Lab teching my way through striptease school: Dallas Burlesque Festival '14 Night 2

Since I knew I would getting home during the wee hours of Friday morning, I took the day off from work.  Two of my co-workers deserve mad props for coming to support me, staying for the whole show, and then going to lab meeting the next morning at 8:15 AM (in which one of them was presenting).  I've got awesome people in my lab.

I took some work home, thinking I'd get a little down time.  Needless to say, I didn't feel like doing science.  Taking it easy was probably the best choice because I had volunteered to be a stage kitten for the rest of the festival.

My fellow kitten Jessica and I went around asking the performers about props and their placement.  It seemed like an easy night because there wasn't much set-up.  However, never underestimate how hectic backstage can get once it's show time… especially when you're directionally challenged and prone to mishearing things.  On the upside, we had Pelvis Costello working as a stage hand so we didn't have to worry about lifting furniture in heels.

By Karlo X. Ramos
www.karloxramos.com

Amidst the running around, Jessica and I got roped into a little on-stage gag.  I had no idea what the game plan was and tried my best to smile my way through.  The confusion was probably written all over my face.  Everyone had a good laugh though.

There were so many amazing performances that night, and I loved getting glimpses of the audience going wild.  Of course we were all awed by Perle Noire; she brought so much intensity to every step of her routine.  I have to give Lola Martinet a shout-out for representing us Asians that night and for her ingenuity.  I also didn't get the chance to tell her how much I loved her jacket so I'm doing it here.

At the after-party, I came to the conclusion that my awkwardness is inversely proportional to how much clothes I have on.  ­­­Contrary to popular belief, a person with no qualms about nudity can still be shy.  Similarly, even though stage kittening is seen as a stepping stone to performance, it's not necessarily an easier job.  I always thought being comfortable with my body would be a more difficult task, but DBF last year was a huge step and look at how far I've come in a year.  This year, I tried to focus on trying to socialize more and actually sticking around at the after-parties (and not spend all my time with The Companion).  Overcoming that anxiety is a daunting task, but even just hanging around for a hour counts for something.  And hey, I still had a fun Valentine's Day evening despite my partner being at work.

By MayMay

Click here for the recap of Night 1