Classes and Events
With Jo Weldon, Author of The Burlesque Handbook and Fierce: The History of Leopard Print
Jo on Social Media:
Instagram: @headmistressjo
Instagram: @sexworkerstyle
Facebook: Jo Weldon
A Whore to Culture (on Substack)
All School of Burlesque Events
UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS:
You can book Jo for a personalized one-on-one choreography or career development session, online or in-person!
Since 2004, she has helped start the careers of headlining and award-winning performers across the globe.
She is available for teaching, professional consulting for performing or producing, and for act development or taking existing acts to the next level.
Get More Details
Check out Jo's Burlesque School Blog
Featuring hundreds of free tips, tutorials, shopping guides,
professional guides, interviews, and more!
UPCOMING EVENTS AND CLASSES:
(Updated weekly)
In April 2024:
*Essential Burlesque (In-Person in NYC)
*Jo is a guest in Peekaboo Pointe's Student Showcase
*Parlor Peignoir (In-Person in NYC)
INTERMEDIATE STUDENT SHOWCASE
Featuring the students of Peekaboo Pointe!
With special guest performer Headmistress Jo Weldon
Details and Tickets
WHAT I WORE TO WORK
Jo Weldon's long-anticipated one-woman show -- part memoir, part sex worker fashion history -- is happening in 2024!
"You’ll laugh, learn, and leave with an appreciation for sex work’s influence across culture. At once joyful, thoughtful, and insightful, What I Wore to Work is not to be missed. "
--Elyssa Goodman
author of Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City
Details and Tickets
Subscribe to Jo's Substack,
A Whore To Culture
Read Jo's essay
Sex Worker Style: What does it Mean to be Dressed Like a Whore?
in the Culture, Fashion, and Society Notebook
True Crime, Wax Museums, and Vice
With Artist Joe Coleman!
A burlesque show following Joe's interview will feature some of Joe’s favorite neo-burlesque denizens of the dark will be performing in this hand picked extravaganza celebrating vice, crime and of course, Coney Island. With
Jo "Boobs" Weldon,
Jonny Porkpie,
Miss Cherry Delight,
Gal Friday,
Tigger,
Cheeky Lane,
Aurora North,
Faux Pas, and the Brides
Details and Tickets
ESSENTIAL BURLESQUE
In-Person in NYC April or May 2024
440 Lafayette 10003
Sunday Afternoons
This series features four workshops, each focusing on a different style of burlesque solo movement with props. Props include your own clothes, plus our chairs, feather fans, boas, gloves, and even tasseled pasties!
Strictly limited space, prepayment required.
Please note, this class series always sells out weeks in advance so register as soon as you're ready.
Details and Registration
Parlour Peignoir
Jo Weldon, headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, and Jonny Porkpie, purveyor of scripted striptease entertainments, invite you to step into their parlour for an evening of burlesque--in flavors ranging from glamorous to unhinged--and other live entertainments.
Details and Tickets
Get Your Act Together!
With Headmistress Jo Weldon
The February/March series is over, but a similar series will run in May and June! Email schoolofburlesque@gmail.com to be put on the early notification list when dates are confirmed.
February 4- March 17, 1-3 pm
Showcase March 24 at Drom!
Create your own solo burlesque routines with the author of The Burlesque Handbook!
Your number can a classic showgirl striptease, a comedy number, a performance art piece, or any other style.
Class meetings:
You are expected to attend a student showcase at DROM (see dromnyc.com) December 3 2023 and/or February 11 2024 in order to fully understand what your performance entails and to see the space in which you’re performing. Also, it’s fun!
Feb 4: No class meeting. You will receive links to some videos you are expected to have watched before the class meeting on Feb. 11.
Performance Fundamentals Feb 11, 1-3 pm hours: videos discussion, stage names, music, the concept of costume assemblage, choreography of events, discuss worksheet.
You are also expected to attend the student showcase at Drom at 8 pm.
Worksheets, reading, and video watching assigned and discussed via email Feb 12-17.
You will be offered to choose from a group of recorded classes for additional information related to your interests.
Feb 18 2-4 pm: Bring worksheet and we’ll start talking about your act!
Feb 25: Discussion of what students need, guidelines, problem solving, and a performance exercise.
Music file will be requested at this time.
Music file is required before March 10, before March 3 is even more helpful.
March 3 2-4 pm run number as a sketch of what it will be.
March 10 1-4 pm Peer Review, Run Numbers with staging tips specific to the venue
Bio information will be requested at this time.
Bio information is due before March 17.
March 17 2-4 pm Run numbers for each other without Jo present.
In order to participate in the showcase you must send music files and bio information in the time frame requested.
You must attend, at the very least, the February 4 class and the March 3 and 10 classes.
March 24 Showtime! Meet at 5.30 at 85 Avenue A. doors to public at 7 show at 8
Dress for classes with comfort and movement in mind.
Bring a bottle of water to the space (no food in the studio, though a snack bar is fine)
Be prepared for optional additional costs related to costuming (you set the budget) and photography ($30-60 per person), video costs if available, as well as attending the student showcase at DROM ($10-$40 depending on your selection of tickets, plus table minimum of $25, and stage tipping is strongly encouraged).
To reserve a spot email schoolofburlesque@gmail.com with the words "Get Your Act Together" in the subject line.
PAST EVENTS
Elemental Burlesque: Air, Water, Earth, Fire
Jo Weldon, Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque, presents a new online series in collaboration with the world-renowned scholars at Morbid Anatomy.
The series guides students into exploration of seductive dance movement through literal and mystical interpretations of the four elements of air, water, earth, and fire. Air dancing will incorporate inspiration, stillness, and lightness. Water movement will address undulating, smooth, shimmering dance, exploring both water’s surface and depths. Earth movement will focus on balance, grounding, and floor moves. Fire movement will incorporate passion, speed, seduction, and brightness. Ultimately students will access the fifth element of Spirit!
Throughout, students will discover which elements they wish to embody, and essential burlesque details about music, costuming, and props will be part of the discussions.
RESCHEDULED FROM AUGUST 2023 TO JANUARY 2024
BURLESQUE FOR POLE
Sunday, August 27, 6.30 - 8 pm $40
At Everybody's Nimble
Burlesque and pole dance make great partners!
Learn how to use techniques of audience connection, mindful body presentation, and tease to make your pole performances even more memorable.
Dress for pole, and bring a robe or button-down shirt.
This class works for all levels, as you will begin by doing your favorite moves and Jo will help you add a layer of burlesque style and movement to what you already know how to do.
Open to all bodies!
Instructor:
Jo Weldon is the Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque and author of The Burlesque Handbook. An internationally-touring performer and teacher, she loves bringing out everyone's inner seductress!
Stricly limited registration.
SOLD OUT
Email schoolofburlesque@gmail.com to be added to the waitlist.
JO'S BIRTHDAY!
August 7
Happy Leo Season!
All Jo wants for her birthday is for you to subscribe to her newsletter (it's free!)
A Whore To Culture
or
help spread the word about her upcoming show!
WHat I wORE to work
A HISTORY OF LEOPARD PRINT
July 28, 5.30 pm, Online
The leopard is an apex predator: powerful, adaptable, and impossible to domesticate. Leopard print is an apex fashion statement: powerful, fluid in meaning, and impossible to ignore. From being the most prized insignia of kings and warriors, to a pop culture fashion staple that is so common we now take it for granted, this is the story of leopard print, and how a pattern adapted by nature has never lost its bite.
Details and Tickets
CORSET DISCOVERY
July 29 2023, 1:40-2:45
Aerial Arts Studios at 150 West 30th, NYC
Curious about corsets but don't know where to start?
Tried corsets and found them intimidating?
Just love corsets and want to know more?
This is for you! With three decades of experience wearing and performing in and out of corsets, Jo Weldon has the expert knowledge you need to successfully navigate the confusing world of lacing up.
Covers: Shopping for corsets, Sizing, Busk vs Zipper front, Laces, Embellishing, Getting into Corsets, Getting out of Corsets, and more!
You will learn how to make removing a corset onstage a glamourous event instead of a struggle.
Jo will bring part of her collection so you can see the differences between several levels of corset construction at different prices points, including custom versions.
All bodies welcome!
Bring your own corsets if you like!
Use the add to cart button below to register.
CATHOUSE 4: ACTS OF LOVE
August 5, 2023, 9 pm
1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
What is Love?
Birthday girl Jo Weldon explores the ins and outs of love, and the meaning of love, and acts of love in a show featuring a melee of Coney Island's wildest performers doing what they love best!
