The New York Burlesque School

From New York, where American Burlesque Striptease was born...
...the NY School of Burlesque combines direct training from the most glamourous performers of the 1940s-1960s with the mischief and creativity of the most prolific neo-burlesque scene in the world!

The New York School of Burlesque gives you access to amazing and experienced teachers with a real commitment to joyous, dazzling burlesque, and a love of performance. These teachers will fully engage and inspire you! We are the first, the original, and the most fun burlesque school in NYC. We're not jumping on the burlesque bandwagon--we built it! We have been producing classes for 7 years, as well as producing DVDs and handbooks. We produce student showcases from some of our classes, presenting NYC's newest burlesque performers. Join the feathery, fringe-y fun!

More classes for August and September will be added shortly! Join our email list (see the left hand column of this page) to be notified when they become available.

Headmistress Jo Weldon performing with Storybook Burlesque at The Burlesque Handbook show.

Take our Classic Moves class, perfect for beginners or anyone who wants to learn the basics of burlesque. Get in touch with the history of sensual, magnetic, powerful women, and become part of that history yourself! You'll learn to bump, grind, shimmy, peel, and twirl tassels from the originals, the teachers who started it all in NYC! Enjoy the sparkle of rhinestones, the flash of fringe, the dreamy drop of a boa...
Tuesday August 10, 7-9
Preregistration required.
$30.00. Click below to pay and register.


"Your Face For The World To See!"
exclusively presented by World Famous *BOB*!!
learn the beauty tricks of showgirls, burlesque stars, & drag queens all in one class! *BOB*'s brilliant ability to channel glamour girls such as Liz Renay, Jayne Mansfield, & Marilyn Monroe will be shared in this demonstration only two hour class. Learn how to apply lashes, lash customization, lip tricks- glitter application, liner, proper base & more!
Bring a notebook, pen, questions, & pictures of your favorite makeup style! More Info / Enroll

Flirting with Burlesque
One of our most popular classses! More Info / Enroll

Hula Hoop with Miss Saturn
HULA HOOPING FOR AN AUDIENCE. This workshop can apply to any type of prop manipulation in performing as well as all levels of performers. We will focus on cultivating a performer's "bag of tricks." We will work beginnings, middles, and ends, attempt to strip away extraneous movement, incorporate exercises that bring focus from inward to outward thus sharpening the performer/audience relationship, and finally looking at different techniques in handling nervous energy. Please come with shoes you like to perform in or a costume piece that will help you organically get in touch with your performer "persona." It helps to bring something that is not apart of your day to day-for example if you never wear lip stick or a bowler hat trying wearing it during the workshop. It does not matter how developed the "persona" is. Come to play. More Info / Enroll

Bachelorette, Birthday, and Other Events
We are the original burlesque party providers. Don't risk hiring someone who's just jumping on the burlesque bandwagon. Trust your event to our experience and expertise, and treat yourself and your friends to a fabulous class! More Info

The Essential Burlesque Dance Series
Want to take the entire series of beginner burlesque dance classes? Learn all the moves that make burlesque so much fun: the sexy shimmy, the tantalizing glove peel, the devastating bump n grind, and the dazzling tassel-twirl, chair dance, fan dance, and more! More Info / Enroll

August 29, noon-7 pm. NYC, location TBA.
By frequent request, we are producing a costume intensive! Learn all about burlesque costuming! You can bring your costumes and images of costumes to class. You'll learn the basics of classic costuming in the first section, plus the essentials of making street clothes into costumes in the second half, incorporating our Stripping Out of Street Clothes class. You'll learn how to lace and trim a corset, and how to purchase stockings and gloves. There will be tips for making headdresses, go-go costumes, and more! Plus, every student will make a pair of tasseled pasties, all materials provided. Includes burlesque dance howto DVD. $175. Please bring a copy of The Burlesque Handbook to class, available on amazon.com or wherever books are sold. No dropins, as class size is limited. Click button to register!

  Burlesque Dance and Choreography
Get your burlesque groove on! More Info / Enroll

The Classes
Most classes are suitable for beginners as well as for experienced performers who are interested in learning the vocabulary of burlesque. Classes are suitable for entertainment purposes or training to perform. For more information, see the schedule.