BOYLESQUE 101

Burlesque is a uniquely American performance art form that combines humor, sexuality, politics, and topics of the body in a 3-5 minute dance/theater skit form to music. During the course of the six-week workshop, students create their own Burlesque strip-tease routine and perform it for a live audience.

The Boylesque 101 course follows the same curriculum as Burlesque 101, but the History component focuses on Male Burlesque. This class is open to all persons, and is geared towards those who are interested in something OTHER than female-bodied persons developing feminine acts.

Course Objective

The goal is to move students from no experience to an actual kinesthetic experience of performing a Burlesque routine in front of a live audience.  Beginning with group discussion and interactivity, students gradually increase their movement and individual practice time over the six weeks until they are ready to perform their solo act on stage with their classmates.

Course Organization

Students meet in a group with their instructor for two hours weekly, developing an understanding of history, movement, costuming, act and character development through discussion, hands-on practice, games, and exercises. Weekly private half-hour sessions with the instructor commence the second week of class. In this focused individual environment, students refine their act with guidance and feedback from their instructor. Considerable time outside of class is expected, as students are required to complete written homework and show regular progress in develop costuming and choreography at each private session.

The final public performance is a two-show-in-one-night graduation recital at West Hall in the Oddfellows Building. Students are expected to sell tickets to their family and friends as both practice in professional arts promotions, and to support the reality of show costs.   The course culminates in a student potluck two weeks following the show, where students and their instructor review video from the performance in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Burlesque 101 is an introductory course in Burlesque history, technique, and performance.  It is designed for absolute beginners who have never been on stage, but those with theater, dance, music, and circus backgrounds gain inspiration from this form, and new insights on their existing skills. On the surface, the class is about making a burlesque act.  But what you get out of it is much more than that!

This class is for you if you:

• Saw a Burlesque show and thought, “I want to do that too!”
• Haven’t danced/been on stage/done theater since high school/in years/ever
• Want a better relationship with your body
• Want to expand your creativity, feel brave, and improve your confidence
• Have been thinking about it for a while but are kind of hesitant.
• Are motivated, excited, nervous, willing to learn, and ready to share.

We find that students are most successful when they:

• Have a balanced approach to both listening and sharing.
• Are able to take direction, try new things, and focus when needed.
• Have made time in their schedule to do all the classes and the homework
• Are generous, open-minded, and community oriented.
• Are willing to do something that scares them, and trust in our process.

You must be 21 years of age by the recital date, with a valid ID. The performance venue is 21+.

Refunds/Cancellations/Transfers Policy

Deposits are non-refundable, and non-transferrable to another student.

Fees paid for one class are not transferrable to another class.

If class is cancelled by AOB, pre-payments will be refunded to students within 4 weeks, or the student may choose to receive class credit instead, which will be held for up to 1 year.

If student cancels BEFORE CLASS STARTS – deposit is non-refundable, but any other class fee will be refunded.

If student drops out within two days after first class of a session, 50% of total class fee may be refunded to student.

If student drops out three or more days after first class of a session, their spot is not fillable, and thus their class fee is non-refundable.

If student decides within two days after the first class of a session to transfer to another session, the transfer will be permitted under the following conditions: an additional deposit to hold their spot in the next session will be required. All paid fees will be applicable towards the next session. Start date of new session must be within 6 months of start date of previous session. If session price increases, student is responsible for paying the difference. If that session is on waitlist, student will be added to end of waitlist. If student’s name does not come up within 6 months, paid fees are non-refundable.

If student decides three or more days after the first class of a session to transfer to another session, the transfer will be permitted at the discretion of the administrators and will be subject to the following conditions: an additional deposit to hold their spot in the next session will be required. 50% of previously paid fees will be applicable towards the next session. Start date of new session must be within 6 months of start date of previous session. If session price increases, student is responsible for paying the difference. If that session is on waitlist, student will be added to end of waitlist. If student’s name does not come up within 6 months, paid fees are non-refundable.