It's Not for Everyone...Troupe Life

So I received an email from a girl looking to move to Cincinnati from Indiana.  She was inquiring about auditions.  I immediately asked if she had seen us perform, and what her dance background consisted of.  The response I received was:

"I have an extensive dance background. I'm trained in the foundations (ballet, jazz  hip hop, etc) I've performed burlesque, though not as often as I'd have liked, and I'm training in pole dancing at an intermediate /advanced level. I have seen a few videos on YouTube of the group."

1)  "Foundations" in 3 forms of dance does not an "extensive dance background" make.
2)  So...no.

I then sent her our Expectations and Guidelines to look over before we went any further.  This is what they consist of:

Cin City Burlesque

Expectations, Rules and Guidelines

Revised – 8/22/2015

1.Group rehearsal time runs from 11-1on Sundays for groups, plus additional time on your own to memorize your choreography.  Ginger cannot spend those precious 2 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 be 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 any Sunday rehearsals 3 weeks before a large show you’ll be pulled from the group routines, and possibly your solo. This includes tech (if you’re required to be there – singing numbers and/or group numbers) and dress rehearsal

4. 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.

5. 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 4 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.

6. Every girl 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.

7. You are not paid for rehearsal time.

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

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

10. If you borrow a prop or costume from another girl or from CCB, you must return it the following rehearsal unless told to hold on to it by Ginger.  For every rehearsal you forget it, you will be charged $1 off your next paycheck.

11. You must be consistently available on Friday and Saturday nights for bookings, knowing that Ginger will contact you ASAP when a booking comes in, and no later than 2 weeks prior to said booking.

12. ALL burlesque bookings (i.e., you strip, or use your CCB name, the CCB brand or ANY CCB routines, including your solos) MUST go through 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.

13. 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.

14. You must answer all texts from Ginger within 24 hours.  She cannot do her job otherwise.

15. 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.

16. All payment comes through Pink Productions, LLC.

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 and g-strings, 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.  Solos can be self-choreographed, or you must find time to get with Ginger to work on choreo.  You must “check out” of your solo at least 4 weeks prior to using it.

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.

24. We use stage names only at bookings, and your friends and family need to know they must do the same.

25. You are expected to work “Shot and a Kiss” at some bookings. 

26. 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.  You can post photos online and update your status while backstage.  No wallflowers.

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

28. Always carry your business cards.

29. 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.

30. Any friends or family that attend the show must understand that you are there to work, not to hang out with them.  They must give you space, and they must refer to you by your stage name.  If Ginger thinks that you are neglecting your work because of your friends or family, she will ask you to ask them to leave.

31. 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.

32. You will develop a Facebook page dedicated to your stage persona, and keep it up weekly. 

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

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

35. RESPECT the time and money Ginger puts into this to allow you a platform to perform.

36. 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. 

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

38. RESPECT 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.

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

40. 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 burley-girl, and something you’re choosing to take on of your own free will.

Her response was this:

"I'm sorry but your rules and guidelines are extremely strict and as a solo performer, restrictive to my ability to perform outside of the group, not to mention the amount of time you're asking for a performer to be available with no pay. I don't really understand how you're retaining members but it seems very unreasonable and unproductive as a creative group. Thanks for your time anyway!"

To which I must say:

It's not a "creative group" I run, but a business. The reason the business does so well professionally both in performance and in generating income is because of these "unreasonable" and "strict" rules. It is certainly not for everyone, and the few performers who have left over the years and went out as solo artists have stopped booking within the year.  What you don't see as a solo artist (particularly as a newcomer) is the amount of marketing, choreography, costuming and booking the owner of the company provides in order for each performer to be able to hit the stage and be paid well for it. You're also getting FREE training with women who have been professional dancers for almost 20 years...usually which we charge $75 an hour for. I know some truly INCREDIBLE solo artists that are making it on their own and I am in awe of how they're able to pull it all together.  That being said, a newbie does not generally have the resources or know-how in order to make an actual living at it without some help.  As a troupe, we have something special and specific to offer...large, well-choreographed production numbers.  That requires a ton more time, work and money to pull off than a solo.  I know this because I produce and perform both.  The reward, however, is to be surrounded by an incredible family of women, with a wealth of knowledge and experience, and end up with a special and polished finished product, without the hassle of the performers doing the non-fun admin bullshit.  

