Burlesque looks to be this magical industry of bling, boobs and bliss...but is it a viable career?
Poppy Cherry and Maple Rose dive into the key suggestions on what to do to make it in this industry either as a professional or a hobbyist. It's a lengthy read, so grab a cuppa and settle in!
Question 1: I want to get into Burlesque. Where do I begin?
Poppy: Sometimes the burlesque world can look like a chaotic one but its so much fun once you delve in a little bit! Like anything new, start with research! Find out as much as you can - whether its going to watch loads of shows, or starting some classes (or ideally, both!). One of the things I love most about burlesque is the autonomy whereby everyone creates their own niche in this very varied art form. So the more you can find out about what burlesque is all about and who else is out there, the more you can discover your own style! It's also how you'll get to network and find out who's who and what opportunities might be out there.
Maple: Go to your local shows! Burlesque is not the movie, nor the Moulin Rouge. It can only exist when we have audiences; we can't grow a scene with only performers. Start from the ground up and go support your local performers by watching them. Cheer from the sidelines to show you're keen to be on the inside. Burlesque Schools' student showcases are always so full of love and inspire so many people! Go! Get inspired! Go to classes! Meet fellow enthusiasts and mentors. The main objective here is not to "learn" but to meet everyone in the scene as well as to foster that community. It's all who you know, as well as what you know.
Question 2: What are the key skills I need to become a professional burlesque performer?
Maple: It's not just performing.It's admin, it's sales, it's act development, it's marketing, it's production management - it's a beautiful mix of all these fun yet critical fields to create this glittery, challenging and creative industry. Please understand that you can't just create an act and then POOF, you're on a stage performing. It's takes sales and marketing skills to sell your acts. It takes admin to ensure you're making this a viable hobby. It's skill development to learn from your mentors, and to learn how to research to ensure you're creating something new and unique to you! Shows are rare, so going in respectfully will get you brownie points. Get involved in the scene before you begin all of this, or else you're just punching in the dark.
Poppy: "Professional Performer" is a term that gets bandied about a bit - but very few burlesque performers are 'professional' in the sense that they make a living from burlesque. The industry just isn't that big. HOWEVER, as a hobbyist or emerging artist, being professional in your approach is always important, and a quality that will not go unnoticed! As Maple said, being a burlesque performer requires being a jack or jill of ALL trades!! You'll be your own choreographer, creative director, costumier, hair & makeup artist, accountant, PR & social media manager, booking agent, web designer, admin assistant, coffee bitch, etc etc! So the skills you'll need to develop extend far beyond just the stage if you want to be successful.
Question 3: Where and How can I learn these skills?
Poppy: There's no one right or wrong way to enhance your skills, and its going to be different for everyone! Also don't forget to play to your strengths - before burlesque, what skills do you already have in your toolkit? Do you already have mad sewing skills, or dance skills, public speaking experience, or spend every weekend entertaining your nieces and nephews? (etc!) Then look for what your experience gaps might be and start there - take burlesque classes, dance classes, sewing classes, acting classes, etc. I always recommend learning from multiple people too so try out different teachers as they will each have a unique perspective. At Maison Burlesque we have Showcase courses where you can learn different performance styles and get a chance to perform them on stage, as well as Tech classes to work on your skills development. Special guest workshops are always fabulous too if you get the chance!
Maple: We live in a beautiful age of burlesque where there are so many opportunities to learn the art form. When I started 9 years ago, there were NO schools. You had to latch onto a mentor and just hope you were good enough to be casted. Now you can learn from a multitude of trained professionals in many different styles to find your perfect niche. This will take time and practice! Don't expect to be perfect on your first go. And some professionals may not be the best fit for you and that's ok.
We're also lucky to still have the age old tradition of a 'stage kitty.' The name is slowly becoming extinct (luckily), but the concept is simple: you volunteer your time to help out at shows so you can watch and learn from others. It's a great way to NETWORK (yup - that word again!) and to have that little bit of stage time to see what theatrical persona fits you best. Basically, you're a stage hand who picks up costumes, but you can also volunteer to be a door bitch, rover, etc. There are so many opportunities out there to learn on the job.
Question 4: How do I become a solo artist?
Maple: After networking, going to classes, squirming your way into the scene and helping out backstage or front of house, you've finally made the connections to help you get onto the stage as a solo artist. Every professional you meet is there to help you get there - either as a mentor, as a producer or simply as a friend. Those connections are crucial to make it all happen. This is how you learn which shows to apply to and HOW to apply to them.
Then you take the step and create that persona! Do your research! We have a fabulous blog post about choosing your burlesque name. Have a read here! Your name should sell who you are and what you do immediately.
Create a debut act! Poppy will explain more about this, but take your TIME and RESEARCH. The more love and professionalism you put into creating and rehearsing your act the more likely it will be booked. FILM YOUR REHEARSAL! This will be good for you to watch and learn from, but also to send to producers when you start applying to shows.
