Thread: losing weight to begin burlesque

I totally agree with the 'don't wait till you're slimmer' posts.

Life is way too short to not have fun RIGHT NOW!

I'm a size 22 and I love performing , can't get enough of it and just because I'm fat doesn't mean I can't entertain.

Another great inspiration is Va Va Vunderbust - just watch this:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBGnbXfUHbI]YouTube - Va Va Vunderbust![/ame]

And I highly recommend other vids of her on youtube - such fantastic energy and fun.

bloody brilliant!!!!!!! fantastic bongo technique... thank you so much for posting that link....xxx

Renea' le Roux is another total inspiration - if you can learn to love yourself and find some confidence (or learn how how to fake it until you make it) then you too might one day be as damn sexy as this:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqbHq3I80Zw]YouTube - Renea' Le Roux - The First Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival[/ame]

(Though mind you, it helps that she's a superb seamstress and knows how to best flatter her body.....but she's deffo inspiring)

ohhhhhh the boobies.....ohhhhh the costume.....ohhhhhh the shoes.......i may have to lie down now!!!!!!

now there is a performance to aspire to....nine minutes long!!!!!!!WOW.

Both vids are awesome...thanks for posting! My favorite part (of course) was Va Va Vunderbust's "bongos," teehee!

I am also going to de-lurk myself and say that I agree with all in this thread. You just have to practice, practice, practice and get out there and live and not wait for a time when you are "slimmer" or "prettier" or whatever. And I need to follow my own advice, too. I live in the sixth biggest metropolitan area in the US (Fort Lauderdale/Miami area), yet so many people here are so ignorant and I am sometimes bullied for how I look. I have the Bettie Page-style hair, drawn-on eyebrows and tattoos...people here can't handle that so I do get some horrid stares and occasional rude comments. Back when I frequented goth clubs years ago, I had one girl I didn't even know talk behind my back, saying I'm "ugly" to everyone she knew and posting about me on message boards that she frequented. The thing was, she was hideously disfigured, yet she bullied me simply for being ugly. When people are disgusting and horrible like this, I have to admit, it does get me down and makes me want to never leave my apartment! But I've found that burlesque is the most positive, creative and accepting scene and art form I've come across. I finally found my niche and I don't let anyone's nastiness stop me from practicing! I am still a beginner, as I've only been practicing for maybe about six or seven months now, but I still practice to build my skills and get me into performance level. There aren't any burlesque classes here yet that I know of so as of now I'm teaching myself. However, I started off taking belly dance classes at the community schools here and it really helped me get a good foundation for burlesque .

Anyway, whew! Sorry for being so wordy but don't give up...you're beautiful and you're not alone in feeling the way you do.

This is the exact same reason I've been putting it off...

I used to perform about 4 years ago, and strangely I was actually heavier then than I am now. I used to get an amazing response from the girls watching the show... I don't know why I haven't taken my own advice, but I just wanted to say don't think you have to look a certain way to be good performer. It's about the way you hold yourself and project yourself.

Originally Posted by tempest devyne

Renea' le Roux is another total inspiration - if you can learn to love yourself and find some confidence (or learn how how to fake it until you make it) then you too might one day be as damn sexy as this:

YouTube - Renea' Le Roux - The First Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival

(Though mind you, it helps that she's a superb seamstress and knows how to best flatter her body.....but she's deffo inspiring)

OMG how amazing was that costume!! (hehe I use that music in a routine too!)

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments here- if you want to do it go for it but otherwise bugger it! One of the things I love about the burlesque revival is the diversity of sizes and shapes. I work in a burlesque trio with two other girls where we range from xs small - small/medium - large and it is something that people seem to love about us. Sure as the larger performer in the group it can be tough and there are some judgemental people around; but the support you will get will see you through that

Hi, new here and I just wanted de-lurk long enough to say that I'm also in the "I thought I was too fat for burlesque " camp! Especially since the one time I went for an open audition for a random variety burlesqe/fetish show thing I was not only turned down flat but I also overheard one of the guys running the audition say "we should have put "no fat chicks" in the ad."

I later found out that this isn't common practice (thankfully!) but it still put me off enough to not want anything to do with burlesque at all untill a mate recomended this site to me. I think I shall continue to look into putting on a show now, thanks guys!

You are right, Flux - it isn't common for size to matter in burlesque and your experience was just horrible.

I agree with the other posts that burlesque is for all shapes and sizes. I agonized over it for ages and then thought 'sod it' and decided there and then that it didn't matter that my boobs are smaller than some people's or bigger than others, that I've got a bit of cellulite, that my skin's a funny colour (purple - yuk!), that my belly's a bit wobbly etc and so on. I just felt very strongly that I didn't want to get to old age and think 'wish I'd tried that'.

The majority of women are unhappy about some aspect of their bodies, but they also have the choice of whether to let those things interfere with living. If you know your routine and can pysche yourself up to give it a go, you will realise people aren't there to look at what shape you are, they are there to be entertained by YOUR character. And in my opinion, never underestimate the confidence-boosting power of dressing up and putting slap on ) I also found that doing a course helped me immensely, learning with others who are just as nervous as you are is a real help, and I found myself a support network of wonderful friends as well.

Life is for living.
Lily x