Friday Friends - Pink Kitten Burlesque

Poppy Von Tarte performing the fan dance

 Two weeks ago I plucked up the courage to go to my first burlesque 'Christmas Seduction' lesson with the pink kitten dance school. It sounds far more personal than it was and I had the best day ever! 

It all started with a visit to the completely amazing Proud Cabaret Decades show in London on a trip to visit a good friend. It was the classic red smokey basement bar with beautiful ladies and gents dancing, singing and removing fabulous outfits from the 20s up to the 80s.
It was everything I love, the sequins, theatrics, music and costumes with a that fun pin-up sexiness.   In the morning I decided I needed some ME time in the form of burlesque lessons. I could up my wifely skills, (I still associate the word 'wife' with kitchen sinks and needing a mistress, sorry I know I shouldn't) get to have more fabulous outfits and maybe even have some fun exercise.

Busby Berkeley chorus girls

Posting pictures on this blog doesn't mean I have any confidence, I mainly live in my little world in my studio, making dresses and occasionally dressing up in them. I'm usually too scared to even talk to the checkout lady in the supermarket let alone dance sexily around a room with other people.

I signed up with Pink Kitten dance school and after meeting Michaela (aka Poppy Von Tarte) and another girl like me at the empty venue bar in Bristol, we started the first lesson.
Poppy put us at ease straight way, we talked about why we were there and started with some warm ups. Back to ballet with toe pointing and fabulous cat stretching!
I of course got so excited about what I was wearing, turned up in stockings and button through dress ready to strip! Leggings and a skinny tee would have done the job, but killer heels are a must!

Penelope Cruz in Nine

I've always loved old musicals, ballet, Cabaret, Nine, Gypsy Rose Lee and the like, so immediately I was in the perfect place with the Moulin Rouge soundtrack playing. We learnt the red carpet showgirl stance (I will be making everyone stand like this in the future as you straight away transform into a starlet) complete with feather boa and long gloves for remvoving with your teeth.

Later arrived to more lovely students of Pink Kitten, everyone was so, so nice, not scary in any way just very welcoming and encouraging with lots of giggles and posing.

The classic Gil Elvgren Pin Up

Next came Prince (another favourite, I was in my 80's element!) and a lap dance which Poppy talked us through the history off beforehand and our views.  The whole day was very positively feminist with certainly no promoting of the seedier side of striping which is aimed mainly at certain types of men. Itwas an real education on theatre, old choreography and even a little acting too!
The lap dance was a brilliant routine, teasing a stool to Prince's Kiss, totally camp and fabulous with power strutting.
The whole day I kept imagining all the various outfits. The rhinestone covered burlesque corsets and giant fans, an 80's tropical pink, high leg bikini with big volumised perm and the cutest Santa dress in red velvet with a fur trim and hooded cape.

Santa Baby Routine

And finally we learnt an Ertha Kitt, Santa Baby routine which I still keep practising as it was incredible pin-up style fun. These ladies are so welcoming that I was even invited to join in the with Christmas cabaret. I wanted to do this so much, but dress orders had to come first and as you can tell from my ramblings I could get very swept away with this!

I really do have to recommend this to everyone, Pink Kitten do boylesque too!
Especially if you need a little confidence boost (which I did) and it doesn't matter your age, your size, whether you are single or attached. I left feeling like a million dollars on cloud nine and it was just for me and about how I feel about myself. I know some people said how brave I was to do it, I reckon Zumba or the gym is way scarier.
A pink kitten lesson is more like going to a place where you dance to super fantastic girly music, end up loving your body (especially it's flaws), feel super sexy and meet lovely people who like the same things as you. And you get a good work out, AND you get amazing outfits instead of nasty sportswear, Poppy taught us in a polka dot, fifties rocknroll dress. Not many fitness classes will do this.

The fabulous Gypsy Rose Lee,

So I have found an excercise that I love, it's everything I love in fact all in one gorgeous burlesque class with Pink Kitten.
If you haven't treated yourself this Christmas you can do so with a Pink Kitten class if you're in the Southwest or any other burlesque class in your area. Go make yourself feel like a film star, you'll never feel frumpy ever again! xxx