You can dress it up however you want, but burlesque, at its core, is about sex. That's the thrust with which female performers subverted Victorian paternalism in the mid-19th century. That's how it found a bedfellow with American jazz and the haut monde of the 1920s and 30s. That's the reason we recognize Dita Von Teese. And as the fine people of Moonglow Burlesque prepare to put on Beijing's first-ever burlesque show, "Moonglow Cabaret 1935" -- June 12, starting a minute before midnight -- burlesque will remain what burlesque is: a dance in the pin-up tradition of sex, swing and seduction.

Of course, don't get this confused with seamy, tawdry or cheap. Moonglow Burlesque was created by the principal members of Swing Beijing, a registered Chinese dance company started in 2002 by Leru and Adam Lee (who has since ceded his position to Josh Dominick), and from them we would expect nothing short of professionalism and class. But... did we mention garters? Elbow-length gloves? Bodices and side slits. Deadly heels. That silk-smooth, lipstick-on-Nicole-Kidman-in-Moulin-Rouge, bloody-murder shade of red.

And you can get involved, too. Swing Beijing has just begun a beginners class cycle, which means first-time dancers get a lesson for free this Thursday at 8:30pm. We recently spoke to one of the instructors, Sophie Sun, who joined Swing Beijing in early 2008 and will be performing in Moonglow next month.

Do people have misconceptions about burlesque?

When you read the Chinese word for it, you'll get a bad impression. They translate cabaret as "nightclub."

For "burlesque," we translated it using the pronunciation -- baolesi. We're trying to give it a whole new face. It has nothing to do with being dirty or kinky. We want to bring back the 1930s jazz era, a golden time with wonderful music and the vintage, classy style.

If dancing can be considered communication through bodily movements...

When you dance with different partners, even if they are strangers and you may not speak the same language, when you dance together you just enjoy it. If you both hear the music, if you can feel that little connection, then you enjoy it a lot. It's sometimes hard to describe by language. It's just connection.

What does the body say when doing the burlesque?

It says... enjoy your life. Burlesque is a big challenge for me because it's a very sexy dance, and sometimes it's teasing, and that goes against my culture. For me it's a little bit evil, but that's what makes it sexy.

But you're the performer, you control the degree that you want to show. So sometimes I do research to see how would I can look sexy but not kinky. It's a challenge.

Where do you draw that line? How do you do it?

We have models, we watch Cabaret, the movies, other people's shows, and we do research on customs, like how much exposure percentage would be suitable...

What is Leru like as an instructor?

She's very strict, and she's very talented. She practices a lot, of course. She has great techniques that she loves to share with people. She is a like a movement pool that we draw from. You bring it up and ask her about spinning, and then she shows you 10 spins and variations. I always watch her when she dances, when she teaches class.

I love her personality. She is very outgoing, very relaxed about life.

Might it be intimidating for someone who's never done swing dance before to join your group?

We had this talk the other day, it's kind of a joke, but we're just swing dancing geeks.

What if you're shy?

I know people who are really shy, they don't talk at all -- but they dance. I think it's not about if you're outgoing or shy or if you could dance or if you have two left legs -- it doesn't really matter. It's about something inside.

Do you have any tips or advice for people on how to let their guard down?

I think in China it's quite different, because most of the foreigners that try it will stay, but for Chinese people it's more difficult, especially for Chinese guys. It's in Asian culture, there is something about face, people don't want to lose face. But the truth is, nobody was born to dance, so everybody needs to study.

At the very beginning, our class will be really easy, and after you have your basic steps firm, you can add a lot more to express yourself. So it doesn't matter if you're shy, it's just a process for learning something and knowing yourself better.

What's the male to female ratio at Swing Beijing?

As in all kinds of dance venues, there are more girls. I would say maybe two guys to every three girls.

Saying that is a good way to get guys to join...

It's beautiful girls, outgoing, easy. Seriously! [Laughs.]

Swing Beijing is offering a free class to first-timers this Thursday, 8:30pm, at Lanchoumingzuo, Building A, 9th floor, Chaoyangmen Wai Street. For more information, see www.swingbeijing.com/classes.html.

For those with VPNs, check out Moonglow Burlesque's Facebook page.