Postcards from a Hometown homo...

My Midwest Boylesk "mini-tour" comes to a close tomorrow night for Fargo Moorhead's Pride Party at the Aquarium:

I just saw the space and its as if the bar owners were after my own heart--or jock strap. Picture a long club plastered in old rock and roll posters and banners with a raised stage and techies who seem like they must have been born with a goatee and a cigarette dangling out of the corner of their mouths. In short, it feels like home.

Its been quite a trip already, complete with old acquaintances, amazing and hospitable venues, and a flop-house turned dressing room area for yours truly that will officially be my favorite green room of all time--I mean I had two couches, TWO!

(Reunited with old friends backstage. The tux always gets them, but a blonde bouffant seals the deal.)

And of course, no trip back home would be complete without a sampling of North Dakota's finest:

(Smoked deer sausage. Gluten free crackers.)

Don't laugh! I was literally raised on deer sausage (and this was before I could even grasp its phallic implications.) This particular log was shot, processed, and plattered by my own father. Packed with protein and "natural flavoring." Hey, strippers need to eat too.

Photos from the last Boylesk 101 Showcase!

Since I'm so close to starting up my next Boylesk 101 course (August 13th), I thought I'd take a hot second to re-post some of the photos from the (G)amazing Boylesk 101 showcase from my second class. I have to say these boys worked especially hard, so much that they have continued to book shows and even produce on their own directly after finishing working with me. All in all, five brand spankin' new Boylesk-er's finished the course and performed for a PACKED audience at The Bowery Poetry Club. And thus, Teddy Turnaround, Matt Knife, Lucky Charming, Rique Shaw, and Dick Velour revealed themselves--and then some!--to the NYC Burlesque community. 

Also featured at the show and rounding out the cast were the drag-tastic Iris Explosion and my first student Go-Go Gadget.

Enjoy!

(Backstage; I'll admit it: I love being a stage mom.)

(Thank god for Iris Explosion and also my stage manager Tom Blunt in the back left. I'm chain smoking candy cigarettes in the corner.)

(Patience my children. You too shall soon know the secrets of the "C-string." Or, what I more pracitcally refer to as the dick pouch.)

(Go-Go and Go-Go.)

And that my friends was simply a taste of what was an amazing event.

The next Boylesk 101 Showcase is scheduled for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH! We'll not only showcase the upcoming students work, but also performances by former students, working professionals, and yours truly. 

If you have any questions about BOYLESK 101 feel free to email me at info@gogoharder.com

And please...

Help me, help YOU take your clothes off!

On GO-GOING WEST!

FRIENDS, FANS, AND FELLOW PERFORMERS...!

By the time you read this, I will have left New York...

(No, I never just smile in a photo.)

FOR MONTANA* BEE-YAWTCHES!

(*Note: this is a VACATION, not a permanent move! I'm getting back to my prairie-boy-meets-crunchy-lesbian-roots FOR A WEEK; I imagine there'll be lots of hiking and endless Indigo Girls playlists.)

Whilst I'm away, I suggest buttering up on your boylesque and male strip club etiquette and catching "Magic Mike" in theaters...

BUT.

MAKE SURE YOU PREP YOURSELF...

(You can't really tell here, but I'm actually behind that guy off to the right. Or maybe I was behind the screen, I forget.)

...For the amazingly gratutious shots of Tatum Channing's butt by reading my interview with Hollywood.com concerning boylesque, male stripping, and my opinion that Channing actually can act: HERE!

AND... be sure to take notes so we can discuss them at my favorite Friday night floor show...

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FRIDAY JULY 6TH

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ROOM 69 AT HOTEL CHANTELLE

(Bar top + microphone = instant stage.)

Late nights always need early lubrication which is why I'm so happy to be back again at Calamity Chang's Room 69!

There's always an amazing line-up,

Always a curious crowd,

And always a FREE admission.

