I arrived at Flirty Girl Fitness a tad apprehensive about my first burlesque chair-dancing class. I have no problem shaking what my mama gave me; I’m just usually 2 cocktails deep when it happens. I went to the Wellington Street studio in standard gym issue ready for a workout; stretchy pants, baggy top, hair scraped back. Sexy, right? The first lesson from instructor and Burlesque performer Kaitlyn Regehr: “If you have hair to flick, bring it down!” Throughout history hair has equaled fertility and my curly twirly locks apparently send subconscious sexy messages. I was about to get a master class in all the ways you can subtly make your body look alluring and amazing.

In the hour-long session Kaitlyn taught us one big ‘trick’ and took us through a whole choreographed routine to Christina’s retro, growling version of “Guy What Takes His Time”. My initial ambivalence totally disappeared as I began to pick up the moves. Other than the Peek-a-boo and the Liza Minnelli, my favorite had to be The Sandwich. For the sandwich, you place your hands on either side of your hips to make said sandwich, fingers splayed, and then run your hands down your thigh, flip your hair and then bring them back up again as Christina purrs seductively. Important note: you can make your sandwich   as skinny or as juicy as you want. Whatever shyness I might have had vanished as Kaitlyn showed us the sexiest and most flattering ways to stand, sit, dance and shake. By the end of the class my legs were kicking in the air high above my chair and there was some serious eye-fucking going on in the mirror. I loved it. And of course it was good to know my ‘expert’ dance floor wiggling over the years could be channeled into a really sexy routine with a bit of guidance!

Kaitlyn, who hosts ReVamped on the Slice Network (Fridays and Saturdays at 10), came to Burlesque as a competitive dancer with an interest in women and their relationship to their bodies. Burlesque, she explains, is “a great tool for building confidence and self-awareness”. Some girls were there learning a routine that would end up as a private Valentines dance, some of us were acquiring some new moves and others were doing it as a fun and unique girl date with their friends. So stop ignoring your sensual side and get on a chair ladies! Whether it’s for your man, your confidence or for a great new skill you’ll be on a total sex-kitten high when the class is over.

Kaitlyn’s next workshop is Feb. 26th and you can keep track of Toronto’s answer to Dita here.

Ciao pussycats!

-Zoe Shapiro