BE BURLESQUE

From GO Brooklyn
March 25, 2006

Did you ever think, "Hey, I could do that!" when watching a burlesque performance? Or are you one of the ones who mutter, "I WISH I could do that?" or "I could NEVER do that!"

For you, the Brooklyn Arts Exchange is offering a four-week workshop for women who want to strip away their inhibitions and learn the tricks of the trade.

"All are welcome," assures Victoria Libertore, who also goes by the stage name, "Howling Vic." By "all," the Kensington resident is referring to women of all backgrounds, professional and novice ecdysiasts alike, who are welcome at her classes, held Monday nights in April.

Libertore plans to take her students from learning how to be comfortable with their bodies, to finding a persona or archetype that's right for them. By the end of the series, students will have perfected a character-driven, performance-ready work of three- to five-minutes in length.

"I find this work to be liberating, and it helped me to accept my body the way it is," said Libertore, a native of Columbus, Ohio.

For the audience, burlesque and vaudeville have even more attractions, she said.

"It's raw and exciting," explained Libertore. "There's that element of surprise. Performers are taking risks and [the audience members] are seeing something special that you can't see everywhere in the country."

Brooklyn Arts Exchange is located at 421 Fifth Ave. at Eighth Street in Park Slope. Cost of the 4-part series of classes is $100. For information, call (718) 832-0018 or visit the Web site at www.bax.org.

- Lisa J. Curtis

[back]