How can I find the best burlesque class for me?

This is part one of a two-part series on advice of developing and searching for good burlesque classes.

I also reckon that some of this advice might help you if you are looking for any dance class to be honest, the advice is pretty broad ranging.

In part two of this series, I’ll look at the burlesque classes from the point of view of a teacher. In this post I’ll explore some techniques and opportunities that I think dance teachers can use to develop their own unique space and give their students the best experience.

So first up, if you are looking for a burlesque class what should you be on the look out for:

• A professional setting or space: This doesn’t mean ‘fancy’ or privately owned (I know very few burlesque teachers that completely own their own premises). But you shouldn’t be learning on someone’s property or living room. Alarm bells, right.  

• The experience of the instructor: I don’t believe that (in the case of burlesque at least) you need to be performing or dancing for a decade in order to teach. But, it can be good as a potential student to look towards snippets of classes, videos, photos or similar to see what their experience and qualities are as a teacher.

• Check testimonials from students:  You might be able to see a Google review or Facebook review. This can give you an idea of the overall environment that you might be walking into and if you think the atmosphere will meet your needs.

• Location: I firmly believe in setting yourself up for success. Make sure the studio is accessible to you. This can be making sure you can park nearby, or that there is good public transport if you don’t drive. There’s no point in setting yourself up for failure if there are only buses running by ever hour.

• Terms and conditions: You should be able to check what he terms of entry are before or during the sign-up process.  If there isn’t any information on payment terms, age limits, and refund policies it would be worth doing a bit of research or contacting the school or instructor. 

• Any hidden costs: If there is a performance element in your burlesque class, check to see what the expectation is on the student. Your needs are unique - if you want to perform you might want to check for any costs imposed on the studio and what this price point might be. I don’t think it is unreasonable for example that some costume costs might be required - however if you are on a budget you might want to research this further.

 There isn’t anything fool proof that can tell you whether you will love or hate the class you take. But if you can check more into what the studio space is like, research the teacher (or teachers) and see what the conditions of entry are, you can give yourself the best chance of finding the best fit for you.

Remember – often there can be a few classes or schools operating in your area. You can always try out different spaces and teachers until you find what suit you. This doesn’t make one ‘better’ than the other. It just is about getting the right fit for the right person.



Have you taken a burlesque class? How did you decide where to go? What made you enjoy or stay in your current space?