Burlesque Handbook

Jo Weldon is the headmistress and founder of the award-winning New York School of Burlesque, and many of her graduates have gone on to become burlesque stars themselves. She is known as the premier educator and authority on burlesque, and is the coexecutive director at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, working with burlesque instructors around the world to develop curriculum and standards for teaching burlesque history and technique. She has published countless articles and photographs about stripping and burlesque, and has been interviewed for television, film, radio, print, and the Internet.

"Jo Weldon is the gold-standard for New Burlesque. A learned burly-q historian, a skilled and gracious teacher, and a breathtaking, world-class performer, she's everything you could want in a shimmy queen. I am proud to call her my friend, and unashamed to admit she's my idol." -- Lily Burana, author of Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America and head bombshell of Operation Bombshell: The Burlesque School for Military Wives "That's Jo Weldon - and she's perfect!" -- Leighton Meester, star of Gossip Girl "Jo is one of the true champions of the burlesque world...Hearing her speak, seeing her teach, and marveling at the way she has been the driving force behind successful events is a real pleasure for me!" -- Catherine D'Lish, Two-Time Miss Exotic World, Creative Director for Dita Von Teese "When you need an academic diatribe about the importance of burlesque in a gorgeous package served with sex appeal, intelligence and love, that's Jo! This woman is passionate about burlesque and can recreate the sex appeal of the genre lost long ago." -- Dirty Martini, Muse to Karl Lagerfeld, Voted #1 Burlesque Performer in the World 2010 "When Jo performed at Exotic World, I'd never been so mesmerized by a woman sitting on a chair. That's the mark of a true performance!" -- Immodesty Blaize, Miss Exotic World 2007 and the UK's Premier Burlesque Performer "Jo is not only one of the most classically elegant dancers ever to grace the Slipper Room Stage, but in my humble opinion, she is also one of the sexiest performers I've ever known." -- James Habacker, Artistic Director, The Slipper Room NYC "Why she's willing to make the secrets of her fantastic skills available to the public is beyond me, but if I were you, I'd buy this book quick, before she changes her mind." -- Jonny Porkpie, author of The Corpse Wore Pasties, creator of Pinchbottom Burlesque