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Explore the Empowerment in Heels
Act Development Lab

A 6-week guided pathway from concept to confident performance.

Create a fully realized burlesque act rooted in self-trust, intention, and embodiment. The Act Development Lab is a guided, supportive burlesque act development program that will help you shape your ideas into fully-formed acts that feel intentional, powerful, and stage-ready.

Whether you're in Los Angeles or a burlesque dancer anywhere in the world, this program can help first time performers with their debut or performers looking to deepen their creative voice. 

👇 Two ways to join. Same method. Different levels of access.

Live Hybrid Intensive

Apply for the Hybrid Intensive

Online Course

Enroll Online (COMING SOON)

What You’ll Learn

Clarify what you want to express onstage and why this act exists.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Identify your onstage persona

  • Translate personal experience into performance

  • Choose music with intention

  • Map the emotional arc of your act

You’ll finish with:
✔ A clear act intention
✔ Music locked
✔ Emotional tone defined

Week 1: Act Vision & Personal Narrative

Build an act that reads clearly before you even move.

You’ll learn:

  • How costume supports storytelling

  • Reveal logic and pacing

  • Budget-conscious costume design

  • Visual coherence from head to toe

You’ll finish with:
✔ A costume concept
✔ Reveal plan
✔ Resource guide for sourcing

Week 2: Character, Costume & Visual Language

Week 3: Striptease Mechanics & Sensual Confidence

Learn striptease as a skill, not a performance of insecurity.

You’ll explore:

  • Foundational striptease mechanics

  • Movement with intention

  • Letting go of “trying to be sexy”

  • Grounding confidence through the body

You’ll finish with:
✔ A drafted striptease sequence
✔ Tools for building embodied confidence

Week 4: Act Structure, Transitions & Musicality

Turn your ideas into a cohesive act.

You’ll learn:

  • How to structure an act from start to finish

  • Creating transitions that feel fluid and purposeful

  • Musical accents and timing

  • Editing for clarity and impact

You’ll finish with:
✔ A full act draft
✔ Clear transitions
✔ Timing notes

Week 5: Performance Psychology & Show Readiness

Prepare your mind, body, and nervous system for performance.

You’ll learn:

  • How to navigate imposter syndrome

  • What producers look for

  • How to prepare for show day

  • Professional expectations in burlesque spaces

You’ll finish with:
✔ A show-day plan
✔ Confidence practices
✔ Booking readiness insight

Week 6: Integration & Polish

Bring everything together with intention and care.

You’ll:

  • Refine and polish your act

  • Practice integration techniques

  • Prepare for audience energy

  • Step fully into performer identity

You’ll finish with:
✔ A completed burlesque act
✔ A repeatable creative process for future work

Who’s this for?

This is for you if you want to:

  • Go from idea → finished act

  • Build confidence that shows onstage

  • Stop guessing and follow a structured method

  • Revisit tools again and again for future acts

This course is especially supportive for:

  • Newer burlesque performers

  • Dancers transitioning into burlesque

  • Performers rebuilding confidence after time away

  • Anyone who wants a grounded, affirming approach to striptease and storytelling

What makes this different?

There are a lot of burlesque classes out there.

This isn’t about:

  • copying classic acts

  • chasing trends

  • or performing a version of yourself that doesn’t feel true

The Empowerment in Heels Act Development Lab is built on:

  • embodied confidence

  • intentional creative choices

  • and sustainable performance practices

You’re not just learning what to do — you’re learning how to make decisions as a performer.

Two Ways to Join the Act Development Lab

✦

Two Ways to Join the Act Development Lab ✦

LIVE HYBRID INTENSIVE

Best for performers who want in-person coaching combined with a high-production stage show curated by Empowerment in Heels in Los Angeles.

Includes:

  • Full online Act Development Lab course

  • Burlesque Class Video Collection (2+ Hours of Instruction Lessons)

  • Weekly in-person classes (LA-based)

  • Live feedback + accountability

  • Dress rehearsal

  • Hybrid Stage+ Floor Show+ Audience Interaction Act Development

  • Final performance at Three Clubs

  • Professional photo & video

  • Community + cohort experience

Investment: $550.00
Dates: March–April | Final Show April 30
Spots: Limited

Want the full IN-PERSON experience? This is for you.

LIVE HYBRID COURSE

ONLINE COURSE

Best for performers who want flexibility and repeatable tools that they can utilize at their own pace.

Includes:

  • Full 6-week Act Development Lab curriculum

  • Burlesque Class Video Collection (2+ Hours of Instruction Lessons)

  • Pre-recorded video modules

  • Worksheets + prompts

  • Optional 6-Week Live Google Meet Mentorship
    Included once with your course purchase to support your first act development process. We strongly recommend using the live mentorship during your first run through the Lab to get the most out of the framework.

    Additional Google Meet mentorship is available for future acts at an additional cost.

  • Lifetime access for future acts

Investment: $350.00
Start anytime

Not ready for live? Start here.

ONLINE ENROLLMENT (COMING SOON)

A glimpse inside THE LAB

WORKSHEETS

MODULE RESOURCE PDFS

Still deciding? Here’s what students say about their experience.

