The best of the best! Our reigning title-holders are joined by past winners, special guests, and invited performers.
Work the lighting board
This is a special run - at Intermission at the first event of the evening and after the event for ~30-40 minutes, we well party passes. Generally it's clear when there are 5 people standing and talking and the bar is wrapping up, that there are no more sales. At that point, strike the reg desk for the night and you're good to go.
The lights are low, the rhythym of the music gets into your blood... your eyes connect with a mysterious stranger across the room. Welcome to The Burlesque Bordello.
Immerse yourself in out cabaret of decadent delights. The sensuous Burlesque Bordello offers a thrill for every sense...This showcase of burlesque and variety offers something for every taste – literally. The exotic and erotic acts are accompanied by an sinful dessert buffet (and, of course, there's a cash bar serving adult libations).
The Burlesque Bordello is most definitely 21+
Volunteer for Breakfast
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 8:00 AM -
10:00 AM
Location: Haym Solomon
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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Breakfast is the most importantmeal of the day – and if you have a Whole Shebang Ticket or Scholar's Pass, you're invited to join us in the Haym Solomon Room for breakfast and conversation on Saturday and Sunday. Offerings include both sweet and savory pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, cold cereal, hot breakfast sandwiches, Tazo Tea, coffee, and more. Wear your jammies, your fuzzy slippers, your elegant night attire, or come dressed to start your day! Whatever you wear, please remember to bring your conference badge, as we'll be checking them at the door!
Promotion -- beyond the Facebook invite How do you get people to come to your shows? Especially in a town with competing troupes and performers who are all inviting the same people to shows and fighting over venues? In addition to her work as a performer, Tapitha Kix is a former events editor and reporter with the Baltimore Sun. She'll teach you how to write a proper press release, work with the media and find other promotion resources beyond standard social media and how you can stand out. And in a business that doesn't often talk about money -- she'll break down how she works with venues and negotiates deals to maximize the amount of money you and your performers receive.
Is your song almost perfect? Need to make it shorter, longer, louder? Do you want to make a medley? The days of begging tech-savvy friends for help are over! Moxie LaBouche will teach you how to do all of these things to ensure your song fits your needs and sounds great to boot.
The best approach to this class is to attend with a laptop with Audacity already installed. Download it for free here - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Jenny Jewels has been teaching fitness dance inspired classes such as Cardio Showgirl/Burlesqe, Cardio Latin, Cardio Pop, and Belly/Bollywood Fit, for over 10 years.
She is and avid salsa dancer who has taught, presented, and performed with the Cuban style salsa performance group, Salsa Vale Todo, at the San Francisco Salsa Rueda Featival for many years.
In the last two years Jenny has recently persued her longtime interest in burlesqe dancing and performing. She is part of the Bombshell Betty Showgirl Chorus group in San Francisco, has performed in the Fishnet Follies Showgirl group, and more recently is one of the newest members of the Velevettes Can-Can performance group!
Please join Jenny for a fun,flirty, and invigorating Showgirl/Burlesqe inspired fitness dance class to warm you up and start your dance filled day!
While a good M.C. can't make a bad show into a good one, a bad M.C. can definitely make a good show worse. If part of your job is public-speaking, or you've ever wondered what goes into being one of those people with the microphone, this class is for you. Topics covered include: preparation; projection; memorized material vs. improvisation; dealing with hecklers; trouble-shooting; the place of the M.C.
One hour class to improve strength and flexibility. Through a series of guided strengthening and stretching exercises students will learn to improve their leg flexibility, strengthen their ankles (important for dancing in heels), and generally loosen muscles. This class teaches mix of exercises taken from ballet, yoga, and other dance forms. All levels of flexibility are welcome; attendees will be checked during exercises for proper form and to prevent injury.
Master Classes are not included as part of The Whole Shebang
You took it off, so what?
Why are you wearing that costume, using those props? How does your costume relate to your story and/or your character? Lili VonSchtupp shares her vast knowledge and helps you discover different ways of using your clothing to tease and reveal while staying true to your character, storyline, or emotional intention. Learn to surprise your audience with unique and fun removals and reveals.
