Photo: Courtesy Syrens of the South

“My kids are finally teething!” “We’re beginning to get on a regular sleeping schedule.” “Before the baby, I’d remember to bring water for everyone, now it’s hard to remember to breathe sometimes!” “Well, we can’t leave yet, the kids are having too much fun playing!”

This isn’t a new moms’ playgroup or parents picking up their kids from daycare. It’s a group of confident and sexy ladies, sitting around the Syrens of the South burlesque dance studio. The troop’s burlesque dance classes are for all shapes and sizes of women, and are a great way to gain confidence, feel attractive again, and for women to become healthy, positive role models for their children and other women.

During this particular class, the women learn about the history of burlesque and watch a video before learning different dance moves and practicing them. Watching themselves in the mirror, the women dance in a circle.

Later, while thumbing through a 1950s Sears catalog for performance costume ideas, these mothers chat about their children and discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. The moms consist of dance instructors and students, none of whom look matronly in the least; yet all are classy, confident and beautiful women. The women and instructors in class all have different body types, and a woman doesn’t need a “dancer’s body” to take the class or perform.

“I have a size 30 waist and 46 bust size,” says performer Kitty when discussing how her confidence has grown and body image awareness has improved.

“That’s one thing I’ve really learned since starting here, is learning how to dress your body and not be ashamed to show what you have. I’ve learned to embrace my body and started to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

According to Kitty, doing things that put a woman back into herself, in the moment, and into her body are things that make her appreciate her body’s abilities and why many moms are taking burlesque classes. In turn, they become better mothers because once they become a parent, mothers forget to take care of themselves.

“I’m a happier person and I’m happier around my daughter,” Kitty says. “I don’t want her to be ashamed of her body as a woman, because so many of us were growing up. It’s incredibly empowering. … It’s a life I get to have for me.”

Taking the class is a way to improve body image. “I’m not as hard on myself mentally about the way I look,” says student and performer LaLa. “I feel like I appreciate myself and other people look at me and appreciate me more.

“Before, I felt overweight and felt everyone else perceived me that way too, but now I feel empowered and confident enough to get on stage!”

Many new moms wonder if they’ll lose their identity and sex appeal and are afraid they’ll forever be viewed as “just a mom.”

“Nobody talks about how you can still be hot while folding baby clothes,” Kitty explains. “This helped me to love the way I look again because after having children, your body isn’t the same anymore. I feel so empowered and have so much self-respect.”

If moms feel timid about taking a burlesque class and don’t know how their family and peers will react, many of these women have discovered it’s not negative as one would think.

Some people have the misconception that burlesque is kin to stripping, but that’s not the case. “It’s a really empowering thing,” Kitty says, “… where women can perform and show they can be sexy while using their wiles and not putting something in someone’s face.”

It isn’t really about pleasing men; their biggest fans are women. The performances are like a “steamy variety show,” and a lot of the women do it fully dressed. It’s an act of self-discovery on display, not a show of body parts.

These women are doing it for themselves, for confidence, empowerment and learning to be comfortable with their sexuality. But sometimes it’s still difficult for others to understand.

LaLa explains, “My son is like ‘Go for it!’ My daughter wasn’t as into it at first, but I explained to her how it built my confidence and body image and she’s very supportive and proud of me now.”

The women in the class believe that being a burlesque dancer and taking the classes is inspiring to girls and young women, as well as being perceived as a positive role model.

“[My daughter] isn’t a skinny girl, she’s got a real body, so I think it’s helped her to see you don’t have to be a size 2 or 4 to feel good about yourself,” LaLa says.

Visit www.syrensofthesouth.com for more information.