Cabaret des filles de joie

Yesterday was so so cool. Frances took me to a cabaret in eastern Paris. It started at 5pm and there was a brocante there as well (a very expensive one though, not like the ones near me) and families were invited too. I was expecting it to be a family friendly affair, a bit of music, a bit of dancing, a bit of 50's style fun. But it was so much more than that. It was a proper burlesque cabaret. There were 3 different parts to the show. It started with the spectacle and there were about 5 different 'stories'/dances each one ending up with the girl in pants suspenders and nipple tassels. The next part was live music with a rock 'n' roll band and during some of the songs, one of the girls would get up and do a dance. Ending up semi-naked again. Frances and I spent some time deliberating the feminist issues behind burlesque dancing. I know it inevitably is derived from an old subjugation of women, but they all looked like they were having the best time I'm not sure I mind. I wish I had the guts to get up on stage like they do. Any thoughts? You weren't allowed to take pictures so I've tried to find some from the internet:

The lady in the first picture was the MC and she presented the show brilliantly, she was like all these girl's mother, but one sexy mother. She was super cool. Frances and I danced lots to the music too which was really good rock 'n' roll, and just next to us some obvious professionals were dancing who were amazing. I would love to be able to dance proper rock 'n' roll, it's so fast and quick but looks effortless, almost lazy because you have to be all loose while you're dancing. Brilliant. I wish you could capture dancing in a photograph but it's too difficult, especially on my rubbish little camera, so this will have to suffice.

Then last but not least there was a dance competition, some good couples, some not so good, and some plain hilarious. Every round they were given a new brief, and for one for them they were told to dance sensuously with a bit of humour. One couple were so over the top and seductive it was so gross it was funny.

I started a new class today, I've gone up to the next level which was really good. I hope I'll progress more in it, everybody talks in it as they're just that slightly more advanced. So much better. Here's hoping it will motivate me more.