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<\/a>Bottom Dollar and other Cheesecakes also teach occasional burlesque workshops, where aspiring tease artists can learn about the history of burlesque, feather boa and glove techniques, how to bump and grind, and, of course, tassel twirling.<\/p>\n
According to Betsy, a wonderful side effect of workshop participation is a sense of empowerment and body positivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to say that the most benefit that I personally get is when we teach workshops,\u201d she says. \u201cThe tassel twirling part is that moment… a lot of people have never been naked in front of anybody else except maybe their partner. Nobody\u2019s ever forced, some people just put them on on the outside of their shirt, but quite often what happens is when the first person goes, we participate too, and they go, \u2018I\u2019m doing it, here\u2019s my chance,\u2019 and then the whole room has their tops off, and they\u2019re looking around and at themselves and realising how great they look. Having that moment that\u2019s so personal, and watching that empowerment come over people in the workshop is more amazing than any applause.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a troupe of women whose ages range from those in their 20s to those in their 40s, and showcasing a diverse set of body shapes and sizes, the Cheesecakes are a refreshing break from current media that typically exhibits only an idealized type of sexiness.<\/p>\n
After all, burlesque, as Bottom Dollar says, is about \u201cportraying everybody in their best light.\u201d<\/p>\n