Well I didn’t part any seas…or even puddles..and I’ve spent plenty of time in the desert without getting lost…and I prefer a tablet computer to a stone tablet…but I have got my own Burlesque Commandments.

Just thought I’d share them with you – cause…well. Look at number 9. Why not. Would love to hear of anyone else's golden rules.

10 Commandments

1) The day you stop learning, you stop improving.

2) Look like you’re worth every penny – and then some.

3) Innovators beat imitators every time.

4) When in doubt – think Drag.

5) You can always find room for another Rhinestone.

6) If you don’t think you can do it – why should anyone else?

7) Practise makes perfect.

8) The audience like those who love it.

9) Why not? You never know – take that chance, help out another performer and don’t ignore opportunity when it’s kicking down the door..

10) Have fun!

1)     The day you stop learning, you stop improving.

I love learning new skills – whether they are performing, dance, costuming or just something new that I never even though of doing. In November alone, I have Charleston Lessons, Fire eating lessons and will learn how to make the perfect skirt for a new costume. So I admit to always being a touch surprised when I met performers who seem to feel they’ve learnt enough. The performers who continue learning and pushing their limits are the performers who continue to improve and after talking to quite a few of my burlesque idols & inspirations, they all admit to constantly trying to expand their knowledge and ability.

2)     Look like you’re worth every penny – and then some.

You want the audience to not feel cheated? You want promoters to start paying you a decent sum? Then look like you’ll be giving them their money worth. A good costume doesn’t make a good performer, but it sure as hell helps disguise a poor one.  Oh – an off the rack purchase does not a costume make. There is no excuse for not even trying to customise and there are plenty of costuming money saving short cuts to take. But don’t expect to rock up in a polyester hen night outfit and be headlining. My rule of thumb, learnt from a Burlesque Hero, is to budget 10 times what you hope to charge for the routine on a costume. 

3)     Innovators beat imitators every time.

Are you a tribute artist or an original? Unless you are marketing yourself as a tribute artist then don’t copy. It’s amazing how quickly gossip moves in this industry and that coupled with the internet means copycats are found out every time. You may think it’s a generic idea, but by copying the costume, music and feel of the routine, you’re just making enemies and making yourself appear lazy & uncaring. Not exactly high praise. Oh and if you are a tribute artist, follow Carrie Ann O’Dell example and pay extra close attention to costuming and choreography. 

4)     When in doubt – think Drag.

Glitter and feathers are never going to help bring out your inner wallflower. Face it now and accept that sometimes you just have to supercharge the glamour. If you’re unsure – add height to the hair and glitter to everything.

5) You can always find room for another Rhinestone.

                Seriously – I’ve even seen performers rhinestone the underside of their shoes. You don’t need to rhinestone up to be a performer – but if you’re going down the glamour route they really are your best friend.                   

6) If you don’t think you can do it or are any good – why should anyone else?

This doesn’t apply to newbies – we’ve all been there. This does apply to those who should know better. Sometimes an act will go wrong – and sometimes it will go seriously wrong. You know it, We know it – and there’s a chance the audience knows it. Spending the rest of the evening backstage agonising over it and asking if it was ok and if you should stop performing isn’t helping anyone.  

And while we’re on the subject. Popping up on Facebook & Twitter under your stage name and agonising over whether you’re a good performer or not, or if you should quit is another no-no. Why would any promoter book someone who might decide tomorrow that they don’t want to perform anymore? And the same goes for announcing you’re quitting if you aren’t 100% sure. Much better to announce you’re taking a break if you need to make any big decisions.

7) Practise makes perfect.

We’ve all had to wing it on occasion. But knowing your routine inside & out will make any cover ups look so much smoother. Practise is also the key to making it look as though it’s natural. And a mirror is your best friend – just cause a move looks great on one person, it can make another look like a clumsy troll.

8) The audience like those who love it.

Watching a live show should be an amazing experience. Some of the best performers, bands and singers make every audience feel special and they are loved for it. That’s why people will pay to see them and not just spend the evening at home with Youtube.  The worst thing you can do is ignore or glaze over the audience – that’s the quickest way to lose their interest & sympathy. And seriously – why wouldn’t you love them? They’re cheering you!

9) Why not? 

You never know – take that chance, help out another performer and don’t ignore opportunity when it’s kicking down the door..
Sometimes that chance meeting, conversation or visit will provide you with an amazing opportunity. Oh, and don’t be selfish backstage. If you can help out someone, then why not? You pay it forward in the hope that one day you’ll be helped out when needed.

10) Have fun! 

How lucky are we to be performing? Life is good, enjoy! 

I've recently had a flurry of e-mails asking advise about burlesque
names and help on choosing one.

Your stage name has to do quite a lot for a name. You have to like it,
it should be memorable and above all it should be unique (please google
every combination in a variety of spellings - as you can be assured that
fans won't always remember how to spell your name and you'd be amazed at
what could come up). 

Some ground rules:

1) There are a lot of performers out there and it is very easy for the
public to get confused among all the newbies calling themselves ' Kitty,
Dolly and Rose" same goes for wannabe Scarletts, Cherry, Rubys and most
variations on the colour Red. Sure you can use them, but you'll have to
work four times as hard to stand out with your acts. 

2) An homage? More like straightforward rip off - and not a bright move.
Calling yourself after a famous performer from the past is a bad idea.
You're not going to compare favourably - no matter how good you are.
They may well still be alive (and you do not want to piss those ladies
off). And anyone typing the name into search engines is going to be
easily confused by the variation in results.
Same goes for anyone even thinking of 'borrowing a name'. One of the easiest 
ways to piss off a promoter, and audience and the rest of the scene. 
Always google & facebook to double check it really isn't already being used.

So much comes into finding the right name, the personality you
want to project, the type of performances you want to do, they way you
look and act. E-mailing me and asking if it's a good name isn't really
the way to go about finding your perfect one. I can tell you which one I
prefer but without meeting you I can't tell you if it suits you or your
style. 

One piece of advice I can give, is play with word association. Think of
the character your creating and then brainstorm words & descriptions.
Take a break and when you return see which ones jump out at you. Grab a
thesaurus and comb through if you need help. Then add in your favourite
names and see which ones work together. A glass of wine and a friend
with a sense of humour will help, 

It is hard to find 'your name'. Some people  find their name -
and know that's the one. Others try out names and then grow into them
and others find they've been given the perfect name.
Plenty of performers have started out with one name and ended with another
 so don't feel that you have to live with the one you chose.

Oh and my last piece of advice - the one I wish I'd known? Ask a drunk guy to pronounce it.
If it passes then you should be safe from most compares renaming you.

For more tips on finding your name visit http://resources.ministryofburlesque.com/questions/27/How+Do+I+Choose+A+Burlesque+Name%3F