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"Ruffle Those Feathers" - Workshop at Sky Sirens

  • Sky Sirens 656 - 658 Crown Street Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 Australia (map)

As Sally Rand famously said, “The fan idea is as old as Cleopatra.” Making it your own and unique can be a challenge, but let Maple Rose teach you a few tricks to add to your repertoire! Here’s your chance to learn from the tornado herself. From her large waterfall tribute fans down to her pocket sized iconic pink and blue plumes with tiny dinosaur arms, Maple has been gracing the stages across the world showcasing her unique lyrical style of fan dancing.

In this Masterclass we’ll be strengthening those wrists, conditioning those shoulders, refining those grip changes, and learning fan-cy tricks to improve your technique and hone in on your own personal style.

We will also chat about fan design and tweaks to make your set of fans work for you.

Pre-Requisites:

Must have completed at least four lessons of Babydoll Beginners Fan Dancing or equivalent.

What students are required to bring/wear:

Please wear comfy, form-fitting clothing that does not restrict your movement. Heeled dance shoes are optional. Please bring your personal feather fans so you can hone in on your own unique style that fits with the size and weight of your personal props! If you don't have your own set of fans, don't worry - we have fans available.

Accessibility:

This Masterclass is accessible to all who have had at least some fan dance experience. Tricks are aimed at an advanced level, however modifications and drills will be encouraged to those who are still learning the foundations of the art of fan dancing. This class is mostly practical in nature, so there will be a chair in the classroom if students require a break at any time. The classroom is located on the first floor of the building, which requires the use of approximately 15 steps. The classroom has air-conditioning.

For Hard of Hearing or Deaf students, the warm up can be done in a group circle setting for accessibility. However, the trick component of the workshop will be done in staggered lines due to classroom spacing. Please let us know if you require an Auslan Interpreter.

Miss Maple Rose, known as the “Queen of Classic,” has been described as the unwanted lovechild of Tempest Storm and Lucille Ball. Combining her professional expertise in costume and set design with her foundation in classical dance, Maple guides many a budding performance artist in the art of tease! She’s here to prove that “classic burlesque” doesn’t have to be boring. Either with feather fans or tapping toes, Maple will take you on a deep dive into burlesque history.

Headliner of The Australian Burlesque Festival in 2020 & 2022, winner of the the 1st Runner Up crown at Miss Burlesque Australia 2018, voted number 21 in the 21st Century Burlesque Magazine’s Top 50 Most Influential Artists of 2021, and voted Best Solo Artist and Most Classic at the Australian Burlesque Industry Awards, The Busties, in 2018 – Maple has shown that she’s “Australia’s Classiest Piece of Bacon” with a tornado of feather fans and couture costumes!

Photography by 3 Fates Media

Later Event: August 13
Term 4 at Maison Burlesque