  • “Before the Intensive, I had ideas but no structure. By Week 4 I could feel my act coming into focus and on show night I finally saw myself the way others saw me: confident, intentional, and powerful. This course didn’t just build an act — it built my stage presence.”

    - First Time Burlesque Performer

  • “Hybrid was the perfect combination — structure, community, and real-time guidance. I showed up nervous and left owning my act. The live feedback and final performance pushed me so much further than I expected.”

    - Hybrid Intensive Alum

  • “This isn’t just about choreography — it’s about embodied confidence. I walked into the Lab unsure if I could even finish a routine — and walked out with a debut I loved. I still use the curriculum as I build new acts.”

    - Repeat Act Development Student

GENERAL FAQ’S

Your Questions, Answered

  • No prior burlesque performance experience is required, however we do encourage folx to take classes either with empowerment in heels or in you local community before embarking on Act Development. After that this course is designed to meet you where you are — whether you’re creating your very first act or refining a new one.

  • Absolutely. Empowerment in Heels is grounded in body autonomy, consent, and self-trust. There is no “right” body, age, or aesthetic for burlesque here. You are encouraged to move, strip, and perform in ways that feel aligned to you.

  • No. Striptease is approached as a storytelling and expressive tool — not a requirement. You are always in control of how much (or how little) you reveal. Acts can range from subtle to bold, and all choices are valid.

  • That’s completely normal — and expected. Confidence is not a prerequisite for this course; it’s one of the outcomes. You’ll be guided through both the creative and emotional aspects of performance in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.

Hybrid Intensive FAQ’s
(In-Person & Show)

  • Yes. The Hybrid Intensive is designed as a complete pathway from concept to curtain. Participation includes a dress rehearsal and a live performance. This shared goal is a core part of the container and the accountability that makes the experience so transformative.

  • Because this is a cohort-based experience with a final show, attendance is important. Occasional conflicts can be discussed, but you must be able to commit to the majority of scheduled dates, including dress rehearsal and show day.

  • The application helps us understand your idea, your needs, and whether this container is the right fit — not to judge “talent” or polish. Selection is based on feasibility, commitment, and alignment with the program, not perfection.

  • Yes. All Hybrid Intensive participants receive professional documentation of their performance, including video and photography, which you are welcome to use for portfolios, submissions, and promotion.

Online Course FAQ’s

  • The course content is fully pre-recorded and self-paced, so you can move through it on your own schedule. During designated times, students taking the course for the first time may opt into a live 6-week Google Meet mentorship cohort for additional support.

  • You’ll have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to return to the curriculum whenever you’re developing a new act or revisiting your creative process.

  • No. The online course does not include a final show, in-person classes, or professional documentation. Those elements are exclusive to the Live Hybrid Intensive.

  • Yes. Many students find that completing the course helps clarify what kind of feedback or support they want next. Private coaching is available separately for performers seeking deeper one-on-one guidance.

Hybrid Intensive Application

If you are submitting multiple act ideas, please complete a separate application for each act -xo

Before You Apply

The Empowerment in Heels Burlesque Act Development Lab – Live Hybrid Intensive is a cohort-based experience that builds toward a final performance.
Please review the information below carefully before submitting your application.

This intensive requires full participation, presence, and commitment to both the creative process and the group.

Required Commitment

By applying, you are confirming that you are able to attend and participate in:

  • Weekly scheduled meetings (in-person and/or Virtual, as listed below)

  • All in-person classes associated with the intensive

  • The dress rehearsal

  • The final performance

Because this is a collaborative cohort with a shared debut, consistent attendance is essential.

Important Dates & Schedule

Participants must be available for the following required dates:

  • Orientation / Intro Meeting: Sunday March 15th 1:00pm-2:00pm [GOOGLE MEET]

  • Weekly In-Person Classes: 4 classes included must be used during the 6 week intensive

  • Lectures: Sunday March 22nd, Sunday April 5th, Sunday April 12th ALL 1:00pm-2:00pm [GOOGLE MEET]

  • In-Person Striptease Workshop: Sunday March 29th 5:30pm-7:00pm [HOLLYWOOD DANCE CENTER]

  • Dress Rehearsal: Sunday April 26th 5:30pm-7:30pm [HOLLYWOOD DANCE CENTER]

  • Final Performance: Thursday April 30th 6:00pm-11:00pm [THREE CLUBS]

    PREVIEW REQUIRED DATES IN GOOGLE CALENDAR HERE

👉 If you have any known conflicts, please list them in the application form. Minor conflicts may be considered, but full availability is strongly preferred.

Selection Process

This is an application-based intensive to ensure the container is supportive, aligned, and sustainable for everyone involved.

Applications are reviewed with care, considering:

  • Commitment to the full process

  • Feasibility of the act idea

  • Alignment with the values of Empowerment in Heels

Perfection is not expected — intention, curiosity, and readiness are.

Tuition & Payment

If accepted, participants agree to the Hybrid Intensive tuition and payment of $550.
Payment plans may be available upon request.

A Final Note

This intensive is designed for performers who are ready to:

  • show up consistently

  • engage in creative exploration

  • and step into a public performance with support and accountability

If that excites you (and maybe scares you a little), you’re in the right place.