So cheers to you, Newcomer.  I hope your solo career takes flight in every way you could possibly hope for.  I'll be over here with my evil empire sippin' on a whiskey and answering emails.

Burlesque dangers...Seriously.

It sounds ridiculous, but here's what happens over the years:

1) You feel naked without lashes on.  It seems impossible that your mug is finished without them.

2) You find crystals, sequins and glitter everywhere.  In your bed, in your lint trap, on your pets...everywhere.

3)  Your lips consistently feel like the Sahara.  Longwear lipstick is great for the stage, but not so good on your skin.

4)  There's a real fear of leaving the house without pants on.  You get so comfortable in your nudity that you get phobic that you'll leave the house half dressed.

5)  Your personal space boundaries become minuscule.  Seriously.  The tiny dressing rooms and nakedness makes for a handsy bunch of folks.

6)  Your pink bits are always tender and sore and covered in adhesive residue.  Sometimes you're pulling that stuff off for days.

7)  You shimmy in inappropriate places.  Grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants...if the music is calling for it, it's hard to stop yourself.

8)  You cannot shop for anything without thinking about turning it into a routine.  Like, ANYTHING.  "Hm...this vase could possibly fit on my head, no?"

9)  Most of your shoes and clothes are miserably uncomfortable.  I'd like to say you acclimate to it, but no.

10)  Your house (and life) becomes held together entirely by E6000.  We should buy stock in it.

11)  You are constantly covered in mystery bruises.  From props, other girls, and God knows what else.

 Although all of these things are legitimate issues we as burleskers face, it's all worth it in the end.  We think.

G

It's been 5 years...

I just got a little misty-eyed driving to the studio. I was thinking back to the first show Cin City Burlesque produced 5 years ago...it was in a tiny little studio with maybe 25 people there, and we danced maybe 9 numbers total. God, we have grown SO much! We have employed over 25 performers over the years, booked over 100 shows, taught over 200 women in workshops, raised over $10,000 for charities, and entertained thousands. Thank you, Cincinnati, for embracing us and making us the successful troupe we are today. Words can't describe how in awe of your support and how grateful we are every day.  We cannot WAIT to celebrate with you with some fan favorites and a brand new closing number with over 20,000 crystals at Bogart's on Saturday, June 7th.  We promise...it will be a show to remember.

G

I'm going to be an asshole.

Ok.  I am sick to death of seeing these 8-minute solos where the performer spends 5 minutes just walking around the stage with duck face, 2 minutes standing still and peeling clothes off, 30 seconds of hitting highlights in the music (that we can see coming from a mile away), and only 30 seconds of any real entertainment value.  I've got news for you...anyone can do that.  You shouldn't be paid for that.  80% of your content is boring the hell out of the audience.  They're just waiting for you to get naked already. NO ONE is that interesting...especially if every other routine in the show looks just like it.  It feels phoned in and self-indulgent. Don't get me wrong...I ADORE an over the top classic costume. But if that's all you can offer?  I'm not saying you have to do back flips, and I understand that not everyone has my dance background, but do SOMETHING! ENTERTAIN ME! Make me laugh.  Make me gasp.  Make me weep.  Make me hold my breath. But for the love of Stripper Jesus....do SOMETHING.

G

The secret of my success...

I spoke to a small business owner the other day who was heart-broken that their business wasn't able to support them financially. They then proceeded to tell me that they were taking two days off a week...one of which is their biggest day for business. Ummmm....what? As a business owner, you MUST work 7 days a week for many years. You MUST pay your staff and bills on time. You MUST put in many hours of "unpaid" time to market and organize your business. You MUST determine where your money is best spent. You MUST be a hard-ass when it counts. You MUST lay out clear expectations for both your staff and your clients. You MUST treat your staff like gold, because without them you're nothing. And you MUST deliver what you promise EVERY time.