Hosted by Jo Boobs Weldon
Starring
Aurora BoobRealis
Bambi the Mermaid
Cheeky Lane
Darlinda Just Darlinda
Fem Appeal
Jonny Porkpie
Little Brooklyn
Rocka the Mechanic (Coney Island Debut!)
Veronica Viper
Featuring on Gogo and Pickup
Miss Manhattan
Syn Sultress
Tickets
Jo Weldon Presents
THE FOLLIES FROMAGE!
A Student Showcase OF The Freshest Burlesque in NYC!
Get ready for the 15th annual Follies Fromage in Coney Island!
It's burlesque at its dairy best.
The Follies Fromage is the Student Showcase for the Master Class in Burlesque at Coney Island. Students have spent six weeks together cooking ways to tantalize and delight you. Every act is unique -- students invent their own ideas, choose their own music, and develop their own routines under the expert guidance of Jo Weldon, Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque. Some of them are performing for the very first time. Come see what students have created as they bump, grind, grate, and churn on the legendary stage of Sideshows by the Seashore.
More Details and Tickets
BURLESQUE HALL OF FAME WEEKENDER
June 1-3 2023
The Orleans Casino and Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
It's one of the most important annual events in the neo-burlesque community! If you aan't make it to Vegas, you can watch the livestream and see what all the fuss is about!
Details and Tickets
BOOKS AND BURLESQUE
June 10 2023 9.30 pm
Caveat at 21 Clinton St, NYC 10002
Books and Burlesque is proud to celebrate its 1-year anniversary during pride month on June 10th from 9-11pm followed by an after-party until 1am!
Featuring exciting award-winning authors reading excerpts from their new books:
David Santos Donaldson “Greenland” (finalist for the 2023 Carnegie medal for excellence in fiction), Jai Chakrabarti “A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness” (short story collection), Felicia Berliner “Schmutz” (debut novel), Georgia Clark “Island Time” (romance novel), and Jo Weldon “Whorephobia: Strippers on Art, Work and Life” edited by Lizzie Borden.
Each author has been paired with a spectacular burlesque or drag performer who will be creating new acts inspired by the books they read! Starring Madame Brassiere, Bitsy Brûlée, Malai and special guests to be announced. With stage kittens Stiletto Sinclair and Ty Valentine. Co-produced by Rosie Tulips and hosted by Fortune Cookie!
Details and Tickets
THE LIVING GLOVE
May 27 2023 2.15-3.45 pm
440 Lafayette St, Fourth Floor, Manhattan
Designed to introduce you to the mood and mode of burlesque!
In this 90-minute workshop you'll learn how to do a seductive and playful burlesque striptease – simply by removing satin gloves (provided)!
NOTE:I've been told there have been some issues with paypal buttons, so if it won't go through or you get a missing link, email schoolofburlesque@gmail.com.
More Details
Bubble Dance
June 24, 2.15-3.45 pm, $40
440 Lafayette St, Third Floor, Studio 3G Manhattan NYC
Bubble dancing is fancy, fun, sexy, and hilarious!
We will be using 36 inch balloons.
In this workshop you'll learn what kind of balloons to use in a bubble dance, how to inflate them quickly, and how you can reuse them. Then the fun begins, as you start handling them right away, discovering how to use every part of your body to move them around, how to conceal and reveal with them, and, most importantly, how to keep them from popping before you're ready. The class will close with a brief group choreography. Plus, you get to keep your big balloon! Inspired by Rand the Vampire's bubble class at BurlyCon, and with his blessing and guidance, this class introduces bubbledancing to a brand new audience.
Jo Weldon's Bubble Dance students, known at the Titillations, have performed at The Slipper Room and the New York Burlesque Festival.
Registration strictly limited due to space and prop constrictions.
Use the button below to register!
Paypal will send an automative confirmation of your payment, which is the only email you'll receive to confirm your registration.
Above: Jo's students in class.
NYSB COMES TO WOODSTOCK!
INTRODUCTION TO BURLESQUE: GLOVE APPEAL
Saturday April 8, 2023 6-8 pm
Mountainview Studio, Woodstock, NY
In this two-hour workshop you’ll learn how to do a seductive and playful burlesque striptease – simply by removing satin gloves! You’ll be in supportive environment under the expert guidance of Jo Weldon, Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque and Author of The Burlesque Handbook. Students will be performing for each other in a safe and encouraging space. There will be tips on eye contact, flirting, confidence, and stage presence (whether for the mirror, an intimate audience of one, or a theater of thousands), so even the shyest wallflower can bloom!
More Details and Registration
JO WELDON IS A GUEST OF HONOR
AT THE FIRST ANNUAL
BOOKLOVERS' BURLESQUE FESTIVAL!
Porrtland, OR April 13-16
Jo Weldon will be performing, reading, and teaching!
Workshops:
Pleasure and the Art of the EyeF$ck
How to Create a Book Proposal (FREE workshop)
Details for Both Classes and Registration
The International Booklover's Burlesque Festival is an annual celebration of literary and performing arts, highlighting burlesque, boylesque, and draglesque artists from around the world and some of your favorite literary pieces and some you have never heard before.
Each show is entirely different, with different casts and acts, so audience members should buy a separate tickets for each day. Come join us for our unique, inaugural festival on April 13-16, 2023!
Details and Show Tickets
JO WELDON RECEIVES A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
March 6 2023 at Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center
"The GANYC Apple Awards celebrate those who make New York City great! Over a dozen awards are given out each year to individuals & organizations from across our five boroughs. In addition to these main nominated categories below, we also award a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jo Weldon, a NYC burlesque legend, and our Guiding Spirit Award, which will go to Susan Birnbaum!"
About the Award and the Organization
Read Jo's acceptance speech
STUDENT SHOWCASE!
MARCH 19, 2023, 8 PM
Come see the freshest burlesque in New York City!
Jo and her students spent six weeks together studying burlesque dance, theory, and practice. Come see the debut of 11 all-new dazzling acts!
Details and Tickets
BATHTUB GIN
March 21, 8:30 PM
Jo Weldon will perform one of her favorite classic acts in this sassy, intimate, interactive floor show!
FREE, but reservations are required
and this show sells out fast!
Fierce: A History of Leopard Print!
In-Person Illustrated Lecture
March 27, 2023
Private Event at Hudson Yards with
The New York Adventure Club.
Led by theatrical fashion historian Jo Weldon, author of Fierce: The History of Leopard Print, our virtual journey into the colorful history of leopard print will include:
The evolution of leopard print over the ages, from being worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs to dandy young European men in the 18th century
Fashion icons and pioneers who elevated leopard print as a cultural statement, including Jackie Kennedy Christian Dior, and RuPaul
How disco and punk made leopard print cool again after being labeled 'tacky' for much of the 20th century
The 101 on how to tell leopard print from other patterns, such as cheetah, jaguar, or ocelot
Check out Jo Weldon's book!
INTRODUCTION TO BURLESQUE: GLOVE APPEAL
April 8, 2023 6-8 pm
Mountainview Studio, Woodstock, NY
In this two-hour workshop you’ll learn how to do a seductive and playful burlesque striptease – simply by removing satin gloves! You’ll be in supportive environment under the expert guidance of Jo Weldon, Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque and Author of The Burlesque Handbook. Students will be performing for each other in a safe and encouraging space. There will be tips on eye contact, flirting, confidence, and stage presence (whether for the mirror, an intimate audience of one, or a theater of thousands), so even the shyest wallflower can bloom!
There will be movement, but this is not strictly a dance class, so modifications are available for different levels of ability – all bodies are welcome. While the class employs a femme aesthetic, participants of all genders are welcome. No nudity occurs in this class.
Recommended to wear: comfortable yoga or workout wear such as leggings, shorts, or a leotard, with bare arms, and any shoes in which you can move easily.
Bring: a button down shirt for some of the exercises and a bottle of water for the break.
$60, including satin gloves provided by Jo for you to keep.
Registration is limited to 16 attendees.
For ages 18+
April
Jo will be headlining and teaching at
The International Booklover's Burlesque Festival
Often imitated, never duplicated! Jo Weldon inspires not only other performers, but other teachers as well. She has been the Co-Executive Director at The Burlesque Hall of Fame for 12 years, helping legends of burlesque who have never taught before to develop their classes, and the Vice President of BurlyCon, the world's only burlesque learning convention, for 11 years. If you are interested in teaching burlesque, reach out to her for personalized and professional guidance and support.
She has been publishing free material online for fifteen years, with the intention of improving the burlesque scene and providing guidelines for curriculum and research. Her influence, whether engaged or resisted, is unmistakable.
