I cannot say enough about Essential Tease—the class exceeded my expectations in every way!! I joined the Fall 2022 class quite pregnant and it was one of the most liberating, connecting, and empowering thing I did for my pregnancy and my life in general. The depth of the class was incredible—we connected as a group in a truly meaningful way with the guidance of Ruby, Jacqueline, and Tempete, who are as phenomenal as facilitators as they are performers. I feel I truly received an education not just in how to perform burlesque, but the roots of the art, detailed tips for costuming, cultivating an "inner" burlesque, and connecting with the audience. I also felt free and empowered to trust my own creative process and craft my performance in a way that was authentic to myself, which was an amazing experience! And finally, the performance at the end of the class was for a totally packed house of wonderful, affirming souls and I felt completely supported by my teachers and co-performers. This was not just a student showcase—this was a for-real performance! My freedom and confidence on stage spoke volumes to the incredible support and preparation we received. If you love burlesque or are even curious, I couldn't recommend Essential Tease more highly.
Graduate Nadia Lové
Approaching burlesque performance from such a global perspective was amazing, exploring and caring for the interior and exterior of each student. I felt challenged to strengthen and broaden my performance and sense of myself as a (student) performer, but in all ways felt safe and supported. My ultimate goal was to be present and enjoy my performance and to connect with the audience, unlike previous performances where I was so nervous I didn’t remember being on stage. With the help of the Essential Tease teachers, I was able to meet that goal and ended my student experience light years from where I started.
Graduate Beatrix Inferno
I was incredibly nervous to begin this class but the instructors and students created such an amazingly supportive, fun and creative environment. The instruction was so thorough and detailed but it was also emphasized how everything can be done in a unique way to meet the needs and vision of each individual. Throughout the instruction of creating an act, all the information was broken down into manageable pieces. What was really incredible was the internal transformation that I went through with this class and the confidence I gained with the support of these other amazing humans. Class days quickly became my favorite days of the week. Getting together with such a wonderful group and sharing our ideas, worries and excitement was such a fantastic way to learn and put together my first act!
Graduate Buni Bisou
I'll be forever grateful I decided to sign up for Essential Tease. The class was more than a class for me. It was an experience. The instructors were exceedingly thoughtful and supportive and were very clear about their desire to make the class a safe space. And that made me feel comfortable about opening up and being vulnerable pretty quickly. It was a great opportunity to learn not only about burlesque history, but about other people's experiences. It was also so fun to create an act and then feel confident and supported enough to perform it on stage! The class gave me an invaluable opportunity to jump into a fulfilling art form that I love. And I'll always treasure the connections I made through Essential Tease.