By Vanessa Chircop
KATE Bryant has moves that would make Dita Von Teese and Cher green with envy.
The trained classical, tap, jazz and contemporary dancer wants to share her skills with Hobsons Bay.
Kate will be offering burlesque dance lessons at The Substation, starting next week.
But don’t get the wrong idea about her classes.
“Burlesque has a bit of a smutty reputation but traditionally it’s not like that and that’s not the way I teach,” she said.
Having worked with numerous burlesque dancers over the last few years, Kate’s classy, polished, traditional technique has evolved using time-honoured music and stylish, elegant choreography.
“I try really hard to choose the right music carefully.
“A really wise song choice – you hear it and just want to move to it.”
For Kate, the increasingly popular genre of dance is one of the most glamorous, enjoyable ways of exploring femininity whilst improving strength and flexibility.
She hopes the classes will encourage new ways for people to get fit, teaching skills you can’t learn at the gym.
“Boring exercise can be really uninspiring and make you resent it,” she said.
“But burlesque is also about how you hold yourself, your posture and how you walk and carry yourself.
“It can improve your self-esteem and confidence and allow you to let go of your inhibitions.”
Kate has choreographed in Australia and overseas with several of her students having gone on to achieve professional success.
Classes start on Wednesday 8 February for information visit www.thesubstation.org.au.