Jo's range and experience as an instructor is unparalelled. She has helped mentor some of the world's most popular burlesque performers and instructors. Her desire to give students inspiration, independence, and individuality in their personal performance style is documented in her eagerness to foster other instructors as well, which she has been doing since the creation of The New York School of Burlesque in 2004.
UPCOMING CLASSES, ONLINE AND IN-PERSON:
PERFORMANCE FUNDAMENTALS
ELEMENTAL BURLESQUE
This class series features four classes based on the traditional elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
Date TBA.
STRIPTEASE DISCOVERY
INTRO TO BUBBLE DANCE
INTRO TO VEIL FANS FOR BURLESQUE
UPCOMING ONLINE ILLUSTRATED LECTURES:
*The History of Striptease
*Fetish in Burlesque and Striptease
*History of Striptease Education
*Burlesque from Head to Toe
*The History of Jello Salad
Dates TBA.
Intro to Stage Kittening
$19
Formerly live on Zoom, recording available.
Stage kittens (or stage panthers or stage managers or whatever your producer calls it) get the most stage time of anybody!
Find out the history, responsibilities, costuming, and pros+cons of this unique opportunity to get backstage and onstage in the fabulous world of burlesque.
Headmistress Jo will discuss techniques for getting asked back again and again, including getting gigs, assisting performers, working with the emcee, handling merch, and so much more!
Includes a QNA, so bring all your questions and concerns.
Although this class is past, you can still purchase the ecording using the link below.
See Jo in an article about burlesque in NYC during the pandemic.
PAST CLASSES AND EVENTS
These classes and events are listed, in a very messy fashion, for reference only.
They remain on this page in this messy fashion so you can scan them to get a sense of what all Jo Weldon does, as well as what you can hire her to teach or perform.
A more organized version will hopefully be posted soon. for now, check out
Jo Weldon's Past Classes and Events
LAP DANCE!
February 11, 2023, In-Person in NYC
With Peekaboo Pointe and Jo Weldon
A lap dance can be foreplay, or it can be a pleasure unto itself. We're going to show you how to engage eye contact, breath, scent, proximity, and touch to make it seem as if that chair is the center of the sexy universe. You'll take yourself and your partner into another world!
Details and Registration
STRIPTEASE HISTORY!
February 13, 2023 Online
With Headmistress Jo.
Jo will take you from the circuses of Byzantium to the poles of Las Vegas -- you've never heard striptease history like this!
Details and Tickets
ENAMOUR ONLINE PARTY
Daytime, February 14, 1 pm EST
Jo Weldon will be performing a fan dance to celebrate Enamour's 100th podcast!
RSVP for this FREE online event!
WHOREPHOBIA BOOK RELEASE EVENT
February 23 2023 at the New York Public Library
Jo has an essay in Lizzie Borden's upcoming anthology!
She and other writers in the book will be doing a panel live at NYPL. See details for tickets and streaming options.
Details
CLASSES BELOW ARE PAST.
Join our email list to be notified when they are added again.
Burlesque: Air, Water, Earth, Fire
ONLINE in January 2022
Jo Weldon, Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque, presents a new online series in collaboration with the world-renowned scholars at Morbid Anatomy.
The series guides students into exploration of seductive dance movement through literal and mystical interpretations of the four elements of air, water, earth, and fire. Air dancing will incorporate inspiration, stillness, and lightness. Water movement will address undulating, smooth, shimmering dance, exploring both water’s surface and depths. Earth movement will focus on balance, grounding, and floor moves. Fire movement will incorporate passion, speed, seduction, and brightness. Ultimately students will access the fifth element of Spirit!
Throughout, students will discover which elements they wish to embody, and essential burlesque details about music, costuming, and props will be part of the discussions.
More Details and Registration for Elemental Burlesque
PERFORMANCE FUNDAMENTALS!
Live In-Person in NYC!
December 5, 2:10-6:10 pm $89
LIVE In-Person in NYC
Thinking about performing? Get a crash course in what goes into Burlesque Act Development! You'll learn about coming up with an effective stage name, generating ideas, getting into character, choosing music, developing choreography, incorporating striptease, and basic costuming techniques and concerns.
Perfect for beginners or experienced performers who want a to renew their inspiration.
Lecture-based with acting and choreography exercises, dress for comfort and movement.
Register immediately below or get more details.
Get Your Act Together!
Live in-person in NYC
Sundays in October 2-4 pm
October 3, 10, 17, 24
Must pay in advance to attend
150 West 150th St
Create your own burlesque routine, from music selection, costume design and construction, makeup techniques, all the way through movement and choreography! You'll dig deep, laugh hard, feel incredibly sexy, and discover a fresh perspective for appreciating your personal genius.
Burlesque allows performers total authority to set the tone, style, and theme of each individual presentation. Each number has the potential to be a one-woman (or man) show, with absolute freedom of self-expression. It is a perfect medium for performers, whether they are interested specifically in burlesque, or looking to add new tools to their repertoires.
No prerequisites are required. Don't wait to register! The Essential Burlesque Series can be a good companion for this class, but you will be able to create your fully developed fabulous routine with dance and theme using the techniques you'll learn in this series.
You will also be able to choose four additional prerecorded classes at no charge, to watch on your own time, a $100 value!
Finishing with a showcase at gorgeous DROM on November 7 at 8 pm!
LIMITED REGISTRATION $195
SOLD OUT
Please note that you will be paying separately for all optional charges: your own costumes, rehearsal studio fees if you choose to rehearse outside of the class time, photographer or videographer fees, etc, none of which is included in the instructor fee.
August 23: Towel Tease!
Recorded version still available!
Bring a bath towel and learn the secrets conceal and reveal, plus a few tips for doing your best bath show (great for
August 30: Zip It!
We'll be talking about zippers! Bring at least one item that zips -- hoodies, dresses, boots, jeans, etc. -- and we will develop choreography for you during the class! Important note: bring items that remove easily once unzipped.
POSTPONED
PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR A NEW IN-PERSON CLASS ABOUT STRIPTEASE AND SENSUALITY, CALLED "FEELING YOURSELF." For any class, dress as you would for a yoga or dance class and bring shoes you’d like to dance in and that you can move easily in.
Burlesque: Air, Water, Earth, Fire
Online in September 2021
SOLD OUT
Jo Weldon, Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque, is debuting a new online series at Morbid Anatomy.
The series guides students into exploration of seductive dance movement through literal and mystical interpretations of the four elements of air, water, earth, and fire. Air dancing will incorporate inspiration, stillness, and lightness. Water movement will address undulating, smooth, shimmering dance, exploring both water’s surface and depths. Earth movement will focus on balance, grounding, and floor moves. Fire movement will incorporate passion, speed, seduction, and brightness. Throughout, students will discover which elements they wish to embody, and essential burlesque details about music, costuming, and props will be part of the discussions.
More Details and Registration for Elemental Burlesque
Goal-Setting Brunchtime -- Free! Live on Zoom
Saturday June 26 1-2 pm US Eastern Time
Registration limited to 15 attendees.
To attend, email schoolofburlesque@gmail.com with the words ¡ÈGoal-Setting Workshop¡É in the subject line of your email.
About this meetup with Headmistress Jo Weldon:
As we come out of the pandemic, we have a chance to evolve burlesque into what we want it to be, and figure out where we want to be in it. What are your passions? What are your goals? The better you understand what opportunities exist, what you want, and what motivates you to want it, the better your chances of achieving any goal -- and being happy when you get what you want.
Includes a worksheet you can re-use for any project, burlesque or otherwise.
Bring a cocktail (or mocktail), wear your fanciest caftan, and join Jo Weldon for a discussion about goal-setting in burlesque. All levels are welcome.
Sex Worker Style
Jo will be doing online presentations of her work on the intersections of sex work, fashion, dress, and culture! For details, see Sex Worker Style.
See Jo's spotlight on the New York Public Library blog
Book Proposal Workshop!
Sunday May 30 1 pm - 3 pm US Eastern time (10 AM in Los Angeles, 7 pm in Berlin)
Will be conducted via Zoom.
This workshop is being presented to support
The Black Sex Workers Conference.
Be sure to check out the conference link and attend if you can!
If you've been thinking about writing a book, or you've written one, the next step is creating a book proposal! Presenter Jo Weldon has published two books with a big five publisher, and she'll take you through the process that worked for her. She'll tell you the pros and cons of working with agents, ways to find agents or approach publishers, and explain all the elements of a working book proposal. She'll also explain the differences between writing proposals for fiction and non-fiction. Please note, although she will discuss self-publishing very briefly, this is not a class on self-publishing, it is a class on how to write a book proposal to sell to a traditional publisher. Bring a notebook and all your questions!
