the school

Since 2010, Grace Hall has been engaged in outreach and education, promoting and spreading awareness and well-being through the performing arts (dance, burlesque theater), which serve as a means of psychological, physical, and moral development with a high social impact through workshops, classes, shows, and events.

Il Tempio del Burlesque actively supports women, working to create an inclusive and diverse community based on cooperation, fun, creativity, and mutual respect, through a fundamental principle: a healthy relationship with one’s body.

The school offers a variety of courses open to all women who wish to explore the potential of nonverbal communication through theater, dance, and gesture work. The goal is to share a method that offers tools for becoming more aware of one’s body, developing self-confidence, and expressing oneself with complete freedom.

Our courses, which range from dance to theater, are designed to educate and inspire women to celebrate their uniqueness and individuality. We are committed to supporting the body as a tool for personal transformation, offering participants the opportunity to rediscover themselves, enhance their self-awareness, and place themselves at the center of their lives with lightness and creativity.

Enrollment requests grow significantly every year; we currently have four active courses: find the course that’s right for you.

THE BODY AS A VEHICLE OF A NEW IDENTITY

the method

Feminine Spirit Alchemy®

Grace Hall has developed a unique maieutic-based methodology.

The lessons focus on focusing on certain methodologies and attitudes, both physical and mental, to learn to look into one’s body, which demands expression.

“Give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth.“

Oscar Wilde

The body becomes a vehicle for a new, more confident identity.

The body teaches us a sense of self-awareness, which is invaluable for living better and establishing fulfilling relationships. And, no less importantly, it frees us from the superstructures that often stifle the authenticity of every woman. We too often feel forced to conform to models imposed on us by society, family, education, and the media. Grace embraces a holistic approach, incorporating breathing techniques, body awareness, and movement isolation into her courses, thus fostering greater self-confidence in participants. The body is our temple; it speaks volumes about us. The aim is to offer practical tools to understand oneself better and bring to light the potential, the most authentic and precious nature that lives silently within every woman. This is done by interpreting a character, an alter ego, which one then gradually becomes, thus embracing the deluxe version of oneself, enacting a true alchemical transformation from chrysalis to butterfly.

Grace Hall Alchimia e Burlesque - Intervista per Psicopompo

Interview with Grace Hall on “Burlesque e Alchimia” for Psicopompo podcast

METHODOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

Breathing techniques.
Awakening, channeling vital energy to access our infinite creative potential.
Theatrical improvisation.
The body and space.
Gurdjieff System exercises; The Fourth Way: Presence, Self-Observation; Self-Remembering.
Creativity as a path to knowledge and harmonious development of the Being.
Nonverbal communication/burlesque: a creative vehicle for transformation (first external and then internal) toward the best version of oneself.

Join us!

choose your course

TEACHERS

Grace will guide students through every aspect of creating a burlesque character, offering a complete, 360-degree experience.

Students will learn to create and develop a unique character that reflects their personality and artistic vision. Through creative exercises and discussions, they will create an alter ego that enchants and engages the audience.

They will explore performance techniques to structure a coherent and compelling act that showcases the character.
Grace will guide you, offering practical advice on designing and creating the costume that best represents the character.
They will explore the importance of details in best expressing their style.
She will also reveal the secrets of stage makeup to emphasize your presence on stage and enchant the audience, sharing techniques and tips for creating a captivating image.
Through exercises and personalized feedback, students will strengthen their confidence and stage presence. We will focus on listening and isolating movement, eye contact, and the ability to express conscious, effective, and precise body language, connecting with our most authentic femininity.
Greater awareness will allow you to evolve your potential and express the best version of yourself, on stage and in everyday life.

Grace Hall

Founder, artistic director and coach of Il Tempio del Burlesque in Italy and around the world.

Often referred to by the press and media as “the Italian Queen of Burlesque,” she is a multifaceted and versatile artist, a pioneer of this art form in Italy.

Creator, director and producer of the documentary film “Burlesque Extravaganza“, available on home video and Prime Video, Grace Hall performs at the most prestigious events, festivals, and theaters in Europe, the United States and Canada.

She boasts a unique education. She has studied and worked with great masters of theater and international cinema.

She holds a degree in Modern Literature and “Film History and Criticism” from La Sapienza University of Rome and a diploma from the Theater Conservatory, formerly Scaletta, directed by Diotajuti.
She has specialized in workshops with Ferruccio Di Cori on theatrical improvisation and the theater of spontaneity, with Cathy Marchand on Living Theatre acting techniques, with Carlo Boso on Commedia dell’Arte, with Doris Hicks on the Strasberg Method, with Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley of Odin Teatret, including Meyerhold’s Biomechanics, Rudolf Steiner’s Eurythmy and Gurdjieff’s Sacred Dances.

Since 2023, she has regularly attended acting and writing workshops with Oscar-winning artist Paul Haggis.

Her multifaceted approach to the performing arts has led her to develop a unique teaching method.

She has been a professional actress (aka Emma Nitti) for 25 years, boasting prestigious national and international collaborations in theater, music, film and television.

Grace will guide students through every aspect of creating a burlesque character, offering a complete, 360-degree experience.

Students will learn to create and develop a unique character that reflects their personality and artistic vision. Through creative exercises and discussions, they will create an alter ego that enchants and engages the audience.

They will explore performance techniques to structure a coherent and compelling act that showcases the character.
Grace will guide you, offering practical advice on designing and creating the costume that best represents the character.
They will explore the importance of details in best expressing their style.
She will also reveal the secrets of stage makeup to emphasize your presence on stage and enchant the audience, sharing techniques and tips for creating a captivating image.
Through exercises and personalized feedback, students will strengthen their confidence and stage presence. We will focus on listening and isolating movement, eye contact, and the ability to express conscious, effective, and precise body language, connecting with our most authentic femininity.
Greater awareness will allow you to evolve your potential and express the best version of yourself, on stage and in everyday life.

