Upcoming classes
Burlesque Bootcamp with Lo Ca, 11/22 and 11/29 at 12pm.
Interested in burlesque but have no idea where to start? Join burlesque performer, choreographer, instructor, producer, and founder of the Windy City Witches, LoCa for this 2-part mini-series. Burlesque Bootcamp will cover the basics of peels, reveals, and owning the stage, as well as guided exercises that will help students think less critically about their movement and get in touch more with flow and genuine sensual expression. Students will be guided through a thorough warm-up, performance skills exercises, and a short piece of choreography that will leave you yearning to get on stage. This workshop is open to all levels, abilities, and body types. Must be 18+.
$45 for 1 class, $75 for both. Register here!
Lo Ca (Lo for short) is a Chicago-based burlesque performer, instructor, choreographer, and producer. She is the founder of the Windy City Witches (@windycitywitches), where she goes by Stella Mortadella on stage. She has mentored and taught hundreds of students all over the world, through her Burlesque Babes performance series, her specialty workshops, and her signature seasonal class, Witch Shit. Lo is passionate about guiding students through their artistic journeys, and unleashing the unconventional side of burlesque as a means of genuine expression and freedom.
Past Classes
Sacred Sensuality: The Art of Presence, Pleasure, + Play with Frann Fatale (Wednesdays, 9/3-10/8, 7-9pm).
In this 6 week workshop series, we explore sensuality in a brave, intimate, and non-judgmental environment. Inspired by the transformative powers of the erotic, we will traverse through relationships to ritual, creativity and embodiment. Each week we will set the tone with a different theme, connect to ourselves within the container of community, and explore through various forms of dance/movement including; burlesque, bellydance, flow arts, and modern dance. Some themes to be explored are presence, mystery, authenticity, flow, celebration, and empowerment. Although femme powered, this series is all gender expression and queer affirming. No prior movement experience is necessary; all are welcome! Just bring a desire to connect to your body, flow, and expression. Limited to 8-10 participants. You can take the full class or drop in on individual classes. Sliding scale pricing. Prices and registration here!
Frann Fatale (she/they) is an alchemical seductress that will transform your life into gold. Her burlesque debut was in 2021, after participating in Gaea Lady’s Pussy Magic transformation through burlesque program. Before that, she was shaking a wing for a good thing with The Fly Honey Show — femme powered, queer punk, communal striptease— since 2013. She also brings 25+ years of dance/movement performance, 10+ years of healing arts facilitation, and 6+ years of community organizing the table. Exploring the tantalizing intersections of burlesque, flow arts, and kink, her work now finds the soulful embodiment of intimate alchemy. She traverses the paradoxes between sacred and profane, shadow and light, desire and fulfillment. Currently based in Chicago, she has performed at The Newport Theater, Elastic Arts, Epiphany Center for the Arts, Eco Collective, The Art of Balance, The Ace Hotel, and Between the Trees Festival.
The Goddess Below: Sound Meditation with Julian Daniell (Thursday, September 25, 7pm).
Join musician Julian Daniell for a deeply immersive sound healing experience designed to awaken the sacred within. The Goddess Below (our beloved Earth) is not just a meditation—it’s a journey inward, guided by the intentional vibrations of live instruments that bypass the intellect and speak directly to the soul. Sessions are held two Thursdays a month.
$20/participant.
Let yourself be guided by sound. Come as you are, and see what your inner world reveals.
Rather than directing participants toward a specific goal or intention, Julian offers a space of open exploration—trusting that the body, mind, and spirit will respond uniquely to the vibrations offered. No two experiences are the same, and each one is deeply personal.
Julian brings over a decade of experience as a professional musician and music teacher in the Chicago area. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, he is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and lifelong student of music and its spiritual power. His empathic nature allows him to tune in deeply to the emotional landscape of the room, creating intuitive and transformational soundscapes that respond to the energy present.
Sound Healing Meditation uses music as the guide—stimulating the body, calming the mind, and offering a gentle yet powerful way to explore inner awareness. Many people discover that sound provides the perfect entry point to meditative states that may otherwise feel inaccessible. You may experience peace, emotional release, vivid imagery, or even profound spiritual insight.
Witch Shit: Elemental Series with Lo Ca (Wednesdays, 5/28, 7/2, 8/6, 8/27, 7-8:30pm).
Witch Shit: Elemental Series is a 4-part journey through the natural elements. Each month we will focus on a different element. Participants are welcome to sign up for as many of the elements as they would like, and those who sign-up for multiple will receive a discount.
Witch Shit is an invitation to explore your power and magic by connecting intention w/movement. Class starts with a grounding exercise, intention setting, a thorough warm-up, and is followed by plenty of opportunities to flow and connect with seasonal and lunar energies.
