campari
About the workshop: Kitty helps performers devise a strategy for their performing business and understand that performing can be a financially successful career. She discusses branding, marketing, applying for jobs, fee setting, and most importantly, the mindset around seeing performing as a business. [...]
Burlesque as Industry: The Business of You! with Cruel Valentine
About the workshop: In this course, we'll discuss the industry of burlesque and key things you need to know to stay sharp and succeed in the business of sparkle. Topics we'll cover include: negotiations, knowing your rights and responsibilities under contracts, protecting your work, passive and alternative revenue streams, [...]
What is the best virtual class you’ve ever taken?
The COVID-19 pandemic took away opportunities for individuals to learn in-person, but provided a new opportunity - virtual learning. Virtual classes have removed many of the barriers to education such as physical, financial, time, or transportation constraints and have helped ensure that students can have access to quality [...]
What sanist words do you often hear?
Sticks and stones may break bones. But sanist words? They can actually be really harmful. In a previous post about ableism, we discussed how words we normalize can be harmful. In a similar vein, today we want to discuss sanism (or saneism) and mentalism, as well as the [...]
Business Basics January!
New Year, New Business? Or maybe you just want to pick up some new tips and tricks or get a refresher? Join us for Burlesque Business Basics January! Each week in January, we hosted a different workshop. All workshops are ready to rent or purchase! Burlesque as Industry: [...]
Pretty Hands for Burlesque with Empress Eyrie
About the workshop: Join Empress Eyrie for a watch party of a pre-recorded, one-off workshop on how to improve your hand "dancing" for performance. Hands can be very powerful tools for a performer on stage and can be one of the first things to lapse when nervous. This workshop teaches [...]
Expanding Movement Vocabulary Using Laban with Vandellous
About the workshop: This hour-long workshop is an experiential class with opportunities for individual exploration and sharing as small groups (practicing learning by low-pressure doing and watching). This class covers the types of movements categorized in Laban (direction, weight, time), how they combine into efforts, how these efforts change [...]
Don’t Get Cancelled with Tas Al-Ghul
About the workshop: Are you excited about developing a new act or producing a new show but not sure if you've covered all your bases? Have you gotten all of your choreography workshopped and your costume set but wondering what else you need to really polish things up and [...]
Shine Bright with M’Lady Rae
About the workshop: As disabled performers, we rely on our mobility aids; they are functional, practical, and essential. But are they beautiful? Why can’t they spark excitement just like that favorite piece of clothing? You know the one. It makes you smile just thinking about it. It highlights the [...]
Figure Out Your Face with Kevlar B Lightning
About the workshop: This workshop is for natural, unnatural, or supernatural looks! It covers two major sections of makeup theory, color theory and face shape, in a beginner way to introduce the concepts and help students get more comfortable with the ideas and using them to understand their faces [...]
Character Crash Course with Diana Divine
About the workshop: This act structuring intensive will help you to find your character and express it from subtle winks to overarching themes. Work with Adelaide’s “queen of wacky characters” to develop your own routine concepts, or take it in for general tips and tricks behind the development process. [...]
Bio Writing Basics with Diana Divine
About the workshop: Adelaide-based wordsmith Diana Divine will guide you through the foundations of bio writing over this two-hour workshop. With guides for basic format, wordplay, and sentence structure, you'll collaborate with Di and the rest of the class to create the hype-inducing write up you deserve! [...]
Ace Artists: The Art of Connecting with Others with Eun Bee Yes
About the workshop: It is misleading and false to believe that people on the asexual spectrum can't be a burlesque or drag artist. It isn't whether you are sexually attracted to people that lets you tap into sensuality, it's all about drawing upon the richness of your connections to [...]
What ableist words do you still hear?
What is ableist language and why does it hurt people? “Stop being such a spaz!” “That’s so lame.” “You’re just being lazy.” Many of us have heard these phrases or something similar and didn’t realize that they were causing harm. Damaging and ableist language like this has become [...]
