Work Your Curves

Carla Caruso
Dita Von Teese is a woman to envy. The American ‘vaudevillian’ entertainment aspect of it all and the
star exudes glamour, with her glossy, dark locks, fact that it's about being sexy on your own terms.
vampy red lips, milky complexion, and racy curves. There's much more to burlesque than just taking
The pint-sized performer is the epitome of her pas- your clothes off. The audience is invited to consider
sion – burlesque (a provocative performance art, what the performer is thinking and feeling as op-
featuring striptease and satire). posed to viewing them as a passive sex object. It's
all about the tease!”
Want a bit of the same glitz and glam in your life?
Well, now you can with casual burlesque classes Fortunately, at casual classes, you don’t have to
popping around the nation, often at dance studios. strip. You can keep your work-out gear on. This
Sydney burlesque performer and instructor Holly alone helped me to brave trying a one-day bur-
J’aDoll, pictured, explains her attraction to the per- lesque workshop with Blush Dance School, held at
formance art: “I love the good, old-fashioned, Sydney’s Hotel Cremorne ($40 a session,
www.blushdanceschool.com.au).

Blush owner Sarah Martin says “quickie” workshops
are just about how to “build a character, be comfort-
able in yourself and learn confidence. Clothes are
left on - but you do learn how to take your gloves off
seductively”.

I'm glad to see other students have also opted for
leggings and loose tees for the occasion - though
any flat footwear is soon swapped for high heels
(usually it's the other way round at the gym).

Our instructor, Danica Lee, tells us to grab a feather
boa that personifies our chosen onstage alter egos,
as well as matches our outfits.

Then, we're shown how to seductively include the
scarf in a routine, such as, holding it up in the air
with one hand and letting our fingers run down it.
Or, doing the "butt floss" - positioning it under our
bottoms and shimmying side-to-side. Yikes!

Next, we learn how to remove gloves and I soon
learn it's all about dragging out the tease. If you
splay your fingers, you can prolong pulling them off.


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