I am an aspiring burlesque performer, and I really want to bring pole dancing into that scene.

It has been a goal of mine for 3 years and in that time I have been working on my pole skills and attending burlesque shows. I have seen pole dance competitions and while the skills are impressive, I found myself rather uninspired as to the lack of energy and personality in the performances. I think this is what draws me to the burlesque scene. Burlesque can go so many ways, its fascinating to see how individual performers interpret the burlesque attitude.

I had just started a troupe, with the intentions of it being a group of women continuing on this path of truly melding pole and burlesque together. I wanted to create a troupe with like-minded performers as well as trying to find a place where I fit in.

We had 2 shows (that I organized on my own) , and while they were successful in the fact that people attended and had a good time, truthfully the performances were not burlesque. Which disappoints me because I attend many burlesque shows and I love the energy and fun/outgoing attitude of the performers, yet my show was not so much high energy. I stuck out in my own show, I felt like my routine did not go along with the others.

While I would be understanding in that I, along with everyone else, are just starting out and it takes time to perfect routines and attitude and all that, the other women do not understand burlesque and/or are not too interested in learning more and not really going the way I want to go. I would like to stop the troupe, and focus on finding women who are along the burlesque path as I want to be on.

Unfortunately I did not start off with women into burlesque and now I do not know how to go about the "politics" of the situation. I dont know if I will want a show in the future, but now I want to focus on burlesque shows, festivals and classes and all that fun burly stuff.

It makes me feel sad to put effort into the shows (booking, practice times, website, flyers, advertising) and make myself available to others when the end result is not what I had wanted, its actually more along the lines of what I was trying to get away from. (plain pole dancing) I also tried to send out links of burlesque resources as well as what local shows to go to, and they were not interested.

Hoping others on this forum, who understand an love burlesque, would give me advice on this situation. The other women are excited to be performing, and we all get along, but I realize that they are not right for me and what I want to be pursuing.

I dont know if I am wrong or being a brat, but its personally a struggle when Im feeling uncomfortable and like an outsider in my own troupe.

Whats a good way to say "The shows were good but not what Im looking for. I want women interested in both pole as well as burlesque, not just pole."

I feel bad that I started it, and seeing it go the way I did not want, now I want to stop it.

Help.

Heyy,

Not exactly what you're asking for. But im just starting out in burlesque, looking to debut in April, and I've been poledancing for a few months. I love the poledancing but my main passion is burlesque, and I'm looking to combine the two - a sort of set with poledance spins and a few inverts with, like you say, the burlesque glamour and style.

Where are you based? I'm in Southampton. Wondered if you'd maybe like to get together some time?

Perdy x

Well, my goal is to connect with pole dancers/burlesque performers!

But, I am in Baltimore, MD...far far away

ohhhh... yeah way away. that's a shame. good luck with it!

My burlesque teacher also does pole, and she and her 2 co-teachers are specialised in pole burlesque (they can do one or the other, but their performances often combine both). Scoundrelles - Brisbane Pole Dancing, Burlesque and Performance

As for your troupe: perhaps it's time for you to move on, but maybe let them stay as a group. You can hand over the reigns to someone else, and let them decide if they want to stay together or not, while you find your own group.

Good luck!

I teach pole and am also a burlesque performer.

I find that I have definite different styles on the pole depending upon the people I am working with/for.

People very often have pre-conceived ideas on pole whereas I just see it as a prop around which whatever style I am performing is based.

When I am performing my pole burlesque style I tend not to have tricks and generally use facial expressions and dance to get across the character I am portraying. Unfortunately some peoples take on burlesque is a corset and a feather boa...and that's it!

How about getting your group together and have a night where you watch a lot of your favourite burlesque clips to help them get the idea? They may have an epiphany watching some of the amazing talent out there!

A performer (and a lovely lady also) that I like to show as a good example of the burlesque pole is Miss Glory Pearl

Miss Glory Pearl - The UK's Leading Burly-Pole® Artist

Hope this helps!

Pole dancing & burlesque are definitely becoming the next big thing; my partner Edd Muir is a male chinese pole cabaret artist and we've seen venues changing their opinion on whether a pole is suitable for them in the past year.


Above is his most well known act, this was developed when many promoters wanted Edd to perform pole as a 'Chippendale' style performer and he didn't want to. The video doesn't show the actual burlesque of the act just the tricks but you can see his other styles on the youtube channel.

Edd doesn't like to perform pole to audiences who expect dancing pole so I can appreciate your desire to perform burlesque style pole. It's difficult to get that idea across to most performers on that circuit so maybe making a clean break and starting again would be the best option for yourself.

If you were the driving force behind the production; you can just say you are taking a break and have no concerns about the show being done without you etc. You can then audition performers for your new troupe, with a clear description in the casting call and hopefully get what you are looking for

One big thing to consider when taking on burlesque pole is the transport issues and whether venues are able to be rigged. We often have to travel much earlier to an event, take several types of rigging and communicate much more with the promoter. To this extent, a lot of smaller events and 'newbie' nights might not be willing to accomodate this; it's just something to keep in mind.

Wow, these links and video make me smile. I know Im not being the most original with my goal of polesque, but I still feel like a weirdo in my own troupe. Im so glad to see others out there working towards the same goal.

I am aware about the limitations of performing with the stage pole. While it is more freeing in that it can be set up almost anywhere...it is a pain in the arse to deal with, because it also requires a height of at least 10 ft, and its very large and heavy. It can be moved aside on a large stage, with the help of 3 men. I also need to unload near the venue door since the stage pole breaks down to 4 large heavy bags, and not really something you want to walk a block down the city with.

Trixie Little is teaching classes in Baltimore in March and April. Taking classes from her mean a whole lot more to me than doing the troupe. I want to learn and grow as a performer. At first (back in Sep) I was thinking that another troupe show would be in April, but now I just cant do it.

I would love to just ask if someone can take the troupe over. The problem is that I own the stage pole. I didnt think or plan that starting a burlesque troupe would leave me feeling uncomfortable. It would be nice if someone else could get a stage pole, and I can focus on burlesue shows and classes.

The classes with Trixie Little will be fantastic!

I don't think it's at all selfish to say to the others that you had tons of fun doing the first show with them but it's made you realise that you want to explore other areas of burlesque and get additional training and so you're not going to be able to carry on doing things with them or organising shows (as they take up so much time that you'd like to divert into improving what you've learnt already). Tell them that for the time being you're going to step back from performing in a troupe.

You are not responsible for them, they're grown ups. You've organised two shows and they've had an opportunity to participate and learn............not you need to do stuff for yourself - it's up to them what they do or what they think. If they're annoyed with you, to be honest so what - you're not cheating them or doing anything to harm them, you're just doing stuff on your own to go down a different path. Life is too short to worry about what others think of you or to do things just to keep other people happy.

Be matter of fact with them and then try and forget about it and move on - this isn't something to regret, you gave them the opportunity to try something out, you've had two great shows and now it's time to move on.

I could however be talking out of my behind as I'm a little drunk tonight - but the best of luck!

ps. just found this, and LOVE it:

Brilliant! I loved that so much