Red Flag, Green Flag: Safety Considerations for the Burlesque Industry
About: Without a union or HR department, behind the glitz and glam, burlesque is one heck of an unregulated industry. Things like determining the legitimacy of an event, addressing community safety concerns, or even responding to a public callout are all things you're expected to deal with on your [...]
Honeyed Hands with Athena Howe
About: Did you know your hands hold magic? Powerful hands and arms capture an audience’s attention and tell them where to look. Fast arms add drama and emphasis. Slow arms add that gooey-ness people just can’t stop watching. You can see a dancer’s confidence in the way they own [...]
Easy Access: Costume Closures With Disabilities In Mind with Kevlar B Lightning
About: This 90-minute lecture-based class is a visual anthology of many popular techniques instructor Kevlar has used that can be helpful for getting out of your beautiful costumes that also work well for a wide range of abilities. As a chronically ill performer and costumer, Kevlar has been building [...]
Expressive Movement: An Introduction with Paige Rustles
About: This class is a basic introduction for those new to burlesque or who haven't performed before on how to move in expressive ways (for a variety of abilities/mobilities) and how to use movement and our bodies to express our feelings and thoughts. This class would also be helpful [...]
Creating Accessible Digital Performance Videos with Alexis Lucio
About: In the midst of COVID-19, many performers have had to switch to a digital medium such as Twitch, Zoom, and pre-recorded numbers to continue producing art. While in some regards this is more inclusive than wheelchair-inaccessible spaces, ableism and a sense of urgency continue to promote exclusionary practices [...]
The Virtual Reality: A Panel Discussion About Virtual Burlesque Shows
About: Last year, the burlesque world saw a notable shift from stage to screen in order to adapt to and survive the COVID-19 pandemic. When the vaccine became available, people jumped at the chance to perform live in bars and clubs again, leaving behind the lessons learned and some [...]
Return To Stage: Captioning, Transcription and Non-Auditory Access Workshop with Sparkle Plenty and Kay Slater
About:By outlining best practices (and identifying the pros and cons of available auto-generated captioning services), and inviting participants to learn the basics of captioning and transcription for live and pre-recorded material, we invest in a baseline standard for access as well as a shared and shareable knowledge base. This workshop will [...]
Burlesque Accessibility, Both on and Off the Stage with Minda Mae
About: Whether you’re a disabled performer navigating the performance world or an able-bodied producer or instructor who wants to create accessible events, join Minda Mae, founder of the DisabiliTease Festival and DisabiliTease Academy, as she shares some of her favorite tools, tricks, and know-how to create space for every Disabilibabe. [...]
The Movement: Floor/Chair for Mobility Restrictions with Jacqueline Boxx
About: This class represents step three of Jacqueline’s three-step movement program. After understanding the importance of listening to and respecting the body’s methods of communication, it is time to take your newfound positive relationship and create healthy and enticing art! For those who did not take “The Mind,” Jacqueline [...]
The Mind: Dance for Mobility Restrictions with Jacqueline Boxx
About: This class includes steps one and two of Jacqueline’s three-step movement program. In step one, I guide participants through how the critical language of body love and disability can increase anyone’s ability to communicate in a more positive and mutually beneficial way with their body. I use the links [...]
Glitter Activism: Using Burlesque to Create Social Change with Eun Bee Yes
About: Please join Eun Bee Yes as they talk about ways to ensure a fundraiser is not only inclusive to disabled people but also is gender and BI&POC diverse. It might seem daunting but there are specific things to keep in mind that will really make your fundraiser sparkle. [...]
Energy Flow: Safe/Centered Stage Presence with Jacqueline Boxx
About: Commanding an audience’s attention doesn’t have to mean constantly moving about a stage! Whether you want to keep the drama going even during the quietest parts of your act or you need to plan for spectacular stationary sizzle due to mobility restrictions, it’s all about mastering that Energy Flow. [...]
Faces and Hands for Stage with Skirt Vonnegut
About: This workshop will cover what to do with your face and hands when performing. These are often forgotten. Using them appropriately will make your future performance more dynamic. Watch Now! Cost: Rent for $15 Buy for $20 [...]