All revenue will go directly to the Black Sex Workers Collective to support the conference.
Free for Sex Industry Workers -- to register, send an email with the words “Book Proposal Workshop” in the subject line to schoolofburlesque@gmail.com
Not a sex worker? Donate to attend and send a snap of your donation with your email.
Suggestions, but no judgement:
$20 gig economy worker out of gigs
$30 employed but making less during the pandemic
$40 working at regular pay
Or any amount that makes sense for you.
No refunds unless the event is cancelled.
Donate to register, then send an email with the words “Book Proposal Workshop” in the subject line to schoolofburlesque@gmail.com.
You are not registered until you have sent this email.
You can purchase for another person by sharing their email in the body of your email. We recommend that you don't share their email in this manner without their knowledge.
Send payment with the keywords “Book Proposal Workshop”
Via Paypal
OR
$BSWC via Cashapp
You are not registered until you have sent an email with the words “Book Proposal Workshop” in the subject line to schoolofburlesque@gmail.com.
The workshop will be transcribed for hearing-impaired viewers.
A recording will be sent to all registrants, and will be available for one week after the workshop takes place. Although privacy is a concern, it cannot be guaranteed, as the presenter is not an expert in internet privacy issues and will not be one by May 30. The gallery view and chat file will not be part of the shared recording. At the end of the workshop the recording will be stopped to allow people to speak in the gallery view without being seen in the video. This means that the recording will be shorter than the 2-hour workshop event.
Jo posted a FREE (really!) five-minute (really!) pastie-making tutorial on the NYSB blog!
Check it out!
Below are past classes. Please bookmark this page or join the New York School of Burlesque email list to be notified when these are occuring again, or request a private session for you or a group by emailing headmistress@schoolofburlesque.com.
Special for Valentine's Season:
THE TOWEL TEASE!
Please yourself with a sensual, seductive class that makes the most of an inexpensive everyday household item!
Bring your favorite fluffy bath towel and learn a playful, flirtatious choreography with it! Bathtub not required.
Plus, Jo will share her tips learned in over a decade of doing bath shows, with music suggestions, instructions on how to waterproof your rhinestoned pasties and g-string, and how to perform a sexy, saucy lotion show.
Tuesday February 9, 2021, 6-7 pm EST, on zoom.
Act Development Online!
4-6 pm EST Sundays in January
Concludes with a Virtual Student Showcase on Zoom, TBA!
Join Jo Weldon, author of The Burlesque Handbook, as she takes students though every element of creating a solo burlesque routine, from choosing music to putting together a costume to interacting with a live audience onstage or through video. Each student will also receive an individual video feedback session if they would like.
You'll receive support and expert feedback throughout. The series includes valuable tips, original articles, worksheets, a handbook on getting gigs, and more to help you make the most of the series.
For the first time ever, during the live online series you will also have access to a library of over two dozen pre-recorded classes that include everything from how to choose a stage name to burlesque history to how to do a stocking peel to how to build stage confidence!
What to expect:
Week One: How burlesque performers choose music, assemble costuming, and decide on a theme. We'll discuss and hone your ideas, and help you come up with your idea if you don't have one yet.
Week Two: Choreography and narrative development, with musical exercises. Plus, more discussion of your ideas and problem solving.
Week Three: Entrance and exit: making sure your number works from beginning to end.
Week Four: Undress rehearsal: run your number and receive supportive feedback for finishing up.
Week Five: Perform your routine Live! Student are each permitted to invite up to six friends to attend the showcase.
$119 for the entire package!
Everything below is old and under construction -- no need to read unless you want to look through and see if there's a class you want to ask Jo to repeat.
Jo will be teaching the December Performance Fundamentals! Learn how to develop a persona, choose music, start costuming, stage a number, and get gigs!
Details and Registration
Specialty Workshop: Hairography!
December 8, 6-7 pm EST
Learn Jo's techniques for hairography! She will be showing you how to sweep, flip, and more. Receommended for hair below shoulder length, but there will be tips for discovering what your unique hair can do, whatever style, length, or texture. Can work for wigs, short hair, or very curly hair, with modifications.
Specialty Workshop: Mastering Corsets
December 8, 7.15-8.15 pm EST
Love corsets but don't know where to start? Struggling to get in and out? Jo will describe how to select corsets, lacing options, how to remove a corset smoothly, and ways to embellish them. You'll be able to handle all your corsets with elegance and control.
Specialty Workshop: Makeup Tips and Tricks for Burlesque!
December 15, 6-7.15
This class will cover the differences between stage makeup and party makeup. Registrants will receive a shopping list if they wish to try some of the techniques along with the workshop. It will include:
*Foundation and blush for stage
*How to choose false eyelashes, for beginners to experienced
*How Jo puts on her own false lashes
*Eyeliner types and tips
*Glitter types, what to use and where and how to apply
*Glitter lips
*Suggestions for hair and jewelry
Please note, this workshop is free for students who took The Burlesque Handbook Series during the summer, when there was a tech issue.
ESSENTIAL BURLESQUE GOES ONLINE!
Sundays in January, 1:30-3:00 pm EST, on Zoom.
The Essential Burlesque series of four theory and movement classes is online in July 2021! Make your selection from the dropdown menu below, or sign up for all 4 for a discount. $15 each or $50 for all four in January. You'll receive a Zoom invitation the day of the class.
If you haven't received your zoom invitation by half an hour before class time on the day of any class for which you are registered, let us know by emailing schoolofburlesque@gmail.com. Be sure to state the name of the class.
Sundays in January:
Individual Essentail Burlesque Class Descriptions
Striptease Expertise
A lecture on the theatrics and psychology of striptease, followed by exercises to get you into a seductive groove. This focuses on a sensual, mischievous style that feels both classic and modern.
We'll go over a 15-point toolbox for making your striptease effective! If you've never done a striptease before, this will put you at ease. If you're an experienced performer, it will refresh and renew you!
To have on hand: a hoodie that zips and open down the front or a button down shirt (two demos will be offered so you can use both).
Chair Dance And Stocking Peel
You'll be guided through a simple but sexy chair dance, using a basic folding chair. You can use any chair that doesn't have arms. You'll learn a full routine, plus stocking peel tips and a bit of hairography!
Props: a pair of stretch stockings. Wear shorts or a leotard so you have bare legs. More details about preparing for the class.
Fan Dance
We will learn a choreographed fan dance with small marabou fans, then demonstrate a series of signature moves with large ostrich fans.
To have on hand: small fans or other objects to use in place of fans, such as folders; if you have large ostrich fans, bring 'em! If you don't, just enjoy the demo.
Classic Moves
Learn a full burlesque routine with boa moves, glove peels, bumps n grinds, and tassel twirls!
Props: Six- foot boa or scarf, gloves (taught using strretch satin opera gloves, but any gloves will do), back-hooking bra, tasseled pasties.
Props used in the class
I just added a FREE five-minute (really!) pastie-making tutorial on our blog!
Check it out!
If you are taking the series, you can watch the classes as demos or you can get props. See the individual class descriptions for needed supplies.
You'll receive a Zoom invitation and reminder the day of the class.If you registered before the studio shutdown and you haven't heard from us yet, please contact us at schoolofburlesque@gmail.com.
More online classes to come soon!
Keep well, and take care of you and yours!
BE SURE TO NOTE TIME ZONES
These class times are for Eastern Standard Time.
You may want to have reading materials! You'll find the routines from Fan Dance and Classic Moves in the The Burlesque Handbook, as well as pastie-making instructions.
Past classes, join our email list to be notified when these are available again or send an email to request them.
Add-On class for April: Tassels, Assels, and Anarchy!
April 26, 2020, 330-430 pm EST
Learn to twirl tassels in every direction, on every part of your body! This workshop is best for those who have a pair of tasseled pasties, but if you just want to learn how it's done, you can watch! No nudity.
Jo Weldon does a fun boa mini-tutorial Monday April 13 on Instagram live! 6 pm EST. To attend follow Danielle Colby.
Special Class Saturday, April 11 2020, 4 pm:
Zoon link will be sent between 230 and 3 pm the day of the class.
If You Must Make a Mess $10
Interested in glitter pours, bath shows, fake blood, candle wax, or food acts?
Jo Weldon will discuss the pros and cons of making a mess onstage. She’ll give tips on how to prepare the stage and backstage for various pours, how to talk to producers and venues about them, and various approaches to cleaning up after them. Come with your questions and suggestions!
For years, Jo toured as a headlining feature dancer in strip joints, doing bath shows and using oil, fake blood, lotion, and body paint onstage in venues where she’d get her ass kicked if she left a smear on the stage. She'll also help you keep from ruining your floor and furniture if you're using messes in your home performances. She knows about tarps, towels, and kiddie pools. Get knowledge based on decades of experience from a performer who’s not afraid to sit on a cake.
REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR IF YOU MUST MAKE A MESS
March 29: Jo is teaching costuming at 11 am EST and classic moves (boa moves, glvoe peels, bump n grind, and tassel-twirling) at 130 pm online! Email for details!
Online Friday, March 27, at 3 pm EST! (check your time zone!)
Jo Weldon and Indigo Blue offer this free & extremely DiY online arts & crafts fun hour. They will be drinking tea and making Burlesque pasties out of materials found around the house. Join in for this free & fun session. You might gain a few useful tips, if you're lucky.
This is FREE but you must register to attend!
Sign Up
The History of Leopard Print March 24 1-2 pm EST
Special Online Event!
Leopard Print is burlesque's signature color!
Join us in a book show-and-tell brunch with Headmistress Jo March 24 at 1 pm. Requires the Zoom app. RSVPs must be received by noon.
Let’s all wear leopard print and hold a cocktail glass 😺 To attend, send your email address to historyofleopardprint@gmail.com with the words “Leopard Print History Brunch 3/24” in the subject line and you'll receive the zoom invite!
This is mostly a show and tell book discussion. with lots of luscious print. You'll learn the history of the print from Egypt to fast fashion. Attendees will have the option to turn on video and show off their leopard print outfits, if so inclined.
And yes, it's free! Jo is learning how to produce live events and this will help her out -- and hopefully be super fun for all our fierce friends!
See a video book preview on YouTube.
Hairography
This workshop is full of flips, swings, and swirls. Open to all bodies! Although Jo will be demonstrating moves for long hair, we will also be working on head choreography and eye contact, so this can be suitable for more than one style and type of hair. The goal is not just to imitate Jo's moves but to discover moves that work for you.
Jo will be teaching hairography in a chair, since chair dance class preceeds this. You can register for the chair dance class as well in the drop down menu.
Dress for a workout and wear shoes in which you can balance easily!
Book proposal workshop! March 25 6-730 pm EST
Will be conducted via Zoom.
If you've been thinking about writing a book, or you've written one, the next step is creating a book proposal! I've published two books with a big five publisher, and I'll take you through the process as I know it. I'll tell you the pros and cons of working with agents, ways to find agents or approach publishers, and explain all the elements of a working book proposal. I'll also explain the differences between writing proposals for fiction and non-fiction. Come with your questions!
Price, Sliding Scale. Suggestions, but no judgement:
$20 gig economy worker out of gigs
$30 employed but making less while working at home
$40 working at home at regular pay
Use the button below to pay. No refunds unless I cancel, but class value credit will be given if you cancel.
I'm teaching Essential Burlesque online in April! Registration link TK. I am also preparing a 12-section online class based on the chapters in The Burlesque Handbook, as well as a 16-section online workshop on Striptease Obsession.
From Jo: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have lost all of my performing gigs. The studio in which I conduct in-person classes has closed. I have a tiny cushion, but I've lost most of my income from classes and performances for the foreseeable future. Let me know how I can serve you while I'm self-quarantined!
To support me without spending money, tell people about me! Link to joweldon.com and mention something interesting I'm doing. You can also help by giving one of my boks a glowing five-star review on any platform. And, I'm using this spare time to micro-blog some of my research on sex worker fashion history. Check it out!. Please follow, like, comment, and praise to others!
Professionally, I'll be available to give one on one online sessions. You can have me critique an act, or we can do a playful striptease session together that will lift your spirits, or you tell me what you'd like to do! I can offer a discount to those who are losing work due to the pandemic. In particular, let me know if you are a performer who relies on performing to pay bills.
I'm also offering a free skype or zoom tassel-twirling lesson when you buy a pair of leopard print pasties, till I run out of supplies. I have many pairs already made up! See my work at Leopard Print Pasties
You can buy a School Of Burlesque Gift Certificate. It's good for all classes, online and off, for two years. You can use it for anything I do, inlcuding buying one-on-one consultations, 8x10s ($25 pp), or pasties from me for as long as the post office is still letting me ship.
You can order a signed copy of The History of Leopard Print for $30, while supplies last.
If you just want to support, I can receive payments via my paypal link or Venmo at @joweldon.
Contact me at schoolofburlesque@gmail.com with any questions!
I have an https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3EEGKPM8LSWQA?ref_=wl_share.
Join my email list to be notified of all upcoming events and classes, online or otherwise!
Jo Weldon, aka Jo Boobs, is a pioneer in the neo-burlesque movement, and has been voted one of the Top burlesque performers every year on 21st Century Burlesque's annual international poll. She has been the Headmistress of the The New York School of Burlesque since 2004. She is a believer in burlesque as a means to introduce women who are shy about their bodies to enjoy the power of playful and/or confrontational exhibitionism, as well as creativity and self-expression through self-initiated theatrical performance. She has published numerous articles on burlesque, striptease, stripping, and sex work in general in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies since 1994. She is the author of "The Burlesque Handbook" (Harper Collins), the first book ever published on how to create burlesque routines, with a foreword by Margaret Cho, and has produced several acclaimed video programs for burlesque beginners with World Dance New York (http://worlddancenewyork.com/).
PAST EVENTS
Saturday May 2 at 2 pm-330 pm EST:
Book proposal workshop!
Will be conducted via Zoom.
If you've been thinking about writing a book, or you've written one, the next step is creating a book proposal! I've published two books with a big five publisher, and I'll take you through the process as I know it. I'll tell you the pros and cons of working with agents, ways to find agents or approach publishers, and explain all the elements of a working book proposal. I'll also explain the differences between writing proposals for fiction and non-fiction. Come with your questions!
Price, Sliding Scale. Suggestions, but no judgement:
$20 gig economy worker out of gigs
$30 employed but making less while working at home
$40 working at home at regular pay
Use the button below to select and pay.
Registration closed. Please follow us on IG, FB, or join our email list to be notified when it is offered again.
sorry, the part of the page below is a bit of mess! I'll be tidying up my website in 2020.
December 9 Jo will be reading from Fierce: The History of Leopard Print in NYC.
Free event!
Details
December 22 2019 Jo will be performing at Bathtub Gin.
January 10 2020 Jo will be performing at Mr. French , NYC.
January 15 2020 Jo will be performing at White Elephant Burlesque , NYC.
Sunday, October 27, 4-530 pm:
440 Lafayette, 4th floor, studio 4c
Corsets: How To Buy, Wear, And Strip Out Of Them.
Join Jo for a discussion and demo on one of the world's most fascinating pieces of clothing! You'll get a brief history, learn the differences between a bustier, a corsellette, and a true corset, and what style suits you best. You'll also learn how to artfully and gracefully strip out of them. Jo will bring corsets from her collection for students to examine, and students may bring their own to discuss. She will also discuss ornamentation techniques and lacing. Students should bring a notebook and pen.
More from Jo:
I've pared down my performance schedule for the rest of the year so I can focus on my presentation at Lim College and finish writing my one-woman show.
November 2 NYC
My presentation at Lim College will be on Saturday, November 2, as part of this panel:
2:45 pm – 4:00 pm
Madeline Luckel After the Wedding: What Marriage (and Newlywed) Portraiture Communicates Through Fashion
Emily Anna Smith Whatever Lola Wants: Billy Porter, Gender Norms, and Social Media on the Oscars Red Carpet
Jo Weldon Sex Worker Style: What Does it Mean to "Dress Like a Whore?"
https://lim.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/fnt/
November 4-10 Portland and BURLYCON Seattle WA
On November 4 and 5 I'll be touring strip joints in Portland with my partner Jonny and my good friend Mystic, who won the Miss Nasty Burlesque Award when we were all in Treviso, Italy. From Portland we'll travel to Seattle for BurlyCon, the annual burlesque education and social conference of which I'm a founding member and current Vice-President. While I'm there I'll be teaching Hairography, per my strip joint origins; my personal history in neo-burlesque, which I'll start by describing my work as a feature dancer in strip joints in the early 1990s; and finally, I'll be presenting my illustrated lecture on The History of Leopard Print, which, as everyone knows, is stripper neutral.
http://www.burlycon.com
November 20-24 Boise ID
I'm doing a series of book events and performances at Subversive Dreams in Boise -- more to come on this event!Details and Tickets
Jo will be performing burlesque with an out of this world cast of legendary performers at the Milton Fringe Festival in Milton, PA October 10, 11, and 12.
September 1st-22nd Jo will be teaching the Essential Burlesque Series and September 28 she will performing at the The New York Burlesque Festival!
