Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

I talk to hundreds of people about their ideas for burlesque acts, and I have to talk to them about cultural appropriation all the time. Having had so many of these conversations, I've reached a conclusion: cultural appropriation isn't always the problem. To be sure, cultural appropriation is as much of a problem as many people say it is, and I absolutely do not endorse it, and won't knowingly help anyone develop an act that I understand to be appropriative. However, I think the issue -- and the range of accountability -- is much, much bigger. I've started to use the term "cultural sensitivity," a term I learned while studying decolonizing fashion history . Cultural sensitivity includes understanding and eschewing cultural appropriation, but it includes so much more. A simple example is the Confederate flag. For a white southerner whose ancestors fought under that flag in the US civil war to wear a costume that incorporates it is NOT cultural appropriat...

We have hours of streaming classes online! https://worlddancenewyork.com/ Search the site for “burlesque”

I'm still recovering from the awesomeness that was BurlyCon 2019. I'm a co-founder and the Vice-President of BurlyCon, and we spend all year working to make it great. While every year is amazing, this year was possibly the best yet! It was also one of the fiercest! I've been creating leopard print gatherings for years now, but at BurlyCon it's just a natural presence -- I spotted it everywhere! If you didn't get to send me a pic when I posted in the BurlyCon message board, send me one now! I want to see all your leopard -- although this post is just for people who wore leopard print at BurlyCon 2019. If you missed sending me one before this post, I may be able to add it! Email fierce@historyofleopardprint.com. First, check out me with some of the stylish attendees of my Fierce: The History of Leopard Print lecture! Here's Gigi Holliday, Mone't Ha-Sidi, and Raphael DeLaGetto in the Target jumpsuit takeover instigated by Siomai Moore. Here...

Want to learn more about how to get gigs in burlesque? Want to be every producer's favorite hire? Jo Weldon has written a 36-page booklet that's all about it -- and it's FREE for NYSB students and readers of this blog! Learn how to please producers, work with emcees, apply for festivals, and more! Approach venues and press prepared to negotiate. Includes several of Jo's most popular articles and an easy system for organizing your music, bios, and photos to make everything easier. To get your copy, open a new email window and put the words "NYSB STUDENT REQUESTING BOOKLET" into the subject line. You'll receive a printable PDF file in return. #getthegig Photo of Jo by Maggie Saniewska

https://youtu.be/-VZC3suTGZg “If you want to enjoy your community, be willing to find inspiration in your generation, the generations before you, and the generations after you. Respect works best as a two-way street. If you don’t respect the pioneers of your art form, you’re setting the standard for disrespect of pioneers and setting yourself up to become a has-been when the new breed after you accomplishes things and establishes themselves. If you don’t respect the new breed, you’re setting the standard for exclusivity and alienation and setting yourself up to become a has-been when the new breed after you accomplishes things and establishes themselves. Be secure in yourself, respect everybody’s ambition and accomplishments, and live and work in the present. “And finally–yes, somebody is always ruining burlesque. It’s been ruined a million times. Histories of burlesque usually detail its demise — over and over and over. Your perception that burlesque is being destroyed is accura...

I'm thrilled to present an interview with the incredible Lola Love! She became Executive Director at BurlyCon in 2018, but she had been contributing more than her share of initiative and hard work before that. We are lucky to have her and I can't wait for you to get to know more about her. Jo: When and how did you become interested in burlesque? Lola Love: I didn’t discover burlesque until 2003 or 2004. Believe it or not, living in rural Hawaii, I stumbled across the suicide girls because I was at a friends who was watching it. I think it was a documentary. I remember thinking it was really cool and I was super intrigued. I was a new mom at the time and I didn’t immediately think “I want to do that” but it was filed away in my brain and I knew it was an art form I was curious to learn more about.  What is your performance experience? I’ve been performing since I was a kid. I was a cheerleader and danced throughout high school.  As an adult I continued to dan...

As a cat lover, I seek out my fellow feline fanatics to interview for my blog. Since my blog is about the burlesque I experience, they are often people with whom I've become friends over time, some for decades, some much more recently. Enjoy this Feline Fridays interview with Icky Muffin! While his rhinestoned leopard print socks and heels caught my eye on the lobby carpet at the Orleans Hotel,  it turns out he's as dazzling in the air as on the ground -- and that year he took home one of the most coveted awards in the world of burlesque, Best Boylesque, with his incredible bratty cat routine. While some folks worry that the BHoF competition is getting too orthodox, he proved that you can play with a roll of toilet paper onstage and still take home the trophy. See this complete performance at  https://vimeo.com/304483006 Jo: Where are you located, and where do you perform the most? Icky: I currently live in Austin Texas, but most of my performances ar...