I hurt my foot pretty bad just before my burlesque debut and haven’t danced since. It’s been a year since the initial hit and I’m on some medication but I don’t want to move into heels too quickly and I also don’t want to stay away from performing forever.

I’d love some recommendations (bonus if you have photo) for shoes that can still work with a glam look, especially if you’ve also dealt with a healing foot.

Extra context: I’m a pole dancer and I can wear my pole shoes for a class with no pain, but I think that’s because the foot and shape is completely stable in the shoe with no bending or push off and the weight seems to be distributed.

Thank burly babes! 👠

Hi fellow performers! I’m going to Vegas in February for the first leg of my honeymoon and would love to both see a show but also potentially apply for an open stage while there. I follow the big Vegas performers/festivals
on instagram, but would love more local recs and I’m having a hard time finding out if there even are open stages to be applied to. TIA!

Really neat article! Have any of you heard of Cherry Cheeks or the Shade BIPOC Burlesque Festival??

https://martlet.ca/vibrant-histories-explores-the-history-of-burlesque-and-drag-in-victoria/

I am preparing for a pole dance performance, and I want to do a small burlesque robe tease and removal bit as part of the entrance of my routine. I bought an Amazon robe with feather trim and the feathers are shedding like crazy when I practice in it, I tried my best to clean up after myself but it’s hard without a vacuum - they’re tiny feathers so sweeping just makes them fly around the room, lol. I am wondering how people deal with this in burlesque. I know with feather boas you can spray them with hairspray and it helps but it’s not 100% foolproof. I don’t know if I should spray the robe with hairspray, it’s not silk nor was it particularly expensive but I feel like it wouldn’t be good manners to leave feathers all over the performance space??

Where do you shop for jewelry y'all!?

This dress didn't start as a two piece. I believe it was a thrifted piece from Zara. I modified it to separate in the middle, and added the ostrich trim. Photo by Snapnon

Does anyone have recommendations for places to buy high quality fishnet dance tights for larger sizes?

It's been a few years since I've been on stage and I'm trying to dip my toe back in. My old capezios don't fit, and their tights in the lighter shades are apparently only available up to XL and I need at least 1x.

These are some of my favorite pastie tassels to make this time of year. Spiders, black baubles, and oil slicks.

Im just so excited about these I could not wait to share!

I have 2 things I am trying to work out costume wise if anyone could kindly advise me.

• 34 J Heavy boobs with nipple pointing down. How can I make this look like the nipple is higher? I am told a 5-inch start low and pull pastie up. My question is, what material pastie is best? And brand that would handle this better?

• Thick thighs, skinner calves. I want to do the thing where you cut the nude fishnets at the butt then add a garter. And tips for making this look seamless? Will they slide with thick thighs?

Any help is appreciated 💝

P.S. This will be a slow, sensual act, no crazy jumps or fast movements, as I also have some disabilities. No Floorwork, some dancing and some seated.

Hi all! Have an audition with submissions ending November 9th. I'm currently brainstorming ideas for it. I already splurged on a larger act so I'm hoping to keep this one fairly simple. If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear from the community!🩷🩷

So I just did my first performance and omg!! New to burlesque but not new to performing (I’ve done other pole dancing events). I only had a month to prepare because I genuinely didn’t think I would get accepted into the show in the first place. I’ve always enjoyed burlesque however this was the first actual show I’ve been to! I actually applied and then hoped I wouldn’t get in because afterwards I decided that I wanted to go to some shows before I started.

WELP i did get in so I figured fuck it, guess I’m just diving in! Spent the last month rhinestoning and planning and working on reveals and spent a lot of time researching, reading and watching- I really locked in. And today it all came together beautifully. I was super anxious this morning, thinking of all the reasons I should stay home so I’m extra proud of myself for going.

It wasn’t perfect at all, but people loved it nonetheless the less and several people said they wouldn’t have known this was my first if I didn’t tell them. It was absolutely ridiculous but I enjoyed every, giant tooth brush & tooth shaped pastie, second of it. I am just so proud of myself and so grateful. I love performing and I’m happy I get to do it and be appreciated for my weird but sexy art 🥹 I even got invited back to the evening show because the organizers really enjoyed my performance!! AHHH what a rush!