Room 69 at Hotel Chantelle--92 Ludlow St (just south of Delancy)

9pm door/9:30 show; FREE

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DO YOU OR A LOVED ONE NEED MORE ATTENTION?

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THEN TAKE A BOYLESK CLASS!

I'm so happy to announce a 3RD Boylesk 101 series beginning August 13th and running until September 24th, concluding in a fully produced student showcase! That's SEVEN, two-hour long classes, every Monday from 5:30-7:30pm. We will be meeting in the private studios of Triskelion Arts, located directly off the Bedford Stop on the L Train.

My Boylesk 101 course utilizes principles of theater, storytelling, and strip-tease techniques to assist students in creating a Boylesk persona and striptease number. I work to make sure my classroom environment supports a judgement-free atmosphere while also pushing my students to explore outside their creative and personal boundaries.

If you're curious about Boylesk or are already dead set on taking the course, email me at info@gogoharder.com for class registration and details.

And please...

"Help me, help YOU take your clothes off!"

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WHO'S THAT LADY...?

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MEET THE LADY: BURLESQUE! AT 92YTRIBECA

(Objects in fans are closer than they appear.)

This is pretty much the ULTIMATE BURLESQUE SHOW, compiling interviews, film clips, and live performances under that big, beautiful, coyly-clothed umbrella of Burlesque!

Presented and produced by Tom Blunt.

Featuring...

• Onstage interview with burlesque legend JULIE ATLAS MUZ
• Phone Q&A with film actress BETH GRANT (Donnie Darko, Little Miss Sunshine)
• Presentations by singer/songwriter JILL SOBULE and Gypsy Rose Lee biographer KAREN ABBOTT
• Hot performances by IRIS EXPLOSION, GO-GO HARDER, FEM APPEAL and MISS ROSE! Introducing stage-kitten ARIEL ITALIC
• Raffle prizes donated by BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LAB, artist MOLLY CRABAPPLE, and THE PLEASURE CHEST
• After-party with DJ ACCIDENT REPORT (and the Warm Leatherettes)

A word of advice: BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE. This is going to sell out!

Click HERE!

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AND NOW, I SADDLE UP

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Again, many thanks for reading! I'm going to interpretive sparkler dance on a mountain top in your honor July 4th.

LOVE. PEACE. GO-GO.

HARDER!

Help US help YOU take your clothes off!!!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Boys and girls,

And all lovers of "the tease" (and the sleaze)...

In just five days New York City will be drenched in an international, multicultural, glitter-n-balls shower known as the first ever...

NEW YORK BOYLESQUE FESTIVAL!

 With two nights featuring over 30 Boylesque performers including Mr. Exotic World 2010, The Evil Hate Monkey pictured above!
Click here or touch Monkey's banana for tickets and more info!

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

On Saturday April 28th, YOU get the chance to learn all about the A-Z of the G-string and be teacher's pet at the one and only...

BOYLESQUE UNIVERSITY!

There's a class for everyone: history, theatre, dance, and general shenanigans! Read below for more info. All classes will be held at "The Living Room" at the Gershwin Hotel--7 East 27th St btwn (5th/Madison Ave)

A Brief History of the first 120 years of Boylesk:1883- 2003

TEACHER: SCOTT EWALT
TIME: NOON-1PM
COST: $10

Email Here on Facebook

Scott Ewalt's epic documentation of Boylesk is represented in this in depth time-line of photographs and film clips dating from the male burlesque pioneers of the Victorian era to the golden age of Boylesk during the sexual revolution in the mid-twentieth century.

