The Best Kind of Tease
Written by Monica Anderson
Thursday, 18 June 2009 17:32
My first Burlesque 101 lesson, taught by the beautiful Bella Blue, consisted of me in the bathroom of the All Ways Lounge with two half-naked women applying sparkly pasties and a serious amount of glitter. It was field trip day, and we’d all piled into a car and gone to open mic night at the All Ways with an open invitation to perform a burlesque number on stage. Bella Blue and another student performed and the audience loved their "coy-yet-feisty" moves; one lucky audience member even got pulled up on stage.
A month ago I knew close to nothing about burlesque, “the art of the tease.” I got my first taste by watching the Fleur de Tease troupe perform at One Eyed Jacks. The theme was “Alice in Burlesqueland,” and the show completely blew me away. Its complexity mirrored the concept of an old-school variety show, and featured dance pieces by the lovely ladies of Fleur de Tease, magic acts, and guest aerialists.
The show was completely packed, and I was surprised by the number of couples in attendance. Everyone was hooting and hollering, which is only to be expected, adding to the already lively scene. The dancing was sensual and exotic, yet innocent and good-natured, more “romantic evening” than “raunchy strip club and hand grenades on Bourbon Street.”
From a technical perspective, the dancing and choreography were great; Rory Wrey, who played the Mad Hatter, even performed her piece in pointe shoes, which made my jaw drop. Other acts included Lily Summers as Alice, Sarah the Bobcat, an aerialist performing as the Caterpillar, and Lester and Marion on the trapeze as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. Natasha Fiore danced as the Queen of Hearts, Magic Mike performed card tricks, and Bella Blue danced as The Jack. Each act wowed the audience with sensuality and humor, as well as technical prowess.
The first time I met Bella Blue, she stepped out of her car in a glittery top, green sunglasses, and had some bitchin' wedges on her feet. The first thing that strikes you about Bella is how incredibly tiny, toned and muscular she is. I got a tour of the Crescent Lotus dance studio (3143 Calhoun Street), then we walked over to Robert's Bar to grab a drink and talk before class. As a recent college graduate with a dance background, I was particularly interested in the business of working as a professional dancer in New Orleans.
When I asked Bella to describe a typical day in her life, she laughed and remarked that no day is ever “typical.” Generally, she wakes up early, makes breakfast and takes her two boys to school. For the beginning half of the week, Bella spends her day promoting and networking, setting up gigs, distributing fliers, and spending time with her kids. Thursday, she says, is when her real workweek starts (at least as far as gigs go). She teaches classes at night, go go dances at Harrah's, and takes on modeling gigs. This sounds like the life: an ever-changing schedule with an emphasis on flexibility.
We began to talk about dancing professionally in the city and how she got her start. A New Orleans native, she always knew she wanted to dance and studied all types growing up, though not necessarily to pursue a professional career. Around February, 2007, she was twenty-five years old and working as a dental assistant. She was corresponding with Trixie Minx of Fleur de Tease, and a light bulb went off. One thing led to another, Bella auditioned, and she became a member of the dance troupe. The number of gigs began to grow and last summer, Bella decided to start a Burlesque 101 class at the Crescent Lotus studio. The very first class had thirteen students. Now, the class size hovers around 15 ladies, and business is booming.
The concept of taking a Burlesque 101 class is extremely appealing and empowering; the classes are focused on the beauty of the each individual as she is, no matter what age, shape, or size. In a deliciously uninhibited environment, Burlesque 101 offers the dual perks of exercise and learning some new moves to impress your man. The classes I attended were relaxed and fun, and any place that I can put on some fishnets and heels is my kind of place. 
A few tasty bits of information you will want to know about the lovely Miss Bella Blue:
Favorite color: Vampy red
Celebrity girl crush: Kat von D
Is the glass half full or half empty? Half full…always
What past decade would you fit in? 1950's. It would be interesting to watch when burlesque was initiated.
Favorite drink: Firefly and water with lemon
Femme fatale or the innocent good girl? The bipolar character that's both
Vices: Clove cigarettes
Embarrassing fashion choices of the past: Bootleg jeans don't suit me
Guilty pleasures: Glitter...it's kind of my shtick. Sephora has a great glitter spray.
Pet peeves: Misspelling. I hate, hate, hate text talk.
Newcomers and non-dancers, do not fret: you’ll feel absolutely comfortable in the Burlesque 101 classes, so pull on some fishnets, grab your high heels and come get a peek. Ladies, channel your inner vamp. Gentlemen, get ready to pick your jaws up off the floor.
Bella Blue
coming soon: thebellalounge.com
Burlesque 101
Monday 6:30PM-7:30PM at the All Ways Lounge (2240 St. Claude Ave)
Thursday 6:30PM-7:30PM at the Crescent Lotus Dance Studio (3143 Calhoun Street)
Thursday, July 09th the All Ways Lounge will be hosting a student show featuring the ladies from the classes, so be sure to come see some lovely and talented students perform.
Thursdays: The Storyville Starlettes 9PM & 11PM at Yo Mama's (727 St. Peter St.)
The Fleur de Tease show returns to One Eyed Jacks in September.
Read about Tara Jill's trip to Burlesque 101 here
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