Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

[This article was originally written and published on this blog in 2007. Note the presence of Myspace!] People always ask questions about pasties. They are, after all, pretty peculiar articles of clothing, in spite of being some of the most traditional items in most neo-burlesquers' wardrobes. As far as I know they are unique to burlesque--at least in terms of dance costuming. One time I was standing in the lobby after a show with my friend Francesca, and someone came up and asked me a question about tassel-twirling. After I talked about physics a bit, the woman said, "And how do you keep the pasties on?" Francesca said, "With paste!" Above: Me at the Slipper Room. Photo by Rocket. Well, we don't use paste--it's not sticky enough, and the kids eat it. But how to keep a twirler's pasties from twirling right off is a frequent subject of discussions backstage. I use flash tape , myself. I have a slight allergic reaction to it, but pinker nipples are...

I'll be sharing five posts about G-strings this week at  https://www.instagram.com/sexworkerstyle/ Follow me there for all the sparkly history!  

Above: Photo of Jo Weldon Copyright Ben Trivett. Lingerie courtesy Dita Von Teese. When I’m teaching stocking strips, people often ask me if it’s proper to wear panties over or under the garters.  There isn’t a proper way; there’s only the order of removal.  If you’re leaving the garter belt on after you take the panties off, you put the panties on over the garter belt.  If you want the panties to still be on after you take off the garter belt and stockings, it’s easier if you wear the panties under the garter belt. What if you want to take off panties then take off the garter belt but leave smaller panties on underneath? Why, the question answers itself! The answer to most questions about striptease can be answered the same way: logistics.  And the best way to discover logistics is through practice. Try different ways of removing things, in a few different orders if you're not sure which is best, and see which ways of doing things makes your striptease smooth as sil...

I am so happy to finally be able to share this video: Burlesque Historian Bebe Bardot interviews author Leslie Cunningham about her book Brown Skin Showgirls! It is rare to encounter a historically rich and visually stunning book that is dedicated solely to the brown skin showgirl or black burlesque of the early to mid 20th century. BROWN SKIN SHOWGIRLS is a black and white photographic collection of burlesque, exotic, shake, salsa and chorus line dancers, strippers, and cross-dressers from Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana Revue during its run on Royal American Shows from 1936 to 1967. https://lesliecunninghamfilms.com/ Please share this and let people know about this incredible project! Support Leslie Cunningham: Lesliecunninghamfilms.com CashApp: Love offerings and donations can be sent to (Leslie Cunningham) at: $NMRKLION via paypal at: https://paypal.me/TRIBESEntertainment Brownskin Showgirl book order can be placed through Paypal here https://www.harleminhavana.com/p/brow......

Interview: Happy Birthday to Fem Appeal, All-time Queen of Taglines Above: Fem Appeal by James Ridley Happy Birthday to fellow Leo Fem Appeal! It's her birthday TODAY! I am not generally a show producer, aside from producing student showcases, but I do produce my birthday show every August at Coney Island USA, which over the past two decades has remained one of the most influential venues in the New York burlesque scene. Every year, the first person I ask is fellow Leo Fem Appeal. I also have her as a guest lecturer every year in The Coney Island Master Class in Burlesque. She’s just that good.  Also, it means we get to ride the subway uptown together, where we get to sit together for an hour and say things we would neeeeever say to anyone else. Those subway rides with her are easily the thing I miss the most about not being able to teach in Coney Island during the pandemic. Born and bred in New York, Fem Appeal has been a beloved powerhouse in the city’s b...

Floorplay is a four-part workshop series dedicated to the art of sensual and seductive floorwork. You can take classes individually or sign up for all four. This class is a unique combination of Liquid Motion® and Perle Noire's Floorwork Seduction. Floorwork is hot hot hot! Learn about it from a master in a series where each class builds on students' individual strengths. In addition to thrilling floorwork moves, the series will include Perle Noire's signature techniques for floorwork, lowering to the ground and rising up smoothly, and how to seduce in any position. Each student will discover their individual strengths as they work to develop their own signature choreography. Details and Registration

August 5, 2020, 6 pm EST on Zoom Burlesque Historian Bebe Bardot will guest host, interviewing author Leslie Cunningham about her book  Brown Skin Showgirls. There are many art and entertainment resources that reference the contributions and important role women of color played in shaping the art of dance in North America. However, it is rare to encounter a historically rich and visually stunning book that is dedicated solely to the brown skin showgirl or black burlesque of the early to mid 20th century. BROWN SKIN SHOWGIRLS is a black and white photographic collection of burlesque, exotic, shake, salsa and chorus line dancers, strippers and cross-dressers from Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana Revue during its run on Royal American Shows from 1936 to 1967. To register: http://www.schoolofburlesque.com/bookclub.shtml Limited to 100 registrants, so register soon!

