Brown Girl’s Burlesque: MAR 21st – MAR 23rd Phili, DC, NY

BGB All-Stars Spring A-Shaken-A-Ning from Brown Girls Burlesque on Vimeo.

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.  Help Essence get to the Milan Burlesque Awards!

Minneapolis Burlesque Festival

Source: etsy.com via Essence on Pinterest

I took part in my second burlesque festival this month – The Minneapolis Burlesque (MBF).  I headed off to the Twin Titties in the dead of winter all for the love of burlesque.  It was -30 degrees with the wind chill factor the first day I arrived.  This turned out to be alright.  MBF had organized for us to be picked up directly from the airport and a place to stay.  Knowing I’d be in a cozy home later made me feel warmer from the start.  The temperature rose to 8 degrees one day, man did that feel balmy!  When I landed in NY the 25 degrees we had going on dern near called for flip-flops as far as my body was concerned.

The Thursday night kick off show went off with a bang.  Everyone looked like they were having such a great time on stage.  A green room area with two large that screens were set up.  Every night of the festival participants could enjoy snacks back stage and cheer each other on.  Good thing too because every show was sold out.  There were just standing room only tickets available.  I got to hang out and chat with performers whom I’ve admired from the interwebs since starting burlesque.  I think I managed to not be a creepy fan girl.

I’d been to Minneapolis once before with Brown Girls Burlesque.  I was excited to see all of the performers who I’d met at our Soul Train vs. Solid Gold show.  I stayed with the lovely and talented Josephine Belle and her girlfriend.  They were the ultimate hosts.  I truly can’t say enough thanks to them for making me feel so welcomed in their home.  I’m excited to get to show Josephine a great time on the east coast when she comes to NY to perform in The Brown Girls Burlesque All Star Shows later this month.

Friday night brought more great performances as did the early Saturday show.  A visit by His Purple Majesty may or may not have happened .  I performed in the late show Saturday night.  It was so much fun on the stage.  The audience clearly came to see burlesque and loves it.  My second festival has truly spoiled me.  One of the best things was being able to see such a mix of classic and neo-burlesque all in one festival every single night!

The facade of the Central train station in Milan, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Next up for me this festival season is heading to the Great Burlesque Expo in Boston to perform at the Main Event Saturday night.  A few months later I’ll be heading to Milan to compete in the Milan Burlesque Awards.  Well, with a little help from my friends.  I’ll be launching an IndieGoGo Campaign March 8th to help me get there.  Please do give or share when you see it!

Source: thepinupnoire.tumblr.com via Essence on Pinterest

Femme Collar Realness!!!

If ya gonna be collared, why not like this?

Source: kaboodle.com via Essence on Pinterest

Or This!

Source: en.dawanda.com via Essence on Pinterest

Burlesque Valentine’s Weekend & More!

Hello! First, I hope everyone is having an excellent Lucky 2013 as we wrap up the first quarter of this year of the snake! We are in the month of Love. I’ve teamed up with my Brown Girls Burlesque sister, the lovely Sweet Lorraine, to bring another installment of her Shades of Burlesque. Shades of Burlesque is NY’s only all black female burlesque show. It will be hosted by the dynamic nightlife duo The Illustrious Blacks. Shades is also a Time Out New York Critics Pic In addition to our $15/adv tickets, we have$40 VIP tickets available which include table service, chocolate covered strawberries and two free drinks. The party does not stop: There is a FREE after party in Brooklyn on Friday night Feb 15th! The Illustrious Blacks are bringing us Astro Disco at One Last Shag 348 Franklin Ave (bet Greene & Lexington). We will be continuing the Love Saturday night with Shades & Friends. We’ve invited our performance artist, poet and burlesque friends to create a big ole Love Fest. There will be raffles both nights with prizes donated from Toys in Babeland, champagne, free dance classes & more. But fret not if you don’t win we will have Toy Closet NYC on hand selling sexy fun toys for you to take home with you. Sweet Lorraine has also been hand making pasties so you can buy them and add them to your bag of tricks! On Facebook or Pinterest? Check us out! See you this weekend Get Tickets Today! !!!ANNOUNCEMENT!!! ========== I’ve been chosen as one of 20 performers from around the world to compete in the 2013 Milan Burlesque Awards. I’ll only get there with a little help from my friends. So, my team and I are organizing an Indiegogo campaign for the cause. Be on the look out. Any donations made by you will be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. If you can’t give, it’s free to share. We’ll appreciate you helping to spread the word. I’ll be teaching a group sensual dance and “bootytweraerobics” class as part of Brown Girls Burlesque’s Bed-Stuy Burlesque series at Sacred Yoga 197 Clifton Place (Near Bedford Ave) in Brooklyn March 6th, 6:30pm – 7:45pm If you want the full 2 hour group session the next one will be on March 8th at Cap 21 Studios 18 w18th Street (between 5th & 6th Ave) in NYC! I am also available for private classes, parties & events. Contact Me and we will make it happen!        MUCH LOVE & LIGHT TO YOU FROM ME, Essence Revealed

The Daily Musto on Burlesque

Read the Daily Musto article here:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2013/01/nuit_blanche_we.php

Dances of Vice: Nuit Blanche, Jazz Age Burlesque from Nishell Falcone on Vimeo.

