Burlesque Classes Online & in Chicago
BEGINNER-FRIENDLY · IN PERSON + ONLINE
Learn burlesque in a way that fits your life.
Take burlesque classes with Red Hot Annie in Chicago or online. Build confidence, movement, musicality, stage presence, character, and performance skills in a welcoming environment designed for complete beginners and experienced performers alike.
No dance experience required. No audition. No pressure to perform.
Choose Your Burlesque Class
In Chicago
Start with a live Sunday burlesque class in Chicago. The weekly drop-in is built for first-timers, returning students, performers, and anyone curious about the art form.
- Sundays, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM
- $40 drop-in
- Begin any Sunday
- Foundations path available if you want to continue
Explore Chicago Burlesque Classes →
See the current class schedule →
Online
Not in Chicago? Join Red Hot Annie virtually for live guided work in confidence, presence, choice, and performance energy. You can begin from home and still experience the part that matters most: practicing in real time.
- Live virtual experience
- Beginner-friendly
- Join from anywhere
- Practice presence and performance skills in real time
Burlesque Classes for Complete Beginners
If you have never taken a dance class, never performed, or have no idea what to expect from burlesque, you are in the right place.
Red Hot Annie’s beginner burlesque classes start with the skills underneath the sparkle: how you move, how you use timing, how you make a clear choice, how you connect with an audience, and how you become more comfortable being seen.
You do not need a stage name, a costume, or a future performance goal. Some students come because they want to perform. Others want a creative outlet, more confidence, a new relationship with movement, or simply an interesting thing to do that is entirely their own.
If you are wondering what your first class actually feels like, read Your First Burlesque Class: What It’s Actually Like.
What You Can Learn
- Classic burlesque technique
- Expressive movement
- Musicality and timing
- Posture and walking
- Confidence in your body
- Audience connection
- Stage presence
- Character development
- Improvisation
- Storytelling through movement
- Act development
- Professional performance skills
Burlesque is larger than any single trick or routine. If you are brand new to the form, start with What Is Burlesque? for the bigger picture.
Choose the Next Step That Matches Your Goal
I want to try one class.
Start with the Sunday Chicago drop-in. It is a complete two-hour class and your easiest way to find out whether the work clicks for you.
I want a foundation.
Foundations gives you four live Sunday sessions within six weeks. Your first $40 Sunday counts toward the $222 program, so you can try the work before deciding to continue.
I want to learn from home.
Enter virtually. Live online sessions let you practice confidence and presence without being in Chicago.
I already have an act or idea.
If your question is specific to an act, character, costume, reveal, or performance problem, private creative direction will get you farther than a general class.
Learn Burlesque Before You Take a Class
Curious first? These free guides let you explore the art form, technique, and performance mindset at your own pace.
- What Is Burlesque? — start with the art form itself.
- Your First Burlesque Class: What It’s Actually Like — remove the mystery before you walk in.
- Burlesque Stage Presence — learn how attention, stillness, timing, and choice work together.
- How to Spin Burlesque Tassels — a beginner-friendly technique tutorial.
- Become a Burlesque Performer — understand the path from curiosity to the stage.
- Burlesque Act Development — move from technique into an intentional performance.
Learn with Red Hot Annie
Red Hot Annie has spent more than two decades performing, producing, directing, and teaching burlesque in Chicago. Her students range from people taking their first-ever class to experienced performers developing professional work.
The teaching is rooted in technique, but the larger practice is about attention: how you enter, how you move, how you make choices, how you relate to an audience, and how you let yourself be fully present instead of disappearing inside the moment.
Burlesque Class FAQ
Do I need dance or performance experience?
No. Complete beginners are welcome. You can start without previous dance training, an audition, or a performance goal.
Can I take burlesque classes online?
Yes. Red Hot Annie offers live virtual experiences so you can work on confidence, presence, and performance skills from anywhere. See the current online option →
Where are the Chicago burlesque classes?
Sunday classes are held at Crafty Cats, 3713 W Division St. in Chicago. Check the current class schedule before you come.
How much is a beginner burlesque class?
The Chicago Sunday drop-in is $40. If you decide to continue, the four-session Foundations program is $222 and your first $40 Sunday counts toward it.
What should I wear?
Wear something you can move comfortably in. You do not need to arrive in costume. The point of your first class is to learn and explore, not to look like a finished performer.
Do I have to perform?
No. Performing is optional. You can take burlesque classes for confidence, movement, creativity, self-expression, or simply because you want to try something new.
Do you offer private burlesque lessons or coaching?
Yes. Private artist development is available for performers and creators who want focused direction on an act, character, stage presence, musical interpretation, costume, reveals, or audience relationship. Explore private coaching →
Start Where You Are.
One class is enough to begin. Pick the doorway that fits you now.