by Louisa Cohen
Sometimes it feels as though there is a roadblock in between me and the gym (as I live across the road from my gym) So, I am actually being quite literal when I say its actually hard to ‘get there’ sometimes.

This Monday I did something else that most definitely worked me out mind, body, and…booty!!!!

It was a rainy Monday night; everybody in the city seemed to be cozied-up inside their homes waiting for the soak to dry up outside – or at least they were in the theatres seeing Avatar.

Unlike the rest, a friend and I were huddled outside of a strange doorway on East Hastings and Nanaimo. We were waiting for our teacher that evening at The Screaming Chickens Theatrical Society – we were there to attempt Burlesque Aerobics, a complete workout comprised of all burlesque moves…including shaking your titties and wiggling your tushies.

The two of us (myself especially) were a little embarrassed about what we were about to try, and had no idea what to expect. This was not a bedroom, or a nightclub – and it was a painfully sober Monday evening. The idea of ‘Dita Von Teese-ing’ made me uncharacteristically bashful. Just as we were about to ditch and go pick up frosties, a cute girl with a bright smile and yellow and pink hair skipped down the staircase to let us in the building.

At first I was a little awkward and stiff – think Molly Shannon as the Catholic School-girl. I don’t know if it was the 1930s music and horns, the boas we were given, or the images on the walls of old-school porn…but soon enough I was popping, locking, jiggling, and shaking. We used fans, chairs, and our good ol’ asses and tits to get through one of the silliest, funniest, and most enjoyable workout classes I had ever been to.

For those of you that are most concerned with the cardio aspect of working out – I was sweaty and hot after the full hour of movement; better yet, for the next few days I was sore in places that I was not even aware of.

Try it yourself: $10 for drop-in, workshops and burlesque craft-making classes also available. (nipple-tassels, hat, boas, etc.) For more information or to register for upcoming classes contact Melody Mangler at school@screamingchicken.net.