Fans & Sass Workshop

During my quest for Burlesque stardom, I have and will attend workshops, classes, anything to give me more experience and insight into what I want to do. A Burlesque performer called Missy Fatale, at the moment London based, holds one off workshops & training covering different elements of Burlesque. I did one a month or so ago with Sharon Davis leading as she specialised in Lindy hop.....a Burlesque performer too. 


That was a good workshop as i've never done the Lindy Hop. She did "drills" with basic steps incorporating different linking steps to make it different or fancy. She also taught us two different routines. The first was subtle & sexy, more of a "spotlight" routine so all focus is on you and the smallest of movements, using various key moves. For example, how to do a kiss blowing out to the audience, poses that are linked to past performers and (my favourite) moving the audiences focus from one important part to another......Very Sexy!! The second routine was a bit more RAHHHHH and in your face, throwing loads of shimmying and bull-she movements. Good contrast. 


Anyway, yesterday Missy & Banbury Cross (another Burlesque performer who is competing in a competition in Las Vegas next week) did an hour each teaching us to use & perform with Fans. Fan dancing is the trademark dance making it the most popular. Missy said it would never be a trademark routine just because its something everyone does. They taught us two different ways in which to do the same things. This was because Missy is more 1920's-30's (movement is subtle) whilst Banbury was 1950's (movement is bigger & bolder). Everything was covered from how to hold the fans to the classic moves. Its hard to write them down to explain so when I can, i'll video me doing what i learnt....Saying that, I need to get some new bigger fans as mine were babies and fell apart.


Have to admit, its a lot harder then you think it is. Maybe because of what I had to work with it was hard to keep hold them fanned out and moving them about without them closing. Bigger and better fans are definitely needed!! Also, an important thing I learnt was to keep moving with the fans. It looks really boring just watching someone throwing fans around their head whilst staying still but just enough movement, looks amazing. This is something that needs a lot of time & work to get this art down.


I now had the tools to build up a routine.....Just need a song & glamorous fans to match!! My purse is crying out already as its not going to be cheap!!!!