How to Choreograph a Burlesque Striptease Dance for Yourself: Three Steps (Burlesque Performance)

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How to Choreograph a Striptease Dance

1) Find a piece of music you love so much you can listen to it hundreds of times without getting tired of it. Prance around to the music and imagine yourself in the environment you dream of getting the loving and enthusiastic response you deserve.

2) Find some articles of clothing that make you feel spectacular. Admire yourself in the mirror. Talk to yourself like you talk to the people you compliment on social media. Say extravagant nice things and give yourself permission to accept them as the truth they are.

3) Take off those articles of clothing to the music five times in a row, till you know exactly what you have to do to remove them smoothly. Allow for humor and mischeif. Think of it as play rather than as work. If an article of clothing is making you unhappy because it's too hard to remove the way you want, after five tries, put it aside for now and try something else. You can always come back to it later if you feel like it.

You did it!

To prepare it for the stage, watch it on video and fix the parts that don't work from the perspective of the viewer. Write down notes about what works. Tell yourself what looks great. When something doesn't look great, simply release it. All performers at every level flop their way through many rehearsals before the magic falls into place! It's perfectly natural.

That's where you start! During the creation of the number, set aside criticism of yourself and allow yourself complete improvisational freedom. Throw in some moves you know and love. See what happens. Keep what works and release what doesn't with love -- it may come back to work for you in another number.

Rehearsals can, if overdone, make the number begin to look mechanical. Remember to reconnect to your original joy in the music and your love of the audience right before you perform. You may find yourself improvising onstage -- and that's okay! Go with the flow.

If you are a fan of bling, bling up the costume. If you want to add a layer of humor, glamour, emotion, remember to speak to the audience as if they are on your side. They are rooting for you!

Looking for an online course on striptease?
Check out Jo Weldon's striptease video program.
Looking for live classes? They're at
New York School of Burlesque

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