Witch shit is open to all levels, abilities, and body types. No prior experience with dance or witchcraft is required.
Schedule:
Air: 5/28
Water: 7/2
Fire: 8/6
Earth: 8/27
Lo Ca (Lo for short) is a Chicago-based burlesque performer, instructor, choreographer, and producer. She is the founder of the Windy City Witches (@windycitywitches), where she goes by Stella Mortadella on stage. She was an instructor at Siren Chicago for the entirety of its existence, and has been able to teach hundreds of students all over the world, through her Burlesque Babes performance series, her specialty workshops, and her signature seasonal class, Witch Shit. Lo is a proud queer, Italian, witch, and is excited to be at Ritual Rhythms!
Introduction to Middle Eastern Percussion Workshop with Adam Riviere (Saturday, August 23, 1pm).
Learn to pick up any of the various Middle Eastern percussion instruments to play in a percussion ensemble, accompany a band, support a drum soloist, and play for dancers!!! You will learn all the basic tones, and various rhythms on every instrument, which includes the darbuka (Egyptian tablah), riq, daff, bendir, zils, and mazhar. Every student will receive a printout of popular rhythms and exercises to practice at home.
Cost: $30-50 Suggested Donation
SIGN UP TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!
There will be a small collection of drums provided for class use as well as for sale, and all are welcome to bring their own instruments.
Pvssy Magic : Empowered Creation Masterclass with Gaea Lady (Saturday, July 26th at 12pm)
Explore what it is to create from the (ungendered) space of deep listening to your intuition and body. In this 2 hour workshop, we will dance, reflect, move, laugh, and FEEL our way into creating some first steps for our next big thing – whether a performance piece, life change, choreography, rite of passage, or… anything! All are welcomed.
$25-50 Sliding Scale. Reserve your spot here!
Gaea lady is your Queen of the Tease & the Pvssy Magic Priestess, an internationally renowned award winning headlining performer & instructor. An enchantress by nature, she is a force that will make you feel the earth move.
She is passionate about living artfully in each moment, and seeks to evoke feeling, oneness, empowerment, and depth through her multimedia silk, fire, flow, movement, and burlesque art. Deeply trusting her unique magic, Gaea seeks to inspire creative authentic expression in all she encounters.
Ranked in the top 50 burlesque artists in the world, she is the creatrix of “Pvssy Magic Burlesque” & a comprehensive Silk Veil Educational Library – available online via Patreon. She leads Fire Dancing Retreats to inspire and awaken humans of all identities. Her weighted silk veils appear on stages across the globe and she loves to teach the methodology of flow.
Live Artfully.
Sacred Sensuality: The Art of Presence, Pleasure, + Play with Frann Fatale (Tuesdays, 5/6-6-10, 7-9pm).
“There is no way to repress pleasure and expect liberation, satisfaction, or joy.” ~ Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
In this 6 week workshop series, we explore sensuality in a brave, intimate, and non-judgmental environment. Inspired by the transformative powers of the erotic, we will traverse through relationships to ritual, creativity and embodiment. Each week we will set the tone with a different theme, connect to ourselves within the container of community, and explore through various forms of dance/movement including; burlesque, bellydance, flow arts, and modern dance. Some themes to be explored are presence, mystery, authenticity, flow, celebration, and empowerment. Although femme powered, this series is all gender expression and queer affirming. No prior movement experience is necessary; all are welcome! Just bring a desire to connect to your body, flow, and expression. Limited to 8-10 participants. Prices and registration here!
Frann Fatale (she/they) is an alchemical seductress that will transform your life into gold. Her burlesque debut was in 2021, after participating in Gaea Lady’s Pussy Magic transformation through burlesque program. Before that, she was shaking a wing for a good thing with The Fly Honey Show — femme powered, queer punk, communal striptease— since 2013. She also brings 25+ years of dance/movement performance, 10+ years of healing arts facilitation, and 6+ years of community organizing the table. Exploring the tantalizing intersections of burlesque, flow arts, and kink, her work now finds the soulful embodiment of intimate alchemy. She traverses the paradoxes between sacred and profane, shadow and light, desire and fulfillment. Currently based in Chicago, she has performed at The Newport Theater, Elastic Arts, Epiphany Center for the Arts, Eco Collective, The Art of Balance, The Ace Hotel, and Between the Trees Festival.
Ground with Yoga with Sophia Ripsom (Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 30, 7-8pm).
Join Sophia for a soulful, all-levels yoga flow designed to relax your body, ground your energy, and align your breath with the beat. This heart-centered class blends intuitive movement with deep breathwork, creating space for presence, healing, and connection. Come as you are—no experience needed. Let’s rise together in rhythm.