Cristina Pensiero

With international training in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and more, Cristina Pensiero has made her mark on the world of entertainment. A graduate of the Performing Arts College Laine Theatre Arts in the United Kingdom, she has brought her talents to a variety of theatrical and musical productions. From iconic shows like “Snow White & Seven Dwarves” to contemporary dance performances with ARSmovendi, Cristina has demonstrated her versatility on stage and screen.

As choreographer and principal dancer for “La Dolce Diva Burlesque Show” and “Varietà Burlesque,” she has transformed the stage with her energy and creativity. Her commitment to teaching has brought her experience to prestigious institutes in Rome, while her appearances on television programs such as “Si può fare” and “Serata per voi” have inspired and entertained audiences at home.

In addition to her work on stage, Cristina has also made her mark on film, choreographing unforgettable scenes in films such as “Un Natale Stupefacente” and “Un Matrimonio Mostruoso.” Her passion for teaching has influenced generations of dancers and actors at renowned theater institutions such as LIM in Rome and Teatro Vittoria.

Today, Cristina continues to amaze audiences as a performer in the musical “Lillo e i Vagabondi,” demonstrating that her talent and passion for dance are timeless.

With international training in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and more, Cristina Pensiero has made her mark on the world of entertainment. A graduate of the Performing Arts College Laine Theatre Arts in the United Kingdom, she has brought her talents to a variety of theatrical and musical productions. From iconic shows like “Snow White & Seven Dwarves” to contemporary dance performances with ARSmovendi, Cristina has demonstrated her versatility on stage and screen.

As choreographer and principal dancer for “La Dolce Diva Burlesque Show” and “Varietà Burlesque,” she has transformed the stage with her energy and creativity. Her commitment to teaching has brought her experience to Rome’s prestigious institutions, while her appearances on television programs such as “Si può fare” and “Serata per voi” have inspired and entertained audiences at home.

In addition to her work on stage, Cristina has also left her mark on film, choreographing unforgettable scenes in films such as “Un Natale Stupefacente” and “Un Matrimonio Mostruoso.” Her passion for teaching has influenced generations of dancers and actors at renowned theater institutions such as LIM in Rome and the Teatro Vittoria.

Today, Cristina continues to amaze audiences as a performer in the musical “Lillo e i Vagabondi,” demonstrating that her talent and passion for dance are timeless.

With Cristina, we delve into:
Posture and Catwalking.

Posture is a powerful way for our body to communicate with others and takes shape in the way we walk and gesture.

Learning to walk like a cat will help us establish an intimate connection with our bodies and showcase our sensuality and femininity.
Perform short choreographies in different dance styles, providing inspiration and ideas for your own acts and “characters.

Carola Accardo - Il Tempio del Burlesque

With Carola, we will explore:
Flexibility and body fluidity.

Gaining confidence in your body through the joy of discovery.

Mobilizing joints, strengthening, focusing on the center of movement, and releasing tension will be our guidelines for rediscovering the integrity of movement and the connection and relationship between the various parts of the body that will allow us to give importance to every gesture, from hand to foot.

Through repetition, strengthening, and balance and instability practices, the body will move through the exercise to become aware of each part until it finds itself in a flow that becomes sequence and then choreography.

The importance of grounding and elevating oneself to combine solidity, elasticity, and the beauty of expanding movement.

Carola Accardo

She was introduced to the world of theater as a child, where she began studying classical dance at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. This challenging journey offered her important experiences, bringing her into contact with internationally renowned dancers and marking a fundamental milestone in her education. Over the years, she also continued her research into Afrodance and the study of circus disciplines (trapeze and textiles), curiously exploring the dynamics of a true traditional traveling circus from within.

Passionate about artistic expression in its various forms, she graduated in Contemporary Art History and then refocused on movement as an expression and bodily awareness through Pilates, eventually becoming a Pilates teacher.

The body is seen as a living palette of ourselves and our potential.

In 2018, while exploring a world that allowed her to express herself through personal performances, she discovered and approached burlesque, beginning to study with Grace Hall at “Il Tempio del Burlesque”.

Con Carola approfondiremo:
Flessibilità e fluidità corporea.

Gaining confidence in your body through the joy of discovery.

Mobilizing joints, strengthening, focusing on the center of movement, and releasing tension will be our guidelines for rediscovering the integrity of movement and the connection and relationship between the various parts of the body that will allow us to give importance to every gesture, from hand to foot.

Through repetition, strengthening, and balance and instability practices, the body will move through the exercise to become aware of each part until it finds itself in a flow that becomes sequence and then choreography.

The importance of grounding and elevating oneself to combine solidity, elasticity, and the beauty of expanding movement.

Freaky Candy

Freaky Candy is an international performer, activist, producer of the Rimini Cuore e Burlesque Festival and teacher in Italy and around the world.

Awarded “Most Beautiful” at The Great Burlesque Expo 2016, Freaky Candy grew up studying classical ballet and oriental dance, and cultivating a solid background in the performing arts.

Her artistic skills, body control, unstoppable creativity, and boundless passion for this art make her one of the most appreciated and respected coaches nationally and internationally.

She performs in Italy, Europe, the USA, and Canada, where she graced the stage at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival as an International Featured Performer.

In 2015, she founded her own Academy, “Cuore e Burlesque,” in Rimini, which now operates in four cities, covering the Romagna and Marche regions.

the school

THE BODY AS A VEHICLE OF A NEW IDENTITY