Suitable for all genders and all abilities. Takeaway notes provided.Bring any costume pieces you want to play with; some costume pieces be provided for hands on. This is an active, movement-based class, so dress appropriately!
Class size is limited. Advance registration recommended.
It happens to us all. At one point or another things just don't go as we planned! Perhaps you forget a costume item, perhaps a prop doesn't make it to the stage or maybe you even pop a pastie!
This workshops covers some basic techniques of how to stay calm and get through those unplanned mishaps that really do happen to us all!
Yes, you can cancan! Learn cancan basics! We will start with a full body, gentle, warm up; move into traditional barre work to strengthen our legs and core; practice across the floor cancan movements and learn basic cancan kick series. We will end the class with some gentle stretches. Wear comfortable clothes and low-heeled shoes such as ballet slippers or jazz shoes.
Who were the women who shaped the Golden Age of burlesque and inspired today's performers? Burlesque historian Miss Mina takes you on a lively trip through history, highlighting some of the influential performers in burlesque from Victorian Era to the 1950's during this fun slideshow and talk.
Volunteer for Community Commerce Table
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 12:00 PM -
8:00 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Many burlesque folks support themselves by selling merchandise, everything from pasties to pin-up calendars to autographed pictures to unusual arts and crafts. For some of you it's an essential part of your performance income, but you don't want to be a fullt-ime vendor, especially not at The Great Burlesque Expostion where there a shows to prepare for, classes to take, and fun to be had. Add to the investment of time, the financial investment of getting your very own booth, and it's just too much for many of us.
Enter The Community Commerce Table! A place where we come together to sell each other's merchandise and crafts! If you want to be part of our commerce community, here's all you have to do:
1) Tag everything you want to sell with a removable tag (something like this) that has
• your name
• the name of the item
• the price of the item
2) Inventory everything that you are going to be leaving for sale, then print two copies of that inventory.
3) Drop-off your goods by the The Community Commerce Table in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday, Jan. 6, between 10:00am and noon.
4) Sign-up to work at least one 2-hour shift at the table over the course of the weekend (you can work more than one shift if you're a particularly perfect person!). You must work at least one shift to get the benefits of selling your stuff at The Community Commerce Table.
5) Collect any unsold goods and the money for any sold items after 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7.
Participating as part of The Community Commerice Table is a way to share the burdens and expenses of vending amongst several people. We all do a litle work, we all get the benefits, and we all get more free time!
Volunteer for The Athenaeum
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 12:00 PM -
8:00 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
The Great Burlesque Exposition presents The Athenaeum (from the middle Latin for "A pretentious word for a library"). The Athenaeum is a remarkable collection of resources for both new and experienced burlesque performers and fans. Explore trade magazines from burlesque’s heyday, helpful guides to costuming, hair and makeup, and even novels inspired by the spirit of burlesque. Boston-specifc highlights of the collection include reprints of the very rare Cavalcade of Burlesque magazine (published by Boston's own Jess Mack), an autographed copy of Ann Corio's This Was Burlesque, and programs from The Old Howard.
Located in The Exhibit Hall near our fabulous Costume Display, The Athenaeum is open Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January 7 from noon to 8:00 p.m.This exceptional collection is open to anyone with a Fan Admission or better.
Special thanks to Counterpoint Press, Hard Case Crime, Margo Christie, Union Park Press, and Mina Murray for their contributions.
Learn some basic building blocks for choreography that you can adapt and fit into almost any classic BurlyQ peice. These snippets are fun to learn, fun to drill and a great go-to when you are buliding a dance style choreography. Each piece will focus on a few dancerly strengths that will enhance your dance and movement capabilities and get you thinking about clean technique.
Class will include:
- 3-5 short snippets of choreography
- choregraphed for classic burlesque music
- with ideas for simplificiation or enhanced stylings
- pointers on what the choregraphy teaches/highlights
At the end of class we'll play with chaining these bits together into numbers and mixing and matching the music to get a different vibe.
