Dallas Burlesque Festival - 2013

Lab teching my way through striptease school: My First BHoF Weekender - Day 3

The one must-have item from Burlesque Hall of Fame wasn't even official merchandise; it was a rhinestone necklace spelling out one's stage name from DuBerry's.  There was a practical function: it made the perfect burly name tag.   Lily LeCroix and I didn't have one so we, along with Black Mariah and Carmen St. Cloud, made it our mission to hit up with the indoor swap meet.  I kept an eye out for potential costume pieces or a nicer dress to wear to one of the shows, but I kept a tight fist around my wallet.  I did, however, get my "name tag", an eyebrow pencil, some hair clips, and a belt—for a total of less than $15.  After a sketchy ride back, we hit up the Burlesque Bazaar again, where I did find a costume piece from Booty and the Geek.

Our pre-show dinner became a battle
between the blues and the reds.

People were not kidding when they said I would overdose on burlesque by the end of the Tournament of Tease.  Two performances in and I already had two of my favorites for Best Debut.  Lisa Fa'alafi gave a huge middle finger to Polynesian stereotypes and managed to make leaves look chic.  Then Jeez Loueez brought so much attitude to the stage as Rufio, dancing to Michael Jackson.  Rounding out my top three was Bonnie Fox who Charleston-ed faster than anybody I'd ever seen and into the Best Debut and Most Dazzling Dancer titles.  I was also rooting for Dallas' own Missy Lisa who was the obvious pick for Most Classical.

The next three categories sped by due to fewer competitors and a lot of high energy performances.  Since I considered Japan my second home (I lived there for a year), I was eager to see Circus de Moccos in Best Group.  They did not disappoint, and I truly appreciated their whimsical and silly take on sexuality.  The Land of Sweets won the category, and while they stuck to more traditional dance, I had to give them props for their technical skills and the homage to my favorite ballet, The Nutcracker.  Although Best Troupe had me biased with the Ruby Revue competing, the ladies really were on point in every little aspect.  Even looking back at the photos now, I'm impressed with how everybody's legs were extended to the same height.  I was super stoked for them.

Ruby Revue also gets my pick for cutest dress theme,
as they matched their gowns to their costumes.

King of Boylesque was my favorite to watch because all four contenders had such a different aesthetic.  They represented all forms of masculinity—from graceful and androgynous beauty to "Macho Man".  I couldn't pick a favorite…except that Mr. Gorgeous did win my heart by building his act around one of my favorite things in the world, ice cream.  He won the judges' hearts too, as he got the crown at the end of the night.

Finally the Miss Exotic World/Queen of Burlesque competition came.  It wasn't as diverse as some of the other categories, which was a little disappointing, but everybody was dancing at such a top level that I was still in awe.  The ones who did stand out to me were the ones who took a different approach.  Iva Handfull rocked her suit and giant mohawk; she brought the fierceness that I've admired since I knew who she was.  Melody Mangler's transformation from a devout Puritan to a fiery enchantress was unique and well thought-out— I always love a good narrative.  The two I was cheering loudest for were Midnite Martini and Ginger Valentine for obvious reasons.  The former epitomized grace, innovation, and boldness with her mix of aerials and classic burlesque while the latter displayed the perfect balance of elegance and raw sexuality.  I was super stoked when Ginger got second runner-up with the gorgeous Medianoche getting first runner-up.  Then I became even more elated as Midnite Martini took the title.  Very rarely do we have a woman of color as Queen of Burlesque (especially an Asian), and Midnite Martini's ability to take the most classic moves to a new level is inspiring.

I helped Carmen her mission
too: getting a pic with the
handsome Trojan Original.

After that marathon, I didn't have that much energy to party.  However, I did want to congratulate the winners, particularly my classmates and teachers.  I also made it my mission to tell Circus de Moccos "Otsukaresama deshita", which translates as "Thank you for your hard work" and is something you say to performers afterward in Japan.  Sometimes I wish we had a standardized phrase like that in English because "I loved your performance" feels repetitive after a while and "You were awesome" sounds corny.  I don't know where to find the middle ground between expressing appreciation and coming off as a super fangirl.  Being overly self-conscious of being the latter kept me from talking to more people.  There was one more night left so I didn't stress about it too much, especially since I had a lovely day and evening with friends and great performances.

Whatever Lola Wants

Back in May, the Dallas burlesque community put together a show to help raise money for one of its members, Lola LaRue, who is undergoing cancer treatment.  It was a night of song, dance, and friendship.

Jennica

Fuser L'Via

 Performers from all over town hit the stage, including members of the award-winning Ruby Revue.

Shellbelle Shamrock

Renee Holiday

Mary Lynn Mayhem

More photos can be found in this Flickr album.
Restricted images can be found on Tumblr.

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Lab teching my way through striptease school: Ruby Revue Pink Panthers Invade the House of Blues

Still catching up on entries here, but I got this one done just in time for the next Ruby Revue shows– tonight at 8:30 PM and 11 PM.  I won’t be at the shows, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. ^_~  Last month, I had the chance to perform with them as a member of Ginger Valentine’s Advanced Burlesque Tease class.  Now I admit that I partly elected to that this upper-level class for the chance to perform in their July show.  The limelight is addicting, especially when you are doing something you seriously love.  I did want a more challenging class though, and that’s what I got.

By Burles Co. Photography
www.facebook.com/burlescophotography

Our routine was set to a jazzy version of the Pink Panther theme.  The choreography wasn’t too difficult, but we only had a month to learn it and there were some quick glove peels.  I was so worried that I wasn’t going to master one of them that I must have practiced 50 times.  Getting better gloves that didn’t threaten to rip (and then actually do so) when I tugged on the fingers helped immensely.  Because I focused on the moves, I didn’t really have much time to work on facial expressions.  In my head, sexy equals not smiling or half smiling because a big grin makes my eyes small and overall look too cute (and I hate being called “cute”).