Acting Burlesque

TEACHER: TIGGER!
TIME: 1PM-3PM
COST: $20

tigger@tiggertiger.com

Set the stage on fire! Go from talented to TNT! Build a larger-than-life Burlesque Persona with Tigger! and take your shows and your stage identity to the next level. Tigger! is a recognized pioneer of the current burlesque scene but has been an actor all his life, “acting like a stripper” for 20 years. Using his degree in theatre, his experience teaching college acting, and over 30 years on the stage (both Shakespeare & Shimmy), he employs his theatrical training & perspective to break down what makes a burlesque performer stand out from the herd.
Whatever you do in front of any kind of an audience, You are an Actor. Learn techniques and tips to make the most of what you’ve got.

Dance Technique for Burlesque

TEACHER: HOT TODDY
TIME: 3PM-4:30PM
COST: $20

toddmk313@aol.com

Incorporating jazz technique as well as Broadway style movement, students will learn a variety of steps and moves to incorporate into their burlesque choreography. Special focus will be placed on body isolation & traveling movements culminating in a short but sexy routine! Some dance or movement experience is encouraged but not required.


Sunday April 29th 
 Tassel Twirling for Men

Time: 1:00pm
Teacher: Jonny Porkpie and Jo Boobs Weldon
Cost: $20
More info at:  http://schoolofburlesque.com/boytassel.shtml
 

On Sunday, April 29, as part of the New York Boylesque Festival, "Burlesque Mayor of New York City" Jonny Porkpie teams with NY School of Burlesque Headmistress Jo "Boobs" Weldon to get men in the rotation with "Tassel Twirling for Men". The course description reads: "If ...you've got nipples, you can twirl tassels. If you've got a butt, you can twirl assels. And guess what you need to twirl a tasticle? Put your best chest forward and learn this unique skill from a man (and a woman) who have taught tassel twirling on every part of the body in every part of the world. From NYC to LA, Coney Island to Sydney Harbor, everywhere the globe spins, they've brought the twirl. Tassels, assels, and tasticles provided. Why should girls have all the fun?"

Facial Expressions: or, Avoiding the "Dead-eyed slut doll face."

Though I realized I've probably been beating the proverbial unicorn to death throughout the Intro to Boylesk Class when it comes to the topic of eye contact, I can't help but personally feel that burlesque is an eye contact sport!

(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...)

However, not every situation onstage allows the performer to engage directly with his audience. For instance, you may be on a gigantic theatre stage with blinding lights or perhaps you find yourself in a crowded bar full of people tweeting about being at a burlesque show and brainstorming clever trending hash tags. And, as Jo Weldon Boobs also pointed out during a surprise visit, its physically impossible to make eye contact with every member of one's audience.

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!

JEZEBEL EXPRESS

PEEK-A-BOO POINTE

BOYLESK UNIVERSITY!

Many of you by now know that in three weeks New York City is going to be bombarded by Boylesk performers from around the world for the first ever New York Boylesque Festival! You can click that dashing, albeit nelly Frenchman below for the official festival website, tickets, and a glimpse at the truly amazing gentlemen who will be storming the stage and stripping it all away.

"Hi my name is Pierre, and I want you to touch me..."

(Think of it as a "cacophony of cock," or perhaps a "smorgasbord of sausage," with a generous sprinkling of glitter of course.)

AND... in addition to what will be two amazing shows, there will also be four fantastic BOYLESK WORKSHOPS! Introducing...

BOYLESQUE UNIVERSITY!

Saturday, April 28th

Taught by Scott Ewalt, Tigger!, Hot Toddy, and Go-Go Harder and brought to you by Daniel Nardicio and Thirsty Girl Productions, we cover practically every inch of Boylesque (think yardsticks.) Read below for classes and info:

A Brief History of the first 120 years of Boylesk:1883- 2003

TEACHER: SCOTT EWALT
TIME: NOON-1PM
COST: $10

Scott Ewalt's epic documentation of Boylesk is represented in this in depth time-line of photographs and film clips dating from the male burlesque pioneers of the Victorian era to the golden age of Boylesk during the sexual revolution in the mid-twentieth century.

