You probably think the most daunting part of being in a burlesque show is appearing in front of an audience in your skivvies. But speaking as a soon-to-be graduate of Miss Indigo Blue's Seattle Academy of Burlesque, I can tell you there are a lot more challenges involved.

My graduating class performs this weekend at the Rendezvous as a culmination of six weeks of study with Seattle's burlesque authority, Miss Indigo Blue (pictured). I enrolled this winter, eager to take a risqué challenge that would make my parents blush — but I soon found out that burlesque is a heckuva lot more than a little strip tease.

You can't shake a stick most nights in Seattle without finding a burlesque performance by groups like the Atomic Bombshells or Burning Hearts. It's an entertainment form that began more than a century ago, when performers provided a bit of naughty entertainment in an innocent age. They used comedy to address gendered hierarchies. Modern burlesque takes many different forms, and can be political, funny or gender-bending. Sometimes clothes don't even come off.

Miss Indigo's Academy has launched the careers of several Seattle burlesque starlets, so there were big shoes to fill. She teaches students about comedy, theater, character development and how to slip out of a sexy little dress without getting your zipper stuck.

By the end of my class, I had a little more glamour in my life. I purchased Russian Red lipstick and false eyelashes, which I think I'll keep around. I also learned the basics of spotlights, stages and keeping an audience's attention. I got to know a strong group of women — my classmates. They perform Saturday night under names such as Ms. Honeysuckle Hype and Lady Sparrow. As Miss Indigo says, this ceremony won't include your grandma's cap and gown.

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