My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard....sale.

 Someone said to us the other day, "You get what you pay for." That's true...and it's not. Some people think $85 for one girl to dance one 4-minute routine is outrageous. What you don't see: That costume cost her $85-$200 and 8-10 hours stoning, fringing, and altering it. That number was rehearsed 20-30 hours (of unpaid time, mind you) before it ever hit the stage. The performer spends anywhere from 90-120 minutes doing hair, makeup, and packing up costuming and props. The performer spends an average of 90-120 minutes at the venue, doing sound checks, spacing the stage, getting dressed (usually in a closet or office somewhere), dancing, repacking, and collecting the paycheck. So that 4-minute solo number you're watching that girl dance cost her an average of $142 and 37 hours worth of unpaid work. For big group numbers, costuming alone runs about $2000 for an 8-girl number...and again, that's out of pocket, before it even hits the stage, and doesn't count the hours of work that goes into it. So you're actually getting a LOT more than you're paying for.

That being said, it's time for us to try and raise some funds for costuming for the 2014 season. Each girl is responsible for both a nude and black pair of dance heels, which average about $80 a pair (for cheap ones!). They are also in need of some costuming basics here and there (fishnets, basic bras and panties). The company covers all of the "add-ons", such as sequins, rhinestones, fringe and feathers, as well as the bigger props: chairs ($20 each), tables ($100), boas ($80 each) and feather fans ($300 per pair). The girls are planning a trip up to Columbus on November 23rd to replace any dance shoes and jewelry that is beyond repair, and they're trying to raise the cash for those things via selling off clothing, costuming, electronics, home wares and baked goods during one crazy afternoon. We'll also have a few things up for silent auction as well, such as a workshop, and a 10-class Pump & Grind punch card, be taking pre-orders for the 2014 calendar (at a discounted rate!), and selling tickets for Seasons Teasings at Bogart's (without the online or day of show fees!). Between now and then we'll be posting pics on the event page of just a few of the big ticket items that will be up for grabs that day. If you're interested in any of the items but don't want to wait for the sale (we've already sold and shipped 4 large-ticket items!) , then you can contact us via the event page or by emailing us at cincityburlesque@gmail.com.

https://www.facebook.com/events/519710461439134/

G

So you think you can CCB - UPDATED on 1/14/14

I weekly field emails from women who tell me they want to (or that I NEED them to) join Cin City Burlesque.  85% of the time, they have no real idea about what it is we do.  They have no idea what "burlesque" encompasses ("How much will I make in tips per night?"), and - possibly even more offensive - they've done no research on CCB at all.  They've never seen a show, they've never spoken to one of the dancers, and they've not looked at the website, YouTube videos, or even Googled us.  They have no dance experience, they want to "be sexy", their email is worded like a text to their BFF (you're trying to apply for a JOB, people!), they're only available on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m., etc.  I have no real problem training a natural dancer that works hard, but I can't STAND laziness or this sense of entitlement because you're a certain age or certain dress size.  But they INSIST that I NEED to hire them.  Sometimes, depending on how the email is worded, I'll send them an application:

Cin City Burlesque

Application

Name: ________­­­­­­­____________          Phone:_____________________

Email:______________________       Age:______________________

                                     

Height:____________________          Dress Size:_________________

Dance Experience:

□ Tap- # of years_____  □ Hip Hop-# of years_____     □Salsa-# of years_____

□ Jazz-# of years_____   □ Ballroom-# of years____     □Other____________

□ Contemp-# of years__ □ Latin-# of years_____                    

□ Ballet-# of years_____□ Swing-# of years_____                  

Availability:

□ Mondays – Hours: 

□ Tuesdays – Hours: 

□ Wednesdays – Hours: 

□ Thursdays – Hours: 

□ Fridays – Hours: 

□ Saturdays – Hours:

□ Sundays – Hours: 

Have you been to a Cin City show? Where & when?

Define what burlesque means to you:

What makes you want to be a burlesque performer? 

If they actually answer this (only about 50% of them bother at this point), and they sound like even a remote possibility, I then send them this:

Pink Productions, LLC

DBA

Cin City Burlesque

Expectations, Rules and Guidelines

Revised – 8/4/2013

1.Group rehearsal time runs from 11-1on Sundays for groups, and 6-8 on Wednesdays for solos with NO exceptions, plus additional time on your own to memorize your choreography.  Ginger CANNOT spend those precious 4 hours of group time trying to help you remember choreography – you MUST do that on your own time. Girls must be available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Sundays, if we need to run long.

2. Girls must me on time and READY TO DANCE (i.e., shoes on, warmed up, and mouths zipped) at EXACTLY those times with NO exceptions unless previously cleared with Ginger.  For every minute you are late, you will take the entire flight of stairs up and down.

3. If you miss more than 1 rehearsal per month, you will not be relegated to the G-string for the next two months. NO EXECPTIONS.