Acting Burlesque

TEACHER: TIGGER!
TIME: 1PM-3PM
COST: $20

Set the stage on fire! Go from talented to TNT! Build a larger-than-life Burlesque Persona with Tigger! and take your shows and your stage identity to the next level. Tigger! is a recognized pioneer of the current burlesque scene but has been an actor all his life, “acting like a stripper” for 20 years. Using his degree in theatre, his experience teaching college acting, and over 30 years on the stage (both Shakespeare & Shimmy), he employs his theatrical training & perspective to break down what makes a burlesque performer stand out from the herd.
Whatever you do in front of any kind of an audience, You are an Actor. Learn techniques and tips to make the most of what you’ve got.

Dance Technique for Burlesque

TEACHER: HOT TODDY
TIME: 3PM-4:30PM
COST: $20

Incorporating jazz technique as well as Broadway style movement, students will learn a variety of steps and moves to incorporate into their burlesque choreography. Special focus will be placed on body isolation & traveling movements culminating in a short but sexy routine! Some dance or movement experience is encouraged but not required.

 
The Superman Strip!

TEACHER: GO-GO HARDER
TIME: 4:30PM-6PM
COST: $20

It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's... a somewhat bedazzled, exotic Boylesk dancer!
Like superheroes? Love taking off your clothes? Perfect, because Harder is dedicated to transform you from the boy-next-door into the sex-bomb boy wonder! We'll examine how to apply Boylesk and striptease basics to everyday clothing--think hipster nerd--and learn the A-Z of the g-string!
Please bring a nerd look composed of clothing from home (think slacks, button down shirt, sweater, glasses, and especially a tie and belt.) Also, bring a pair of boxers or underwear and a g-string or jock strap. We'll create a routine that you can add your own stripper spin to and reveal your Boylesk bombshell!

Check back for class location. For any questions regarding specific classes, email me at info@gogoharder.com and I'll point your pencil in the right direction.

Freshly Sleazed Boylesk!

The Intro to Boylesk Class is officially over half way through as of yesterday! After several cups of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and some quality deli danishes (gluten free pbj for me), the students showed the first drafts of their boylesk stripteases, and let me tell you, its going to be one hell of a showcase! There's going to be a variety of sexy, queer, bizarre pieces including everything from James Bond to Madame X with plenty of leather and a few sequins as well (if I have anything to say about it.) The class and I were even so fortunate to have the headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, Miss Jo Weldon Boobs herself pop in and offer some feed back whilst the boys popped off their clothes.

(What I'm sure is certainly a candid photo, the one and only Miss Jo Boobs!)

So... its with great pleasure to fill you in on the official details of where the clothes will be coming off...

FRESHLY SLEAZED: The Intro to Boylesk Showcase!

(Still, from Pink Narcissus)

Proudly bringing you a brawny, ballzy revue that's 100% man--not from concentrate! Featuring the Intro to Boylesk Class students, these novice strip teasers have been learning the A-Z of the G-string for 7 weeks and now finally show YOU what they’ve learned—and what they’re made of!

Each boy will perform his own class-crafted Boylesk routine, PLUS, special performances by myself, Go-Go Harder, and one of the "alums" from my first class, Mr. Go-Go Gadget pictured below!

 

 (Photo by State of Emergency)

And... raffle prizes by The Pleasure Chest, free donut holes and sticky sweet nibbles and treats, and $5 Bloody Mary's and screwdrivers!

Come hungry because we're serving up a menu that’s heavy on the meat with a piece for every appetite!

Sunday, April 22nd
1pm door/2pm show
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn Bleecker/East Houston St), near the F, V subways
$8

 

To continue to inspire the students (and myself for that matter) I hope you enjoy a few videos by some incredibly fantastic burlesque and boylesk performers. It's my opinion that any number can continue to be improved and watching performers like those below continue to motivate me to do just that. Enjoy! 

 

DIRTY MARTINI

 

EVIL HATE MONKEY

MS. TICKLE