Poppy: This is going to vary from person to person, and will depend on where you live and what your local scene is like. We might sound like a broken record, but I cannot overemphasise the importance of researching your local scene, watching shows and performers, and networking/taking on support roles before launching straight into solo performance. You'll be a better soloist for it.
Also there is no right or wrong timeline, so don't stress! I took 6 months to put together my first solo act. Some people take years. But take the time and effort to put a piece together that you can feel proud of. And don't be afraid to ask for advice and support along the way.
But remember, your first solo act needs to represent YOU and who you are as a performer. Others might be able to provide guidance but your act needs to come from within, and allow your personality and unique talents to shine through. Worried (like I often was) that you don't have those *skills* that you see others have? Remember to find the things you are good at (it might be comic timing, clever narratives, wildly creative concepts or just being really freakin good at getting your kit off) and play to your strengths.
A very useful piece of advice I was given as a new soloist was to not try to be too ambitious too soon. I was trying to create acts that just weren't ME. Do what you do, and do it well. Better to do less and nail it than try to do things you aren't ready for yet and come off as half-arsed.
Question 5: How do I get gigs?
Poppy: This can be a tricky one, and again will depend on where you live and what's happening in your local scene. Remember that like any profession, in burlesque there's no guarantee of work. Nobody owes you anything so you'll need to earn your spot like the others who've come before you. Sometimes you'll suit a show, and sometimes you won't. Sometimes there's more performers than there is work so you won't get every gig. And thats ok.
The key is even if you're a hobbyist, to take a professional approach to everything you do. Always be professional in your correspondance - "?Hi can I have a job?" isn't going to cut it. If you're approaching a producer, make sure to email through plenty of information - you'll want a well written bio, promotional photos, concise act descriptions and videos (even a private video of you performing in your living room is still useful!). And be open to opportunities - maybe you didn't land the gig the first time but 2 months later that same producer might offer you something else - or get involved with backstage roles as a way to network with and meet people.
Maple: Putting yourself out there for criticism is a scary thing; but every performance artist does it. It's the job. But how DO you get those gigs in the first place? Same deal. Put yourself out there. Step out of your comfort zone. Gigs won't just fall into your lap.
First, build your online presence. How else will producers find you? Keep this up to date and engaging. The more professional it looks, the more professional you look.
Learn who the key producers are in the scene and gage if your acts are appropriate for their shows. Usually best to start with shows that are designed for novice performers before you start applying for the big guns. FIND THEIR DIRECT EMAIL. Don't just follow them on social media and send them a DM. That's not professional. Just like any other work place, you want to put your best foot forward. Write an email template with your bio, your act description, your reasons why you're a good fit for their show, links to your social media and (most importantly) INCLUDE a VIDEO and a current PHOTO of you and your work. These videos can be of a rehearsal. Producers just need to know what you do. How else will they know you're the right fit for the show? If you don't hear back in a week or so, send them a gentle little nudge. They may just be very busy wearing all of those hats we spoke of above.
And then keep your eyes open for any shows that are taking applications. This also goes for competitions. Approach applications just as professionally as you would present yourself in an email. Watch any grammatical and spelling mistakes, have a video and always always always upload a recent pic!
Question 6: What's next? How else can I progress my career?
Maple: Keep in contact with everyone! Do you have skills that transfer off the stage? Maybe you can take those into a more professional sphere. Many costume designers started as performers and branched away. Same with producers. All the skills you learn on the job can easily be transferred to another field of love.
Poppy: This is the fun part. If you'd told baby Poppy all those years ago that I'd be running a successful burlesque studio today with more shows under my belt than I can count, I probably wouldn't have believed you! With burlesque our industry is what we make it, and if you're reading this you could just be the future! Network with established performers but also your peers! Stay open minded to opportunities and a world of possibility. And you're never too old to keep learning.
Help! I need more step-by-step guidance!
Here's our (very general) summary of steps to follow if you want to become a burlesque performer - it may not be a straight line, and remember, very few performers actually work enough to earn a living from burlesque so make sure you have fun along the journey!
1. Research the scene, go to shows
2. Take classes, learn from industry pros
3. Network with performers, producers and other students
4. Look for opportunities to volunteer or work behind the scenes at events - eg stage kittying, working on the door, etc
5. Come up with a concept for your performer persona and debut solo performance
6. Workshop your concept with mentors and/or peers
7. Practice, refine, accept feedback, et cetera!
8. Debut your solo debut at a supportive event (eg a student performance night)
9. Repeat steps 1-3!
10. Approach producers respectfully and professionally (after having done your research)
11. Practice self care because what you're doing ain't easy!!
12. Repeat steps 1-7, and so on and so on!!
Good luck! And if you have questions, remember, performers more experienced than you are often more than happy to help! You're not on your own.
With love,
Poppy Cherry & Maple Rose
