Burlesque 101

Confidence, musicality, and “woah” factor are the three main components needed to become a burlesque performer. Anyone and everyone, no matter body type, background, academic or professional training, are capable of partaking in this performance art. I discovered this through the burlesque workshop hosted at York University, featuring four York alums who went on to become successful burlesque artists. It was interesting how they came from different academic programs, from theatre to dance to history, and their paths all led to burlesque. It was also reassuring that no formal dance training was required; all you need is to be able to feel the music and fashion yourself in a way you feel most confident in your body. I came into the workshop unsure of what burlesque really was, and came out feeling liberated. Burlesque has a long history, with a revival in the 1990s called the neo-burlesque movement, updating the traditional American burlesque performance with more progressive and body-positive standards. I appreciate how nowadays, burlesque spaces are inclusive of BIPOC artists in a way that is meaningful and gives them agency, with over 50% of the performers in the previous Toronto Burlesque Festival being BIPOC. 

“The feeling in a burlesque house is different from other performance spaces,” said one of the artists. Even just being in the room with the burlesque performers, as well as feeling the energy of everyone participating, was very exciting and made me feel safe to express myself. We were taken through a series of exercises involving eye contact, movement, and removing an item of clothing. Part of being a burlesque artist is being unapologetic and commanding the space, and you must also wear many hats, which I could relate to as a devised theatre artist. 

Costumes are a huge part of burlesque performances. I like how you can really wear anything you want, as long as it serves the concept of your performance. Concept was a word that was brought up quite a lot during the workshop, including movement and music. All of these components put together is what creates burlesque. It is essential to make critical choices that are intentional for the world of your act, while still allowing yourself to play and be creative. One of the artists, who also came from a devised theatre background, brought up the importance of collaboration. Even as a solo artform, bringing collaborators into the process early on is so beneficial. After all, burlesque is all about audience response, so having different eyes during the creation process allows you to refine your act and figure out what works best. 

If you are considering learning more about burlesque, want to become a burlesque artist, or just want to watch, here are some burlesque performances in Toronto you can attend:

Performers from the From Training To Tease event pictured above (L-R): Zyra Lee Vanity, Rita Ann’tique, Newfound Lad, and Força (Julia Matias).

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