I think the key to success is hard work. I don't get "set" time off! That's what happens when you open a business...you're constantly on the clock. I have a serious problem with business owners that pass the buck. When something, ANYTHING goes wrong with my business, it's on ME. If my employees fuck up, I take the heat and give them a warning. They do it again...they're gone. But it all comes back to personal responsibility. I have a contract that my employees sign every year in which (amongst MANY other things) it states that they are to check their emails daily. Turns out...they don't. So when I send them an important email, I follow it up with a text letting them know. It is MY responsibility (as it is MY business) to make sure they know what their jobs are, what is expected of them, and give them the tools to succeed. If they screw something up, that is a reflection on ME, MY business, and MY training! I also don't EVER ask them to do things that I won't do. As the owner, it is MY job to do the "un-fun" and "un-glam" stuff, so that they can do their jobs. When my staff shines, I shine. I work my ass off for them, and they work their asses off for me.

There are a lot of "starving artists" out there for a reason. The reason is threefold: 1.) They're not good enough at what they do to earn a living at it, and should instead pursue it as a hobby. 2.) They're talented, but they struggle to market themselves and run a business. 3.) They're unprofessional, and think they can get by with their behavior because they're "an artist". If you are late to gigs, unprepared, don't show up when you say you will, don't deliver what you promise, carry yourself unprofessionally, do it for free for your buddies (with no return on your business), discount your pricing, copy other peoples work, don't run it like a business, don't invest in your craft and business, party with your patrons, THEN YOU WILL NEVER EARN A LIVING AS AN ARTIST!!!! Just because it's a "fun" job, doesn't mean you can treat it like playtime.

G

Group routines...Difficult, but worth it.

Many burlesque troupes are a collective of solo artists.  They travel and dance together, but rarely if ever share the stage with one another.  On occasion you'll see duets or trios, but even that is fairly rare.  Dancing large group numbers with 5-10 women like we do at Cin City Burlesque takes dedication, hard work, and some cahones. When someone screws up choreography in a solo, as long as they keep a poker face and keep moving no one will ever know. When just one person is slightly off time, out of place, or screws up choreography during a group number it stands out like a sore thumb. When just one girl misses rehearsal it throws the rest of the girls off of spacing and formations.  It takes endless hours working together, and lots of cash to put together all the costuming and props.  We have to find the right music, the right concept, the right costuming, the right stage, and the right girls for each and every separate group number.  Choreography is frequently changed based on formations, ability level, stage size, number of women, and to adjust the overall effect.  You have to stand back and let your eyes blur a bit to look at it as an entire piece, versus individual dancers sharing the stage.  If anyone stands out for any reason, we have to adjust it.  You have to develop a "group thought" process.  You start adjusting to each other instinctively.  You're more concerned about how the number looks overall...not how you specifically look.  We depend on each other, trust one another, and push each other. The choreography or costuming may not be the most difficult or intricate as some of the solos, but those are the numbers that the audience remembers.  They are what they come to see.  It is certainly not for everyone, but we love the end result.

G

You betta recognize!

I am not famous.  I am, however, recognizable. It's the hair (thank you, Eros Salon!).  If I wore a wig or a hat I could run in traffic naked and no one would have any clue it's me.  But it is ridiculously adorable when I run into people in public who recognize me.  Some whisper.  Some stare. Some cut a VERY wide path. Some come over and geek out.  But some of the greatest reactions stick with me... "I saw you at City Flea and you were wearing jeans just like a normal person!" "I wasn't sure it was you, but then you turned away from me and I saw your butt." Or maybe the best yet from a rather popular male bartender..."I know you!  You do this!" (shimmies shoulders wildly).  1.) Yes...I wear jeans.  And yes, I'm pretty much a normal person.  I just have a very weird job that requires Swarovski and eyelashes. 2.) I get it...I have a giant ass.  It's as recognizable as the hair.  3.) Yup.  I do do that.

I have mixed feelings about being recognized.  It's fine when I'm out to dinner or having a cocktail...I'm usually prepared for it, especially if I'm downtown or in northern Kentucky.  I'm way LESS prepared when one of my fitness clients asks her hairstylist for a cut like mine, and the stylist knows who I am  just based on THAT alone and "outs" me to the client , and then the client begins coming to shows.  And even worse is when I'm out running errands after teaching a cardio class and people want to come over and hug me.  ICK.  Poor peeps...they'll never see me the same way again.  They'll only picture me as sweaty and stinky and scary.

In general I adore meeting Cin City fans.  But I'm lucky I can even remember my own name...let alone someone else's . I hate disappointing people if I don't immediately recognize them or remember the details of how we met.  Hell...I still can't remember half of my employees names.  Half the time I make out their checks to "Blondie McBlonderson" and "Tits McGee"...so cut me some slack.

