Creating a Burlesque Persona 101

Created By:
Ruby Bachemin

Who are you?
I’m Ruby - Ruby Roulette on stage - a wanderlusting, color obsessed movement artist with an old soul. I believe in mystery, the cultivation of joy, and self-discovery through creative self-expression. I am a certified HoopYogini™ instructor and a troupe leader of Smoke & Queers Burlesque Troupe. In my performances as a burlesque artist, I tell stories and mock social constructs surrounding femininity through color, texture, humor, cheek, and sensuality. Each piece is a full production inspired by my theatrical, dance, and circus training and love of vintage glamour. As a burlesquer and hula hooper, I have performed and taught throughout the US and Europe.

Where are you from?
All over Cincinnati

Description:
In this video, I provide the basics of creating your very own burlesque persona. It's a lot of information and history to squeeze into a one minute video, but here are the basics:

1. Choose a style - Are you classical or neo-classical? If you're neo-classical, what sub-style most appeals to you? Do some of your own research on the endless expressions of burlesque!
2. Develop a character - Who are you on stage? What drives you? Try out some acting exercises and refine your character as much as possible. It may not seem like an obvious requirement for burlesque, but trust me, knowing how my character would react when something goes wrong has saved me from many awkward moments on stage!
3. Pick a name - Pick something flashy and unequivocally YOU! Make sure it has a nice ring to it and be sure to google it to avoid taking someone else's. My name is Ruby Roulette because, well my birth name Ruby is pretty perfect to begin with, and Roulette means "little wheel" in French, which honors both my hula hoops and my French ancestry. Bonus points because it sounds dangerous.
4. Create a costume! - This may be my favorite part. Burlesque doesn't have to be all corsets and feathers, especially if you fall under the neo-classical umbrella. Put together a look that helps you tell your story - but make sure it has layers! We need something to peel off, don't we?
5. Finally, create an act - Pick a song, tell a story, roll around on the floor, tell some jokes! Burlesque was originally developed as a way to mock to upper class and question the establishment - so the one rule is there are no rules! Do whatever your heart desires. Most agree the burlesque is also about the tease, so some kind of strip is generally involved but its not a requirement.

Whether you want to shake your tail feathers in front of an audience or your bathroom mirror, burlesque is an empowering form of expression that can help you reconnect with and reclaim your sensuality and personal power.

Why is this subject matter important to you?
My daily mission is to find and facilitate deep connection with Self, Spirit, and Earth and to seek out beauty and joy. Burlesque encourages people to take themselves less seriously and to have a little extravagant fun. It is an escape from the mundane that reveals the sensual wonders we all hold and allows us to be flashy, bold, ridiculous, sexy, political, weird, and confident to an audience that is almost always encouraging and supportive. It has allowed me to fall back in love with my body, if only for the moment I am on stage, and gives me the power to control my own sexualization.When people, and womxn in particular, have the opportunity to be fully themselves and to honor and play with their gifts free of judgment and social pressure, it can be truly transformative. It is exhausting to have to constantly align ourselves with societal expectations and once we let that go the release is unbelievably powerful. For me, burlesque is the art of liberation.

Further Information:
www.hoopyruby.com
@hoopyruby on instagram

Видео Creating a Burlesque Persona 101 канала Give A Minute Cincinnati