So, what else is going on?
Burlesque. Burlesque is going on. I just wrapped up my second semester of a 101 class last night. We did a fun boa routine to the Flying Lizards version of Money (That's What I Want), which I mostly know from this scene in Empire Records (apart from more widely known Beatles version, of course):
For the first time since I started this little endeavor, I feel like I'm starting to come into my own with it. I'm feeling a little more confident (with a long way to go still). I don't feel stupid practicing the same moves and transitions for hours and not getting them. I'm getting them now and to the point that I'm able to stop being so hyper-focused on nailing the move that I can inject a little personality into it. I'm still not sure who Morwen Nouveau is, but at least I'm feeling like she's not a lost cause.
After I finished 201 a little over a year ago, I wasn't sure I was ever going to really get this stuff and I set it aside. I've never really been a dancer, at least not in the traditional/trained sense (certainly in an intuitive sense, though). But I feel like I'm ready to put in some work to bridge that gap between being an intuitive dancer and one who knows what she's going to do before she does it. I was never terribly good at studying outside of class, but I'm going to have to with this. I did this semester and it really paid off. Going to more performances as a spectator will help, too because it builds my excitement for it and it gives me a broader range of ideas about what's possible.
I took Chris to Beer, Bacon, and Burlesque a couple of weeks ago for his birthday. It was a lot of fun as soon as we stopped seeing it as a beer festival. We settled into drinking Black Abbey (our homebrew friends who went pro) all day and just enjoyed the performances. Both of my burlesque instructors and my future pole dancing instructor performed in the various sets.
Chris and I were completely blown away by Alethea Austin (the pole dancer. As in THE Pole Dancer [probably NSFW].) The flexibility and upper body strength she exhibited was nothing short of superhuman. I'm quite intimidated to step into a studio with her, but she's also really sweet. I bought 6 class credits on a Living Social deal when my burlesque instructor posted about it. *gulp* Here's a little sample of her in the studio:
Also, when I talked to Shan after her performance, she informed Chris that they're trying going to get me up on stage. *double gulp* I got to meet her awesome boyfriend who is getting into leather working, too, so that was fun.
Another group of classes I'm super excited about is OMG I GET TO LEARN FROM MICHELLE L'AMOUR!!!!
For those of you not familiar with who she is, you may have seen her viral performance of Beethoven's 5th with her butt:
But really, my favorite of her performances is her Whole Lotta L'Amour and only partially because I love Led Zeppelin:
"Whole Lotta L'amour" featuring Michelle L'amour from franky vivid on Vimeo.
So yeah, she's going to be here in town teaching a full Saturday of three different workshops in March and this little aspiring showgirl signed up for all three. I am beyond excited. I mean, it could only be better if it were Dita Von Teese, as far as I'm concerned.
Chris is, understandably, fully supportive of me in all this.
Click to viewFor the first time since I started this little endeavor, I feel like I'm starting to come into my own with it. I'm feeling a little more confident (with a long way to go still). I don't feel stupid practicing the same moves and transitions for hours and not getting them. I'm getting them now and to the point that I'm able to stop being so hyper-focused on nailing the move that I can inject a little personality into it. I'm still not sure who Morwen Nouveau is, but at least I'm feeling like she's not a lost cause.
After I finished 201 a little over a year ago, I wasn't sure I was ever going to really get this stuff and I set it aside. I've never really been a dancer, at least not in the traditional/trained sense (certainly in an intuitive sense, though). But I feel like I'm ready to put in some work to bridge that gap between being an intuitive dancer and one who knows what she's going to do before she does it. I was never terribly good at studying outside of class, but I'm going to have to with this. I did this semester and it really paid off. Going to more performances as a spectator will help, too because it builds my excitement for it and it gives me a broader range of ideas about what's possible.
I took Chris to Beer, Bacon, and Burlesque a couple of weeks ago for his birthday. It was a lot of fun as soon as we stopped seeing it as a beer festival. We settled into drinking Black Abbey (our homebrew friends who went pro) all day and just enjoyed the performances. Both of my burlesque instructors and my future pole dancing instructor performed in the various sets.
Chris and I were completely blown away by Alethea Austin (the pole dancer. As in THE Pole Dancer [probably NSFW].) The flexibility and upper body strength she exhibited was nothing short of superhuman. I'm quite intimidated to step into a studio with her, but she's also really sweet. I bought 6 class credits on a Living Social deal when my burlesque instructor posted about it. *gulp* Here's a little sample of her in the studio:
Also, when I talked to Shan after her performance, she informed Chris that they're trying going to get me up on stage. *double gulp* I got to meet her awesome boyfriend who is getting into leather working, too, so that was fun.
Another group of classes I'm super excited about is OMG I GET TO LEARN FROM MICHELLE L'AMOUR!!!!
For those of you not familiar with who she is, you may have seen her viral performance of Beethoven's 5th with her butt:
But really, my favorite of her performances is her Whole Lotta L'Amour and only partially because I love Led Zeppelin:
"Whole Lotta L'amour" featuring Michelle L'amour from franky vivid on Vimeo.
So yeah, she's going to be here in town teaching a full Saturday of three different workshops in March and this little aspiring showgirl signed up for all three. I am beyond excited. I mean, it could only be better if it were Dita Von Teese, as far as I'm concerned.
Chris is, understandably, fully supportive of me in all this.