Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

Shopping for your first pair of feather fans can be confusing! Let me put your mind at ease. I’ll make a separate post about building your own fans. This post is written to help you understand what you’re looking at when you’re shopping for a pair of constructed fans. Also, this post is only about feather fans, so it won’t discuss silk, paper, or other kinds of fans. Common Feather Styles: Marabou Marabou, when talking about fans, is a special type of down feather – the soft feathers that lie under the firmer, shinier feathers of birds such as geese and the actual marabou stork. The marabou you’re likely to encounter is often from turkeys. It’s often used as trim – the light and very fluffy boas you often see used on the hems of nightgowns, for example, or in rows on the hems of fine dressing gowns such as those made by Catherine D’Lish. Below are some links to marabou fans: Standard 11-12 inch fans: https://www.etsy.com/listing/688901986/marabou-feather-fan-12-x-20-many-colors?ga_orde...

“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...

Photo of Jo Weldon by Ben Trivett I’ve been trying to organize myself to make some how to videos. For some reason it’s the hardest thing for me to manage to do! But I had a few extra minutes before class and made this hairography tutorial based on my class at BurlyCon 2019.  I hope you enjoy! View on youtube if it doesn’t load in this Window https://youtu.be/e2kradcbpig Let me know what other videos you'd like me to make! I'll be doing them quick and dirty, very lofi, in a few minutes before and after classes in the New York School of Burlesque studio.

The first time I saw this costume, it reminded me of one of my favorite feline femmes fatales, Belita in Invitation to The Dance ! I know Blaze from her volunteer work with the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and found out we share some inspirations, as well as our love for leopard print and the color red. Blaze is from Dallas. Texas, and has been performing for 8 years. She is the fiery redhead known as ‘The Red Rose of Texas’! An international award winning performer & costume designer, she’s garnered accolades such as ‘Most Classic’, 'Biggest Tease' and 2014's 'Evil Queen of Burlesque'! She is the seamstress behind www.RedRoseRegalia.com and has created costumes for performers all over the world. What was your inspiration for this costume? Aside from the love of leopard print, I came across several vintage photos of beautiful gowns and combined my favorite aspects from each! Here's a link to my inspiration post about it. Who made it, and how long di...

Ariel Helvetica's Leopard Print Burlesque by Jo Weldon I'm launching a new feature for this blog, in which I'll interview some of my favorite performers about their fabulous leopard print costumes. Please share and comment if you enjoy! Ariel Helvetica competed in the Best Debut category at The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in 2018 in a spectacular leopard costume, and I knew I had to get a closer look! The weekender's pageant features some of the world's most innovative and exciting burlesque, and the way this costume broke down blew my mind. Plus, LEOPARD! Above: Ariel Helvetica by Mike White. Above: Ariel Helvetica by Tom Gould. Who made the costume? Christina Manuge of Manuge Et Toi  www.manugeettoi.com  made the bra, corset, garter, panty and skirt! Misty Greer made the two sets of gloves and I made the hat.  What inspired you to choose it?  This costume got started in 2016, when I found the gold glitter leopard p...