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.  Help Essence get to the Milan Burlesque Awards!

VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND: SHADES OF BURLESQUE and SHADES & FRIENDS

Shades of Burlesque NYC’s only all Black Burlesque Show @ WOW CAFE THEATER Feb 15th 9PM

WHAT ARE YOU DOING VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND?  

Shades & Friends at WOW Cafe Theater Feb 16th 9pm

Tickets are on sale now!  Buy them early to take advantage of the early love bird discount

Are You on Facebook?  Here is the event page!

Check Out Our Beauty Filled Pinterest Board!

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.

Overcoming Jealousy

What needs to happen within when overcoming jealousy?  I remember what it feels like to have the feeling wash over me at times.  Yet, I’ve never truly understood jealousy because being in a relationship does not render the rest of the universe unattractive.  Yet, I hear over and over again from some people that they find it disrespectful to have their partner look at another person.  Let’s say your walking down the street with your significant other.  A beautiful human comes walking along.  Guy/gal busts their brain cells to look not right, not left but straight ahead.  Guy/gal fails and instant argument ensues.  Accusations of disrespect are thrown.  I never quite understood how acknowledging another person’s physical beauty could in any way shape or form be disrespectful to an entire relationship.  The sum total of a relationship has got to hold more weight than that, right?

I wonder if jealous people believed without a shadow of a doubt that they are an amazing partner, the jealousy would still play itself out in this way?  I have long felt like I make a really great girlfriend.  I don’t say this to sound arrogant or conceited.  Knowing this does not mean thinking I’m perfect.  In fact, it means that I am very in touch with my imperfections so I work on myself as much as possible.  There may be moments where I feel jealousy.  However, what I do is check in with myself before I react.  Usually jealousy, in my case, means I feel threatened by the attention my partner is giving elsewhere.  Often, it is my ego feeling bruised for not consuming ALL of my partner’s attention.  I make it about me and my worth or the lack there of.

Jealousy in myself is seldom the cause or fault of anything that someone outside of me did.  It is usually a moment of insecurity.  That is for me to deal with.  It is not something I think deserves an argument.  It is not my partner’s job to make sure my self-esteem tank is on full.  If someone is going to leave, they are going to leave.  There isn’t enough “guard dogging” in the world that  can prevent it.  In fact, it may push them too it when it had never been an initial goal.  I know, I’ve had the experience of feeling like if I was going to be constantly accused and have arguments about it all the time, well, mind as well go ahead to justify the stress.

Usually, the check in leads me to remember that the way I am in relationship with people is something valuable.  There is no room for feelings of jealousy after that.  My inner self gets a little swagger: “Go ahead, let ‘em try to find another you.  I promise you, you’re a rare gem .”  Then all becomes right sized in my world.  How could I possibly think something like looking at another beautiful person speaks in any way about my worth in a relationship?  It cannot.

I REALLY want to hear what people who think jealousy in relationships is justified have to say.  So, what say you?

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.

 

Year in Review 2012

Welcome to Lucky 2013!

I don’t know about you but at the end of every year I think “Wow, that went fast!”  What did I do in 2012…  In the effort to do things differently and be kinder to myself, I decided to blog a personal year in review 2012 .  Then I thought well good.  That’s done.  But should it be shared in a blog?  I got all in my head about it:  who the heck besides you and your mom cares?

So, I decided that I would simply go ahead and do it and invite all of you to do the same for yourselves.  Forget about what didn’t happen in 2012.  Lucky 2013 is upon us.  What are we going to go after this year?  No resolutions for me to share.  I will not be making any resolutions this year like last year.  I do have goals that I have decided to share with only myself and my absolute 300% supporters.

Big THANKS to everyone who I worked with this year.  You all made it a very exciting ride!  I appreciate every interaction.  Because very little is accomplished as a lone island.

What I did do in 2012:

Performed in my first burlesque festival – The 10th Annual New York Burlesque Festival.

Voted Audience Favorite at the Bowery Burlesque Pageant.

Nominated for Best Burlesque Performer at the Glam Awards.

Will be heading off to perform in the first annual Minneapolis Burlesque Festival at the end of the month.

I went to my very first Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend to watch and be a volunteer escort to Legend Jean Idelle and have subsequently been involved in a Burlesque Legend’s Calendar and tribute show at the new Slipper Room.  The proceeds from this project will be used to help our burlesque legend’s get back to BHOF this year.

I was blessed with the opportunity to teach Sensual Dance & Booty”twerk”aerobics all over the country including a few universities.

Traveling to perform was one of my favorite blessings in 2012 which I did solo, with my Brown Girls Burlesque sisters, Sweet Spot (Sabrina Gilbert & Ainsely Burrows’ erotic poetry event) and Women, Sex & Desire (Gesel Mason’s modern dance conversation piece).

Not only did I reach my one year Blogaversary here on WordPress in 2012 but was humbled by the fact that 29,000 visitors came by to check it out.