G

Backstage Bedlam - What REALLY goes on back stage

I know the picture you have in your brain.  We sit daintily in front of a row of mirrors lined with lights, gaily applying our lipstick in feather-trimmed dressing gowns while sipping on champagne. I really hate to burst your bubble. ...but I'm gonna.

Most of our "dressing rooms" are dirty, freezing cold or 900 degrees, tiny and lacking mirrors of any sort. We change in green rooms, bathrooms, offices and storage closets. The floors are sticky. There's nowhere to put costuming down. There's rarely heat or A/C. And we're all right on top of each other. You have to be SUPER organized, tolerant and flexible. A sense of humor helps tremendously.

We usually have to bring our own full-length mirror for costume checks, and hand-held mirrors to touch up makeup. The lighting is always crappy...you come with your hair and makeup DONE.

We usually walk into a gig wearing comfortable shoes (your feet will be miserable the rest of the night), yoga pants (something loose that won't leave marks) and track jackets (something zip-front so you don't ruin your hair or face changing) with nude "safety g-string" underneath (this goes under your costuming and is taped down right before you hit the stage and right AFTER you've peed).

Once we get our costuming laid out in order and pre-load our pasties with tape,  we stretch and walk through choreography. We put props in order with the stagehands. We mic check and sound check. If it's a venue that's new to us we check out the stage. We take Tylenol. We drink water. We eat bananas. We have one (and ONLY one) cocktail.  Then you dress in your first costume and put your robe over it. Double check the set list. Kiss each other and pump each other up. Then it's off we go.

I wish I could paint pretty pictures for you of glitz and glamour,  feathers and flowers, chandeliers and champagne....but there it is.

G

What do you mean, I'm naked?

After so many years of performing,  you get used to walking around in little to no clothing. I've had entire conversations with people wearing nothing but a pair of heels and a smile. The problem with this is that you forget that maybe not everyone feels the same way.  You begin assuming that everyone is comfortable in nothing but their own skin. Every once in a while I'm reminded. .. by the new girl in the troupe who goes into the corner to change,  or the ladies in a workshop who giggle uncontrollably when they are asked to take a shirt off. What I don't understand is how we as a culture have come to this point.  There is nothing pornographic about the human form.  Why is a bikini ok,  but the second you take away
that tiny bit of material,  it suddenly becomes taboo? Why is our first instinct to try and cover ourselves and giggle like school girls?  So I say to you... that tiny slip of material fools no one. We know what's under it,  and sport the same bits. By aggressively trying to cover your pink bits you only draw attention to it. The second we stop feeling shame associated with the nude form is the second we are truly free.

G.

A word on performer etiquette...according to yours truly.

I refuse to ask other performers and venues to "guest" perform in their shows...I just really think it's kind of pushy. I understand that in the burly business it's kind of standard practice, especially since there are mostly solo artists and small troupes out there, but I personally just don't like it.  We get booked because WE'RE asked to perform...either by a venue, or by other performers.  I would NEVER ask to "insert" myself into someone else's show they're putting blood, sweat, tears and money into. That being said...on the rare occasions we DO travel to other cities (we don't usually travel...that's a differnt blog post as to why not!), we ALWAYS ask in-town performers to guest star.  Why on earth wouldn't you?  They know the crowd, and will bring in fans.  We would never go to someone else's home city and just ask a performer, who's usually well-known in that city, to "kitten", or just promote our show.  I have never understood that...it just seems like an intentional "shitting on" of the home-town girls.  Are people intimidated?  Are they worried that people will like the home-town girl more than them?  I've got news for you....They will.  They know her and love her already.  And if you put on a good show, then why ever be worried about being "out-shone"? I've also traveled to perform in charity events, where I've spent my own money on gas, meals, hotels, and I've had numbers "cut" from the show because it was getting too long.  Now mind you, the producer of said show didn't cut a single one of her MANY numbers, but she felt ok cutting her guest performers who donated time and money.  NO.  Anytime we've had guest performers come in town, we've made DAMN sure they dance as much as possible.  We've cut our own numbers to assure it happens. Be pleasant backstage.  Share space.  Compliment each other.  Bring snacks for everyone.  Just don't be a diva.  It's not acceptable to be an asshole to your Sisters in Shimmy.

G