Students should bring shoes they can dance in and clothing that enables enthusiastic dance. Prepare to sweat!
Give your beloved costumes the care they deserve! You lavish so much time, effort, and money on them before they go on stage, learn to take care of them after you come off stage! Miss Mina, “The Martha Stewart of Burlesque”, teaches you the methods theatrical costumers and museum professionals use to clean, store, transport, and maintain costumes (and vintage clothing!) so that they last and last. Save money and look better!
Volunteer for Burlesque Bumps 'n' Grinds (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 1:00 PM -
1:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Classic burlesque is based on bumps and grinds and shimmies. Our experienced instructors show you the powerful, sexy moves that make burlesque great! Get your hips moving and hearts pumping! No experince necessary!
Do you have a blah bra? Let Jeannie Martini and Devastasia show you how to dress to your champagne taste -- even when you've got a beer budget. Students will learn different techniques for designing and embellishing a bra. Please bring a bra you wish to decorate; started or not!
As performers and artists, how do we deal with criticism, critiques and rejection, in a productive way?
Burlesque is a deeply personal art for many practitioners. With so much invested in our performance, how do we differentiate between commentary on our act and commentary on our selves? This course teaches effective communication techniques from tone to word choice for giving and receiving feedback in a positive light. We’ll also discuss using negative experiences like festival rejections as springboards for creativity and reinvigoration, and explores a variety of solutions to common traps we fall into when receiving feedback.
Breathing is at the care of all we do as performers.
Good breathing will increase your stamina and inform every move.
Come to learn a basic set of exercises to keep the breath, and body, centered.
Centering also provides a technique for overcoming stagefright and nervousness
in front of an audience, camera or microphone. It’s deceptively simple, and, with
persistence, the results from using this routine will amaze you! Come prepared
to move, make noise and feel real good.
A Workshop for Actors, Performers, Singers,
Storytellers & Anyone who Speaks.
Nothing can ruin a stripteaser's day faster than a closure which opens too soon...or won't open at all. Closures range from the simple to the esoteric, and each one has an ideal use. Master costumer Miss Mina Murray teaches you the advantages and disadvantages of different types of costume closures, from adhesive to zippers.
Volunteer for Beautiful Boas (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 3:00 PM -
3:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
We'll show you some flirty moves with the classic burlesque accessory. Conceal, reveal, and shake your feathers! Boas will be available for use in class. No experience necessary!
With over 500 burlesque shows produced, founding a festival, funding a kickstarter for a gallery show, teaching burlesque since 2007, emceeing and headlining at festivals and events, and 7 years of 18 hours a week producing radio, Lili has experience and knowledge to share. Bring your questions, concerns, and problems; Lili will help you to make informed decisions and better choices. No question is stupid. No topic is off limits. Business, performance, costuming, production, emceeing, marketing, and more!
Learn the power of stories to bring depth to your performace and moves. Everyone has a story,
indeed, every moment has a story. Explore these stories.
We’ll create “mini plays” from them which will be performed at the end of the session, along with
the perfprmance moment that inspired them.
My how times change. Less than 15 years ago almost everyone in the burlesque community knew almost everyone else and conflict was most often settled by conversation. A few years later disputes in the now vastly expanded burlesque world were decided by the court of social media. Today, burlesque performers are settling their differences through the legal system – often with extreme results.
Is this new dynamic a sign that burlesque has become a "real" industry or evidence that we're imploding? What changes do we foresee in the coming years? Is this the end of the burlesque world as we know it or just another wave of change to be waited out?
Do you get stuck with your choreography or character? Do you think so hard during your acts you forget your facial expressions? This class will get you out of your head and into the movement. We will utilize movement-based improvisation exercises to help you explore your character and have more fun on stage and off.
Volunteer for Burlesque Bumps 'n' Grinds (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 4:00 PM -
4:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Classic burlesque is based on bumps and grinds and shimmies. Our experienced instructors show you the powerful, sexy moves that make burlesque great! Get your hips moving and hearts pumping! No experince necessary!