With my costume, I truly lucked out minus the realization that Electrique Boutique was closed on Sundays and having to use my lunch break to get the gloves .  The Burlesque Experience held a garage sale a week before the show, and I wound up getting a faux leather corseted top.  At first I was afraid it wouldn’t go with the classic burlesque look that Ruby Revue is generally known for, but I discovered that a leather-and-lace theme with pin-up style hair and make-up worked very well.  Furthermore, Carmen St. Cloud loaned me some leopard print accessories to add color (and a surprise) to my outfit.  If there was one thing I could change, it would be my robe, which I won from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Giveaway earlier in the year.  Luckily we didn’t keep the robes on for long so the logo wasn’t in everyone’s faces.  Plus it provided even more color and sparkle.

By Karlo X. Ramos
www.karloxramos.com

Although I was getting better at doing my make-up, my rigid gas permeable contacts decided to hurt really badly and ruin what I had done half an hour before call time.  This always seems to happen before a show, which makes me run late.  Maybe next time I should double the amount of time I set aside for getting ready.  Renee Holiday had recommended getting a false eyelash set that included an applicator.  That definitely helped as I was practicing, but in the end, I still needed to adjust the lashes by hand.  I was happy that I got them on by myself for the first time.

I wound up doing double duty as performer and stage kitten.  My experience with being involved in an act at Clever Girl Cabaret while stage kittening gave me the confidence to figure in a costume change between picking up.  When we rehearsed on the stage, I realized that I had to be super cognizant of space and where I tossed my costume pieces.  Everything went smoothly, but I was still intimidated by all the lights and the audience being so close.  It was really thrilling, and I guess I got caught in the moment because suddenly we finished the routine.

Normally I’m too much of an awkward turtle to stay at the after-party for very long, but I figured it was appropriate to engage in the tradition of a stripper’s breakfast with my teachers, classmates, and sempai (I can’t think of a better English word that “seniors” which sounds a little odd).  We went to Pop Diner, a quirky restaurant/bar with 80s pop culture references everywhere and free arcade games.  I wish I had talked more, but I was tired and had exhausted all my anti-shyness fuel.  Nevertheless, it was a wonderful way cap off a successful (and sold-out!) show, plus a great learning experience.

By Marleana Mahoozi

Lab teching my way through striptease school - Merchandise Sales and Multiple Identities

My burlesque experience has seen me donning many hats: fan, photographer, student, (candy) cigarette girl, stage kitten, and even performer.  Therefore, I shouldn’t have been surprised that my first gig with the Ruby Revue (remember my audition post?) gave me a new role– merchandise girl.  I’m always willing to lend a hand, but I felt hesitant.  I was afraid I’d be a lousy salesperson.  Even though I had helped out at the table during the Dallas Burlesque Festival, I would be doing it on my own for the entire show.  Memories of my fourth grade class’ school supply shop came rushing back, and the thought of giving back the wrong amount of change was scaring than the thought of a bunch of people seeing me in my underwear.

The nice thing about being incredibly single-minded at times, however, is the fact that I can push aside those worries.  When doors opened, I entered “work mode” and tried my best to persuade patrons to buy a boa or a T-shirt.  Sales were slow at first, but as more people filed in, more items started to leave the table.  By the end of the show, I was so swamped by customers that my partner jumped in to help me keep track of what I sold.  He also probably attracted more people because he’s charming (and loud).  It turned out to be a pretty fun experience.

Wearing my Jet Girl cosplay
at the Clever Girl Cabaret:
Flirty Nerd show

There was one point when I felt so overwhelmed that I wound up giving out my real name.  Luckily the gentleman was familiar with many local dancers and asked how he could distinguish me from another dancer whose stage name was similar to my real name.  That gave me the opportunity to re-introduce myself.  The whole thing, combined with my experiences the previous night at The Midnight Ramble (another burlesque event), made me realize that my multiple roles in the community has created somewhat of an identity crisis.

You see, at The Midnight Ramble, I was just taking photos, which I post under my real name  Normally I keep to myself when shooting, but I had some people talk to me and I guess they deduced that I was connected with the dancers.  I started to wonder if I should’ve introduced myself as Hana since I don’t have business cards for my photography.  I have no intentions of making any money from my pictures, but it’s still nice to have everything together as a portfolio, especially since I do a little bit of journalism.  Things get even more iffy when you have burlesque crossing over with another of my hobbies, like cosplay or steampunk.  How do I introduce myself then?

A funny idea of using my glasses to distinguish between my two main identities (we’re not going to go into my steampunk and cosplay alias) occurred to me.  I’ve been told I look drastically different without my glasses, and I always wear contacts as Hana Li.  My glasses could be a Clark Kent sort of disguise for my burlesque self.  There are two problems to this plan though.  The first is that I can only wear rigid gas permeable lenses, and they’re not very comfortable.  One speck of dust and I’m tearing up like crazy because my eye hurts.  There’s a possibility that I would have to switch to glasses immediately after curtain call.  The other issue is that sometimes I do wear contacts when I’m photographing, and while I can always attend shows as Hana, people are not stupid enough to be unable to put two-and-two together.  Plus I’ve already uploaded photos of me with glasses on my facebook page.  Oh well, it’s still fun to think of myself as being a burlesque version of Clark Kent/Superman.


The next time you can see me with the Ruby Revue is on July 26.  I'll be on-stage for the Advanced Burlesque Tease class performance.  Hope to see you in the crowd!

Photo by Karlo X. Ramos