Ladies & Gentlemen
Can I take you on a trip down memory lane to your first ever burlesque performance - Where did this happen? When did it happen? How did it go? Had any of you ever taken lots of clothes off infront of lots of fully dressed people before (beaches and swimming pools etc don't count!)? Who did you show your routine to before taking to the stage? Or did you take the plunge and just do it?! And finally - who had performed on stage before (be it dancing, singing, acting etc) and whose first ever performance on stage was a burlesque show?
I'm sure you all remember your first performance fondly!

Kitten Kapers x

*thinks back* My first performance was singing in 1994 when i was 6... I performed singing wise till i was 14/15... erm. The first Dance i did... about 8. Cheerleading (i know i know) was 13. catwalk/modelling 15.
My first burlesque performance was shortly after my 18th birthday... in a very run down working mens club!!

:-P my very first performance was aged 4 in panto with Billy Fane (aka Geoff -prewheelchair- from Byker Grove...l)

I then did 12 years of youth theatre & dance plus 2 years of professional theatre & film before going to university. After uni I retrained in circus and worked freelance in that until last year.

My first burlesque was technically an acrobatic vaudeville piece I did four years ago in Australia BUT i didn't strip down to pasties so maybe that doesn't count. It was at a burlesque show though...hmmm

The next burlesque was only last year when I was asked to do aerial at Cabaret Excentrique for Growling Clown. I was scared witless... at The Sage Gateshead an AMAZING venue and a sell out crowd eek!

My aerial silks had been rigged with precision, we were all happy; tech went great and I spent the next hour eating soup with Missy Malone. I was trying to stay calm but my hands were sweating (not a good thing when you're going to be upside down) oh and my mom, dad and two brothers were in the audience too!

I went on stage, began my act and went to get onto my silks. I have to do one giant pull-up to get into position and was all ready when I realised my silks had receeded about three inches higher than I had rigged them! Damn stretchy fabric had shrunk under the heat of the lights! So not just a big pull up, but a hop skip, jump and the biggest heave of my entire life. I swear only adrenalin got me up there (i even got an 'ooooh!")Anyway, rest of the act went to poop cos the silks were really sticky but it was over, I had fun and then did a fire act later on in the show. So it was all happy really

I'm glad to say they go much more smoothly now

Looking forward to seeing people's responses...

xx

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www.frayedknot.org.uk
http://www.myspace.com/frayedknotcircus

I've danced since six, so I'm no stranger to the stage, but my very first burlesque performance was a little over a year ago, on October 20, 2006. In fact, it was Eye Candy Burlesque's debut performance, not just my own.

We were all so incredibley nervous, and noone had put on any show like this in our city before, so we all thought it would be nice if we could get the 75 seats in the theatre HALFWAY filled. When we found out the line was wrapping around the theatre, we almost DIED!!

I'd say everything went well, but faaaaaar from smooth! We didn't have proper dressing rooms, and we created the line-up in such a way that I had three or four quick, and I mean quick, changes!! (Thank god THAT'S never happened again.) I had no idea how difficult changing stockings and garters and corsets could be! Now, of course, I can change them blindfolded!! Thank god our MC, Momere, is an improv comedy genius, she definitely covered my ass that night!

I had never even showed my boobies at Mardi Gras before, and I went three times. When I got onstage, it wasn't the fact that I had to get down to the nitty gritty, it was just dancing in front of such a large audience. What a rush! I ate it up and asked for seconds, and I haven't stopped performing since!!