6. Document your Work
Do everything you can to get photos and video footage every time you do a show. Ask a friend or a cast member to capture you on your phone (not theirs, large video files can be hard to share). Use your guest list to invite a photographer to the show instead of your roomate! No one will hire you based on a prayer. The only way a producer can decide if you’re a good fit for their event is by watching a full video of the act you’re proposing. Then, before your “Downloads” folder becomes a war zone, set up a streamlined filing system for all that media. For example, my Photos>Live>Gatsby’sDream>BHOF2017>TigzRice brings me to photos by a particular photographer from a particular event and keeps all the photos for each act grouped together. You’ll be ready to build a website with a sick portfolio page, conquer your social media posts and properly credit your photographers and producers (every time!).
Organization is key
As a burlesque artist, you’re an entrepreneur and your persona is the product you are selling. Start with smart practices around documentation and file storage… we’ll tackle finances later ;)
7. Nothing is original and that’s okay
Can you ever make art that is truly original? A question that resurfaces regularly in my burlesque and my teaching. Quick answer is “No. Everything has been done. However, almost none of these things have been done by YOU. And, since you are a unique manifestation of particular circumstances in the universe, we could say that EVERYTHING you do is entirely original”. When speaking of poetry, Sarah Kay says: “The Universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing (...) Maybe it’s not my job to invent something new with each poem. Maybe it’s my turn to hold something to the light for a moment”. This idea of owning an idea (a type of act, a prop, a dance move, a shtick) or being able to create a moment more original than other peoples’ moments...seems...flawed. There is no scientific measure for originality. There is no universal judge of creative ownership. The same way that every burlesque performance is a unique manifestation of atomic vibrations between audience and performer, each glove peel is a new expression. There are as many original glove peels as there are humans on this planet, as there are moments and spaces to do them in. I hope this thought is as comforting for you as it has been for me. As I go into a phase of creation for a new act, I can let go of “trying to be original” and... KNOW that I will be.
Even my giant eyeball had been done before
I found out after creating my voyeuristic eyeball act that a performer based in L.A. had one also. We talked about it and they were very different acts. No big deal.
Be aware of the acts created by burlesque artists in your local area and be respectful. Communicate with each other if you see a similarity. Talking is key!