September 7 Jo will be performing her signature International Lover act at Hustler's Paradise in NYC, a benefit for sex workers affected by discrimination.
Details and Tickets
September 15 Jo will be performing a classic routine at Burlesk at Birdland in NYC.
Details and Tickets
Jo is performing, hosting, and producing workshops at the New York Burlesque Festival September 26-20
Details and Tickets
Don't miss BurlyCon in Seattle November 7-10; and in Boise in later November, details TK.
In December Jo will be teaching a two-day weekend burlesque intensive in NYC, details TK.
TESTIMONIALS
For over a decade Jo has been consistently voted one of the most influential burlesque performers in the world in international polls. Her book The Burlesque Handbook has been the gold standard for beginning and intermediate burlesque performers since 2010. She has helped develop the highest-level burlesque organizations in the world, working with the Burlesque Hall of Fame team for 15 years and Coney Island USA for 20 years, and is a co-founder of BurlyCon. Her former students have achieved the most desirable gigs available to burlesque performers, not only in NYC but internationally as well. People all over the world have been quietly learning from her blog at burlesquedaily.blogspot.com for well over a decade. A few people who have worked with her directly offer their testimonials below!
Jo has helped me tremendously with quite a few but very different subjects of Burlesque. Her experienced eye found the exact things I needed help with. She offers kind and clear solutions. I followed her advice and felt my progress immediately. I also deeply treasure the confidence gained through her help. I would recommend her video act consultation!
--Missa Blue, Voted #1 Performer in Europe 2018
Jo Weldon is an incredible performer, mentor, and educator. She was my first burlesque teacher, and she approaches teaching with an easygoing, candid, and fun-loving manner, while also being deeply knowledgeable about the art and its history. Throughout my burlesque career, she has remained interested and supportive of me and all of her students, and I can guarantee I wouldn't be where I am without her!
-Hazel Honeysuckle, lead performer in Absinthe, one of the most popular shows on the Las Vegas strip.
Jo Weldon is an extremely knowledgeable expert in the history of burlesque. She has been both a teacher and mentor in my performance career. Her rich knowledge of the business of show business and her articulate insight into performance art have been invaluable assets for all her students. I can always count on Jo's opinion and expertise to provide the best direction!
-Calamity Chang, internationally renowned producer, headliner and instructor
Just over five years ago, my life was forever changed when I walked into Jo Weldon’s Burlesque Essentials Class, at the New York School of Burlesque. At the time, I was in a very broken place in my life, and was not sure if taking these classes would help me to reconnect the pieces, but I was hopeful. So much more than learning the art of the tease, Jo not only helped me find myself again, but gave me permission to find my passion, and be unapologetic about it.
In our very first class together, Jo introduced us to the rules of burlesque, then immediately told us all to do whatever the fuck we want. I took that advice and decided to do exactly that. I am forever grateful to her because of it.
-Poison Ivory, Miss Exotic World 2016, NYBF class May 2012
Jo Weldon literally changed my life. She opened the doors to a world of glitter, rhinestones, and self confidence that I didn’t even know I needed. When I first learned of the New York School of Burlesque, I was intrigued, but skeptical. I immediately got to googling and learning all I could about it and it’s Headmistress. I was pleased to find tons of articles she had written and articles that had been written about her. I devoured everything for the information, but was most impressed by the respect shown to all in her work — to her reader, to her burlesque audience, to the legends who came before her, to the students who dream of following in their footsteps, and to the folks who are just stopping in to have a little splash of fun. Before I ever stepped foot into her classroom, I knew I was in good hands. Soon, I was spending a month of Sundays shimmying her tutelage.
Since then, Jo has taught me many things. But the most important lesson that continues to fuel my heart and buoy my soul is from our very first class: Do whatever the fuck you want.
Up until then, I thought I always had. Up until then, I didn’t know that some part of me still needed permission. Jo Weldon taps into her students to help them give themselves the permission to be whoever the fuck they are, and better yet, whoever the fuck they choose to be.
-Amuse Bouche, NYC performer
Jo Weldon combines her years of stage performance and expertise in years of teaching both practical and discussion-based classes to create a fun and comfortable learning environment. Her New York School of Burlesque is the original and home to New York’s center for burlesque learning. Whether you’re brand new to and never heard of burlesque or a seasoned professional performer, there’s a class for you at NYSB. The array of guest teachers at school is a fantastic spectrum of today’s stars of the burlesque stage. They are dedicated to preserving furthering the art form.
--Dirty Martini, Miss Exotic World 2004, International Burlesque Sensation, Touring Regularly with Dita Von Teese
What class would you like Jo to teach next in NYC? If you're not in NYC, would you like her to emcee your event, teach in your city, or perform at your festival? EMail headmistress@schoolofburlesque.com to book her!
Jo's rates for professional consultation, choreography, act development, and review are quite reasonable. She has decades of experience, as well as having the pulse of the current scene, and can speed up your learning curve so that you can express yourself, find your perfect audience, and get the gigs you want. She is also a twice published author with a major publisher and can help you with writing, creating a book proposal, and more.
Pricing and Details, Local and Worldwide.
PAST EVENTS
Tease If You Please!
August 18, 2019, 1-4 pm, 440 Lafayette St NYC 10003
No Drop-ins, advance online registration required.
This special workshop, offered only in August, is a primer on what goes into a burlesque act. With lessons in choosing music, stage names, musicality, glove peeling, and other elements that will make you feel like a star! No previous experience or classes necessary. This is a perfect dip into the friendly and supportive waters of burlesque performance, especially if you're considering taking Essential Burlesque or Act Development series in September. Your instructor will be legendary Headmistress Jo Weldon, the author of The Burlesque Handbook!
SOLD OUT
Jo Weldon hosts the annual Follies Fromage student showcase at Coney Island USA!
If you're thinking of performing, you'll be inspired! And if you love burlesque, you'll be outrageously entertained!
Show starts at 9.30 pm sharp!
Featuring two award-winning guest performers, Miss Coney Islands Tiger Bay and Pearls Daily.
Details and Tickets
Saturday AUGUST 3
Save the Date!
Cathouse 2: The Metal Years
Jo Weldon's Birthday Show and Celebration at Coney Island USA!
Come party with Jo and friends at Burlesque at the Beach!
Details and Tickets
Every week that Jo is in New York she teaches at the New York School of Burlesque Essential Burlesque Series.
New York School of Burlesque Student Showcase!
Friday, 730 pm, July 19 2019
Drom, 85 Avenue A, East Village NYC
New York School of Burlesque Student Showcase!
Headmistress Jo Weldon hosts a bevy of the freshest burlesque performers in town! Students have created their own routines, choosing their own music, designing their own costumes, and developing their own choreographies. A must-see for potential performers, and a helluvah good time for everyone!
Details and Tickets
Hairography/Chairography
Saturday, July 20, 2019, 4-5 $20
440 Lafayette St, 10003, Fourth Floor Studio 4D
Jo is famous for her hair moves, but your hair doesn't have to resemble hers for you to sassy and glamourous! Learn a chair dance featuring lots of hair flings and whips to sexy rock music, plus techniques for warmups and discovering the advantages of your own hair texture. Suitable for any length of hair, including a shaved head, but not suitable for hairstyles that don't move or can't be messed up. May not be suitable for those with neck or back issues, so check with your doctor if you're not sure. Recommended for students who have already taken Essential Burlesque or have done a chair dance elsewhere. Wear clothes you'd wear for a dance or yoga class and bring a bottle of water. Don't eat a heavy meal beforehand. If enough people sign up, we can put this number in my August 3 birthday show at Coney Island!
SOLD OUT
Bartending and Book Signing!
Sunday, 6-8 pm, July 21 2019, NYC
Let's Get Wild!
Jo will be going old school on June 30, bartending at Lucky on Avenue B in NYC!. Afterward she will be selling and signing her book Fierce: The History of Leopard Print. Bartending 6-7, book signing 7-8. Books available for purchase. Leopard print clothing is highly encouraged!
Bubble Dance
Sunday, July 28, 2019, 4-530 pm, $30 plus $5 cash in class for materials
440 Lafayette St, 10003, Fourth Floor Studio 4C
Class size is small and strictly limited because of the size of the balloons, which means this class may sell out quickly. Only two slots remain as of July 19.
Bubble dancing is fancy, fun, sexy, and hilarious!
We will be using 36" balloons.
