Free Yourself

Tone up & get fit with this unique fitness dance class with a burlesque twist!

The Foxy Janet McIver

I have been taking Burlesquercise for one year now and it has changed my life, in more ways than I would have ever thought possible. Here I am at 44 years old and I have a whole new attitude on life thanks to Di.


Ever since I was a little girl I was chubby and all I ever heard from my Dad was “you would be so much prettier if you would only lose weight.” I, like many other girls soon learned that food could be comforting when the going got tough. Then when I was 13 years old I slipped on of all things a hardwood floor and tore the ligaments in my right knee. When I was 14 I slipped on ice and cracked all three bones in my right ankle and spent many a year babying my right leg. So when I started having pain in both knees in my thirties, an x-ray showed that I had osteoarthritis in both knees and at 37 I was told that I did not qualify for knee replacement surgery for 13 years. My physical therapist taught me how to do everyday stuff to help but he told me the best form of exercise would be the one that I enjoyed. After trying many different gyms and programs I was ready to give up (when you can’t walk up and down stairs due to pain), then I read an interesting article in the paper about burlesquercise.

Now I have to digress a moment here as when I turned 39 I met an amazing man who told me I was sexy no matter what… however his three stepsons had a thing or two to say to my face about a woman in her 40s who was confident in her sexiness and herself. I found myself digressing in that I didn’t wear the clothes that I wanted to wear and was again unsure of whom I was.

Let’s just say, last January when I started taking Di’s classes (my Dr said why not give them a try), and I have found that I can be sexy and be confident in who I am as a person and if you don’t like it well then tough s*&t ( ok so I did compromise and not wear a bustier in the stepsons’ presence) but I am glad to be back as the person I want to be.

Deva Dave told us we own the sidewalks of Calgary (we pay taxes) and so walk like we do. One of the ladies at work and I were discussing Vegas and I was telling her that I had done the backstage tour of Bally’s Jubilee and had learned how to do the cancan and the showgirl walk. She said show me and I did in the front hallway-and I even threw in the model strut Deva Dave taught us in class (ok so one of the guys caught me and I just laughed ). This is not something the old Janet would have done!

The picture you see of me is my attempt at doing Naughty Nasty Boy (one of the routines we learned in class) for my husband…ok so I couldn’t do the whole thing without giggling halfway through, but I tried and I felt good about doing it. I was confident enough in myself to do it (and I was confident enough with myself to have a picture taken).

Ladies if you want to have some fun exercising and learning about yourself then take Di’s classes. You not only get a good cardio work out and pilates session but you also learn about your body and how to be comfortable with it. I miss my Sunday’s when we don’t have classes… yes I even have to say I miss those crazy 100s. I have to wear bandages on both my knees to do it but I have to say I enjoy it and I can walk up and down the stairs the next day without the pain. I have even learned that there are graceful ways to get up and down off the floor during the routines!

This is not only an exercise class, it is also a confidence booster, a way to show your inner and outer sexiness and it is also a support group in so many ways (does the “circle of sexiness” intrigue you) I laugh at myself and learn at the same time. I have already registered for the chair classes… my knees are saying no but I will be there. I thank Di for being there for us and being who she is as a woman and saying it’s great to be sexy and having the confidence to show it.

Janet


Comments:

Great story!

Posted by Louise  on  2009-03-08  at  02:13 PM

Hi everyone. Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.
I am from Barbuda and bad know English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Find tips and tricks on purchasing budget airline."

Thank you so much for your future answers :p. Mare.

Posted by Mare  on  2009-03-21  at  12:56 AM

congrats on having the courage to join burlesque and to find joy and sexiness along the way.

As Di says it is not how we look it is how we feel and I think that you are feeling good in your own skin.
YOU ROCK sister you rock......have fun on your journey of self discovery....
xxxooo

Posted by Dona...Diva in training  on  2010-04-24  at  08:31 PM

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