4. If you miss ANY Sunday rehearsals 4 weeks before a large show, you’ll be pulled from the show. NO EXCEPTIONS.

5. If you are slacking off in rehearsal, Ginger reserves the right to send you home.  If you are sent home, it WILL count as an absence.  Do not bring your personal issues to rehearsal or performance.

6. You are expected to “check out” for every group number in our arsenal.  If we are working on a number or numbers that you have already “checked out” of, you may skip that rehearsal without being penalized.  You will be required to come to rehearsal 6 weeks prior to dancing it at a booking to “audition” it, and will, if picked to dance said number at that upcoming booking,  need to come to every rehearsal leading up to said booking.

7. Every girls is responsible for purchasing and maintaining/replacing as needed the following: 1 nude and 1 black pair of ballroom shoes, 1 nude and 1 black pair of fishnets, their own RELIABLE brand of pastie adhesive, eyelashes and eyelash adhesive, and bra and underwear for all numbers. These things can be acquired over time, but MUST be acquired. This is non-negotiable.

8.You are not paid for rehearsal time.

9. You are expected to do some of your own costume and prop work, with the guidance of Ginger.

10. We will supply you with the “sparkle” for your costuming, but you must apply it.

11. If you borrow a prop or costume from another girl or from CCB, you MUST return it the following rehearsal.  For every rehearsal you forget it, you will be charged $5.

12. You MUST be available on Friday and Saturday nights for bookings.

13. ALL burlesque bookings (i.e., you strip, or use your CCB name or ANY CCB routines, including your solos) MUST go though Ginger.  If you book an outside gig, it may NOT be burlesque in nature.  It may be belly, hoop, ballroom…but NOT burlesque.  If a “friend” or acquaintance wants to book you for burlesque for a show, they MUST contact Ginger directly.  She will handle the booking.  If someone is requested by said booker, we will try to accommodate them as best as possible.

14. Ginger will notify girls IMMEDIATELY when receiving a possible booking via text.  You are ALL expected to respond yes or no, and she will determine whether or not to take the booking depending on who is available.  If she books it, she will let you know where, when, what you’ll be dancing, and how much pay you will receive.

15. You will be required to attend at least one costume fundraising event per year.

16. Pay will vary from show to show. We only dance for free for charity events.  Pay is always based on the number of routines you perform, and the type of routines you perform.  Solos pay the most, but group numbers are what the audience remembers and loves the most.  The more difficult and longer the routine, the more the pay.

17. Ginger will always try to rotate who dances at bookings, but only those who are stage ready get to go on.  The more time and effort you put in, the more likely you are to get booked, and the more money you’ll earn.

18. Ginger has the final say in who dances what for each booking.

19. All choreography, music, costuming, and portrayals MUST go through Ginger first.

20. Girls must be willing to go down to pasties, although not every number requires it.

21. Each girl must have at least 2 solos on the opposite ends of the spectrum…i.e. one “classic” and one “neo”, one “fast”, and one “slow”, one “silly” and one “sultry”. Etc.

22. Pink Productions, LLC  DBA Cin City Burlesque retains all rights to your stage name, character traits, choreography, costumes, portrayals and images.

23. You will have one or two specific stage “looks” for hair and makeup determined by Sugar Plum.  You must be able to replicate this on your own.  Sugar or Ginger can help you “check out” of this.

23. During “downtime” at bookings, you are expected to mix and mingle with the crowd, NOT sitting in the corner with your sisters, or looking at your phone.  No wallflowers.

24. Be gracious to our fans (PARTICULARLY our female fans!).  Be friendly and approachable, but be PROFESSIONAL.   Remember – we are ALWAYS on stage!

25. Always carry your business cards.

26. No more than 1 drink prior to a performance.  If at an appearance, no more than 1 drink per 80 minutes.  Remember – we are a good time, but we are NOT sloppy drunk college girls.  You are on the clock.

27. Any friends or family that attend the show must understand that you are there to WORK, NOT to hang out with them.  If Ginger thinks that you are neglecting your work because of your friends or family, she will ask you to ask them to leave.

28. You will be provided one free CCB t-shirt.  Some appearances will require that you wear it, and some will require more of a pinup/rockabilly look.  You are required to find suitable clothes to be approved by Ginger for those appearances.

29. Pink Productions, LLC is not responsible for any injuries sustained during rehearsal or performance.

30. RESPECT the reputation of Cin City Burlesque.  We’ve spent years building it.

31. REPSECT the time and money Ginger puts into this to allow you a platform to perform.

32. RESPECT your sisters. If you have a problem with one of them, you are expected to sit down like grown women and talk it out. 

33. RESPECT the people who hire us.  Be professional, easy to work with, and deliver what you promise.

34. REPSECT fellow performers.  There is plenty of cattiness in this business.  It is NOT tolerated in Cin City Burlesque.  We may not love what other people do, but you must be professional.

