Hey guys,

I've had loads of performance pics sent to me recently and I've noticed that I always seem to be looking down or have my eyes closed. It's really annoying because I don't realise I'm doing it!!!!

Does anyone have any tips for making sure you are always facing the audience 'appropriatley'???

I have another performance tomorrow night and don't want to make the same mistakes.

Thanks

Lola P x x x x

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myspace.com/lolapopsburlesque

It depends on your performance style. If it's something graceful and elegant, like a fan dance, you don't need to be looking at the audience all the time. If you're doing something cheekier though, interact with them! Pull faces at them, wink at them, blow kisses, anything as long as you make contact. Pick out different people or areas of the audience as you go along. And if your pictures still have your eyes closed or away, it may be just that your photographer happens to take pictures at inopportune moments. My man did that at my last gig - loads of pretty poses he could have captured but the camera wasn't working properly so I ended up with a whole batch where you can't see my face at all!

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Terry Pratchett to Fleur - "Oh, are you the cleavage lady?"
Visit me - www.badflower.co.uk

Change what you're thinking about! If you concentrate on enjoying yourself and interacting with the crowd, this will automatically come through with your gaze. If you're thinking about where you're putting your feet, or what move goes with which beat of the music, you'll look down because you're focusing too hard.

Perhaps free your routines up a little - give yourself a few beats or bars for improvisation or space for wardrobe malfunctions.

Start thinking of your burlesque less as the performance of a set routine, but the creation of an ambience, a story...

...it sounds cheesy, but *become* Lola Pops, rather than wear Lola's costume.

Oh, I'm such a love.

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I've only been performing for a few months, albeit quite regularly and for me, I find the music is really important, if I choose a song just because it 'goes' then i know I wont enjoy it - que: a mad rush to change the song the day before ;-) I love dancing and it'll put me off if I don't enjoy the song I've chosen and I think that shows... do you know what I mean?

MMxx

I always imagine that my boyfriend is at the back of the room and i am smiling and performing for him. Also if you can film your routines before hand that really helps I do that with all mine. See you tomorrow honey
Diva x

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Diva Hollywood - http://www.myspace.com/divahollywood

Thanks for your help my lovelies, I will bear in mind what you have said tommorrow night!

Anyone going to Retrosexual be sure to come say hi!!!

x

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myspace.com/lolapopsburlesque

wont be at Retrosexual but are you coming to Boom Boom after?
My tips are
-In an empty room look either at the ceiling at the far end of the room or at the back of the room, I engage with the spot as though it's a hot boy.
-Sometimes I use a plant in the front row who I know will give me an encouraging wink and nod, when i have interacted with this person I move on to other members of the crowd feeling confident. So I always have a point of reference to look at so I don't end uo shoe gazing...
-Loose your inhibitions as Von Bourbon said be Lola not you in your normal life. Eva does things Fran would never dream of, I remember a time when Eva got so drunk she threw glasses and lit cigerettes at the audience, it was ok because it was Eva who did it and not fran...

Sometimes you will see someone in the crowd who is glaring at you (when a girl has as many ex lovers as me you find this is quite often) if I am unlucky enough to catch the eye of said offender I usually centre my performance around alluring that person, it could annoy them more but usually they realise that it's only a bit of fun and they get into the swing of things.

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www.myspace.com/evabraunandtheghouls
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Note to self, glare at Eva...

I had that at my last performance - I ignored the glarers instead so they didn't put me off. But as Eva said, it was Fleur onstage then and not my alter ego, so Fleur just didn't care ... (I'd have got all self-conscious)

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Terry Pratchett to Fleur - "Oh, are you the cleavage lady?"
Visit me - www.badflower.co.uk

Thanks to Lola for a sparkling performance, and to the fabulous Diva Hollywood and Millie Dollar, who made the Royal Court Retrosexual event a huge and glittery success.

x