I love BuzzFeed (as my regular readers know) and one of my favorite BuzzFeed writers is Kristin Chirico. Kristin is a vivacious plus-size woman who bravely goes where FEW chubby chicks dare to go!
For example, she wore crop tops for a week and went bra-less for a week. She even did a test of various push-up bras so that we wouldn’t have to! I’m telling you, Kristin has the courage of a lioness!
But burlesque? I mean, dancing burlesque as a plus-size woman is courage at a whole ‘nother level. It’s not just doing something out of one’s comfort zone; it’s not just taking your clothes off in front of someone; it’s taking your clothes off while dancing erotically to music. And smiling while you’re doing it. In front of a CROWD of rowdy people who have been drinking. And doing this when you’re a person who’s been conditioned to NOT feel sexy cuz you’re a chub.
Gulp.
I love watching burlesque shows. It’s a true celebration of the female form. At burlesque, you see beautiful women of all shapes and sizes. It’s hella inspiring!
Here’s what Kristin experienced, and why she did it.
“One of the things I have been told I DEFINITELY can’t be is sexy — especially in a plus-size body. So — because I love making rule-makers unhappy — I decided to try the sexiest body-related thing that I could think of: BURLESQUE DANCING.”
The first sentence made me sad. But then I read the second sentence and I’m like “hell yeahz!”
Kristin explains that burlesque dancing is “a big sexy creative celebration of the body.”
It involves artfully and teasingly performing sensual (and sometimes humorous!) dance routines, often while removing your clothes in a slow and enticing way. But there are lots of way to ~remove your clothes~, and performing burlesque does not necessarily mean getting naked, if that’s not your jam!
She enlisted an experienced burlesque performer and teacher: Natasha Vee of Hells Belles Burlesque. Kristin took only FOUR lessons, in 30 days.
Her first and second lessons were challenging but empowering. But her third lesson, which came after a week of vacationing and not practicing, triggered her insecurity and she began to doubt that she could pull this off.
But as Natasha told her, Kristin has a natural ability for choreography, which likely comes from her background as a theater major in college.
They decided that Kristin’s routine would be a “dirty housewife,” during which she’d strip off gloves and an apron and end the show in rhinestone-covered corset, fishnet stockings, and underwear. Love it!
The fact is, Kristin is honest and open about her own insecurities. She’s not one of those amazingly confident plus-size women. She’s as insecure and scared as the rest of us. I just hope she knows how inspiring she is to those of us who need to be reminded that we are sexy and beautiful in all shapes and sizes.
You can see all the photos and GIFs at BuzzFeed. Watch the video below.