You don't have to be at the mercy of what you can find in the store/online anymore. This foam-crafting demo will show you how easy it can be to make anything you can imagine -- swords, head pieces, armor, horns, oversized objects, etc -- out of items that are easily and cheaply purchased from the nearest hardware store. You don't need to be an artist to be able to foam-craft!
Volunteer for Keeping the Tease in Striptease (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 5:00 PM -
5:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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Learn the stripteasers' secrets for taking it off and looking good! Learn to strip out of long gloves and a big shirt and tease while you do it. Shirts and gloves will be available for use in class. No experience necessary! Please note: there is NO nudity in this class.
Volunteer for Beautiful Boas (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 6:00 PM -
6:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
We'll show you some flirty moves with the classic burlesque accessory. Conceal, reveal, and shake your feathers! Boas will be available for use in class. No experience necessary!
It's a burlesque battle royale as performers from all over the world compete for fame and fortune! The annual Howard Awards for burlesque excellence may be given out in these categories:
- Best Solo Performance
- Best Group Performance
- Best Hybrid
- Most Classic
- Most Beautiful
- Most Humorous
Performances are judged by the current Howard Award winners, alongside special guest judge Miss Mina Murray.
This is a special run - at Intermission at the first event of the evening and after the event for ~30-40 minutes, we well party passes. Generally it's clear when there are 5 people standing and talking and the bar is wrapping up, that there are no more sales. At that point, strike the reg desk for the night and you're good to go.
Starting right after The Main Event! The wettest you will get at the Expo!
Food, friends and chlorine! Take a swim with everyone or just hang out at the poolside and listen to our house surf band, The Wave Riders! It's a great time and it goes until late!
Don't forget your blue wristband!
Twist and shout alongside the Waveriders!
Volunteer for The Game Room
Time: Jan 6, 2018, 11:00 PM -
2:00 AM
Location: Haym Solomon
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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The Game Room offers guests a chance to snack, sip cocktails, and socialize over popular games like Cards Against Humanity, Get Dr. Lucky, or Apples to Apples.
Overseen by our Game Warden, Scarlett Letter, the Game Room is a quieter (but equally exciting!) alternative to our post-Main Event Pool Party, E
Host the game party!
Volunteer for Breakfast
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 8:00 AM -
10:00 AM
Location: Haym Solomon
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Breakfast is the most importantmeal of the day – and if you have a Whole Shebang Ticket or Scholar's Pass, you're invited to join us in the Haym Solomon Room for breakfast and conversation on Saturday and Sunday. Offerings include both sweet and savory pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, cold cereal, hot breakfast sandwiches, Tazo Tea, coffee, and more. Wear your jammies, your fuzzy slippers, your elegant night attire, or come dressed to start your day! Whatever you wear, please remember to bring your conference badge, as we'll be checking them at the door!
Leave your heels at home ladies and gentlemen. We’re bringing sexy back…and The Macarena! This cardio dance class is infused with a variety of dance styles. Routines are simple yet song specific and some of the movements are repetitive. You will be instructed on several fun and short dance combinations. As usual we will begin with a warm up and cooling down. You will have a myriad of moves to pull out of your dance belt to use to tease or in whichever way you please!
Need a good start out for the day? Stretching is a vital part of any exercise routine as it gives your muscles the ability to lengthen, to expand and restore more quickly and effectively after exercise. Get your body warmed up, and then we will strengthen it, and stretch it out. We will start with gentle warm-up movements from tip to toe, then delve into deeper strengthening and stretching movements to get you open and limber and ready for the day!
Corsets are one of those classic burlesque costume elements, but they can be baffling. Overbust, waist training, spiral, busks... What does it all mean? Let Miss Mina, an award-winning costumer and long-time corset-wearer, guide you through all aspects of corsetry. You'll learn how to buy a corset that's right for you and essential information for making your own. We'll also discuss how to properly wear a corset and, most importantly, how to remove it!
