I have had a prolonged absence from burlesque. Living life and having a bit of a creative lull contributed to my time off the stage but I am happy to say I have a few upcoming performances. I can not believe it is October but that means all things Halloween are happening. I have the pleasure of performing twice this month. I will be debuting an all new silly scary act. I can’t wait!
After taking the month of April off from performing I had the pleasure of performing not once, but twice, in San Francisco with the Red Hots and the Hubba Hubba Revue. The burlesque scene there is blossoming and I am so honored I was able to experience it. The crowds were welcoming and the performers I was able to share the stage with were a joy. Thanks again San Francisco and I will be back soon!
I am back from a fabulous trip to Copenhagen, Denmark! I spent a week walking and running the city, eating smørrebrød and as many pastries as I could, and stared at cute Danish boys. Prior to my trip I did research on the burlesque scene in Copenhagen in hopes I could perform or have a chat with a burlesque performer there. The scene in Copenhagen is practically non-existent as I was informed by The Gentleman, a boylesque performer in Denmark. Coming from such a massive community and then going to a city which lacks one is almost a shock. You mean burlesque doesn’t infiltrate every part of the world?! But that means big things could start in Copenhagen and I hope it does!
To get right back into the swing of things I’ll be performing my only act that includes a merkin on Saturday at the Rendezvous Jewelbox Theater for the Monsters, Merkins, and Mayhem show. Hope to see you there!
2011 was a phenomenal year in burlesque for me. I performed more than I ever had before, performed in another state, attended BurlyCon, and made connections in this community that have been beneficial and encouraging. I could never have imagined the first time I stepped on stage as Chesty LaRue that I would still be doing this over two years later. It has been an incredible journey and I hope to continue to grow and strengthen as a performer.
When is a burlesque performer not “new”? What prompts this question centers around a Facebook invite to perform at a peer review for new performers to receive feedback and the opportunity for show producers to see your work. While I was not offended by any means, regardless how long you’ve been performing peer reviews are always beneficial, I did wonder how many years does it take for a performer to not be considered new? Is it performance years or popularity that factors in your newness? I have been performing over two years (two years and five months to be exact) and while that isn’t a long time compared to the veterans, I wouldn’t consider myself a newbie. I’m sure that is a debatable topic though. I should bring this up when I am around other performers to see how opinions differ.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday however you celebrate!
I had the wonderful pleasure of performing in Portland this weekend! It was my first time performing in another state and it was incredible. A big thank you goes out to Zora Phoenix for allowing me to be a part of an incredible show. I shared the stage not only with Zora but with Bayou Bettie, The Infamous Nina Nightshade, and the comical musical stylings of Kevin Hardy. The crowd was fun, enthusiastic and receptive to all the acts. Thank you so much Portland for having me!
Earlier this week I had the wonderful opportunity to sit and converse with other Seattle burlesque performers. Our conversation ranged from costuming to the politics we have to deal with performing. I am grateful I have a community where I can voice opinions and find people that understand all that encompasses this genre. Since I was able to talk so much about burlesque during BurlyCon I don’t want to stop!
