Photography

BETTINA HANSEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

From left, Elsa Von Schmaltz, instructor of the Academy of Burlesque's "How to walk in high heels" class coaches Zuzana Zilkova, Andria 'Alessandra' Green, and Nathalie Turner, all of Seattle, on the art of strutting at Oddfellows Hall on Capitol Hill. "We are putting our bodies in an anatomically incorrect way to look hot," says Von Schmaltz. "Your hips become a hinge." The hour-long class covers such things as shoe type, tips for balance, several different sassy walking styles, a stair climb and stretches that help ease the pain heels can cause. The heels class is one of several offered by the Academy of Burlesque. To learn more, visit www.academyofburlesque.com.