Gotta Dance!

I went to three dance classes this week, and two dance-themed aerobics classes:

Monday was Jazz for an hour and a half at the dance studio
Tuesday was a day off
Wednesday was Ballet Bootcamp for an hour at the gym
Thursday was an easy hip hop class for an hourat the gym
Friday was Tap for an hour and a half at the dance studio
Saturday was a difficult hip hop class for an hour and a half at the dance studio
Sunday will be a day off (well deserved)

Whew!

I loved it, it was an amazing week. I'm very very tired now, but I hope to do it again most weeks.

Taking these classes as a lowly burlesque dancer has been very illuminating. I may get in trouble for saying this, but I now fully understand why real dancers do not take burlesque dancers seriously. The classes are HARD. To be a dancer you have to be an athlete. You have to have flexibilty, strength, endurance, and amazing cardiovascular conditioning. But dancers are also artists. To be a dancer you have to have grace, musicality, and emotion. And to dance in front of people you also have to be a performer. You have to be focussed, brave, and have presence onstage.

I have very little of the first two categories. I am not an athlete, nor an artist (though I may be considered slightly athletic and a little artistically inclined). I have a little more of the third category. I'm a fairly decent performer. The thing is, being a good performer with some artistic ability is all I've needed to be a good burlesque dancer. But I need much more to be a good dancer.

I don't want to slag burlesque. I still love it, I enjoy performing it and watching it, and I think I always will. I want to make my own performances better any way I can, and I think the dance will help. But in addition to this, I have discovered something new that really challenges me. Something that maybe I can continue to grow with even after the boobs and ass have sagged beyond recognition (heck, maybe it will prevent or slow said saggage).

I've been bitten by the bug! I'm a convert. I've gotta dance! I'm gonna go to class and work my butt off (literally) until I'm slightly more athletic, and slightly more artistic. Then I'm going to keep going back again and again, and maybe after years of training, I'll be able to be both a burlesque performer and a dancer.

No time for work (or play)

I just finished compiling my schedule for September, and it's looking like a doozy. Between dance classes, a show at the end of the month, classes for school, and my day job... well, let's just say I hope there's another one of me to help me do it all...

Why do I do it? Because it's fun (no really). Am I going to get stressed out about it? Hell yeah. Am I going to do it anyway. Probably forever.

I couldn't do it without the support I'm given every day by the generous soul of a partner I have (Thanks Sammy) But most of the time, I don't think either of us would have it any other way. Now I just have to find a way to practice burlesque and do homework at the same time! Then my life will finally be complete!

Chickfight!

She's Got Legs

Even if it's not a career, you're pretty damn good at it!

Burlesque as a Career? Haha!

An acquaintance of mine got upset at me the other day for spending too much time and energy on my "career" (and by career she meant burlesque). This was, of couse, after I'd spent more than $300 of my hard earned money on costumes and props for a show that I wasn't getting paid for (It was for a good cause, so I'm all for that). I gingerly informed her that 1)I spend alot of money putting together charity shows, and 2) My career is academia - I'm going to get my PhD and become a university professor one day, so why would I want a career in something that pays me nothing?!?

A Career in burlesque - haha! You can have one if you want, but I'll explain why you might not want one:

- Since the burlesque "revival" everyone and their dog does burlesque, there are new troupes popping up every day

- It can be a really catty business, once people get into it to make money they don't support each other very well

- You spend thousands of dollars on costumes (if you're doing it right) and make very little back. Only the big names make any money at it, and I can only think of about 3 or four of those people in all of North America

- You have a shelf life, when you get too old, you can't really keep doing it.

All that being said, however, I think burlesque is a really great hobby for me. I enjoy the costumes, the performance, and the interesting folks I meet along the way. Many people spend money on their hobbies, and so I don't mind investing in mine in order to do it right. And if I spend my time on this hobby, it doesn't mean I'm career bound, it just means I've found better things to do than sit on the couch all night, watching TV and drinking beer.

How Can One Person Do It All?

I wonder, how can I do it all?

Research
Write
Go to class
Work
Make Costumes
Plan Shows
Dance classes
Dance practice
Work out (so to keep my girlish figure)
Make friends
Keep friends
Meet with thesis supervisor
Edit papers
Be a supportive partner
Clean the apartment
Write in the blog

How does one person do it all? Yet, how can I not do it all. Were I to stop I don't think I would be me.

I think it may be time for a PDA, a calendar, and a class on time management.

The Big Finish