Click here for press kit.
Nobody knows burlesque like Jo Weldon. She first stripped on stage in 1978, a tad underage at the Rocky Horror Picture Show, flinging her boa about with a passion that persists to this day.
She mounted the stage professionally as soon as she was of age, and over time she advanced to the level of feature dancer, booked to headline at strip joints across the continent, always keeping the ladies of burlesque in mind as she created her elaborately costumed and themed acts. She has been studying the art of striptease for over two decades.
In the 1990s she accompanied some of New York's most innovative and talented performance artists into the national neo-burlesque scene, where her prior experience proved invaluable in developing the outrageous, sexy, versatile persona of Jo Boobs. She performed at Tease-o-rama in San Francisco and Los Angeles and at each annual New York Burlesque Festival. She produced as well as performed, presenting the infamous "Hubba Hubba Hey! A Burlesque Salute to the Ramones" at the Bowery Poetry Club, "Le Follies Fromage" at the legendary Coney island Burelsque at the beach Series, and continues to produce an extremely popular series known as "Paperback Burlesque" in which performers are required to use the lurid images and text on vintage adult paperbacks as inspiration for their performances.
In 2004, she was honored to have her qualifications recognized when she was selected to serve as a judge at the Miss Exotic World pageant in Helendale, California. Nothing could have moved her more than to be considered fit to evaluate performers at the museum which celebrates her passion.
Her unique experience as a commercial strip joint dancer, a headlining feature performer, and neo-burlesque star create a base of knowledge about burlesque and striptease that can't be beat. Her experience as a producer shows her ability to manage and direct performances, and her affability and generous personality make her a dream to work with. She loves nothing more than to guide a would-be performer through all the steps to create her own experience in the wild and wonderful world of burlesque!
Jo is available for teaching workshops in burlesque, exotic dance, lapdance and costuming, as well as for other speaking engagements, demonstrations, and performances. For booking information contact her at:
jo@gstringsforever.com
212.561.1461
A List of Selected Credits (More Detail Coming Soon):
Performances and appearances, several times each month; see Upcoming and Past Performances
2006
Producer and Teacher, Burlesque Workshop Series, 440 Lafayette Dance Studios and Slipper Room, NYC.
Press Mention and Photo Publication, NY Press, 7/19/2006
http://www.nypress.com/19/29/news&columns/feature.cfm
Performer, Margaret Cho's The Sensuous Woman
Winner, June 15 Pitchapalooza
Article and Advice Column in Shimmy Magazine, Spring 2006.
Tribute Performance at Exotic World's Legends Night, May 26, 2006.
Fan Dance Workshop at Tease-O-Rama, May 2006.
Assistant and Judging Coordinator, 2006 Miss Exotic World Pageant
Press mention in Time Out NY, May 2006.
Press mention in Soho Journal, May 2006.
http://www.sohojournal.com/Show_Story.cfm?StoriesID=221
Press mention in The Village Voice, May 2006.
http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0621,tudor,73297,15.html
Photograph with Leonard Cohen and Bono appeared in Spin Magazine and about a dozen other major magazines, April and May 2006.
Presentation, Sex Work Matters conference
Photos of and by Jo, Juxtapoz Magazine of Art and Culture, Feb. 2006 issue.
Contributor, "Boom Boom Burlesque: Hot Moves for Cool Chicks" DVD
Contributor to Anthology, Flesh for Fantasy
Performer and Interviewee, "Nick DePaulo Show"
Featured Performer, "True Tales of Times Square"
http://timessquaremovie.com/
2005
Producer, Burlesque Workshop Series, Bowery Poetry Club, 2005.
Photo Exhibition, The Eyedrum, Atlanta 2005
Television Appearance, "Random Acts of Duff," September 2005.
Article "The Persistence of Burlesque" in Spread Magazine
Photo Exhibition, The Arsenal, Los Angeles 2005.
Golden Pastie for "Best All-Around Bump N Grinder,", May 22, 2005.
Page Six, May 22 2005.
Performer:
Leonard Cohen's Video "Tower of Song" with U2
May, 2005
Minnie Woz Ere, Art Installment by Emma Louise. Long-standing collaboration with this artist.
