Burlesque!

I first came to Burlesque through a love of vintage.  I have always loved vintage clothing. Well before it was ever fashionable, i was going to college and uni with stockings on under my jeans! I think i was born in the wrong era as i just love all things 40's and 50's.  I collect clothing, home wear and have a passion for garish nylon curtains.  Anyway, there was an event nearby hosting a burlesque cabaret act and because i love vintage glamour we went along.  I jokingly ribbed hubby that he'd be getting his jollys and not much in it for me.  I imagined model like ladies teasing men with perfect tatties i would never possess.  How wrong i was.
   I saw large voluptuous ladies, embracing every curve, Skinny girls with smaller breasts equally as sexy, comedy sketches, musicians, some shows that were ballet like, and most surprising of all, a much higher number of women in the audience than men!   I was in love and have been ever since.
  Recently i began to learn the art of Burlesque myself.  Even after all i'd seen, i was nervous.  I'm a slightly over weight, 37 year old mother of two who really had no business wanting to take her clothes off on a stage.  To say i was nervous was an understatement.  When i arrived at my first class, i found women of all types, all ages and all descriptions.  What did we all have in common?  We were there to embrace our femininity, unlock what it is to feel glamorous and sexy and in my case, to find a little of the old me again.
  You see, when i was young i would go out partying with bright pink hair, stand on the podiums and love the attention.  I loved my life, i lived glamour and femininity, never leaving the house without make up and often heels.  Then i had kids and everything was different.  My kids are awesome and i took on another title.  That of mother.  My boobs were still interesting to hubby, but fifty times more so to my hungry baby and i fed her with pride. I ditched the makeup and heels to home educate both my children and lived my life in a blur of home ed meets and build a bears. (Another two have recently been adopted into the fold.  Sigh) I put on a fair bit of weight and in the process of this, lost a little bit of my essence.  I shout my mother title from the roof tops and adore that i am so lucky to have two crazy, wonderful, unique little guys in my life, but now my youngest is five, i decided its time to get a little 'Me' back. 
  As i read more and more about Burlesque i see some people name calling, i see people using derogatory terms towards performers and its upsetting.  Particularly to the women who put their heart and soul into this.  I've seen terms bandied round recently that allude to women being called posh strippers, slags, tarts etc.  Usually other women are the ones name calling as well it seems.  This is really sad as many of the name callers have never been to a show and seen for themselves what its all about.  Performers aren't there to titillate men (They can go on a thousand websites for free to do that), they are there to show women that they can be sexy, glamorous, amazing and wonderful no matter what size, shape or combination of features they've got.(And maybe a little titillation for good measure)  But most importantly, the performers are there doing performance art with their own bodies in exactly the way they want to do it.  You will see women taking ownership of their femininity and having body confidence in  a world where body shaming is the norm.  If i actually get good enough to perform on stage, i will show my daughter with pride and say to her that being a woman is about pride in yourself, loving yourself and not giving a shit what anyone else has to say about it.  No one else has the right to dull your shine, tell you to starve yourself, say you must look a certain way or behave a certain way.  No one else has that right.  Its high time women could do and behave as they wish without anyone else casting judgement or nasty comments in their direction.
  And so i find myself practising glove removal in my living room this morning, dodging build a bears and lego whilst i try and feel a teensy bit glamorous and sexy! I love my crazy life and i wouldn't have it any other way!