Burlesque 101: The Final Session

Well, I’m almost to the end of my burlesque journey.  A couple of nights ago, we had our very last class before the show.  That night was all about the dress rehearsal.  I put on full costume, makeup and wig (I kind of resemble Beyonce from Goldmember, which is why her picture is up above) and rocked out to my music.  While there are still a few rough patches (especially around the things I just added this week like my high heels and afro wig), I’m super-excited about performing my piece on-stage in front of an honest-to-goodness audience this Saturday.

While members of the audience won’t be allowed to take pictures or video (which I understand completely…you have to protect the privacy of all the students), I’m hoping the official photographer and videographer for the show will get some great images of me.  If so, you had best believe I’ll share them all with you here, on the blog.

I feel like I should use this entry to give a bit more background on my character.  As mentioned in my very first burlesque class post, her name is Velvet La Soie.  I know a lot of readers were rooting for a stage name with Treacle in it, but this character feels so very, very different from me that she deserves her own name.  I love the way Velvet La Soie slithers off the tongue; it feels very sensual…and just a little bit wicked.

If you haven’t guessed from all my references to afro wigs and catsuits, Velvet is a character firmly rooted in the Blaxploitation era of the 1970′s.  She’s a real badass, and spends her days kicking all kinds of Grade A booty.  But she also has a softer side, one where she wears thick dorky glasses and reads comic books and watches Batman (yes, I know…all hobbies which sound suspiciously similar to my own.  ;-)).  In my routine, I show Velvet transitioning from a day out in the streets to a quiet evening at home…with lots of stripping, of course.

In the next few days, I’ll work on refining my makeup, practicing my routine, and selling my tickets.  The next time I write about burlesque, it’ll be to tell you how my very first performance ever went. . Thank you so much for sharing the trip with me.