Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

I haven't had time to post much lately, but I just have to talk ever so briefly about a concept that comes up every time I teach. "Musicality in dance then might be considered a measure or degree to which a dancer is receptive and creative in his translation or rendering of music through movement." --From Dance Advantage: Musicality in Dance . In The Burlesque Handbook , I talk about the importance of musicality and timing. It's the art of making it look as if your movements and actions influenced the music, rather than the other way around. One of my favorite film clips for performers to study musicality is The Skeleton Dance , a Silly Symphonies cartoon. In it the skeletons are timed so that not just their dancing but their actions take place according to the music. It appears as if the music is caused by their movements rather than the other way around. When Billie Madley did a workshop at The New York School of Burlesque, she described "horns c...

World Famous Bob , a photo by Jo Weldon on Flickr. World Famous *BOB* teaches Ultimate Self Confidence at The New York School of Burlesque, as well as Loving The Body You're In with Legs Malone. She's full of pith and vinegar, and recently she posted this awesome message on Facebook, and I'm pleased to share it here as well. Enjoy! New to Burlesque? Wanna be? My advice follows: Right away my advice for anyone starting in Burlesque is: 1. Know the history- research Burlesque and the women that came before you. The only way we can create the future of anything in a responsible way is by honoring its past. 2. Don't be jealous or competitive- if you are truly original then there is no competition! (sigh* what a relief!) 3. Lead by example- be the person you would want to share a backstage with- be the performer you would want to see- and always respect that others may have a different approach to it all. 4. Take lessons- whether it's acting, dance, butoh,...

" In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few."   ~ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi Above: Former students performing at a Coney Island USA benefit. http://www.youtube.com/embed/gsJ3vZ_uJfM " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> Direct YouTube Link Above: Students kicking ass on an MTV news piece with Angel Pai The truth is, sometimes I get very burned out on some aspects of burlesque. When people argue about who should be allowed on which stage, and who is bringing down burlesque, and who does and doesn't deserve credit for what, the discussions can really take the wind out of my sails. I prize audacity, enthusiasm, and sincerity above Big Art, or anything that starts to become capitalized in the many ways that things can be capitalized for possession of some real or imaginary field: financial, cultural, artistic, academic, etc. Who did what first? Who does what the best? What's real burlesque? Who ...

Lola Star designed and made this adorable compact with the New York School of Burlesque! You can get this design on a mug, magnet, shot glass, t-shirt, or tote bag as well. Check out her other gorgeous designs, with lots of fabulous tributes to Coney Island! Lola Star's Online Shop

"Jennifer Burke used to prize her breasts as her best feature. But it wasn’t until she had a double mastectomy that she found herself performing a burlesque striptease in front of an enthusiastic New York City crowd...." Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/26/pink-light-burlesque-breast-cancer-survivors-strip-down-and-celebrate/#ixzz1lBUioeaK

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The extremely charming Larry Hoff hosted his morning show at the Slipper Room this morning, and Gal Friday and I were in there in full drag at 7 am. See the video here: WPIX News Blog

Last time I was coaching Leighton Meester and wasn't onstage--this time I was onstage. Woo hoo! They actually asked us to be less risque at one point, we were so proud. You can see me, Julie Atlas Muz, and the Pontani Sisters on Gossip Girl tonight! I love love love the cast and crew of Gossip Girl. Check your local listings http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gossip-girl

In October we did a couple of pieces about the New York School of Burlesque with MTV Iggy and one of their hosts, the charming Angel Pai. Here she is onstage at the Slipper Room, practicing a chair routine I taught her: Photo by me. I loved working with her and the other people involved with the shoot--all so young and lovely and so excited about their work, and so respectful of our work! You can see the first installment, featuring some of the performers from the NYSB student showcase in October: null | MTV Music Burlesque on MTV Iggy Video sent to me by the gorgeous and talented Viola Da Gamba . Posted by Jo Weldon, Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque , for burlesquedaily.blogspot.com .

Celebrate This Holiday With 'Yule-A-Go-Go: The Burlesque Yule Log' The clip on the site shows NYSB associate Little Brooklyn talking about the DVD, as well as instructor Gal Friday doing her Yule dance. Gal runs our classes in Washington DC-- click here for more information about those classes . Above: Gal Friday at the Palace of Wonders . Photo by DC's charming burlesque photographer, Mowabby . CW11 has had burlesquers peeling in the wee hours of the morning before--here's a clip from last year's piece on Dr. Sketchy's: Truly Julie: Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art show

The New York School of Burlesque has been honored by the Village Voice's "Best of New York" two years in a row! Check out this year's mention, with a great recommendation of World Famous BOB's special classes! Above: BOB, photographed by Luke Ratray. And, in case you missed last year's mention, here it is. We love the the Village Voice! I can't think of any paper we'd prefer to have saying nice things about us. Posted by Jo Weldon, Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque , for burlesquedaily.blogspot.com .