Work it while you work out
08:37 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Although burlesque is a fun, sexy dance that's great to watch, as a mode of fitness, it's tough.
Burlesque troupes have popped up across Dallas in recent years, but The Girls Room on Lower Greenville is one of the few local places that offers burlesque classes regularly.
The women's fitness center opened in January and also has yoga, pole dancing, belly dancing and sensual dance classes. Owner Karyn Pentecost says she wanted burlesque in the mix because it's a "beautiful expression of feminine appeal."
Burlesque-style dancing was a common part of variety shows of the '20s and '30s, although historians say it existed in some form before that. Women in fanciful costumes would perform seductive strip-teases, sometimes using props such as fans or hats.
Nationally, the trend has taken off in the past several years, with stars such as Dita Von Teese bringing it into the mainstream.
Jo Weldon, a burlesque performer who lives in New York and recently taught a sold-out burlesque workshop in Carrollton, says she thinks the scene has exploded partly because it gives women a chance to be wild and playful. Weldon also runs a blog dedicated to burlesque, burlesquedaily.blogspot.com.
"In daily life, you have to be so careful. You can't be inappropriate," Weldon says. "It's liberating in the sense that you just let go of all those restrictions."
In the Girls Room class, participants might dance alongside local professional burlesque dancers. It's taught by Jana Edele, the founder and choreographer of Dallas burlesque troupe The Velvet Kittens. The class isn't a mandatory troupe practice session, but on a recent night, nearly every person in the class was a Kitten.
Now the Girls Room just needs to get the word out. Although the center's pole dancing classes are popular, Pentecost says some women are unsure of what burlesque is.
Edele said some women have been intimidated by the class and think they need a dance background to sign up.
"I tell them anyone can dance," says Edele, 30. "Anyone can learn it. It's just trying."
Lesley Téllez
DETAILS
What: The Girls Room burlesque classes are taught as a regular dance class, which means you're not exactly learning how to take off your clothes. Participants stretch and do ab-crunches, and then learn a short combination that involves sexy moves. Edele uses props such as hats and chairs. It's great for anyone who has a secret desire to be a dancer for a day.
What to wear: Clothes that show the lines of your body – no oversize T-shirts. Try tights, leg-warmers and shorts, or yoga pants and a tank top.
Cost: $15 a class, $110 for an unlimited monthly membership
Where: The Girls Room, 19211/2 Greenville Ave., Studio B. 214-887-8880. thegirlsroom.us.
Here are a few local troupes that perform around town. Check out their Web sites for show dates and information.
•Velvet Kittens – thevelvetkittens.com
•Lollie Bombs – lolliebombs.com
•Ruby Revue – myspace.com/rubyrevue