HopkinsAround Blog 6th November 2008
Thanks to one of our Perth students, for this mention on her blog. So glad you liked your first class, see you next week! Visit her blog, HopkinsAround, for more.
“Last year in Canberra I went to a Burlesque cabaret show commemorating the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. The show featured an Elvis impersonator and a troupe of Burlesque dancers vamping to his songs. The dancers were all shapes, sizes and ages and were totally magnificent. Since then I’ve been interested in taking a workshop as I think they inspire great body confidence and making all women feel fabulous and sexy irrespective of size etc. But enough rambling…
Tuesday night I went to my first class in a 6 week workshop on the art of burlesque at Sugar Blue Burlesque. There were about 30 women of all ages and shapes, in a mixture of work and exercise gear – all in heels of course. After an initial 30 minute introduction to the history and art of burlesque (before it deteriorated in stripping) it was time for our first lesson – talk about laugh! I was there with a couple of women I know and we all had the giggles. We were taught, to the accompanient of appropriate music of course, how to sashay along in our heels, hips swinging one way and shoulders the other, putting one foot in front of the other. The moves were so exaggerated I though for sure someone would put a hip out!! Luckily none did. Di had it down pat, Verna and I lumbered along in her wake feeling very awkward.
Next, to that classic song, The Stripper (yes, the one you’re all hearing it in your head now!) we were shown how to bump, grind, shake, shimmy and wiggle. We even threw in a couple of artful stripper moves just to get them out of the way! Talk about a motley looking crowd, we must have made an interesting spectacle in our sundry clothes and heels shakily bumping & grinding along between unsteady steps. Di took some photo’s so I may get a couple up in the next few weeks.
I can’t wait for next weeks lesson!”
