A change of roles

We Burlicious Three differ from each other in terms of our ability to learn and then remember our routines. The Sparkly Bra Pixie picks 'em up swiftly, only infrequently getting stuck on a move that bedevils her, with the result that her repeated misdelivery of that move drives her into a fury until she sorts it out.

The Voluptuous Jules appears not to be concentrating, but she also picks up a routine fast. Once she has it, she has it... unless she gets distracted or unless we turn the routine around so we are all facing in the opposite direction.

Me, I'm the slowest of the three to pick up a routine, and I can invent fresh ways of messing it up as I go along. In class, it's also me who frequently cannot remember what comes next until I hear the next piece of music.

So, it was disconcerting last night to have me firing accurately on all cylinders while Jules distracted herself into a series of missteps and mistimings, getting it wrong in ways in which she has never, ever, got it wrong before. Maybe there was something odd in the ether? Maybe she was just trying to give the troupe an extra challenge? Who knows... but she was every bit as perplexed by the experience as we were. 

Despite these hiccups, this routine is developing veeery nicely. Boa routine bubbling along Burliciously? Tick. Floor routine flounced through? Tick. Next it's the glove routine and the final third of the dance. You're doing a cracking job, Showgirls!

Yours, absolutely delighted, Burlicious x

Intermittent synchronicity

It can take a while to get one's head around a routine and to learn it so that feet, arms and body do what they should at every beat. 

It's an additional challenge to do that AND to learn how best to position oneself to dance alongside another showgirl without accidentally whacking her in the head with an enthusiastic flung-out arm, or failing entirely to connect with her when (as in this routine) a boa is passed from one to another.

Our little hall has no mirrors. Leading from the front of the class last night, with my back to the troupe for the most part, it makes me smile to hear little scamperings behind me as various showgirls quickly adjust where they are standing as they suddenly realise that they are not where they need to be in relation to their partner. I like, too, the helpless giggles that often accompany these ad hoc manoeuvres. Quite often, a sea of happy chaos greets me when we all turn around and I can see for the first time what has been going on behind me.

On the other hand, what sometimes greets we Burlicious Three is a crisp, coordinated, in time, on beat troupe, all absolutely on top of the moves. Showgirls, that "buttock, buttock, foot, hand" sequence is fast becoming an utter marvel. If only I could say the moves fast enough to guide us as we dance!

Yours, loving what we do,

Burlicious x

A time-honoured profession

 8 years ago on Facebook, I posted this:

“So, last night the three of us Burlicious beauties performed at a private party. Shoehorned into a teeny space we gave them three great showgirl routines and then taught our beginners' routine to a heaving, giggling mass of women and one lovely man. A sweaty and superb time was had by all.

Afterwards, I was chatting to a man who had watched with interest throughout.

"My aunt was a showgirl at the Windmill Club" he said.

"Oh," says I, "how interesting."

"Yes," he replied. "So, I know all about your.... " [significant pause for emphasis while his eyes slowly traveled up and down the full length of my body as I stood there in my corset and fishnets] "... profession."

Well, really! What COULD he mean?!

It's not as if you can BUY this kind of well-matured and prime vintage womanhood, you know. The cheek of it! 😀"

That post struck a perfect chord with last night’s class in which we launched a brand new routine. All the usual ingredients were there – misdirection (mainly me); missteps (see misdirection for cause); misbehaving boas; laughter; swearing (almost entirely me); and bemused and amused gentle befuddlement.

Also in evidence was delicious, perfect and prime womanhood, and a bloomin’ professional-looking troupe getting swiftly to grips with the routine. This, showgirls, could develop to be another winner of a routine, suitable for future performance.

Yours, getting ready for our “penguin” move next week,

Burlicious x