for backlash if you’re a woman secure enough to dance onstage in a corset and heels. Embracing female sensuality is too often confused with lewd and licentious practices. West, usually glamorous in “unabashedly sparkly” costume or in vintage-inspired work dress, stands watching in peach-blonde ponytail, leopard-print tights, a purple long-sleeved tee, and a critical eye. Deb grad and fellow dancer Shan de Leers rests under a warm knit beanie.
H A L E Y G A L L E RY
As the first student finishes her dance, miming garment removal in partial costume, West reviews her progress. “I think anytime you can tear away your panties, you probably should,” she says with a wicked gleam in her eye. The class totally agrees.
Quilted One Sheet 40” x 26”, 2014
Jim Sherraden
STEP INSIDE Our Story
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“Tell us what you want us to feel with your expression. You seem to smile most when you’re looking away from the audience; share that delight with them.” The students have chosen a wildly diverse collection of music, but each moves successfully to the beat of her own drum. And that’s what West intends. A veteran of hundreds of shows and pinup shoots, West embraces each student for what she is and what she needs. Not all possess her natural vivaciousness, attitude, or fab cheekbones, but they’re learning, regardless of shape, face, or age, to let the wildness and power inside loose. These classes encourage female expression in a way little else does. Some students use them as therapy—for a bad divorce or breakup, for years of insecurity, to get over a physically debilitating illness. Others just want a chance to break free of their shells and have fun. Regardless, embracing this dance is empowering. It turns out the notion of “girl power” does indeed include reveling in one’s own sensual nature, and Freya West and Delinquent Debutantes can help make that happen. Music City Burlesque will perform at Marathon Music Works July 26. Visit www.delinquentdebutantes.com and www.FreyaWest.com for more information.