We all start out the same. We are all new to the game at some point. I was new to it at 32, and went to a few shows, and a handful of workshops with some folks who are consistently voted in the top 20 performers in the world. And this was AFTER I had been teaching, performing choreographing and costuming for a living for 10 years in the ballroom world. It was how I bought my house. How I put gas in my tank and kept the lights on. So I at the very least had a decade of professional experience in the realm of dance and entertainment. I still didn't call myself a pro in the burly biz until maybe 2 years in of getting consistent bookings where we were sought out...meaning we weren't calling them, but they were calling us to book. It's grueling. And there are plenty of opportunities as a performer or producer or choreographer where you will stumble, or outright fail. But I can guarantee that had I not had my background, and had I not went and gotten my Burlesque education, and had I not worked with those better and more seasoned than me, we wouldn't be as successful as we are today. Hell...we wouldn't even be here a decade later. So my advice to the new babies? Get your asses to classes. Workshop. Study. Go to shows. Work with a mentor. Interview those who've been at it for ages. Don't just watch a YouTube video or 3 and think you can make it work. It just doesn't work like that.
G