$15/participant
Sophia Ripsom is a Chicago-based yoga teacher whose practice began in 2020 and deepened during her time in Anchorage, Alaska, where she found grounding and growth throughout the pandemic. After returning home, she completed her 200-hour YTT at Bare Feet Yoga Studio in November 2024. Sophia now teaches and co-teaches Vinyasa classes and serves as the Studio Assistant at Bare Feet. She also leads playful, embodied hula-hoop workshops and loves to flow freely in her spare time.
Barely Burlesque – An Introduction with Skirt Vonnegut – (Saturday, April 19 – 2-3:30pm)
A brief history of burlesque and clowning, along with some basic bump and grind instruction, tassel and glove techniques, and a simple choreography. Great for anyone who’s always wanted to try burlesque. Clothes stay on!
Clawing their way out of an Appalachian holler, Skirt Vonnegut is the sketch comedian of burlesque, here to satisfy your wildest nerdy fantasies. A classically trained dancer with over 15 years of sketch comedy, this retired karaoke DJ is the international award-winning entertainer that will tickle your every fancy. By way of Asheville, Chicago, and Berlin, this wandering vagabond knows no home. They specialize in satire based, slapstick, character-centric, and gender-bending burlesque spectaculars while blending European and American styles of performance. Their latest accomplishment has been becoming an actual certified clown by the Actors Gymnasium professional circus program, 2023. Skirt Vonnegut is the founder of The International Church of Burlesque.
@skirtvonnegut99 IG
@skirt.vonnegut.2024 FB
Sacred Sensuality with Frann Fatale – Saturday, April 19th, 4-5:30pm
In this 90 minute workshop, we explore sensuality in a brave, non-judgmental environment. We will set the space, tune into our senses, move our bodies, and learn the power of the tease. Some themes to be explored are accessing presence, pleasure, and play. No prior movement experience is necessary; all are welcome! Just bring a desire to connect to your body, your flow, and your expression. Limited to 10-12 participants.
Frann Fatale (she/they) is an alchemical seductress that will transform your life into gold. Her burlesque debut was in 2021, after participating in Gaea Lady’s Pussy Magic transformation through burlesque program. Before that, she was shaking a wing for a good thing with The Fly Honey Show — femme powered, queer punk, communal striptease— since 2013. She also brings 25+ years of dance/movement performance, 10+ years of healing arts facilitation, and 6+ years of community organizing the table. Exploring the tantalizing intersections of burlesque, flow arts, and kink, her work now finds the soulful embodiment of intimate alchemy. She traverses the paradoxes between sacred and profane, shadow and light, desire and fulfillment. Currently based in Chicago, she has performed at The Newport Theater, Elastic Arts, Epiphany Center for the Arts, Eco Collective, The Art of Balance, The Ace Hotel, and Between the Trees Festival.
Witch Shit: Grounding into Taurus Season with Lo Ca – Saturday, April 26th, 2-3:30pm.
Witch Shit is an invitation to explore your power and magic by connecting intention w/movement. Class starts with a grounding exercise, intention setting, a thorough warm-up, and is followed by plenty of opportunities to flow and connect with seasonal and lunar energies. This month’s Witch Shit is an opportunity to ground into Spring and harness the energy of Taurus season.
Witch shit is open to all levels, abilities, and body types. No prior experience with dance or witchcraft is required.
Lo Ca (Lo for short) is a Chicago-based burlesque performer, instructor, choreographer, and producer. She is the founder of the Windy City Witches (@windycitywitches), where she goes by Stella Mortadella on stage. She was an instructor at Siren Chicago for the entirety of its existence, and has been able to teach hundreds of students all over the world, through her Burlesque Babes performance series, her specialty workshops, and her signature seasonal class, Witch Shit. Lo is a proud queer, Italian, witch, and is excited to be at Ritual Rhythms!
Self-Care Sorcery with Vivian Meretrix – Saturday, April 26, 4-5:30pm.
Learn to develop a self-care regimen that builds on meditative practices, ritual awareness, and spiritual development. Building on over 15 years of experience as a health care worker and ordained priestess, Vivian Meretrix will show you how to better embody your inner divinity.
Vivian Meretrix is the head hottie of the Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque review, which regularly puts on unique shows emphasizing esoteric education as well as titillation. She is ordained as a priestess of the O.T.O. and served as Lodge Master of the Chalice of Heaven Lodge in Chicago from 2016-2021. During that time, Vivian regularly hosted classes on ceremonial magic, occult history, tarot, astrology, Qabbalah, and various Western Hermetic subjects. In 2016, she became a nationally touring burlesque performer, specializing in ritual theatre and in 2023 founded Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque. She is also the assistant manager of the Ritual Rhythms Creative Studio.
