Show me how you burlesque dance choreography
Show Me How You Burlesque Intro
Show Me How You Burlesque
In this class, you will learn an original jazz choreography
by Radhanath Thialan. You will also receive a history of Musical Theatre and list of terminology. This is a class not to be missed! :)
Book Now
Originally from Malaysia, Radhanath Thialan (Rad) had been dancing all around the world since he was 10. He studied dance at Dua Space Dance Theatre Academy and studied with Anthony Meh, Aman Yap, Gan Yee Fen, and Yap Pui Mun. Recently, Rad was nominated and earned his membership as a Member of the International Dance Council (CID). He holds an MFA in Dance - Choreography at University of California, Irvine. Rad is currently the Associates Artistic Director and Education Director at Yaya Dance Academy. Rad performed at Segerstrom’s Renée & Henry Concert Hall in 2017, now choreographer for Pacific Symphony’s Spring Festival Concert, “Love Banquet”, for 3 consecutive years when he collaborated with the renowned conductor Mr. Carl St. Clair. The “Love Banquet” Spring Gala launched at the Segerstrom Concert Hall, becoming Pacific Symphony’s best banquet concert of the year. His students at Yaya Dance Academy were published in the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, Rad and Yaya’s choreography – Happy Valley, was invited by the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) to perform at their finals in May 2021 in Florida. In 2020, with some of Rad’s choreography, Yaya Dance Academy was ranked first overall at the mainstream dance competition, Kids Artistic Revue, in the US and also received the “Best Studio of 2020” award. Currently, Rad is also working on a dance documentary project highlighting Dance Artists of Malaysia with award winning director Ee Theng, and writer Fang-Ning Lim along with a group of artists here in California. The documentary is planned to submitted to the Oscars by the end of 2022 and hopefully be aired on Netflix. During his school years, Rad graduated with honors and outstanding choreographer award at the University of California, Irvine, earning a BFA in Choreography, he also earned the highest honors award at Scottsdale Community College with three associates degrees in two years where he danced and toured with Instinct Dance Corps.
He was lucky to have worked with Lar Lubovitch, Amir Kolben, Noa Wertheim, SiZheng Wang, Betsy Fisher just to name a few. While in UCI, he was also offered several scholarships and was chosen as the only student choreographer to premier a work in 2017 in Shanghai. He was also fortunate to be selected to spend a month in Israel learning methodology and reps from artistic directors of Kolben Dance Company, Vertigo Dance Company and Gaga technique at Batsheva. He’s main choreographic style is contemporary concert dance, often inspired by relatable human matters and his Malaysian Identity. His thought provoking works tends to encourage viewers to think beyond the works but reflect upon society.
The Music of “Burlesque,” and Hollywood’s History of Depicting Sex Work — afterglow
With a dazzling soundtrack teeming with powerhouse vocals, 2010’s “Burlesque” is a flashy display of the cabaret scene through the eyes of stars like Christina Aguilera and Cher. But the gaudiness of the soundtrack brings up the negative depictions of sex workers that Hollywood likes to perpetuate.
In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.
Written by Adam Cherian
Images courtesy of Screen Gems De Line Pictures
“Burlesque” is a 2010 movie that subverts the classic “girl from a small town trying to make it in the big city” trope, adding in the element of burlesque performances. The soundtrack is filled to the brim with classic sounding burlesque songs, starring vocals led by Christina Aguilera and Cher. Despite the film’s glamourous depiction of burlesque, the soundtrack, along with the story itself, follow in the steps of the dangerous trend of glorifying sex work in a way that does not accurately depict the profession.
The young ingenue of the movie, Ali Rose (played by Aguilera), is trying to make it big in Hollywood as a singer.
She soon finds that it’s not all glitz and glamor: after moving to Hollywood, she encounters many challenges, including unemployment. She finds comfort in performing at the local show bar, “Burlesque Lounge,” that’s run by house madame Tess (played by Cher). Throughout the movie, Ali changes the idea of what burlesque performance — which typically consists of lip syncing and choreography — is by incorporating her live vocals into her acts. The soundtrack is reflective of this: songs like “Tough Lover,” and “But I’m a Good Girl,” are classic tracks typical of burlesque shows. They feature the sexual, yet playful nature of burlesque, as well as give the audience a chance to enjoy Aguilera’s stellar vocal performance.
The film uses other tracks, like the beautifully performed “Bound to You,” as a device to move the plot forward. These songs on the soundtrack are more pop-oriented and deviate from traditional burlesque style but still incorporate elements of the genre through strings and a classic-sounding 20th century musical style.
The campy modern-pop twist on show tunes makes the soundtrack one of the most remarkable elements of the film alongside its glamorous makeup and costuming, but its grandeur creates a façade that, along with the movie’s plot, ultimately masks the dark reality of Hollywood’s glamorization of sex work.
One must first understand the history of burlesque as it pertains to sex work. Burlesque has always existed in close proximity to the world of sex work and sexual revolutions. Specifically, it is a type of performance where the performer puts on an oftentimes sexy caricature, typically through choreography. Though there are obvious differences with the work performed, burlesque is often thought of as a form of dancing similar to stripping. To say the two are not at all related is inaccurate, and adds to the idea of the hierarchy of sex work, which labels some paths in the profession as inherently “better” than others. This hierarchy is based on how much physical contact a sex worker has with their client.
The ones on the top are typically cam girls or porn stars, and the ones on the bottom are full service workers who “walk the stroll.”
