Wednesday 17 November 2010

A visit to Burlesque Salon!


Burlesque Salon is a hidden gem of a shop, tucked away in the fashion mecca that is the Oasis on Corporation Street, Birmingham.
Opened by Ella Young, this welcoming little shop is an absolute aladdin's cave of burlesque goodies, with something to tempt everyone. There is a range of excellent corsets in an array of colours and patterns, also a selection of pretty ruffled knickers, bustles, and hosiery, costume details such as hats and wigs can also be found, in fact everything you need to kit yourself out for burlesque.

You can even find my tassels stocked there, with a christmas range coming soon!

Well worth a visit as you do your christmas shopping in Birmingham.


Monday 8 November 2010

Hallowe'en Masquerade Show at THE PUBLIC, West Bromwich, Saturday October 30th 2010

The setting for this well attended burlesque show was the "long room" rather than the theatre. This could have had an effect on the atmosphere due to its dimensions which sometimes meant that the audience energy was not so concentrated towards the stage Nonetheless, there were a variety of performance styles on show which meant that any audience newcomers to burlesque saw an almost complete spectrum.

I am usually a traditionalist as I like to see a male compere, but I was delighted with Gigi Golightly's elegant turn, she gave each act, including mine, a lovely introduction. However, as there were indeed a lot of newcomers (who knew little about burlesque) in the audience, she had her work cut out when it came to encouraging them to cheer the acts on.

Plenty of people turned up to see some real scary glamour. Black Country Burlesque regulars such as Delilah Cherry Blossom, Ava Quinzel and Lola Pops showed their finely honed skills and fabulous costumes in neo and gorelesque performances, taking delight in "freaking out" some of the ladies on the front row! Another thing which struck me was the expertly applied make up of these performers. The great amount of work that had gone into these performances was all too apparent. The stage manager for the evening was Celeste Chiffon who did sterling work in her own inimitable style, with horror make up and a fluorescent green wig.

Other performers to appear were trained by Maggie Palmer at Wolverhampton's Burlesque Academy. Blue Bell Noir and Starr Rouge, are a sister act who performed in perfect synchronisation in a traditional cabaret style. Tiger Lilley was another academy girl who made her debut with a sensual performance to the music "Teach me, Tiger".



I myself did two performances which included my debut act and a new one which used Robert Plant's "Fortune Teller" to tell my tale.


The evening had a couple of departures from burlesque with the Jawahir Belly Dance Troupe from Kingswinford dazzling us with their stunning costumes and routines.

Another part of the evening was an appearance by "Angel Eyes Helen" a medium who did readings for randomly selected memebers of the audience. Not everyone's cup of tea, but a different act which added to the variety of the evening.
As always, it is difficult to rate a show you have appeared in yourself, but I would recommend this show as worth a visit should there be another one, but I might suggest some format changes.
(Many thanks to Robin Lowe from Black Country Burlesque for the use of photographs from the night.)

Monday 1 November 2010

A Burlesque Workshop that's worth giving a twirl....

Ladies enjoying themselves at the Burlesque Academy.

By popular demand, there will be another Beginner's Burlesque Academy workshop at DANCE BY DESIGN STUDIOS, Blyth House, 130 Hordern Road, Wolverhampton WV6 OHS. It will take place on 28th November 2010, starting at 10 am and lasting all day until approximately 5pm with an hour's break for lunch.
This intensive day-long course is aimed at beginners who have little or no experience in Burlesque, but in my opinion it could also be a useful refresher for ladies wanting to brush up their technique.

You will be expertly taught by professional dance instructor Miss Maggie Palmer, a.k.a Divine Destiny who will teach you the basics of walking, posing, posture and some choreographed routines in vintage and modern styles. The basics of "peeling" and "teasing" are also covered so you will be able to go home and give hubby a demo!

Although there are elements of striptease included in this course, no nudity is required, so your blushes are spared. You will need to bring some items with you, but you will be advised of this when you pre-book your place.


Miss Maggie Palmer teaching at the Burlesque Academy

I would highly recommend this course, although only a day long, burlesque is well worth a try just for a fun day out or it can be a life enhancing experience for those ladies wishing to learn more and take it further. (Like me) I wouldn't have dreamed I would be doing this two years ago. It is a real confidence boost and can also provide a toning workout, very good for the legs, back and abdominal muscles.

So, why not get a little glamour in your life, if only just for one day and try this marvellous course?

Cost for the day - £20

For details and essential pre-booking please ring Maggie Palmer on 07881 538780