35. RESPECT our fans.  They are why we do this.

36. RESPECT the amount of blood, sweat, and tears it takes to produce 3 minutes of magic onstage.  For every short solo you see onstage, there is likely 30+hours of work that went into it.  For every group number?  Try 60+.  If you are in this for the money, you’re barking up the wrong tree.  If you think this is a glamorous business, you need to get out now.  This is HARD WORK.  We dance through injuries and illness.  We often have 10 different pieces of choreography we’re working on at any given time.  We spend hours hunched over a bra sewing on fringe or gluing on crystals. You are constantly packing your costumes, repairing them, and then repacking them, all while listening to your music over and over again.  You will take the same piece of clothing off 67 times, just to straighten in back out, put it back on, and do it all over again. This is the life of a burly-girl, and something you’re choosing to take on of your own free will.

______________________________________________                                        

Name                                                                                                                          

______________________________________________               

Signature

This usually scares them off.  For the few that still hang in there, they're expected to learn choreography on the quick during an audition. Out of every 100 emails I field, I may pick up 2 girls.  The right fit for us is few and far between.  It's expensive to get started.  The amount and difficulty of choreography is overwhelming.  They need to have an innate intelligence, a good business sense, a strong sense of self, extreme confidence, overt friendliness, and an exceptional sense of humor. It's not for everyone.  Keep this in mind before writing an email.

G

*****And then there was this posted in response.  It made me happy.

http://www.reddit.com/r/cincinnati/comments/1pm7lz/think_that_your_boss_is_an_evil_demon_from_hell/

:

We've been fielding SOOOO many inquiries about this, we thought we'd create an event page and send you here. In order to be considered for audition, you'll need to fill out an application and submit a dance resume and headshots. We are only looking for folks between the ages of 22-32 (yes, we're accepting men as well!) with 5 or more current, consecutive years of dance experience, with up-to-date training (No, that tap class you took for 3 months when you were 5 does NOT count, nor can you claim you have 20 years of tap experience with it!) If we accept your application, we'll send you a contract that will lay out expectations that you'd have to sign before you audition. Then auditions will consist of learning 4 8- counts of choreography and performing it in small groups in front of a judging panel. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE SEEN AT LEAST ONE SHOW BEFORE YOU AUDITION....YOU WILL BE QUIZZED ABOUT IT!!!! Still think you want to audition? Read this CAREFULLY. You'll need to send a proper email (remember...you're applying for a job, not sending a text to your friend) stating so: CinCityBurlesque@gmail.com. The subject line should read POTENTIAL AUDITIONEE. You'll then want to request an application from us, fill it out, and return it with a headshot and full body shot. If it meets with our requirements, we'll keep it on file, and contact you when we have auditions. IF after the audition we feel that you may be a good fit, you'll be an intern for 90 days. You will be required to be at rehearsal, learn choreography, and help kitten and stagehand at any shows during that time. You will NOT be dancing in any shows, be given a stage name, be allowed to use CCB social media, or be in any CCB photos until after the 90 days are up. If after the 90 day "probationary" period we still believe you are a good fit, you'll then be a full-fledged troupe member.

It's hell getting old.

So my day job consists of teaching dance and group fitness.  You would think this would keep me in great shape.  It seems all it does is remind me of what I can no longer do.  Joints are getting creakier, muscles stay sore longer, and I get winded much easier.  I keep thinking I can turn back the clock with diet and exercise, but as a dancer you spend at least 20 years of your life abusing the hell out of your body...and there's just no cure for that.  I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to take better care of myself, but it's not to be.  Young dancers out there - take heed. You will need those knees and that back your entire life.  Don't abuse them.

G

Oh...And the new promo video!

With this...we travel.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0P14Zrueew&feature=youtu.be

"I love dance!!!!"

Ok....so I'm going to try to blog at least once a week.  I'll try to keep you "abreast" of what's going on with Cin City Burlesque, as well as what I personally have going on.

This morning was pretty excellent.  But let me back up.

After the last big show at Bogart's in September, I held auditions for CCB.  EVERYONE had to try out...including girls that have been with me for years.  I did this for a few reasons: 1.) I need to constantly re-evaluate. 2.) I need to keep the girls on their toes. 3.) It's the fair way to do it.  I had a panel of 4 judges including myself.  EVERYTHING was put to a vote.  If I was outvoted 3-1, then I went with the majority.  I lost one girl outright, and two more became soloists.  I also picked up one of my original dancers, and a brand new girl.  After all of that, we started working on Seasons Teasings for December 7th at the beginning of October.  We had 3 group routines, as well as two duets and a bunch of new solos.  I was beginning to freak out that we weren't going to get it together to my crazy-high standards in time, but my girls proved me wrong this morning.

The solos were genius.  The group numbers were clean. And I didn't flip a table.

Cinnamon, during a moment of pure glee at the end of the closing number (that we had NAILED), squealed "I LOVE DANCE!".  It made me ridiculously happy.  We all do this for the love of dance and performance.  But sometimes in the shuffle we lose the joy.  It was nice to be reminded of how much FUN it can be.  Then following the most excellent rehearsal, I taught a Pump & Grind class.  I sweat. I shook. I danced my ass off.  It felt gooooood.

G