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School of Shimmy- Burlesque 101
By Melanie Blythe on Friday, April 20th, 2007
I sheepishly wandered into the room and there she was… Dottie Lux- a poised vision in her false eyelashes and her little cap-sleeved cherry red top with dainty white buttons, effortlessly emitting a lovely, timeless quality as if she just stepped out of a picture book from another era.
The Red Hots Burlesque School of Shimmy is “the only school where you can get your PHD in Take-it-off-ology!”. On April 18th I attended the first class in a series of 4- called Burlesque 101, hosted by Dottie Lux (who has 6 years of burlesque experience under those pasties).
We started with a little historical lesson on Burlesque through the ages including The Golden Age of Burlesque (30’s - 50’s) and Neo-Burlesque (80’s - today), which led to a dialogue about the role of Burlesque in society and how it is compared with some other forms of entertainment such as stripping and dance; and talked about some influential female personalities throughout art and pop culture. 
There were 10 of us in the class, and we all went around and shared our insecurities about our own bodies. Dots explained that we should embrace our bodies and celebrate our quirks. It was fun to hear what all the ladies LIKED about their bodies, too- everything from eyes to smiles to boobs and everything in between.
After choosing our fancy Burlesque names, Dottie showed us the fabulous five Burlesque movements: The Bump, The Grind, The Shake, The Shimmy and my personal favorite- The Showcase. Then it was our turn to try out the moves- lots of giggling ensued and everyone felt more comfortable when we donned some of Dottie’s extra costume pieces such as sexy long gloves and fluffy feather boas.
Burlesque is playful, it’s truly an artform that can be empowering to women! Thoughtfulness, creativity, purpose, costume and music as well as a slow and deliberate tease are all key ingredients for a successful performance. For some it’s a genuine way to live their lives. “I have to bump while cleaning the house”, Dottie says with a smile, “otherwise I just can’t clean.”
Believe it or not- all clothes were left on for this first class (except for the extra added pieces). I’m totally checking out the next classes in the series! I DO hope we get to learn that tassel twirl- I just can’t figure out how to make my girls swing like that!
UPCOMING CLASSES IN THIS SERIES:
April 25: Burlesque 201
May 9: Burlesque on a Budget
May 16th: Finishing Touches
End of May: School of Shimmy Showcase
Classes are at the Den of Cin (now if that ain’t a play on words!).
Next Full Class Series: TBD
Private individual or group classes also available upon request.
This entry was posted on Friday, April 20th, 2007 by Melanie Blythe and is filed under Dance.
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April 20th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Why must a women have to rely on her sexuality to be empowered? As I stated in my article on Lilly Dache, I understand that if we feel good about our outward appearance, we will also have more inner confidence. After all, we cannot deny that we judge and are judged by our physical appearance. What we wear (or don’t wear), how we present ourselves, our sex, our race, our weight, our hair color, etc., definitely plays a role in our identity. Therefore, I definitely don’t think we should be ashamed of our bodies. However, is burlesque helping women be empowered for themselves or is it merely making them feel good because it gets men’s attention?
April 20th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for your comment. It brings up an excellent talking point. I respect what you are saying & I actually have some of the same feelings you have except more in the stripper/prostitute realm (I’m sure many others will disagree with me on that one), but I have been to quite a few Burlesque shows and find them not at all demeaning to women. The audience is different- it’s not a trashy crowd- you’ll find artists,families, men & women, people from the gay and transgender community- many walks of life represented & most are there to enjoy a thoughtful, creative performance (not to jack off in the back row of some sleezy porn joint). Some of Dottie’s advice from the class was something to the effect of if you’re having a bad tummy day, don’t hide your tummy- show it off, be proud of it, it’s yours. Burlesque can be a way to discover or re-discover yourself. Thanks again for your comment.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Stephanie –
Have you ever been to a burlesque show? I mean that in a completely un-snarky way. Truth be told, the audiences at your average burlesque show are mostly women. The ones in the audience screaming, hooting and hollering? Mostly women.
I think women rely on sexuality to be empowered (and it’s not just in burlesque — femme fatale characters, the Gingers and the Mariannes — they’re everywhere) because it is by our sex we are defined.
Why is it that women make 30% less than men for doing the same work? Why is it that it’s taken 200+ years to have a woman as the Speaker of the House? Is it because we’re weaker? Less intelligent? No. It’s because we’re women.
When a people is oppressed, historically, for one arbitrary reason or another (in this cause, our sex/sexuality), I don’t think it’s wrong or unreasonable for the oppressed to use that very same thing as a means of empowerment.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Melanie, Dottie’s advice is encouraging. None of us are perfect, and we should embrace who we are. We need more “normal” people in the world who aren’t afraid to stay true to who they are and not be ashamed when they have a bad belly day. Like Tim alluded to in his “In the Flesh” article, the people the world defines as “ugly” are sometimes that happiest.
Sharon, the dance class sounds fun (way more than some spin class); I just can’t help but wonder (having never been to a burlesque show) if being a burlesque dancer is truly empowering in the long run or if it just feels empowering. Whether it’s women or men hooting and hollering in the audience doesn’t change the fact that the dancer’s body — no matter if the body is the world’s definition of “beautiful” or “ugly” — is being objectified. I understand the concept of repurposing something once used to diminish someone. However, does a woman who uses her sexuality get taken seriously? Given the country’s puritanical attitude toward sexuality and its sexism, can a woman go from being a burlesque dancer to becoming Speaker of the House, even if she is intelligent?
April 20th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Given the country’s puritanical attitude toward sexuality and its sexism, can a woman go from being a burlesque dancer to becoming Speaker of the House, even if she is intelligent?
Not yet, I’m afraid.
I’ve taken Dottie’s classes and have, for the past year, been performing fairly regularly as a burlesque dancer. And I can tell you from personal experience, it was one of the smartest things I ever did. My wiggly bits still wiggle and my butt is still big, but I love the skin I’m in, FINALLY.
And while certainly there is an inherent objectifying quality anytime the body is on display, I in no way feel objectified when I perform. I feel supported by a tremendously loving community (both the performers backstage and the regular audience members).
And while I’m fairly certain that my chances of running for President have been obliterated, and I’m fairly certain that Nancy Pelosi never wore pasties, any woman who empowers herself, who says, “My body is sexual and sensual and beautiful and I can show it off tonight and run my company tomorrow” is a step in the right direction, I think.
Don’t forget, an Italian porn star was elected to her country’s Parliament. And that’s in one of the most Catholic countries in the world.
Maybe -maybe maybe maybe- with more and more women in power in this country than ever before, and with more and more women demanding control over the way they are viewed, as beings, not just as objects — maybe we can finally catch up to countries like Liberia and Pakistan and have a woman hold the highest office in the land.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
P.S. — Stephanie — are you in NYC? You should check out some shows. I’d love to hear what you think after you see some burlesque, er, in the flesh.