• Bump n Grind is a State of Mind

Start with the bawdy basics: How to hold and move your body with the classic sass of burlesque’s heyday. You’ll learn the stroll, the shimmy, the glove peel, the twirl and, of course, the bump and grind! We’ll discuss some of the history behind these moves and get you up your feet with a simple routine you can build on or just show off to that special someone! 

 

• Mind the Grind: Burlesque from the Neck Up

Burlesque is not just about how you use your body; it’s about how you use your mind. It’s about who you are on stage and how you communicate that to your audiences using non-verbal cues. Character development and motivation; eye-contact and connection; giving good face: All of these things happen above the shoulders and can make or break your relationship with your audience. We work with you to help create and evaluate your stage persona and to use that persona to engage and captivate your audiences through facial gestures and just the right glance, glare or stare.

​

"The Bawdy Shop Burlesque members are self-defined feminists, on a mission to promote body positivity and support women, men, and gender neutral people in owning their presence. These are women who are unabashedly sexy in their own skin. Confident, with a high level of intelligence and dedication to their art, these ladies know how to turn a casual walk into a sensuous stroll dripping with suggestion." BmoreArt 

 

• Move Dat Bawdy

We’ll build on the basic burlesque moves to focus on musicality, staging and choreography (for dancers and non-dancers). No matter your experience, there are new ways to move, turn, twist, hide and reveal. And there are ways to consider music that go well beyond the striptease pantomime of “lyrical literalism” to which many fall victim. The flow and movement you learn will also help inspire your creativity—because it’s time to start developing your showcase act!

​

• The Thespian Ecdysiast: When Scripts Meet Strips

Incorporating traditional acting techniques can take your performance from humdrum to POW! Learn the basics of several established methods as you participate in scenes, critique one another and will leave the class with a tool box of new ways to examine, inform, build, drive and refine not just your stage performance but your street self as well!

 

• The C-Words: Character, Choreography and Charisma

The grace you’ve honed in your body through the classic moves of burlesque now combine with poise, confidence, presence and intention so that you can decide and dictate how to show what you want to show when you want to show it, and the best ways to share with your audience—whether it’s one person or one hundred—the sparkle and shine of your character’s persona!

 

• More is More: Looking the Part

Burlesque is known for its glitz and glamour and for its “More is more!” mantra. You don't need a sewing machine to make a great costume! We'll get hands-on to take a regular bra or panties/boxers and create something show-sensational! From affixing trim and crystals to the magic of magnets and evil of Velcro, get ready to go from thrift store to fabulous! Plus, we'll delve into the make-up basics, exploring application and contouring and how to master false eyelashes.

 

• Assume the Position: Presence and Professionalism​

Whether you’re new to burlesque or been around The Block, how you comport yourself off-stage, backstage, onstage and online can fast-track your career—or derail it. From kittening to headlining, it isn’t who you know—it’s who knows YOU. With insider tips on critical but often overlooked skills in etiquette, media interaction, marketing and manners, you’ll learn when to claim the spotlight (and when to step back), ways to cultivate your networks (IRL and in social networks), how to get noticed (in the right way) and be an active, supportive member of your community.

​

• Peer Reviews

Private peer reviews are a unique opportunity to perform your act to get focused, experienced and constructive feedback. We also offer a Beautiful Bawdy discussion to talk about breaking down any anxieties about performance or ourselves in our own skins!

​​