(If bedazzling were a recognized competition, I'd finally have trophies to take home to my father.)
Consider this: performers from stand up comics to singers
all work with a microphone and utilize various spin-offs of that popular—albeit
overdone—phrase: “everyone having a good time tonight?” However, as strippers
we don’t necessarily have that luxury of sound. Instead we rely on an arch of
the eyebrow, a pouting lip, a crooked smile, and an infinite supply of facial
manipulations that all say, “you still with me?”
Facial expressions are an essential part of one's striptease. They help a performer tell his story, sell his number, and most importantly, sell himself to his audience. Even if a performer is doing a non-linear or story-based number, facial expressions still imbue the stripping of garments with a sense of intention and emotion. So, in class, I forced the boys to take a spot at the dance mirrors and practice facial expressions that were unique and individual to each guy--think that one scene in Fried Green Tomatoes minus the vagina-gazing.
(You just know that cellophane dress is a burlesque number waiting to happen...)
What I suggested to my students and what I follow through in my own performing is picking several spots throughout the crowd that allow me to keep my face forward and my expressions readable during a show. And I also still seize any chance for a genuine exchange with a close seated viewer, because as Ms. Boobs again noted, it further engages the rest of the crowd as they eagerly try for their own "one-on-one" moment.
(Putting my best bucket forward.)
Below are several videos of performers who I feel consistently always give "great face." Their expressions convey a variety of emotions to the general audience while still allowing for some improvisational work with individual voyeurs.
Enjoy! And remember, FRESHLY SLEAZED: The Intro to Boylesk Class Showcase happens APRIL 22ND!
PEEK-A-BOO POINTE
