The New York School of Burlesque Handbook, by Headmistress Jo Weldon.

04/09/2024

Tonight! Come get fierce with me!

30/08/2024

This Saturday at with is my last time onstage for a while! I’ll be doing a number I haven’t done in well over a decade. I was so flattered when it was specifically requested – I can’t believe she remembered it! Not only that, she learned my obscure song and I’ll be performing to it LIVE! I had to go into storage and see if I could get my post-menopausal body into the costume, which I could – and I haven’t done it since meno, because it was the number I did every time I was on my period. When I first looked at it, I thought, “No rhinestones! I better update it!” But then I decided to let it be seen exactly as it was. This is some seriously archival s**t!
Most of my older numbers haven’t been seen in quite a while. There aren't videos of any of them, and there are few pictures. In many of them I did things I wouldn’t have wanted to be filmed or photographed, though the one I’m doing Sunday is comparatively, shall I say, presentable. My reputation got overtaken by my interest in historical burlesque and my interpretations of classic routines, and many people don’t think of me as a neo-style performer at all. Still, I had my moments. In one I got coal in my Christmas stocking, stuffed it into my [redacted] and crushed it into a diamond–-take that, Santa Baby! Occasionally I brought back some of my old skrip joint routines like one where I got fully nood (yes, there were/are fully nood burlesque shows) except for pearls and then pulled pearls out of my redacted (you can see this one on an old episode of The Robin Byrd Show!). In another old strip joint number I got audience members to put on red lipstick and kiss my behind, resulting in a red leopard print effect. There were no rhinestones in any of these numbers – unless you count my Christmas diamond, which was on the inside, not the outside, of my costume.
I loved not being photographed or filmed, and never really adapted to the constant media we experience now. I’m not saying it was better – but I am saying if you never saw this number back in the day, this is the only chance you’re going to see it!

Plus: LIVE METAL BAND BURLESQUE SHOW AT CONEY ISLAND WITH CHERRY DELIGHT

One night only!

https://www.coneyisland.com/event/batb083124 See less

06/08/2024

It's my birthday party and you're invited!

At
August 10 at 9 pm
Coney Island USA Presents: Burlesque at the Beach
1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn NY

With Aurora BoobRealis, Cheeky Lane, Dirty Martini , Fem Appeal, GiGi Holliday, Jonny Porkpie , Tiny D, Veronica Viper, and, all the way from the West Coast, Mystic O'Reilly! With go-go and pick-up by Miss Manhattan.

I will be doing a completely unrehearsed brand-new experimental group-thing that I may never do again, so if you want to see the sexy chaos, you want to be there!

Tickets at
https://www.coneyisland.com/event/batb081024

18/06/2024

Have you been a New York School of Burlesque Student Showcase yet?

Students of the New York School of Burlesque present all-new numbers in this titillating showcase! 7 PM doors, 8 PM show.

18/01/2022

Did you miss the Business of Burlesque discussion? The topic was how new performers can start getting gigs. You can listen to it here:

Hello everyone! You can watch/listen to the Business of Burlesque presentation here. The slide show begins a couple of minutes in. The ques...

23/08/2020

New classes!

13/08/2020

Hello everyone!

I've been working for The Burlesque Hall of Fame in its many incarnations since 2004. The first time I went to what we now call the weekender, it was on a ranch in the middle of the desert, and Dixie Evans was proudly showing us through her collection as it was set up in a house on the property. That was a wild, woolly time! The closest thing we had to social media was Yahoo Groups.

Find out what it was like to make this pilgrimage! Join us at Ranch Un******ng for a live discussion on August 16!

The world’s largest, longest-running and most prestigious burlesque event!

02/07/2020

The New York School of Burlesque has all kinds of exciting workshops and events in July, including st******se, bump n grind, floorwerk with Hartless Malone and Perle Noire, boa work with Coco Lectric, interviews with authors, and guest instructors; plus act development mini workshops in music, costuming, stage names, and more. Check out this week's emailer!

https://conta.cc/2ZAmQ6l

02/07/2020

The New York School of Burlesque has all kinds of exciting workshops and events in July, including st******se, bump n grind, floorwerk with Hartless Malone and Perle Noire, boa work with Coco Lectric, interviews with authors, and guest instructors; plus act development mini workshops in music, costuming, stage names, and more. Check out this week's emailer!

https://conta.cc/2ZAmQ6l

23/06/2020

Here's an article about Po'Chop's list of black performers and producers from around the world! It's constantly being updated. In order to be on it you have to submit the link on the bottom of the directory on Po'Chop's page.

If you're a non-black producer, please read this, as black erasure and tokenism contributes to inequality and racism in our art form.

Since 2010, Chicago-based, award-winning burlesque powerhouse Po’Chop has headlined shows across the US, starred in music videos and dance films, and performed at the Brooklyn Museum with Brown Girls Burlesque. She is also a board and cast member of Jeezy’s Juke Joint, an annual production creat...

18/05/2020

https://burlesquedaily.blogspot.com/2020/05/five-minute-pasties.html

This video is for beginners who may not be very crafty! It's also designed to reduce purchases and waste during the pandemic. My idea is ...

25/04/2020

The book proposal workshop is back! Several people requested a weekend date: May 2, 2 pm EST. Sliding scale.
http://www.schoolofburlesque.com/joweldon.shtml