Ok, I'm gonna say it... Burlesque and Money!

[Tiger Tiger]

I am just curious about how people feel about burlesque in respects to being paid for it.

Let me explain - I have been wanting to do burlesque for many years and have had several hold ups along the way before I was able to take classes (I had health problems and then my sister, who was supposed to do classes with me had a near fatal RTA, she's ok now sort of but will never dance - so that held me back a bit for fear of upsetting her).
Anyways - I have been taking classes on and off since the summer (as I can never make every week) and in the New Year I am hoping to take a five week course with a really good local school before then contiuning with bellydancing classes to get myself a bit more well rounded. I do this because I love to dance and I would love to perform and hopefully will do at some point next year.

Here's the thing - for the last year or so a colleague of mine who is very much into the 40s and 50s has been on and on about how she wants to learn burlesque, but every time I tell her about the classes and courses I've been doing she has some excuse. In the end I gave up as she then decided to do something else (belly dancing I think) because it was closer to her home.
Recently she has started going on about it again but this time her angle is not (as it was before) the love of retro tease, but because she needs some money and thinks that burlesque would be a good way to make it.

This whole concept is alien to me, in fact at no point prior to this had I ever even thought about the money side of things and honestly would be doing it more for fun than for the fee.
I have no issue with the fact that people are paid for this, after all every performer should be, but I have to say I felt really uncomfortable when she mentioned this. Getting into burlesque for the money just seems a bit wrong to me.

I'm just wondering how other people feel about this? Maybe it's a personal thing for me, but I actually feel like I have lost a little respect for my friend - I can't quite explain it.

[Tifa DeLeone]

Well, I know a lot of people who have been doing burlesque for quite some time and still not get paid.
This might be because of different reasons:
They only do it for fun.
They are not able to get paid gigs.
They are out there trying to make a name and see it as a way to maybe make money in the future.

But most of all I think it's because of the competition! There are new girls starting to perform everyday and there is only so many places to do it at.
I live in little Sweden and no one here is making big bucks at burlesque, you really have to do it for the love and fun of it!
I also believe the above is true for most cities so I cannot see why your friend would do this for the money... maybe she don't realize all the hard work and money you put IN you acts.
People don't turn into Dita Von Teese over night and the competition is HUGE, there are sooo many amazing girls out there and to stand alongside them AND make a lot of money you would really need something extra, more then just wanting some fast extra cash!

Explain to her about the business, it takes time and money to get yourself out there and get the experience. Have she been to a burlesque show? If not she should start there and learn more, I hope everything works out :)

[Tiger Tiger]

Thanks for the feedback - yeah, I am totally in it for the fun and it never occurred to me that I could make money from it - if I ever get paid as far as I'm concerned it's a bonus. I also think you are very right about the competition, there are lots of local burlesque events where I live and some of the performers perform all over the world!

I haven't really had the chance to talk to her since this came up, but I think you're right about mentioning a few home truths to her. To be honest at the moment I f am still learning but feel that I would be ready to perform to the public earlyish next year and have made loads of local contacts to put myself out there and network. The main thing holding me back is the amount of money I will have to invest in the costumes I have in mind for the routines I am planning. I completely forsee that burlesque is going to cost me a lot more than it will ever make me - I really don't think she sees that at all.


Tifa said:

Well, I know a lot of people who have been doing burlesque for quite some time and still not get paid.
This might be because of different reasons:
They only do it for fun.
They are not able to get paid gigs.
They are out there trying to make a name and see it as a way to maybe make money in the future.

But most of all I think it's because of the competition! There are new girls starting to perform everyday and there is only so many places to do it at.
I live in little Sweden and no one here is making big bucks at burlesque, you really have to do it for the love and fun of it!
I also believe the above is true for most cities so I cannot see why your friend would do this for the money... maybe she don't realize all the hard work and money you put IN you acts.
People don't turn into Dita Von Teese over night and the competition is HUGE, there are sooo many amazing girls out there and to stand alongside them AND make a lot of money you would really need something extra, more then just wanting some fast extra cash!

Explain to her about the business, it takes time and money to get yourself out there and get the experience. Have she been to a burlesque show? If not she should start there and learn more, I hope everything works out :)