How To Burlesque

In our monthly column How To Burlesque, Miss Frankie Tease brings you tips and advice on a mishmash of burly topics. Today, she dishes on how to warm-up while on stage.

After a major injury to my hamstring, I can tell you that warming up is the most important thing you can do for yourself before performing. Take 30 seconds to do this right before going on stage.

Breathe deeply through your nose and think about your four major muscle groups -- the chest, legs, back and stomach. Here are a couple warm-ups per muscle group to get you started.

Chest warm-ups: Hold your arms straight out and do mini circles, put arms straight overhead while clasping hands and wiggling your middle.

Leg warms-ups: Go down into a complete squat. Watch that your knees are pointed the same direction of your toes. Standing in place, bend one knee fully while straightening the other (this also hits the hip flexors). Do this at least 10 times per side.

Back warm-ups: Make a figure 8 with your hips. Try reaching with your shoulders while doing this.

Stomach warm-ups: Roll your stomach while tucking your pelvis in, and then tailbone out do this about 10 times.

How To Burlesque

In our monthly column How To Burlesque, Miss Frankie Tease, left, brings you tips and advice on a mishmash of burly topics. Today, she dishes on how to create your stage persona.

The most important thing about your name, and persona, is that it fits you with ease and the second is that it's catchy and easy to remember. To get started on creating your stage persona, answer a few of my questions below.

~ What is memorable about you at a glance? For example, are you long, tall, short, fat, well endowed up top or bottom? Do you have big round eyes? Do you have a tiny waist? Use what your Momma gave you to be remembered.

~ What will you do for a party trick? Do you sing or do acrobatics, balancing acts or shimmy tricks. If you can produce the same trick every time, it could be part of your long term act.

~ Write your name out. Do you like how it looks? Imagine signing it 1000 times. Imagine it as embroidery. Imagine it as a website. Is it workable? Changing names is a bit of a dreary prospect, because of the confusion and the energy to get your name out. My advice? Think long and hard and pick a winner the first time if possible.

Finally, ask friends. Often the best names are given to us whimsically as a friend tries to put who we are in a nutshell.

How To Burlesque

In our new monthly column How To Burlesque, Miss Frankie Tease brings you tips and advice on a mishmash of burly topics. Today, she dishes on how to clean patent leather accessories.

You know those scuffs or spills on your patent leather accessories? Your own household item will take them off. Nail polish remover will get rid of any scuffs or stains on patent leather, without any damage. It might even make them shine a bit brighter.

Just start with a soft cloth or cotton pad. Dowse the cloth with a bit of nail polish remover. Wipe. Let it evaporate, then use a dry cloth to buff. You may end up cleaning your accessories in their entirety when you see how sparkly they get.