When do I stop being a 'newbie'
It is a privilege, not a right, to step on stage.
This is the best piece of advice I have ever gotten. An always present reminder that, while burlesque has a great DIY vibes and access, it is a performance. As such, it is an absolute privilege to entertain an audience. It's definitely not a right. Nor is it a chance to work out your body issues in front of an audience.
But how do you go from being a "newbie" to a more established performer. At what point do you stop being new?
This is a hard question. A lot of performers find it hard to know when they aren't a 'newbie' anymore. Or how they can jump out of the 'newbie' category into a bigger pond.
Unfortunately, there's no one right or clear pathway. It's not like you can get a promotion instantly in the burlesque industry. Or that you graduate from 'newbie' after meeting a sales target or gaining a qualification. There's a blurry line as you move throughout your career. But if I could go back as a newer performer and tell myself anything, it would be:
Don't rush it
There are huge benefits to being a new or emerging burlesque artist that we often forget. So desperate to shed ourselves of a 'newbie' tag, that the benefits are overlooked.
One of the great things about being tagged an 'emerging' performer is that you can experiment. You have time to learn about:
what style of burlesque you love
what style of performance suits you
how the audience responds to you
And there's a huge risk in trying to jump out of the 'newbie' pond too soon. If you try to present yourself outside this category to early you can do yourself a disservice. You may not yet have the skills to meet the expectations of an audience. This is bad for the audience, who can become disenchanted with you as a performer. And it can ultimately wreak havoc with your own self- esteem as a performer.
Talk to a trusted performer
If you don't' know when to make the jump (so to speak), talk another performers. Ask their advice about your journey and where they see you heading.
I say this with a clear caveat: Don't take this advice as an open invitation to start e-mailing every performer and bombard them with questions. It's not a good idea to contact thirty different artists in the hope of getting thirty comments about how amazing you are. Talk to someone who you feel can give you valuable advice. It can even be worth booking a professional workshop that is specifically focused on career development.
Take advice
If you are committed to improving your performance style and want advice from professional performers, make sure you are prepared for the advice that comes your way. And, if you get the advice, take it and decide what to do with it. You may not like what comes your way, but most people will give you the good and the bad. Run with it.
No one performer can give you an exact deadline about your career. But seeking an honest, and trustworthy piece of advice can give you some much needed guidance about your trajectory: your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Take advantage of the guidance. Give yourself time to plan and to evaluate your place in the industry. You can really consider the areas where you really can shine; the areas where you might need more 1-1 assistance or any specific skills you want to work through.
Apply for some "prestigious" newcomer centred shows
One of the most straightforward ways to get an indication of how you are moving as a 'newcomer' is to apply for shows aimed at your market, but that have some prestige attached to them. There are heaps of different opportunities from the ‘Baby Bombshells’ event to Burlesque Idol - even applying for gigs outside your home state. In short, there are always opportunities for newer artists to present themselves and apply for events in this area that have a cachet attached to them.
My word of caution is that some of these events can be competition focused. Not everyone works well in these circumstances. You might prefer simply treading the boards, building up a steady number of shows and evolve organically. That is also absolutely fine and if you see a steady stream of bookings you know you are on the right track.
Be proactive
If you want to move on up don't wait to be asked. Get proactive about your career. Think about what performance opportunities are available and where you would like to perform. It might be festivals or a recurring event. Or a producer or performer that you have flagged you really want to work with. Think about the potential opportunities and where you might be able to fit in.
Look the part
You can’t expect to book more gigs if you don’t have the goods to back yourself up. Make sure you have some good quality images (live or posed) and decent quality footage of one or two of your most performed acts. Once you have a small folio developed, you will actually have something to pitch to performers or producers.
If you have found somewhere interesting or appropriate, there is nothing wrong with outlining your act, sending a footage and photo link to a producer to consider. No one will know you are interested unless you ask. But you can't pitch yourself properly without some footage and photos.
Prepare for rejection
You might get together all the footage, photos and proposals in the world together. But the relative is you cannot be everyone's cup of tea. And you are competing in an industry that has more performers than I've had hot dinners. Be prepared for rejection and try not to take it personally. Being knocked back for a festival or event is part of life. It doesn't make you a terrible performer. You might just not be to someone's taste/fit an event theme/ not quite with the experience required. Rejection is a part of any career, and burlesque is no exception.
Enjoy
Enjoy being a newbie! New isn't a dirty word. It's an honest reflection of where you are at one moment in a (hopefully) long and enjoyable career. And the great thing is that you are in a perfect position to be planning your future, and perfecting your stagecraft without a huge amount of pressure.
There isn't a magic number of shows that you can tick off before you get to stop being a 'newbie'. Some artists can get a few shows under their belt and be ready to take on industry heavyweights. Some performers may take a longer time to hit their stride. Both paths are valid and can both give you that career longevity. It comes down to being honest with yourself and where your act development is.
A final word.
I don't know if anyone stops being totally 'new' on some level. You never stop critiquing, improving or gaining advice from other artists. And no matter how many beginner or bump and grind classes I've taken, I always learn something new. There's always room to improve or to extend yourself whatever your pay grade.