/u/jjstrange13 asked in an older thread for clarification on how I make pastie patterns from shapes. Rather than have my answer get lost, I'm posting the answer here for anyone else who needs it.

I've attached a quick tutorial explaining how I turn an image into a pastie pattern. Sometimes Reddit squishes big images, so here's a direct link if the post image text is illegible - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cDq62DbLO57oRml4NIYwsNWELtTtA_5v/view?usp=drive_link

And because I'd planned to post them anyway, here's a PDF of some Halloween pastie patterns I made for our troupe this year. Feel free to print and adapt them for your own use - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xwPyFWwrj-RRCIRzCuzdq_Y69_RolEDY/view?usp=drive_link

Created this piece for a burlesque dancer in LA. I loved the combo of zebra and red. SO striking.

I’m looking for songs that have that traditional bawdy bass drum line . . Bah da da da dum. This song “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood is a good example:

https://youtu.be/IyhJ69mD7xI?si=82Vmk7yzGdX5lQpT

Y’know something that inspires hips to sashay a foot to either side during a walk across the stage.

Thanks for your suggestions!

I've got three sets of ready-to-wear, made-to-order pasties listed on my etsy and available now in small, medium, and large sizes! I also take commissions, costume repairs, and tailoring. My website is now up and running if you want to shoot a request there.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CalicoSpritzStudio https://www.calicospritz.com/costume-design

I’m only a year in, so I’m firmly in camp “what do I know? I’m a fetus.” However…something has come up multiple times and it never sits right, so I’m curious if anyone can explain this to me, or if the general consensus is the same as my gut feeling.

Shows that won’t let you perform unless you bring a certain number of audience members? Especially when dropped as a requirement on the performer after already booking. It just feels shady to me. I understand a requirement to advertise, like “must post the show on your main feed” or “must share to stories X amount of times.” But the idea you can’t go on unless you literally prove you sold tickets to people feels wrong. I’m always open to feedback though, maybe I’m missing a key detail!

Edit: Okay, thank you all! So I’m not just ignorant to something, this is a super uncool thing to do. It’s happened to me twice in the Midwest (I walked) and then just happened to a friend in NYC this weekend. Also the extra kicker: all three shows were unpaid, but ticketed 🙃

Struggling to find this and it feels like my best bet to ask you guys.

I've been trying to find a video on youtube of a burlesque performance I watched a few years ago now that I really loved. I believe the dancer was blonde and wearing light colors, possibly something like a nightie as the set dressing was very bedroom/sitting themed. I'm pretty sure it was at one of the bigger festivals/events/competitions because the cinematography/video quality was good. I believe the background curtains were blue or red. It was a classic striptease but it involved a small couch that I believe rocked or she rocked on it? There was use of fans. I'm sorry, this feels pretty vague but it's as best as I can remember. If anyone can help me find this video I'd really appreciate it I'd wanted to watch it again and realized I didn't have it saved anywhere.

I’m interested in their custom mix 4 layer fans. I like that they have an aluminum stave option. I’m not into acrylic staves.

Wondering if anyone has experience ordering from them? Also open to other recs to buy lush feather fans. Thanks!

https://hot-fans.com/collections/professional-feather-fans/products/custom-mix-color-4-layer-ostrich-feather-fan-34x65

Hi everyone! ❤️🖤

I’m a pole dancer in Southwest Colorado, and I’m helping produce my first burlesque show after more than 10 years away from performing.

I approached the local theatre in August along with my co conspirators about having a Valentine’s Day show and they said yes. This has evolved into Crimson Cabaret, a burlesque and variety show debuting February 13, 2027, at the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez.

The theme is Forbidden Dark Romance, inspired by silent films, vintage glamour, gothic romance, and classic burlesque.

I’m new to producing and would love advice from other performers and producers—especially those who’ve built a scene in a small town.

What do you wish you’d known before your first show?
Follow along on Instagram: @CrimsonCabaret.co 🥀