Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

I made the headdress in this photo in just a few hours! I can honestly say that I made it out of things I had lying around the house, but that would be misleading because I bought these materials to make this headdress over a year ago. However, these are easy items to come by, and even if you're new to burlesque crafting, this is something you can do. Remember to let the glue in one layer of the project dry before you do the next layer. Take your time -- you don't have to make it as fast as I did -- and study the placement of items carefully.  I call this cringe crafting because I am doing everything a bit more crudely and carelessly than it would be done by an experienced professional maker, in a manner that would make skillful and sophisticated costumiers cringe. And yet, it works and is great good fun to wear -- I'm proud of this headdress, even though I know what it's not. You can see how much fun I'm having wearing it. The amazing costumes of burlesque are part...

Video Link : https://youtu.be/qPeFbs_ErGU On February 16 My friend Blanche Debris called me to let me know that she had been sitting at Marinka’s side as she fell asleep and did not wake up. I’ve been at a loss for written words ever since. For now I just want to give you a sense of her and her magic.  I knew Marinka for over ten years. I met her at the annual fundraiser for the BHoF museum, The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender , where veterans of 20th-century burlesque are known as Legends. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in my burlesque life has been to see these performers live, listen to them talk, and get to know them personally. I have loved how the Weekender, which started out as a burlesque-professionals reunion organized by striptease performer and activist Jennie Lee , introduced these Legends to those who are indebted to their art form, the 21st-century burlesque performers and fans. The Legends are a loving bunch of rowdy story-tellers, and we are luc...