Let me just start by saying I absolutely love Jo Boobs and she's a huge influence on my career even though she lives on the opposite coast. She's learned, studious and creative. As a teacher and mentor, she's very generous with her knowledge. Check out her blog for all kinds of burlesque information.
I don't want to give away the farm when I discuss the classes I've taken. Careers take investment, and anyone who is serious about a career in anything will do whatever it takes to become better at that career. Taking classes is a great start, especially at festivals where you have access to different teachers and philosophies than you do at home.
This class was a forum of current performers and aspiring performers, all wanting to move to the next level. I walked away with an understanding of what producers really want at festivals, that being a good show. Thinking about how much they spend to put on festivals, how many donations they solicit, how much time it takes to put a festival together, it only makes sense that they want to have a decent return on investment and demand for the festival's reprise because of the stellar programming. With this in mind, I understand why my first festival submission video a few years ago was rejected. The work-in-progress I showed didn't prove to the selection committee that I would help them sell tickets. I had been performing burlesque professionally for three months when I made the video, I shot it in my living room, and the concept of the number had not fully arrived. I finally understood why exactly I didn't get in as a direct result of this class.
I also realized that I really need to bring it. I work hard on my numbers. I work hard on my costumes. I spend a lot of time thinking about burlesque and trying to figure out how to do something absolutely amazing. I need to keep doing all of these things. I'm in it for the long haul, and I want people to remember me as being amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment