Courses & Resources
This list represents a small sample of the burlesque courses & materials Chocolate City Burlesque Academy plans to offer. Feel free to pitch your own class, handout, or workshop!
01
Burlesque Basics
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Writing a Burlesque Bio
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Burlesque Costuming
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Bump-n-Grind for All Bodies
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Parade-n-Peel for All Bodies
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The Art of the Striptease
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Stage Kittening
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Burlesque Branding & Marketing
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Act Development​
02
Intermediate Courses
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Comedic Burlesque
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Slow Burn Burlesque
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Shake Dancing
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Boa Basics
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Fan Dancing
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Modeling & Self-Photography
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Floorwork for Burlesque
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Producing a Burlesque Show
03
Advanced Courses
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Designing Burly Props
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Acrobatics & Flexibility
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Traveling Performer Basics
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Choreography for Groups
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Starting a Burlesque Troupe
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Producing a Burlesque Festival
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Private Gigs 101
04
Library Materials & Handouts
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Preparing for Showday
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DMV Local Producers & Shows​
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Burlesque Performance Genres
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Burlesque-Friendly Grants​
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Private Gig Toolkit
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Traveling Artist Toolkit
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Burlesque Book List
About Dean Bebe Bardeaux
I began stage kittening in 2012, and it changed my life forever. After happily kittening for four years, I made my official burlesque debut as Bebe Bardeaux in 2017. I started a burlesque blog soon after, which led to much research and writing on burlesque and pin-up history. In 2019, I started working on the forthcoming book Shake Queens, a fun and retro historical account of shake dancers during the 1930s-1970s. This research catapulted me into the world of burlesque resources, literature, and education, and I soon began teaching students all over the country with the DC Gurly Show, BurlyCon, New York School of Burlesque, the Philadelphia Burlesque Academy, the Rose Academy of Burlesque, and more. My dedication to research and teaching earned me coveted spots as #46 on the 2021 Burlesque Top 50 and #19 on the 2024 Burlesque Top 50 lists, presented by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine. Now, I am ready to build a passionate administrative team so we can collectively apply our knowledge to the creation of a diverse, inclusive DMV-focused burlesque academy!
Bebe's Teaching Highlights
Charm City Burlesque Festival
September 2024
Rose Academy of Burlesque
May 2021
New York School of Burlesque
2020-2022
BurlyCon
2020-2023
Philadelphia Burlesque Academy
February 2019, 2022
Afrotease
January 2019, 2023
"Beyond the Basics: Burlesque Costuming for All Levels"
"Bump, Grind, Shake & Quake: A Retro Dance Intensive"
"Shake It Up: Shake Dancing in History and Practice"
Member of Board of Directors; November 2019 BurlyCon presenter - "Shake It Up: Shake Dancing in History and Practice"
"Black Burlesque History"
2019: "Shake It Up: Shake Dancing in History and Practice"
2023: "From Backstage to Center Stage: Purrfecting Your Stage Kitten Skills"
Chocolate City Burlesque Academy
April - May 2025 (Upcoming)
"Spring Burlesque History Institute" (6 classes)