I signed up for four sessions of Introduction to Burlesque at the Boston Academy of Burlesque Education (B.A.B.E.) with a limited understanding of what the art form really is, and I spent my commute from work to the studio wondering if my clothes were the kind of clothes I would enjoy taking off. What if I was terrible at it? What if I was great? I texted manic questions to my boyfriend, whose interest in my taking burlesque classes ranged from puzzlement to sarcasm. “Are you nervous or excited for old timey take-your-clothes-off class?” he asked. He also said, “Don’t pick Savannah as your stage name. You’ll sound like an old lady.” As we neared Allston, I replied, “Hope there isn’t a huge neon sign announcing Burlesque outside the place. I don’t want the people on the bus to know what I’m about to do. More
