Banned. Subversive. Blue-Lawed. Burlesque has always been political.

The art of the tease has consistently faced censorship and whorephobia, and its roots are highly satiric. Context shapes meaning, and we invite you to imagine how making art with your body protests oppressive norms and challenges authority. Bring your classic, neo, conceptual, and everything-in-between ideas to our inaugural burlesque performance series led by Brandy Knight! Our final “Body as Protest” showcase will be on May 2, 2026.

In this 5-week course, you’ll build a strong act, discover your performance style, and gain confidence on stage. We’ll touch on burlesque history and how it informs the present as you create original choreo while learning technique, costuming, concepts, and more. This series is open to all levels of students! 

We'll meet on Sundays for five 90-minute sessions and on Friday, May 1, for one dress rehearsal. Each week, we'll cover:

• Week 1:

• Sourcing inspiration + Discovering your performance style. In this discussion-based class, you’ll get acquainted and learn how to research and organize ideas to build a strong foundation for your act. Informational print-out with tips and tricks provided.

• Week 2:

• Rough draft + Costuming review/discussion. Show the class what you’re working on, can be at any stage.

• Week 3:

• Round 2 + Gaining confidence. We’ll workshop/critique each act and help each other find ways to shine in a safe, supportive environment.

• Week 4:

• Round 3 + Refinement.

• Week 5:

• Our final opportunity to workshop acts together. Full dress rehearsal before showcase performance on May 2nd.