Learn to take the stage like a burlesque queen! Master the pop, drop, bump, grind and rewind with Miss Exotic World Champion, founder of the World Famous Pontani Sisters, and co-founder of the New York Burlesque Festival -- Angie Pontani!
In this rare workshop you will get a chance to learn some of her own classic moves, techniques and stage secrets up close and personal. She will teach you how to walk with power and confidence, owning the stage from the minute you step on-to it! She will share secrets to standing and posing and giving perfect silhouette, how to do the carnal bumps 'n' grinds she is known for in her signature acts like "Bongo Rock" and "Golddigger". She will teach you tease tricks move transitions and help to make your shimmy shine! Angie will close out her class with a 15 minute Q & A in which you can ask her anything...well, almost anything!
Angie Pontani has been a driving force and pioneer in the new burlesque. She has strutted, strolled and sashayed on stages around the world for over a decade for fans and clients like Sting, Lady Gaga and more.
This class teaches you about the art of Tassel Twirling. The class will be covering these topics:
- Different types of Pasties
- Different ways to apply Pasties
- How to twirl Tassels
Please bring a set of pasties with tassels to class and have them on before class begins so that we do not take class time putting on pasties.
This simple beading technique anyone can learn adds a hint of sparkle to hems, collars, straps, or any edge of your costume! Beautiful on its own, edge-beading can also be used as a base for more elaborate beading. In this workshop, students will learn techniques they can apply to other projects. There will be kits for $5 each, as supplies last.
Volunteer for Community Commerce Table
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 12:00 PM -
8:00 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Many burlesque folks support themselves by selling merchandise, everything from pasties to pin-up calendars to autographed pictures to unusual arts and crafts. For some of you it's an essential part of your performance income, but you don't want to be a fullt-ime vendor, especially not at The Great Burlesque Expostion where there a shows to prepare for, classes to take, and fun to be had. Add to the investment of time, the financial investment of getting your very own booth, and it's just too much for many of us.
Enter The Community Commerce Table! A place where we come together to sell each other's merchandise and crafts! If you want to be part of our commerce community, here's all you have to do:
1) Tag everything you want to sell with a removable tag (something like this) that has
• your name
• the name of the item
• the price of the item
2) Inventory everything that you are going to be leaving for sale, then print two copies of that inventory.
3) Drop-off your goods by the The Community Commerce Table in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday, Jan. 6, between 10:00am and noon.
4) Sign-up to work at least one 2-hour shift at the table over the course of the weekend (you can work more than one shift if you're a particularly perfect person!). You must work at least one shift to get the benefits of selling your stuff at The Community Commerce Table.
5) Collect any unsold goods and the money for any sold items after 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7.
Participating as part of The Community Commerice Table is a way to share the burdens and expenses of vending amongst several people. We all do a litle work, we all get the benefits, and we all get more free time!
Volunteer for Swap Meet!
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 12:00 PM -
2:00 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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It's midday madness! The glitter-covered, rhinestone-studded, silky smooth, swap meet at The Great Burlesque Exposition is a great way to transform all that burlesque stuff you don't want into burlesque stuff you do want!
What sort of stuff should you bring? Costumes, accessories, trim, fabric, books,magazines, shoes, hair ornaments, commercial CDs, feathers, rhinestones... in short, anything a burlesque performer might want.
What sort of stuff should you not bring? Anything in poor shape -- ripped, stained, or worn-out, anything boring, anything you want to sell (see The Community Commerce Table instead), anything edible.
Please make sure your items are clean, especially if you have a pet at home or live with someone who smokes or wears perfume!
For ninety minutes, participants can mix and mingle, trade, exchange, barter, and otherwise swap stuff. You cannot sell anything during the Swap Meet. If you want to sell stuff, check out The Community Commerce Table!
Here are the rules:
- • Set-up is from noon to 12:30 p.m. Nothing leaves the area before 12:30 p.m. Everything must be on display by 12:30 p.m. (i.e., you can't bring your stuff down late).