Guest Lecturer:
The History of Burlesque
NYU Drama Department, Spring 2005
Performer
Book Release Party, December, 2004
Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show by Rachael Shteir
Cover of Holiday Preview Issue:
The Village Voice, December 2004
View Cover
Judge:
Miss Exotic World, 2004
Producer of Burlesque Shows in NYC and Coney Island:
2002-2004
Performer:
New York Burlesque Festival, 2003, 2004
http://www.thenewyorkburlesquefestival.com
Mistress of Ceremonies:
Joe Coleman’s DVD Release Party
Performer and Panelist:
Tease-O-Rama 2002, 2003
Performer:
Deb DeSalvo's Video "Take It Off" with Lily Burana
For Jill Morley's Documentary Stripped
Click to watch video
Guest Lecturer:
NYU Gender and Sexuality Series, Spring 2002, Fall 2002, Spring 2003.
Panelist:
International Conference On Prostitution
Panelist:
World Pornography Conference
Panelist:
American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Meeting
MC and Performer:
The Ultimate Sex Worker Conspiracy Soiree
New York, May 5, 2001
Panelist:
Socialist Scholars’ Conference
Lobbyist and Panelist:
United Nations
Regular Guest on Show:
The Alan Colmes Radio Show, 1999
Regular Performer:
Mother, 1998-2000
Performed with Spinal Tap:
July 12, 1992, Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA
Costumer and Seamstress:
1990-1993; Also 199-2004
Professional Stripper, Mostly in Atlanta and New York City, 1980-1995.
Feature Entertainer (Headlining Stripper):
USA and Canada, 1993-1995
Centerfold:
Cheri Tart of the Month, October 1994
Calendar Girl:
Cheetah, Atlanta, October 1994
Award:
Golden Pastie, New York Burlesque Festival, 2004
Burlesque Workshop:
One Arm Red, 2004
Columnist:
Creative Loafing, Atlanta, GA, 1995-1996
Contributed to Anthology:
Porn 101, 1999
Book Acknowledgements:
Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl
G-Strings and Sympathy
Burlesque and the New Bump n Grind
Contributor to and Subject of:
Dancing Naked in the Material World
Magazine Articles Published:
Gauntlet, Pandora’s Box, Tease!
RECOGNITION
The following are quotes from press (newspaper articles, blogger articles, etc.) about me or press which mentions me or my website. In some cases I have slightly altered the sentences to make them more readable and/or more about me.Jo Boobs gives it to ya old school, with some of the most skilled tassel spinning around...
From Eros-NY
The incomparable Jo Boobs did a tribute to Godzilla, complete with a tail...
From Ultra Casual
In any case, Godzilla had a sexy body with a giant Godzilla head....I’m telling you, these people are the rocket scientists of burlesque. They are brilliant.
From New York Cool
I loved the burlesque site entertainer Jo Weldon sent in, she totally rocks.
From Jane's Guide.
Jo Boobs, with her bubble-blowing monkeys...
From Lundissimo
Jo Boobs, who sometimes eats fire and sometimes wears a monkey mask...
From The New York Times
Class act Jo Boobs did a classic strip...
From The Village Voice
Bambi and Jo do more than just the odd performance, they've made burlesque a part of their lives. On top of being veteran performers with national reputations they are both champions of the form.
Black Table
These days, Weldon, 41, is one of the lights of the burlesque revival (she performs as Jo Boobs) and a sexy librarian of kink, teaching striptease classes....
Nerve.com
Sexy-Silly Performance Artiste, Jo Boobs is an endless book of knowledge in the world of adult culture. She is an all around beautiful Person and Preserver of our history.
Amber Ray
Jo Boobs, one of the New York Burlesque scene's favorite performers...
Adam Dugas
"The burlesque revival differs from Vegas or musicals or stripping because it is self-generated," says Jo Weldon, a longtime burlesque historian and fan.
Washington Times
"It's fun," concurs Jo Weldon, who began to perform as Jo Boobs in 1998...
Go Brooklyn!
I play a stripper in the video (typecast again!), along with fellow former-ecdysiast and burlesque buff, Jo Weldon, who runs a fabulous Web site, G-Strings Forever...
Lily Burana
Jo Weldon has collected the best burlesque and striptease links on the web at G Strings Forever.com
Diminished Responsibility
Jo Weldon, gorgeous performance artist and lover of burlesque...
Jill Morley
Jo Weldon, beautiful, eloquent stripper veteran
Alysabeth, Feminist Stripper
A great collection of photos of modern Burlesque performances can be found at G-Strings Forever.
Dr. Susan Block