In this workshop you’ll learn what kind of balloons to use in a bubble dance, how to inflate them quickly, and how you can reuse them. Then the fun begins as you start playing with them, discovering how to use every part of your body to move them around, how to conceal and reveal with them, and, most importantly, how to keep them from popping before you’re ready. The class will close with a brief group choreography. Plus, you get to keep your balloon! Inspired by Rand the Vampire’s bubble class at BurlyCon, and with his blessing and guidance, this class introduces bubbledancing to a brand new audience. Let your spirit rise!
Jo Weldon's Bubble Dance students, known as the Titillations, have performed at The House of Yes, The Slipper Room, Coney Island USA, and the New York Burlesque Festival.
SOLD OUT
Thursday, 630 pm, July 25 2019, Hudson Valley, NY
Desmond Fish Library
Jo will be presenting her illustrated lecture on The History of Leopard Print, followed by a book signing. Books available for purchase. Come as you are, or wear your fiercest animal prints!
Cathouse 2: The Metal Years
Jo Weldon's Birthday Celebration!
Saturday, 10 pm, August 3, 2019
Do you like to rock? Do you like to roll? Do you like cats? Do you like to get weird?
Get ready to bang heads with Jo and her friends as she celebrates a heavy metal birthday!
Featuring:
Fem Appeal
Cheeky Lane
Jonny Porkpie
Boo Bess
Kristin Korvette
Gal Friday
Twatley Crue
Veronica Viper
and surprises galore!
Fireworks: 9.30 pm on the Boardwalk
Show: 10.00 pm at Sideshows by the Seashore
More Info and Tickets
The workshops in July are all being offered in response to requests from students! You can make a request by email at headmistressjo@schoolofburlesque.com. A minimum of six students are necessary for group classes to be viable, but you can request private one-to-one instruction or coaching at any time.
Dressed Like a Whore
Jo Weldon: Sex Work and Spandex
is creating Essays & An Autobiographical Show About Sex Work & History!
Read More on Patreon
Stay tuned for Jo's Ultimate Striptease Online Class Series!
This 16-week series will feature segments on the logistics and psychology of striptease, which Jo believes is a study in overcoming our daily systemic barriers to human connection and authenticity.
She's spent four decades studying striptease in strip joints and burlesque, learning from both the most popular current performers and the legends of yesteryear, including one on one coaching from Sherry Britton.
She was voted one of the top ten most influential figures of the past decade in burlesque on the world's only international poll, in due part because she is the author of The Burlesque Handbook, the first book ever published on how to create neo-burlesque routines.
Often imitated, never duplicated! Jo Weldon inspires not only other performers, but other teachers as well. She has been the Co-Executive Director at The Burlesque Hall of Fame for 12 years, helping legends of burlesque who have never taught before to develop their classes, and the Vice President of BurlyCon, the world's only burlesque learning convention, for 11 years. If you are interested in teaching burlesque, reach out to her for personalized and professional guidance and support.
She has been publishing free material online for fifteen years, with the intention of improving the burlesque scene and providing guidelines for curriculum and research. Her influence, whether engaged or resisted, is unmistakable.
Jo's range and experience as an instructor is unparalelled. She has helped mentor some of the world's most popular burlesque performers and instructors. Her desire to give students inspiration, independence, and individuality in their personal performance style is documented in her eagerness to foster other instructors as well, which she has been doing since the creation of The New York School of Burlesque in 2004.
PAST EVENTS
Jo is looking for support and funding to restart the Pink Light Burlesque program she founded in 2012, hosting workshops to empower breast cancer survivors, and training those who would like to do so to teach other survivors.
More About Pink Light Burlesque
Often imitated, never duplicated! Jo Weldon inspires not only other performers, but other teachers as well. She has been the Co-Executive Director at The Burlesque Hall of Fame for 12 years, helping legends of burlesque who have never taught before to develop their classes, and the Vice President of BurlyCon, the world's only burlesque learning convention, for 11 years. If you are interested in teaching burlesque, reach out to her for personalized and professional guidance and support.
She has been publishing free material online for fifteen years, with the intention of improving the burlesque scene and providing guidelines for curriculum and research. Her influence, whether engaged or resisted, is unmistakable.
Jo's range and experience as an instructor is unparalelled. She has helped mentor some of the world's most popular burlesque performers and instructors. Her desire to give students inspiration, independence, and individuality in their personal performance style is documented in her eagerness to foster other instructors as well, which she has been doing since the creation of The New York School of Burlesque in 2004.
Below is just a messy cut and past of past events.
Wormwood Takeover at Switch n Play
Saturday July 13 2019 9 pm
Headmistress Jo performs her infamous Cathouse routine!
Details and Tickets
How to Write a Book Proposal
Sunday, July 14, 2019, 4-5.30 pm, $30
440 Lafayette in Manhattan. Fourth Floor, Studio 4C.
Have you ever thought about writing a book? Already written one but not sure what to do with it?
Get clarity and insight on the possibilities of your book idea or project! This workshop is suitable for any level of book idea development, from fleeting thought to completed project.
This workshop will take you through the essentials of creating a book proposal agents and editors will be pleased to read. You’ll learn the basic format of a proposal, how to describe your work, how to present your platform, and how to approach a literary agent. Differences between fiction and non-fiction proposals will be addressed. Publishing myths and misinformation will be discussed. Most importantly, you’ll be able to ask questions of an industry insider who has two book deals with a major publisher. The goal is to give you tools and boost your confidence so you can take the next steps toward publishing success. Remember: ANY topic or idea can sell, but it takes a great proposal to make it happen!
Note, this is not about self-publishing, which is a topic that requires its own workshops, but self-publishing will be touched upon. Even if self-publishing is your primary interest, you will still benefit from this class.
Bring a notebook and pen. You will be asked to write your questions on notecards when you arrive, so if you already know what your questions are, please arrive with them composed into one-sentence queries. If you aren’t yet sure what your questions are, you’ll definitely benefit from hearing the questions of others.
This class is past, but you can email for private coaching and consultation at reasonable rates.
Keep Easy Sundays
Sunday July 14 2019 1030 pm
The Keep, 205 Cypress Avenue,
Ridgewood, Queens 11385
Jo will be performing to live music with the Keep Cats!
May 15, 2019 Hosting the New York School of Burlesque Student Showcase
Nasty Burlesque Festival
May 24, 2019, Treviso Italy
Berlin Burlesque Week
June 2, 2019, Berlin Germany
June 3, 2019 Berlin Germany
Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender
June 9, 2019, Las Vegas
Performing in the Icons and All-Stars Showcase
Details of Jo Weldon's first ever one-woman autobiographical show will be announced June 15, 2019 on Patreon
More information
June 17, 2019, NYC
Jo will be talking about her history as a sex workers' rights activist at Bluestockings Anarchist Bookstore.
June 23, 2019, NYC
Jo will be making an appearance at Jezebel Express's student showcase at DROM NYC. Join her and catch the freshest burlesque in the city!
April 5: SuperBoob!, NYC
April 6: Jo teaches a bachelelorette party (Private Event)
April 7: Jo teaches the Essential Burlesque Series, NYC
April 13: Jo presents a book signing and lecture about The History of Leopard Print at the Nerdlesque Festival! In Coney Island, NY
April 21: Jo Performs at the GLITS Fundraiser, Details TK
IN MAY: THE IMPURE CONFERENCE!
Panel: Sensuality + Sexuality: Belly Dance + Burlesque w Willy Barrett, Jo Weldon, Antonina Canal + Myra Krien
Owning the Forbidden Gaze w Willy Barrett (Joe Williams)
Hairography w Jo Weldon
AND MORE
Details and Registration
SPECIAL EVENT MARCH 8 2019 IN NYC:
THE HISTORY OF LEOPARD PRINT
WITH HEADMISTRESS JO WELDON!
If you love leopard print, or know someone who does, you don't want to miss this! At an exquisite and exclusive venue, Jo will trace the history of fashion's most controversial neutral from warriors and kings to first ladies and fashion influencers. Featuring a mini-exhibition of Jo's leopard print collection, and a unique performance by Perle Noire. Feel free to wear your wildest animal print!
Limited attendance available
Event Details and RSVP
February 15, NYC: Jo Performs at Hot Face at Bizarre Bushwick
February 17, NYC: Jo Hosts the NY School of Burlesque Student Showcase
February 23, Baltimore: Jo Teaches Hairography
February 23, Baltimore: Jo Presents an Illustrated Lecture on The History of Leopard Print, With Book Signing
February 24, Baltimore: Jo Hosts Essential Tease: A Transformative Burlesque Series.