BHoF #MuseumAtHome: Discover Your Local Burlesque History from Burlesque Hall of Fame on Vimeo . During the lockdown, many performers have started creating new media projects, and many burlesque historians have been working on new projects. It's obviously the perfect time to support those and other initiatives, so I'm developing a list of resources for researchers, from library collections to blogs to podcasts! This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I'll keep adding to and editing this post. In addition to providing other resources, The Burlesque Hall of Fame has been producing videos and articles: https://www.burlesquehall.com/learn-how-to-research-local-burlesque-history/ https://www.burlesquehall.com/category/learn/whos-who-in-burly-q There are archives of old Yahoo groups related to burlesque, such as The Miss Exotic World Group: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/groups Bob Debris has been taking photographs of neo-burlesque for over 20 years: https://www.bo...

Sunday, July 12, 330-430 pm EST Online on Zoom Big Bad Boa - 1 hour $10 The feathers go flying in this fun review of classic boa technique with a twist. Learn to wear your boa with pride and become a boa wielding pro. Coco also teaches basic dance steps, turns, and struts to accompany boa technique. The class includes a short dance combination. Bring your boa and wear comfortable clothing that you can stretch in. Shoes optional. Coco Lectric hails from Austin, Texas and is founder of the Austin Burlesque Alliance, co-producer of the Texas Burlesque Festival, the Headmistress of The Austin Academy of Burlesque, and President of the Board for BurlyCon Burlesque Education Convention. Register now: New York School of Burlesque

This is a rough draft video I made in the studio a few months ago. I thought it might be helpful to some followers who’ve taken my boa class, found this concept worked for them, and want a refresher! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPv3_Jtbw_E&t=28s

I love playing with gloves so much! I could do a new class on it every day for a month and never run out of material. This is a three-minute glimpse into some of my favorite techniques for a slow, teasing peel. I'm using stretch satin opera gloves here, which are inexpensive and readily available. However, you can do glove peels with any kind of glove, from mittens to nitrile safety gloves. I'm teaching a full class on glove peeling, from erotic to comic, on June 16 2020 on Zoom. For more details and registration, visit: http://schoolofburlesque.com/bookclub.shtml Feel free to post about your favorite gloves or your own glove peels in the comments below!

This video is for beginners who may not be very crafty! It's also designed to reduce purchases and waste during the pandemic. My idea is to massively simplify the process of shopping for and making pasties that are usable for beginner practice. I want students to have to spend the least amount of money for the quickest results, since this is more about learning the twirling technique than the crafting technique. When you're just getting started, you want to just get started! Get these made, sign up for a class, and let's have a twirling party at the New York School of Burlesque! You can join scheduled group classes online now at schoolofburlesque.com, book a private lesson, or you can schedule a zoom party for you and your friends. Ingredients: Glitter foam craft paper Rayon chainette tassels (3 inches with a 1 inch loop, in this case) Tacky glue (MagnaTac or FabriTac, for instance) Large bobby pins Compass with pencil Scissors I cover my crafting area with wax p...

The Burlesque Handbook turns 10 in 2020! It’s kicked off many an international performing career. It’s currently used all over the world by beginners and intermediates to build and improve burlesque routines. Many call it the Burlesque Bible. The School of Burlesque Book Club is free on Zoom. Email schoolofburlesque.com with the words "School Of Burlesque Book Club" in your subject line for this week's invitation. Every week she'll talk about a different book. On special occasions she'll interview the author, or have a guest come on to talk about one of their favorite books. Saturday, May 30 2020 Saturday, 4 pm EST (free, but registration required): Re-Introducing The Burlesque Handbook Jo will discuss how she came to create and publish The Burlesque Handbook, and will talk about Dixie Evans and Jennie Lee, the founders of The Burlesque Hall of Fame, to whom the book is dedicated. Interactive, with QNA (only for questions related to her talk). T...

This week we have Flirting With Burlesque on Thursday, a book proposal workshop on Saturday, and Essential Burlesque on Sunday! Join us at schoolofburlesque.com!

“In our very first class together, Jo introduced us to the rules of burlesque, then immediately told us all to do whatever the f*ck we want,” recalls Poison Ivory, NYBF alumni May 2012. “I took that advice and decided to do exactly that.” Jo’s reverence for the past coupled with an outlaw instinct to dismiss the rules make her a compelling teacher and accomplished writer. She is author of  The Burlesque Handbook  and  Fierce: The History of Leopard Print  as well as numerous articles on stripping and sex work.  She has been a member of the production team for the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender as well as Co-Curator/Vice President of the Board for BurlyCon. She’s advocated for sex workers, burlesque, and a life of freedom, glamour, and self-love. But as it turns out in unwrapping the gorgeous gift to ecdysiast history that is Jo Weldon, burlesque is, well… just the tip. Her journey is as fascinating as the history she teaches. —from the article by Je...