Community Flow with Hattie Hodes – (Sundays, 10-11am, 3/9-3/30)
Come celebrate the beauty of communal movement and breath. Through asana, breath work, and somatic release we will find a deeper sense of embodiment and joy. Working with the elements, each class in this 4 week series will explore a unique energy intended to help you feel more present in body, mind and spirit. All levels welcome in this exploration! Donations accepted.
Hattie Jule Hodes recently received her 200 hr YTT certification and is eager to begin her teaching journey in Chicago. She was put in her first yoga class as a snot-nosed toddler and has kept coming back to the mat ever since, finding peace and empowerment through practice. She values alignment and hopes to help foster a deeper awareness of the body and breath in each class she teaches.
As an actor, she relies on yoga as a way to cultivate presence in her life both on and off stage. She believes that we are all at our best when we are in our bodies and in the here and now. Hattie is passionate about the spiritual and devotional side of yoga and views it as a way to move closer to our most authentic, loving, and conscious selves. Hattie is a forever student and she is very excited to learn and grow in this new community.
Ethical Love Magic and the Art of Self-Love with Storm Dolente (Friday 2/21 6:30-8pm)
Love magic doesn’t have to be about influencing others. It can be a powerful tool for cultivating self-love and setting authentic intentions for interpersonal connection. This workshop explores love magic in a way that’s ethical, thoughtful, and focused on consent. We’ll Cover: a) How to approach love magic with care and respect for free will and the consent of others, b) The mythos and importance of the goddess Aphrodite and why Pagans still follow her today, c) The magic of unapologetic self-love and how to put a love spell on yourself to boost your self-esteem.
This class is open to anyone interested in magic, whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your practice.
Storm Dolente is the founder of The Storm’s Eye, createing welcoming spaces for reflection, creativity, and meaningful conversation since 2019. They are a teacher, community organizer, and professional tarot reader. Storm (any pronouns),
West African Groove Dance with Jen Halman (Wednesdays, 7-8pm, 2/26-3/12)
Come energize yourself and learn traditional dances and rhythms from the countries of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast. Dance to Live Drumming! No experience necessary! In this class you will invigorate your body, mind, and soul! Come feel the pulse! $15 per class.
To register, please email jenhealingrhythm@gmail.com
Jen Halman has been studying, teaching and performing West African dance in and around the Chicagoland area for 20 years. She also has been mentored by top traditional masters in Senegal and the Senegambia. Jen also choreographs and performs with several dance companies including She-Wolf for 3 consecutive years. Her love for the West African culture, rhythms and dance exudes in her spirit!
Haven: A 12 Week Forum with Julie Brannen (Tuesdays, 7-9pm, 1/14-4/1)
Times are hard; it is OK to seek refuge within yourself and each other. HAVEN is a 12 week hybrid (virtual and in-person), community forum to dive into Self via ritual, embodiment, and elemental rhythm in order to build foundations for resilience, reverence, and reciprocity.
Facilitated by depth experiences in clinical settings, community building, and personal alchemy integration, Julie Brannen will set and guide the container towards bravery and compassion.
The progression of weeks is intentionally set up to elicit certain psycho-spiritual responses within, provide potent tools for transformation, and carry us through to the next season. This experience is encouraged for those who have baseline self-awareness techniques, are familiar with self-reflection within a community setting, and are eager to dive deeper into their beings – no prior movement experience is necessary. To learn more about this offering, please visit juliebrannen.com/haven
Julie Brannen (she/they) is passionate about creating intimate, transformative spaces for alte/ared states. Her mission is to restore, rewild, and reunite humanity with nature via the intersection of art, alchemy, and activism. With 10 years of experience, she is a Certified Reiki Master Teacher, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist.
Intro to Bellydance by Kamrah (Mondays at 6pm, 1/6-2/17)
Learn foundational belly dance vocabulary, musicality, and history. Suitable for new beginners, and anyone looking to brush up on their basics.
Hybrid – recording offered after each class.
Beginner/Intermediate Fusion Choreography by Kamrah (Mondays at 7:15pm, 1/6-2/17)
This is a beginner/intermediate choreography class for students who have at least 1-3+ years of belly dance experience, or permission from the instructor to enroll.
Learn one of Kamrah’s choreographies with his signature isolations, turns, and liquid arms.
Hybrid – recording offered after each class
Cardio Belly Dance by Kamrah (Saturdays at 12:00pm, 1/11-2/22)
Get your heart rate up with some moderate intensity belly dance drills. Water and a sweat towel are recommended. All levels class.
Some belly dance experience is recommended.
Viral TikTok star, teacher and performer of multiple styles of belly dance and fusion, Kamrah is known for this killer isolations and theatrical pieces. He’s performed in and headlined dance festivals all over the US and the world.