February 23, Baltimore: Jo Presents an Illustrated Lecture on The History of Leopard Print, With Book Signing
March 3, NYC: Jo Teaches Striptease Expertise
March 8, NYC, National Arts Club: Jo Presents an Illustrated Lecture on The History of Leopard Print, With Book Signing
March 10, NYC:
Jo Teaches Chair Dance and Stocking Peel
March 17, NYC:
Jo Teaches Classic Moves, Featuring Boa Choreography, Glove Peels, Bumps N Grinds, and Tassel Twirling
March 19, NYC: Jo performs at The FuckYou Revue
Details to come:
March 19, NYC: Jo performs at The FuckYou Revue
See some of the other classes she offers.
On February 16, Jo is going it alone to present two classes!
440 Lafayette St, Manhattan, Fourth Floor, Studio 4d
3-4 pm, check out her steamy and internationally celebrated class, Pleasure And The Art of The EyeFuck. Flirt. Seduce. Connect. Devastate. Talk dirty with your eyes. Learn how to convey deep sexual confidence through eye contact, body language, and breathing exercises. Discover the power of being motivated by your own pleasure and joy. This is a playful, erotic, and penetrating class. Not for the faint of heart! Not a dance class, but wear clothes that feel good and in which you can move. Jo Weldon has travelled the world teaching this class, designed to help both performers and nonperformers access their innate knowledge of seduction and sensuality. Come prepared to break past your comfort zones into a challenging, intimate, and sometimes hilarious session of self-discovery and improved connections. $25
4.30-6 pm, Jo will debut a much-requested class. She's launching her hairography workshop, full of flips, swings, and swirls. Open to all bodies and suitable for every length and type of hair, including wig-wearers and those with no hair at all! Students will practice kneeling, sitting, floorwork (bring towel or kneepads if so inclined), and standing hair moves, and Jo will help each class member find their own signature hairography.
$30
Both classes $50.
SOLD OUT
Please email headmistress@schoolofburlesque.com to be put on the waitlist, or to let us know that you have a gift certificate you intend to apply to this class.
SOLD OUT
Email headmistress@schoolofburlesque.com to be put on the waitlist.
PAST CLASSES
Get Your Act Together!
SOLD OUT
Sundays, January 6, 13, 20, 27, and February 3 and 10, 2019, 3.30-5.30 pm
Student Showcase: Sunday, February 17, 8 pm.
440 Lafayette St NYC 10003, Studio 3C, Third Floor.
$195 for the five week series.
It happens at NYSB only once a year:
Jo Weldon, Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque and author of The Burlesque Handbook, will take you through all the steps of creating your own solo burlesque routine!
You'll learn how to choose music, assemble a costume, and map choreography for your own number, then have the opportunity to perform that number in our student showcase!
Perfect for beginners and intermediates.
Making a payment is an agreement to comply with our payment policies.
$195.00.
THIS CLASS IS SOLD OUT.
Please join our email list to be notified about upcoming classes.
May 12, 2018, 1.30- 3 pm, $25 plus $5 cash in class for materials
440 Lafayette St, 4th Floor, Studio 4D
Bubble dancing is fancy, fun, sexy, and hilarious!
In this workshop you'll learn what kind of balloons to use in a bubble dance, how to inflate them quickly, and how you can reuse them. Then the fun begins, as you start handling them right away, discovering how to use every part of your body to move them around, how to conceal and reveal with them, and, most importantly, how to keep them from popping before you're ready. The class will close with a brief group choreography. Plus, you get to keep your balloon! Inspired by Rand the Vampire's bubble class at BurlyCon, and with his blessing and guidance, this class introduces bubbledancing to a brand new audience. Jo Weldon's Bubble Dance students, known at the Titillations, have performed at NYSB student showcases and the New York Burlesque Festival. If we have enough interest from students in the class, we'll put together a routine for the next showcase!
PAST CLASS LISTED BELOW
Jo Weldon is teaching Act Development in NYC for the first time in over a year! This is an opportunity to learn directly from the Headmistress herself.
January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 2018 3.30-5.30 pm.
440 Lafayette St, Studio 3G (Third Floor).
Showcase is February 18 at DROM, 85 Avenue A, 10002, at 8 pm.
Preregistration required. See purchase button below for price options. No refunds for this series after January 1. If you have any trouble registering from the button below, please let us know at schoolofburlesque@gmail.com.
Immerse yourself in burlesque by also registering for the Essential Burlesque Dance Series.
Jo Weldon
PAST EVENTS
How To Choose Music For a Burlesque Routine
This is the first run of this class, which is being developed for BurlyCon. Come dressed to move and bring shoes you want to dance in!
We will discuss what burlesque standards are and how to use them, as well as how to use other kinds of music, from classical to top 40.
We will discuss theme, tone, timing, musicality, and identification. You'll learn how to make it seem as if you are making the music with your body, how to exploit the choreography of events, and how to break tradition without sacrificing connection to the audience.
Perfecting The Twirl
This class is a wild party of skill-building!
Tassel-twirling is one of the most unique elements of burlesque. Are you making the most of it? Avoiding it because you're afraid you can't do it, or because it seems trite? Trying to figure out how to put your own twist on it? Wondering why it seems so easy for some and not for others?
We will refresh your understanding of basic tassel-twirling techniques in class, so if you're a brand new twirler, you can still get a lot from this. If you're an experienced twirler who still has a few issues, you'll get even more benefits! Come in and learn how to do your best twirl, how to choose and make pasties that make twirling easier, which shoes can make a difference, how to incorporate tassel twirling into musicality, and why sometimes your twirl just won't go.
Be prepared to put tassels on your bare chest and behind.
Bring tassels if you've got 'em! Pasties will be available to borrow and to purchase (bring cash for those! in class, but if you already have pasties, definitely bring them, and if you can, bring more than one pair.
Striptease Expertise
The woman who wrote the book on burlesque is coming to DC Bier Baron to teach her signature class!
You'll learn how to make everything from slipping out of a button-down shirt to removing your earrings into a devastating act of theater. We'll start with what you already know (and you may not even know you know it) and incorporate it into innovative and effective ways to handle any article of clothing. Though not a dance class, there are walking and movement components, so wear shoes in which you would like to perform. We recommend you bring a hoodie that unzips all the way down the front, or if you do not have a hoodie bring a cardigan or button-down shirt to class.
Classes are open to men and women, beginners and professionals. Learn a whole new skill or hone the ones you've got. Class size is limited so follow this page for updates so you can register as soon as possible.
March 9, 3.30-4 pm, New York City, 440 Lafayette, Studio 4C
Community Class:
No registration or class fee,
$5 cash-in-hand materials fee, to cover operating costs
Includes handout
Bring a notebook
In Your Own Image
How to Be Prepared for Press, Producers, and Festival Applications
This class is invaluable for both new and established performers.
In this class you'll learn what to keep on hand so that you can respond quickly when you see a show in which you want to participate, a festival or pageant you want to apply to enter, a producer you want to approach, or a press opportunity you want to maximize.
We'll describe how to organize the information you'll need to store and in what formats.
Most importantly, we'll discuss how to frame your bio and photographs so that you get the gigs you want, and the producers get the performer they want. Learn how to evaluate which examples to follow and which to ignore. Understand how to present yourself as a developed performer.
An international headlining performer and instructor, Jo Weldon has frequently served as a class coordinator, judging coordinator, and consultant for the Burlesque Hall of Fame and as a judge at The New Orleans Burlesque Festival. She has had a unique opportunity to observe how the bar has been raised in burlesque and what high-level producers are seeking.
Email schoolofburlesqueatgmaildotcom with any questions. When we are at capacity, we CANNOT allow other registrants, as it will affect the quality of the class. Please register as soon as you are sure you want to attend. Our payment policies permit cancellations and refunds up to February 25th for this class.No refunds or transfers after February 25th.
Jo Weldon
Jo Weldon is the founder and Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, and the author of The Burlesque Handbook. She has been a volunteer on the production team at the Burlesque Hall of Fame since 2004, and is a founding member and board Vice-President at BurlyCon. A pioneer in the neo-burlesque movement, her contribution to the current art form was recognized when she arrived at number 3 in 21st Century Burlesque's international poll to determine the top ten most influential burlesque figures 2010-2020. To learn from Jo is to learn from an original. Her approach emphasizes theory, context, and history to get you started with a firm grasp of the values and culture of the world burlesque community. All of her movement and performance techniques emphasize audience connection, to help you develop their abilities to mesmerize whether live on stage or through a computer screen. As a beginner, you couldn't be in better or more supportive hands; as an experienced performer, you won't find a more insightful and discerning peer. Join her classes and find out why she's recognized throughout the world as one of the premier instructors of neo-burlesque.
See Jo teaching in Milan in the video below!
More School of Burlesque Classes
The calendar below is constantly being updated.