Dear Constant Reader,
Saturday, mercifully, the first classes weren’t until 9. Of course, I was awake at 4:30am because of East Coast Time…
The Classic Chorus Girl (Sister Kate Dance Company): We learned some chorus girl dance steps and then dove into a short choreography based on the Shim Sham. Eventually we broke into groups of five or six and did the whole thing with an adorable entrance and fun ending. I can’t wait to share this one with the BeauTease.
Caring for Your Costumes (me): I’ve been teaching this class for a long time, but it stays popular. I refine it a bit every time I teach and sometimes (and this class was no exception) I learn a thing or two as well.
Book Signing (Leslie Zemeckis): I brought my copy of Behind the Burly-Q to be signed. I had two other hardcover books (Striptease and It’s All That Glitters) weighing down my suitcase, so I couldn’t also bring Goddess of Love Incarnate. Another time, I’m sure.
Exotic Dance Moves 101 (Peekaboo Pointe): A primer of exotic dance moves, some of which were familiar from burlesque, just done with different angles and intentions. My favorite part of the class was that we started with a Pilates warm up. Because of the intense schedule for Wrathskellar Tales I couldn’t get to the gym or barre class for about six weeks. The exertion was very welcome and I was pleased to discover I hadn’t lost all my core strength in the interim.
Props & Gimmicks (Gina Bon Bon): Gina demonstrated some of her signature moves with a boa and on a prop and then invited audience members to “show me what you learned”. Classes with Legends always remind me where we came from and are inspirational.
I had a very nice dinner in the hotel restaurant withe Maggie McMuffin, with conversation that ranged from frivolous to emotional. It was just what I needed, as I had been a bit too solitary this weekend.
Then I put on lounging attire and went to Tales Around the Glampfire for some storytelling. I think it went better than last year. Alotta Bouté was a fine hostess. That she sat on the stage with the storyteller made it feel less like *performance* and a bit more intimate. Also, it didn’t seem like they were sticking to a 5-minute limit for stories and the event itself hwas scheduled to run longer, so storytellers were less rushed and flustered. As expected, some stories were kind of rambling, some were excellent, and some were perfectly enjoyable. Indigo’s story about Wild Cherry was an appropriate, if melancholy, finale. Reminds me that I should remind Scratch to write up his Joan Arline story.
And so to bed.