The movie’s soundtrack is complicated in that it showcases inaccurate depictions of sex work, but does so in a manner that does not come across as particularly harmful outright. For example, in the song “But I’m a Good Girl,” Ali is performing in a very flirtatious, yet sexy manner. The song is about a girl whose partner buys everything for them, and they do not have to lift a finger. The lyrics, “They all say, ‘darling, what did you do for those pearls?’” perfectly exemplify the sentiment.
Though this is a sort of jokingly cute song, the implications of a woman using her body to get everything from a man can inadvertently glorify the concept of sex as a service, or the female body as a commodity. In reality, sex work is a laborious profession, in which discrimination runs rampant. The concept of using a man for his money as a sex worker is an old trope that does not take into account the massive amounts of danger this industry holds.
Another example of this glorification is “Show Me How You Burlesque,” a fun call-to-action song meant to inspire the club-goers to get up and dance in the movie. In it, the sentiments of being a strong woman that can make money by charming men is proudly exclaimed through gaudy lyrics: “Don't need a sugar daddy, she can work it just fine.” Although seemingly harmless upon the initial listen, the meaning behind the track supports the false notion that “charming” men is easy work and any woman can do it, making it a gross simplification of what sex work entails.
Although these instances may seem like small problems, the glorification of sex work is indicative of a bigger issue with Hollywood. Sex workers rarely get to tell their own stories about their experiences. This leads to film executives, a demographic that is, both notably and unsurprisingly, mostly men, telling their stories for them. This further perpetuates the harm sex workers face by giving audiences different ideas of what sex work is without taking into the account the perspective of a real-life professional.
“Burlesque” is a campy musical that retells a tale as old as time, with the extravagant elements of the showgirl performance style separating it from the rest. Despite the flashy performances in the film, its soundtrack exposes its delusions of grandeur when listeners realize that there seems to be a disconnect between the cast’s portrayals and the real lives of burlesque dancers. Its inaccurate depiction of hardships that come with the profession perpetuates harm to the sex work community, making “Burlesque” a prime example of how Hollywood co-opts stories of vulnerable populations. To best avoid this in the future, the industry should make more accurate stories of sex workers, using them as a the primary source.
Media and MusicAfterglow ATXadam cherian, media and music
0 LikesChristina Aguilera - Sho) | Lyrics and Russian translation
- Lyrics
- Christina Aguilera
- Sho)
Show me how you burlesque
Underneath the city lights
There is a world few know about
Where rules don't apply, no
And you can't keep a good girl down for a good time
Gonna make that
Shake that money on the dime0013 She can work it just fine
Up on the table
She'll be dancing all night
Babydoll just come to life
Under the spotlight
All the girls wanna fall in line
We say
He-eh-eh- hey
Here come the ladies bout to give a little show
He-eh-eh-hey
Here come the boys gonna show a little more
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up , get it up
This is not a test
Hit it up, get it up
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up, get it up
This is not a test
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
A little bit of naughty strut, strut
Give a little work, work
Up on the table
We'll be dancing all night
Everybody just come to life
Under the spotlight
All the boys wanna fall behind
We say
He-eh-eh-hey
Here come the ladies bout to give a little show
He-eh-eh-hey
Here comes the boozie gonna show a little more
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up, get it up
This is not a test
Hit it up, get it up
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up, get it up
This is not a test
Hit it up, get it up
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
Ok girls, lets show how its done
It ain't over till we say
And we've only just began
Let me hear you say
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Say yeah yeah yeaah
Say yeaah yeah yeah
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up, get it up
This is not a test
Hit it up, get it up
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
Hit it up, get it up
Won't let you rest
Hit it up, get it up
This is not a test
Hit it up, get it up
Gotta give me your best
So get your ass up
Show me how you burlesque
show me how you dance burlesque
under city lights
There is a world that few people know about,
Where there are no rules,
And all good girls go bad.
She comes to the club,
Wanting to have a good time,
Going to do it,
Shake every penny.
She doesn't need a sweet daddy,
She can make good money on her own,
On the table
She will dance all night.
The chrysalis is just beginning to come to life.
Under the spotlight.
All the girls want to get under his beam.
We say:
"Heeeey"
And it's the lady's turn to put on a little show.
"Heeeey"
And now the boys come out to show something else.
Strike everyone, reach the heights,
I won't let you rest.
Hit everyone, reach the heights,
This is not a test.
Amaze everyone, reach the heights,
Show me the maximum of what you are capable of.
Get your ass up,
Show me how you dance burlesque!
Strike everyone, reach the heights,
I won't let you rest.
Hit everyone, reach the heights,
This is not a test.
Amaze everyone, reach the heights,
Show me the maximum of what you are capable of.
Get your ass up,
Show me how you dance burlesque!
A little bit of disobedience -
Already good.
She's all so glamorous,
Add sugar, add spices.
Shimmy then Strat
Some more work
On the table
We'll be dancing all night.
Everyone is just starting to come alive
♥ (0) 
(0) 
Kazan. 1 dance) (0) Popular now
- Tokyo ghoul - Opening Original
- OXXXYMIRON - Versus Battle 3 (Feat. Johnyboy)
- Pasha Izotov - gently
- vspak - I want
- Attachis - Attachis)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas - Song of the Boogeyman
- PF Brothers - Chase (Atu him)
- Anthem ϟϟ - SS Luftwaffe
- A. Novikov - Rose (live sound 10/31/2013)
- FUEKPRO - REGULAR MUSIQ
- Kulhu Allah ahad - Sura 112 (Al-Ihlyas | Sincerity)
- Kagamine Len-kun feat.
