Bloody Burlesque, Damn It

The future of burlesque is here. The grandmother of strip tease has spawned a new child. The dance that used to get sailors and married men alike to shout obscenities at the stage has rewritten its codes of conduct. On my birthday, in mid-October, I found myself celebrating at Bordello Bar with a group of friends, whilst being entertained by a troupe of modern-age burlesque performers. They had created a Halloween-inspired evening called Bloody Burlesque which consisted of stripteases in the style of the retro dance, but with a twist. All of the performers incorporated something bloody or violent into their routines. One ripped fake pieces of skin off her body, another drenched herself in fake blood while never letting her nipple tassels stop spinning. Though I was unimpressed with the production at Bordello, I had seen others perfect this contemporary burlesque thing. I once saw Legs Malone strip down to nothing on account of there being (fake) cockroaches, spiders and snakes lodged in her gloves, bra and underpants. The entire scene, to me, is such a creative outlet for artists who aren't afraid to show their bottoms to a crowd full of strangers. And while showing their bottoms, they invent unique and undeniably witty ways to take off the rest of their clothes. The humor is contagious and the performance remains somewhat sexy.

Modern-day burlesque is one of my favorite forms of entertainment. It beats the usual drag show and often even the over worn rock show. There is nothing like it and it continues to grow and become something new with each never-before-seen trick. There is so much room to utilize one's creativity - costume, props, performance, music. And ultimately, it is the best way to create a persona that followers will worship. A persona that you create on your own, through your presentation, on stage and off. You are a burlesque dancer. You are timeless. You are fat or skinny. You are kind or severe. You are nasty or cautious. You are naked on stage and you know you own the room. You have a great deal of power over people. You are mesmerizing.