My writing was published in Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com & 21stCenturyBurlesque.com.  Book wise, I was published in Audacia Ray’s  Red Umbrella Project’s 2nd publication Pros(e) which came out of an 8 week Becoming Writers workshop taught by Melissa Petro.  Contracts were mailed in to be included in David Henry Sterry’s upcoming anthology Johns, Marks, Tricks & Chickenhawks which is the sequel to the New York Times best seller  Hos, Hookers, Call Girls & Rent Boys.

Directed by Mimi McGurl, the solo theater piece which jumped off this entire creative project called Essence Revealed was premiered at the DC Black Theater Festival.

Looking at what we did do often times puts what didn’t get done into a better perspective.  What did you get up to in 2012?  We have a brand new 2013 to complete more.  Happy Lucky 2013!

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.

Beauty of Feminine

Being a burlesque performer has led me to experience the stark difference in reception I get when in and out of “burlesque drag”.  How people perceive feminine beauty is something I purposely mess with.  For years I’ve heard men say that they don’t like women who wear make-up and definitely not women who wear a great deal of it.  However, as I go through the urban jungle of New York my, ahem, field research shows very different findings for me personally.  I know this experience is not the same for all women.  I have a friend who could be wearing a trash bag with a freezer bag hat and would still have to deal with street harassment and cat calling on the street.  However, with me it is a totally different experience.  There have been many a time I show up for a gig casual, get ignored, change into performance mode and get sudden attention.

When I am not in showgirl mode, I trend towards being a no make up wearing sweats/jeans, tee-shirt, sneaker woman.  I’ve never been the type of woman who would “never leave the house without make up”.  I’ve had those friends.  We are getting ready to run out to the corner store for snacks.  I have to sit and wait for lipstick, mascara, eyebrows, etc all to be applied first.  The thought bubble over my head reads, “Really?!?  Just to go buy some Cheese Doodles?”.  But I’d sit and wait patiently.  Whatever makes you happy.  I on the other hand am perfectly happy to roll out in the same grey sweat pants day after day after day with no shame.   When I am dressed down, I can pretty much move through the streets of NYC without being bothered.  Mostly I choose to dress this way because it’s comfortable for me.  I admit though some days it’s because I’d rather not deal with the harassment.

It’s  not so shocking to me that no one wants me to “smile” or “have a nice day” or any of the other litany of things I get told, wished or crassly bombarded with.  Perhaps, it is because my casual seems to read as tomboy on most days.  I had the experience recently of standing in a room full of Burlesque folks and very few people recognized me.  One person, who’d seen me perform only the week before said she was wondering who the soft butch lesbian in the corner was.  Hilarity to me.  I often end up in conversations with strangers.  I talk to everyone.  If the conversation leads me to talking about being a burlesque performer or sensual dance/booty twerk teacher, I’ll hand them a card.  I forget that the card looks like my on stage persona.  The silent skepticism on their faces reminds me that I look very different to other people.  Enter  Clark Kent/Super Hero joke here.

Photo by Frederick V Nielsen II

I took a business class last year.  Most people were discussing traditional business ideas.  There was a man who was opening a winery, a music school owner, real estate folks, etc.  I talked about Essence Revealed and ideas I plan to create in the future.  After several weeks in the class the instructor said she wanted to have a one on one session with me.  She explained that because she was seeing the entire picture of what I was building.  However, because my classmates do not, I needed to be able to ”sell” my classmates and look sexy when I come to class.  Her thought was I needed to sell the image visually.  What’s funny is that it never occurred to me that “attractive” or “attracting” needed a specific look.  I feel good when I walk out the door and that’s good enough for me.

It leads to questions for me.  Are people being honest when they say that they don’t like women who wear a lot of make-up?  Men, in particular, are very visual creatures.  Does attractive or what is attracting “look” a certain way.  I tend to have “look” fairly low on my what attracts me to someone totem pole.  And also femininity is defined in very limited ways it seems.  Is a woman less feminine dressed down in sweats or is that simply a societal construct.

It has been my experience that only after I am in relationship with someone do they express that they love that I can dress down or “put some sparkle on it”.  Very seldom, have I ended up in relationship with someone who met me in my dress down mode.  I don’t feel any less of a woman, no matter how tomboy I am dressed.  However, how I’m physically adorned surely dictates whether people feel like they should give me a “pound” or a “hug” as a greeting.  What has your experience been?

Related articles

• Burlesque Your Way to Body Image Health (thirtythreadbaremercies.wordpress.com)
• On Men Who Think Street Harassment Would Be Awesome (brutereason.net)

ESSENCE REVEALED - Essence Revealed is first generation Bajan born & raised in Boston.  She got her BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and MA at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.  Her writing has appeared places such as $pread Magazine, Corset Magazine, BurlesqueBible.com and 21st Century Burlesque.  She now performs & teaches nationally and internationally both solo and as a member of Brown Girls Burlesque.  Her favorite thing to do besides reading is to lay on the beach in Barbados to rest up for a night of calypso dancing.

Come Spend New Year Eve at The Beehive in Boston with Me!