August Performer Spotlight: Ursula Undress

1. How did you come up with your stage name and tag line?  Does it have a special meaning to you?

It actually just popped into my head one day, and I mentioned it at the meet-up and told everyone "Don't steal that! I am sitting on it a while", then, as you well know - Chrystal Shawnda Leer died a quiet death while performing at an Unknown Hinson show, and was reincarnated as Ursula 

2. How did you get started in burlesque?

Before I moved here, I had already been looking at the scene and within a couple of months of moving, I went to a meet-up and met some amazing ladies! You (Katherine Lashe), Talloolah Love, Sadie Hawkins...you guys made me feel so welcome! It was nice to have an outlet for my love for the theater.

3. What has been your best moment as a performer so far?

Hrm....I think it was the first time I performed at the Texas Burlesque Festival...it was so awesome to have friends drive in to see me and be in my home state as a real performer. 

4. What is your favorite act to perform?

I think it is my Star Trek one just for the sheer joy of hearing the audience....they love the costume and the stoic face....and the Trekkies are awesome about it! 

5. What is your burlesque dream show?

OH MY STARS!!!  It would have everyone! Michelle L'Amour, Dirty Martini, Trixie and Monkey, Jo Boobs, Indigo Blue, The Jigglewatts, Ruby Revue, Perle Noire...so many more that I can't list here. And of course Satan's Angel would be there, and I would choreograph the largest strip tease that included EVERYONE in the Atlanta/Athens scene!!!

6. Where do you see your self in the next five years?

Hopefully still running The Atlanta School of Burlesque and producing shows regularly. I would also love to perform in Europe. 

7. Tell us something outside of burlesque that you are involved or interested in.

I actually have an art degree, and love to paint & draw. Currently, I sometimes design handwritten fonts. I am also getting into doing DIY stuff in my house. A pallet-wood headboard is in my near future!

8. What do you think is your greatest skill, not including burlesque?

Other than sex? (HA!)I think I am good with people.... 

9. What are you most looking forward to this year as a burlesque performer? As a civilian?

As a performer, I look forward to some collaborations that I have in the works. As a civilian, I look forward to taking up yoga again and working on my house.

10. Who is your favorite performer to watch? 

I could watch Lola LeSoleil all day! She's always interesting and innovative and so well poised. And all of her numbers are completely different!

2012-07-10 Chair Work with Katherine Lashe

So tonight was both my chair work class and the half way point of the classes.  I was really excited that we had three new students sign up which would have made the class completely full, however the rain and thunder caused some accidents so one called in and the other went MIA, so we had a class of 8 and that proved to be plenty.  Everyone did a great job!  We went over the visual lines of the chair, tracing the chair and the body for emphasis, back bends, crickets, floor lifts and some body rolls from seated and using the chair as a base.  We had a few limitations do to a couple of injuries, but everyone quickly learned the rule of if you feel a little awkward it probably looks great from the audience, lol.  It was a lot of fun and everyone was working up a sweat.

One of our new drops ins did an amazing job with the chair so I got to teach her a chair roll spin which she was picking up super fast, the chair may end up being her thing.  Everyone was eventually able to do the kick spin into the chair and over the back as well which usually takes the longest unless you have some flexibility already, which luckily everyone had.

Hope to see everyone again next week! I'll be teaching my costuming class and bringing in a bunch of my costumes for people to play with and try out the different ways they come apart on July 17th from 6:30-8:30pm at Spinarella Pole/Dance/Fitness.  If you'd like to sign up for this class please go to www.syrensofthesouth.com and reserve your spot!

2012-06-12 Tassels and Glove Pulls with Katherine Lashe

So this past Tuesday was out second class in Syrens of the South's Tease U: 10 week class series, we went over Tassels, Assels and Glove Pulls, OH MY!  We had 7 lovely students for this class, the 4 from last week all returned and 3 new ones!  I do love when people have so much fun in class that they convince their friends to come and take the classes with them!

First we at down and sorted out the pasties so everyone could find the right size and discussed the different techniques for applying them and how to do an instant boob lift using only strategic pastie placement.  Once everyone had their pasties we divided up gloves to make sure that everyone had a pair and then we got started.

We went over the basics, how to get floppy fingers, pulling from a varity of angles including using your other hand, mouth, knees and your shoes to take off your gloves.  Once we worked on that we switched to pasties.  Everyone was twirling tassels in multiple directions by the time we were done going over the basic movements.  After that it was time for Assels.  Assels are exactly what you think they are, they are pasties attached to the hiney so you can twirl tassels on your butt!  I did the demonstration and they let everyone that wanted to try it out do so.  Only 3 of the students felt froggie enough to do it but all that tried were successful.

Once we had gone over the glove pulls and the tassels we gathered everyone back up and using the basic dance routine we did last week we added in glove pulls and tassel twirls to the routine as a refresher of last weeks basic moves (and as an intro for those that missed last week) and showing a way to incorporate the new skills they learned in this class.  Everyone did a wonderful job!  Next week Rosie Palms will be teaching You've Got It, Now Flaunt It!  There are still spaces available if you'd like to sign up please do so on the Syrens of the South Class Page.

2012-06-05 Burlesque History and Beginning Movement with Katherine Lashe

So on June 5 we began Syrens of the South's 8th class series at Spinarella Pole/Dance/Fitness.  Hard to believe that on August 24th, we'll be celebrating our 5 year anniversary and our 8th student showcase, where has the time gone.  Anyway, we had 4 lovely ladies come into the class a little nervous, a little unsure but very eager to to discover the shiny world of burlesque.

As this was the first class we did introductions, I told them who I was, made sure no one had any injuries that I needed to be aware of, and then I asked the question I always ask on the first day, "What made you want to take burlesque classes?" There's always the joking comment about shiny things and then the nervous laughter that comes before people get to the root of it.  People get into burlesque for different reasons, because they love to perform, because they like shiny things, they saw a show and it looked like fun and then the one that breaks my heart every time, "I want to be more comfortable in my skin because I think I'm fat/ugly/unsexy/need to get out of my shell/etc..."  These are the ones that make me cry a little when they make it onto stage as they're trying to work through something much deeper then a need to be shiny.  Many times our students turn into performers, we've even had quite a few go on to the national festival circuit and even earn awards.  Let me tell you, nothing makes me feel more like a proud momma then seeing my students continue performing and earn national recognition!

I love teaching history and going over the intro to basic burlesque movement.  Burlesque's history goes back so much further then most people think.  My class starts at 44BC and goes through modern day.  Yup, BC, you read correctly.  The basic movement we go through is bumps, grinds, and some basic shimmies and then we put them all together in a little mini routine to work on transitions and movement, each one ending with the front bump because EVERYONE SHOULD EMBRACE THE FRONT BUMP!  They did a great job and I can't wait to have them come back next week so we can continue down this path together.