- • This is a swap meet. You must bring at least one thing to participate.
- • Anything left at 2:00 p.m. will be cleaned up and donated to charity. Our charity of choice is Boomerangs, an award-winning family of thrift stores owned and operated by AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, New England’s leading provider of HIV prevention and wellness services
- • Nothing can be sold. If you want to sell stuff, please particiipate in The Community Commerce Table.
Volunteer for The Athenaeum
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 12:00 PM -
8:00 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
The Great Burlesque Exposition presents The Athenaeum (from the middle Latin for "A pretentious word for a library"). The Athenaeum is a remarkable collection of resources for both new and experienced burlesque performers and fans. Explore trade magazines from burlesque’s heyday, helpful guides to costuming, hair and makeup, and even novels inspired by the spirit of burlesque. Boston-specifc highlights of the collection include reprints of the very rare Cavalcade of Burlesque magazine (published by Boston's own Jess Mack), an autographed copy of Ann Corio's This Was Burlesque, and programs from The Old Howard.
Located in The Exhibit Hall near our fabulous Costume Display, The Athenaeum is open Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January 7 from noon to 8:00 p.m.This exceptional collection is open to anyone with a Fan Admission or better.
Special thanks to Counterpoint Press, Hard Case Crime, Margo Christie, Union Park Press, and Mina Murray for their contributions.
Volunteer for Burlesque Bumps 'n' Grinds (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 1:00 PM -
1:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Classic burlesque is based on bumps and grinds and shimmies. Our experienced instructors show you the powerful, sexy moves that make burlesque great! Get your hips moving and hearts pumping! No experince necessary!
Do you want to learn to raise your skills on stage and better express yourself through performance? Join us as we discuss concepts of embracing our sexuality and strength and what that means to us as performers. We will cover a variety of tips, tricks and exercises to help express ourselves through our movements, our face, and our physicality.
Ever wonder how you make pasties into a shape? Here's your chance to try it hands on. We'll make the eternally adorable and classic heart shaped pasties, with tassels. There will be a kit, that includes:
- pastie pattern, with some options on sizing
- base buckram
- some heart appropriate covering fabric
- edge decoration
- tassels
Students will assemble pasties in class, and - if time permits - get some time to try their new creations out. In the process, we'll cover the techniques needed to create any pastie and talk through other tricks to making shaped pasties.
Kit costs $5
Are you comfortable speaking in front of your audience?
Do you frequent;y get laryngitis, or a sore throat after a series of
performances orworkshops?
Voice Savers can help you. Learn how to breathe properly, project and focus
the voice so that you can easily be heard in a large room.
Learn to use your voice freely and without strain. Poetry, folk songs and original
material will be utilized as we explore & improve your vocal style & technique.
The shows are out there, but how do you get into them? Put your best foot forward by introducing yourself to producers the right way. This class covers research, cold-emails, virtual press kits, and things that might keep you from getting booked, complete with examples.
What is the sweet spot between “If your not nervous, you're no damn good, (Helen Hayes, grande dame of twetntieth century American Theatre) and the terror that can destroy a performance?
Do you enjoy performing, but find it terrifying? Convinced that you are at your worst in in a show and/or at an audition? Explore your fears about performing and learn techniques to overcome them. Performance is a special kind of sharing, of communicating. It can bring deep satisfaction when it goes well, and agony when it doesn’t. Bring your problem pieces. You’ll have the opportunity to practice as we discover how to make performance a wonderful, joyful experience.
Volunteer for Inside The Combat Zone
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 2:00 PM -
3:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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Upscale restaurants, majestic theaters, and luxury condos line the streets of downtown Boston today. Students, office workers, doctors, and shoppers navigate the busy sidewalks along Washington and Boylston Streets, giving little thought to the historical significance of their surroundings. The bustle distracts passersby from what may be the city’s dirtiest little secret: these blocks were once home to Boston’s most notorious neighborhood. The Combat Zone, a five-plus-acre, city-sanctioned adult entertainment district, that was as sordid and alluring as anything found in Amsterdam or Vegas. Indeed, Boston’s now tony neighborhood once resembled the set of HBO’s The Deuce, all with the blessing of city officials.
