Take a Proper Bow During a curtain call recently, I witnessed another performer fail to fully take their bow when their name was called. They just sort of half heartedly walked to almost center, feebly bowed and then sheepishly scooted back into line with the rest of the cast. She failed to take a proper …
Choreography tips for those who hate choreographing Choreography. It’s my arch nemesis when it comes to creating a new act. I have never been good at it, nor wanted to become good at it—that was the problem. I needed some choreography tips. Growing up, I never had the desire to create choreography for me to …
/> Put on false lashes like a pro I learned how to put on fake eyelashes early in life. Or so I thought. I have been wearing stage makeup since I was 5 or 6, but I didn’t upgrade to false lashes until I was in my early adolescence. I don’t even remember who “taught” …
How do you define success? Growing up, I was taught that success is how much money you have in the bank (or how big your house is and what kind of car you drive,) and how prestigious your job is. How’s that for a way to define success? My dad wanted me to be a …
How to clean false eyelashes Before I quit Instagram, I asked my followers on Instagram how often they get new lashes. Why get new ones when you can learn how to clean false eyelashes?! I was inspired to ask because of a dressing room conversation that I had heard about people using lashes only once …
How to customize false eyelashes Do you customize your false eyelashes? Or do you just buy a new pair, trim them to fit your eye and then glue them on? That’s how I used to use them until I spent some time in Jubilee! Because we performed on such a massive stage (half the length …
The hard truth about burlesque performer pay It is infuriating to learn that burlesque performers are stripping for free. The truth about burlesque performer pay is that someone is making money, and it isn’t you. Sometimes it makes sense to work/perform for free or little pay, as in ballet apprenticeships or any apprenticeship, for that …
Top 5 fishnet mistakes This is part 2 of a 2 part series The secrets of fishnets: how to wear fishnets and how to fix fishnet mistakes. (If you missed the first part, read this first, then come back!) One thing I have noticed a lot as I watch burlesque performers is that they don’t know …
Top 5 mistakes when wearing fishnets (are you making them?) Read More »
Do you know how to wear fishnets? One of the first things I learned as a dancer in Jubilee! is the secret of how to wear fishnets. This is a two part series that I will be sharing those secrets with you. The standards of performers and their appearance were very high in Jubilee! Our …
How to cut burlesque act expenses If you saw this post, I am sure it brought up a lot of questions about how I can possibly reuse a costume and have a whole new act. Reusing costumes is actually one of my favorite ways to save time and money when I am feeling the urge …
Five Little Known Ways to Reduce Your Burlesque Act Expenses Read More »
Why you shouldn’t create another act You know that feeling you get when inspiration strikes and you just HAVE TO create another act? Read on to learn more about quelling that desire to add another act just because you have to create. I liken it to an addiction, and the focus is on the achievement, …
Growing Your Repertoire: Should You Really Create Another Act? Read More »
How to add value to get paid more There has been a little bit of an uproar in the burlesque community due to a show pay poll and subsequent release of a detailed infographic recently. While I try to keep up with all the things going on, it’s difficult to allow myself to be sucked …
Showgirl shortcut: Keep your wig on Please don’t fall off, please don’t fall off, please don’t fall off! Ever had those pleading thoughts running through your head onstage or while cosplaying? Not me. I was taught by the best in the biz how to secure my headpieces and hair so that the illusion of my …
Prep your brand new heels to last Well you did it, you just blew $100 on a pair of shoes for an act. And that’s just the shoes. You haven’t even started to bedazzle yet! Read more to learn how to prep your new high heels to last longer. If you want to make this …
Prevent slipping onstage in heels There is a video out there in the world, probably several, of a long-legged burlesque artist gracefully walking across a parquet floor and then suddenly wiping out in the middle of her act, full on Bambi-on-ice style. I wish I would have prepped my shoes as they used to in …
Improving High Kicks I’ve always been a pretty flexible dancer—not one that needs to improve high kicks.I was always the one doing splits on chairs and practicing over stretching techniques in order to get the most out of my extensions in class. Unfortunately, I wasn’t working the muscles and all of the stretching was only …
Burlesque Costume Malfunctions How terrifying is it as a strip tease artist when you get stuck in that dress or that corset and you are running out of bars til that final reveal? We have all been there. Running to the side of the stage to get the help of a kitten to release us …
There’s an art to walking Showgirls walk. A lot. In my experience as a Las Vegas Showgirl, half my time spent on the Jubilee Theatre stage was spent walking across and around it. And it’s no tiny stage—it is the size of half a football field! Because of the size, we didn’t have center or …
Connect with the Audience As a performer, you’ve probably heard of the “X Factor.” No, I’m not talking about the TV show. I’m talking about the essence of a performer that cannot be explained or quantified. The “It” or “je ne se quoi” quality of that one performer that you cannot take your eyes off …
How much does a burlesque act cost to produce, really? My first big burlesque purchase was a pair of feather fans. They are gorgeous,huge and have a real wow factor when I use them. Figuring out if the expense was worth the cost made me wonder, how much a burlesque act costs. They cost me …
What’s the difference between dancer and artist? This has only recently become a “thing” for me. After performing on stages over the past 25 years and redefining myself within various dance forms, I have begun to ask myself: What is the difference between a dancer and a performer? Is there a difference? Or do they …
Are you a Dancer or an Artist? How to distinguish the two Read More »
It all started with the Island Life Read on to learn why I decided to create a DIY facial cleanser followed by the recipe! Several years ago, I lived in Hawaii. The Big Island, Kona side, to be exact. It was pretty much a dream come true. I was a new SAHM with a one …
How to make your own facial cleanser and save money! Read More »
What the heck is the fourth wall anyway? Fourth WallNounThe space which separates the performer or performance from the audience. It took me years to understand what the heck it meant to break the fourth wall. It was a new concept to me when I reached professional status. I had never heard of “breaking through …
Where my authenticity as a performer began I remember being a little girl, in my mint green unitard, black knee pads and lyrical sandals, getting ready to compete in a dance competition. I was nine or ten. Maybe ten—I believe it was after my brother had passed. This is when I started to really lean …
I never thought I would be wearing pasties As I entered the world of showbusiness, I never thought I would see the day when I would wear pasties onstage. What the heck are pasties in the first place?!? I was a Las Vegas showgirl for years and never wore a pastie. What a relief too! …
