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Explore the Empowerment in Heels
Act Development Lab 2.0

A 6-week elevated pathway from concept to high-impact performance.

The first Lab changed the game.
You could feel it onstage… clearer acts, stronger presence, real transformation.

Now we level up.

Act Development Lab 2.0 is designed for performers who are ready to push further… creatively, physically, and professionally AND culminating in a final performance at Harvard & Stone, one of LA’s most iconic live performance venues.

This is not a beginner showcase.
This is a performance container for artists ready to rise to the space.

You won’t just create an act.
You’ll build something that can hold its own in a demanding, immersive, high-energy environment.

What You’ll Learn

The core Act Development Lab curriculum remains the same… because it works.

What changes in Lab 2.0 is how we apply it in a live, immersive performance environment, with in-person mentorship focused on adapting your act for a dynamic venue like Harvard & Stone.

Week 1: Act Vision & Personal Narrative

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
We push for immediate clarity… your concept needs to read quickly and land in a high-energy, real-world space.

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

Week 2: Character, Costume & Visual Language

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
Designing for visibility and impact in a multi-level venue… your look needs to hit from across the room, not just up from one POV.

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

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
Executing with control and adaptability—so your movement holds up whether you’re on stage, on the floor, or interacting with the crowd.

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
Keeping energy alive in a non-traditional performance setting—your act needs to flow even as the environment shifts around you.

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
Readiness for a high-demand venue… managing nerves, audience proximity, and real-time adaptability.

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

Lab 2.0 Focus:
Final adjustments for a fully immersive performance… owning the space, not just performing in it.

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

Who’s this for?

This is for:

  • Past Empowerment in Heels showcase performers (pre-Lab)

  • Burlesque performers already creating work who want to level up their impact

  • Artists ready to meet the demands of a high-performance venue

This is not for first-time performers.

If you’re ready to:

  • Push past your comfort zone

  • Refine your artistry

  • Perform in a space that requires presence and adaptability

Then you’re in the right place.

What makes this different?

🔥 High-Impact Performance Environment

Final show at Harvard & Stone
An immersive venue where you can:

  • Dance on the bar

  • Move through the crowd

  • Use multi-level performance spaces

  • Command the entire room

This is not a traditional stage show… it’s a full experience.

LIVE HYBRID INTENSIVE

Includes:

Investment: $550
Dates: June – July
Final Performance: July 11
Spots: Limited (curated cohort)

A glimpse inside THE LAB

WORKSHEETS

MODULE RESOURCE PDFS

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

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

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 2.0– 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:

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

  • Lectures: Sunday June 7th , Sunday June 21st BOTH 1:00pm-2:00pm [GOOGLE MEET]

  • In-Person Striptease Workshop: Sunday June 14th 5:30pm-7:00pm [HOLLYWOOD DANCE CENTER]

  • In-Person Venue Precision Workshop: June 28th TBD [HARVARD & STONE]

  • Dress Rehearsal: July 5th TBD[HARVARD & STONE]

  • Final Performance: Saturday July 11th 6:00pm-11:00pm [HARVARD & STONE]

    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

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.