BURLESQUE-INOMICS: THE FINANCES OF BURLESQUE, by Penny Starr Jr.
Being in a tight economy can really take a hit on a budget showgirl or boy. Below are some money saving tips and some harsh economic truths. REPERTOIRE If you have a dozen acts but you’ve only been performing a year, that means one of two things: 1) you have the money and time to [...]
Penny Starr Jr: Navigating the Collaboration with a Costume Designer
As we all know, burlesque is very much a DIY community. Part of what draws some of us to burlesque as an art form is the ability to play dress up; to make a costume more than the once a year Halloween party or Ren-Faire or Zombie Prom. I firmly believe that all dancers should [...]
Penny Starr Jr: Burlesque Legends – Compare and Contrast Stripping from Mid-century to Today.
This weekend I got to do something that no one else (that I know of) has ever done: I stripped with my grandma. Yes, I guess in polite society, that seems very ‘Springer’ of us, until you know that my grandmother is Philadelphia burlesque legend Penny Starr (why I am a ‘Junior’). However, it is [...]
THE BUSINESS OF BURLESQUE: defining ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ in our art form.
by Penny Starr Jr. This post is coming, in part, from two articles written recently about burlesque. The first is the ‘State of the (Burlesque) Union Address’ from last year’s BurlyCon, as given by Miss Astrid, producer of the long-running Va Va Voom Room (LA, NY, SF), Velvet Hammer alum, and emcee for, among other [...]
10 Things You Can do to be a Better Burlesque Dancer
We all fall into ruts. We get booked consistently, put on a good local show, but we don’t get challenged. And then we see that out of town performer, or go to a festival and see the next level. And I don’t know about you guys, but there are a handful of performers that have always made me [...]