In this talk, based on her her provocative new book, Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston’s Most Notorious Neighborhood (Union Park Press, 2017) veteran reporter Stephanie Schorow recounts the stories that made the Zone infamous. Meet the dancers who stripped to punk rock, the cops who tried to keep order on the streets, and the hookers who turned tricks and slipped wallets from gullible tourists. Go beyond the enticing marquees promoting all-nude revues to discover how the Zone—in an era dogged by miserable economics— remained one of Boston’s most profitable neighborhoods.
Nerdlesque is here to stay, but we still need to convince fans and audience members that we are doing justice to their fandom and are still burlesque artists and not fans copying costumes. Join in a discussion about audience perception, expectations, and artistic prerogatives.
Are you looking to add some new moves to your repertoire?
Express your femininity and sensuality through the art of belly dance. This is a drill based class. We will focus on posture and body control while doing isolations and various movements with different parts of the body. We will also touch base on some layering techniques. Iridessa is known for her pop n’ lock isolations and hybrid style of belly dance. You will learn hands on how to execute fluid, abrupt and smooth transitions demonstrated in her signature acts “The Robot” and “Roustabout". Class will start with a warm up and end with a warm down. You will also be instructed on a short combination. Get ready to experience your inner goddess with some sex appeal!
Volunteer for Burlesque Bumps 'n' Grinds (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 4:00 PM -
4:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
Set Up AccountLogin
Classic burlesque is based on bumps and grinds and shimmies. Our experienced instructors show you the powerful, sexy moves that make burlesque great! Get your hips moving and hearts pumping! No experince necessary!
Volunteer for Miss Mina's Tea Party
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 4:00 PM -
6:00 PM
Location: Haym Solomon
To volunteer, you must have an account with the expo. Set up an account or login and we'll bring you back here to volunteer.
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A Spot of Civility to Reinvigorate You After an Exciting and Hectic Weekend!
Miss Mina Murray, "the Martha Stewart of Burlesque" cordially invites you to a genteel soiree where proper ladies and gentlemen serve a proper cup of tea accompanied by all the proper tasty tidbits, of course! Fancy dress is always appreciated, but not required (true gentility comes from within).
Volunteer for Keeping the Tease in Striptease (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 5:00 PM -
5:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
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Learn the stripteasers' secrets for taking it off and looking good! Learn to strip out of long gloves and a big shirt and tease while you do it. Shirts and gloves will be available for use in class. No experience necessary! Please note: there is NO nudity in this class.
Volunteer for Beautiful Boas (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 6:00 PM -
6:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
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We'll show you some flirty moves with the classic burlesque accessory. Conceal, reveal, and shake your feathers! Boas will be available for use in class. No experience necessary!
Volunteer for Saucy Sampler (Drop-in Class)
Time: Jan 7, 2018, 7:00 PM -
7:30 PM
Location: Vendor Hall
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A little bump & grind, a little striptease, some flirting with boas. This class will give you a quick overview of all things burlesque and still get you in your seat in time for the show! No exerice necessary!
The Great Burlesque Exposition is proud to be one of the few major burlesque gathering that has a showcase specifically for less experienced performers. Let's shine a spotlight on some of the rising stars of burlesque!
Please note:
• Doors open at 7:30pm
• The first three rows are reserved for Whole Shebang and Socialite pass-holders, and those who have purchased a VIP seating ticket.
• There is no unauthorized photography during The Sunday Showcase
Tear it down, pack it up, put it away.
The Great Burlesque Exposition
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ABOUT US
The Great Burlesque Exposition supports and funds the American Burlesque Collection, a unique museum that explores the history of The Art of the Tease and profiles its practitioners. The event is three days of spectacular community-building, shows, education, special events,and shopping. The Great Burlesque Exposition is produced by The Professional Burlesque Society, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2007.