Kelly August, an experienced dance instructor in Reno, shares how she teaches burlesque not just as a style of dance but as a way to empower people to become confident in their own skin. Burlesque was first used as a rebellious way to dance and challenge society norms; today burlesque dancers use it for a multitude of reasons. Not only does burlesque empower its dancers, but as Sara Ewing reports it’s a statement that allows the dancer to show they are in charge of their destiny,
August starts all her classes with a pep talk and a clear expectation of what is needed from the dancers to have a successful class. She asks everyone in the class to be genuinely themselves and encourages a friendly community amongst the dancers.
“It's really important to feel supported and empowered for the people around you, even if you don't know each other, because ultimately you're displaying this moment of vulnerability around people, and so you have to feel really secure enough to do that,” August explains.
For August, finding burlesque was, like for many who enjoy this art form, about finding acceptance.
Livv, a local dancer and performer, explains that when she first tried to get involved in the Reno dance community, she felt unwelcome. She explains that she found burlesque to be that space of acceptance she wanted. Now, Livv performs burlesque regularly and says it’s completely transformed the way she views herself.
“It changed the way I see my body. For others, like in terms of like because like, I, I like my body. But for a while I was like, oh, well, maybe it doesn't look like other people's. And then I realized that burlesque was a way for other people to be like, your body looks like my body and I, you're freaking hot.”
Beginner dancer Paola Rameriez has only been to a few classes this year but her biggest fear for this class was the mirrors. Paola says that fear started to fade as the class went on. What replaced her nervousness was confidence in her own movements.
Listen to more of their thoughts in embedded audio feature above.