Gal Friday - Deb Delicious

 

 Photograph by Dusk Devi Vision

Today’s Gal Friday is a performing dynamo, from classic to neo and back, with the twirliest tassels in Canberra the tasty but vicious DEB DELICIOUS!

I caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...

What got you started in Burlesque?
  I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.

Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.

Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.

What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?

All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.

As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.

If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?

I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.

Today’s Gal Friday is a performing dynamo, from classic to neo and back, with the twirliest tassels in Canberra the tasty but vicious DEB DELICIOUS!

Canberra Burlesque Diary caught up with Deb for 5 quick questions...

What got you started in Burlesque?

I think I was born to be a little bit of a striptease exhibitionist. My mother use to tell me that anytime I had the chance I would have my clothes off and run around the front yard in the nip for all the neighbours to see. These days I do it with some class.
All jokes aside, I’ve always had a love for the glamour and glitz of the vintage era.
Back before I discovered the art of tease I had no confidence in myself. I had very low self-esteem and suffered really badly from social phobia.

Then I came across a page on ‘Myspace’ (yes the social media of the time before Facebook).
It was a page for Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque advertising classes in Canberra. I discussed with my very supportive partner about joining Miss Kitka’s classes and he said “go for it, I think it would be really good for you”. Little did he know after 5 years he’d be living with a Burlesque monster and a house full of glitter and feathers. We like to joke and call the glitter that has bombed our house ‘asbestos’ and he has ‘glitter lung’.

Burlesque has changed my life. It has given me so much confidence and the burlesque community gives me so much support. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, Cry and you never cry alone when you have so many burlesque beauties that have your back.

What is the strangest heckle you have ever heard at a burlesque gig?

All in all I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never had someone bad heckle me whilst on stage. I think they’re too afraid to mess with a mad Irish woman. Some guy once said to me when I was in full stage makeup “It’s hard to argue with a woman with makeup and lashes like that” He was trying to get into a show for free but unfortunately for him he met me at the door.

As for the worst heckle; once when I was a member of the audience, someone shouted “put it back on!” He was soon shot down with thousand death stares.

If you could perform in any city in the world, where would it be?

I would love to travel back home to Ireland and perform in the Dublin Burlesque Festival. I really don’t know anything about the Burlesque scene in my home country, but having had a good catholic Irish upbringing I really hope that Ireland isn’t as small minded and square as I remember it.
I’d really love to have my lovely Irish Ma see me on stage. She’d love it.

Every showgirl has an emergency toolkit, what is in yours?

I don’t really have an emergency toolkit. I will always have my favourite pastie glue ‘Kryolan mastix’, or ‘who’d you rip a nipple off’ as I’d like to call it.
I always like to have just one glass of red before I go on stage and will always have a straw in my little burlesque tin so I don’t ruin my lippy. And somewhere hidden in my case is a wonderful postcard size photo of the amazing Jennie Lee. She is my tassel goddess. I know if I have her with me I’m less likely to pop a pastie.

What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

Canberra’s burlesque scene is still an up and coming one. It is not as over saturated as Melbourne or Sydney. I find it quite surprising when I do a workshop or a hens party I will always ask my group of ladies and gents what they know about burlesque...If anything at all. It gives me an idea of what I’m working with and 8 out of 10 people have no knowledge about the art nor have ever been to a show before.
So as a burlesque performer in Canberra I love educating people of the true history of burlesque. I love the reaction I get when I perform as a lot of the members of the audience have never seen anything like it and 99% of the time their reaction is so positive. You will always have your haters and of course Canberra is made up of public servants that wouldn’t have a lot of exposure to the art. That said, I’m sure the Canberran burlesque community can broaden their minds and convert everyone. World domination I say! 

 

Exposing for exposure - Performing for Free

This image has been doing the rounds on and off for a while now and it always gets me thinking.  It seems somewhat hypocritical of me given that I spent over a year producing Mondayitis Cabaret a charity night that asked performers to donate their time and talents but generally I agree with this sentiment*.

 

The problem with working for free is that it can make even the most passionate hobby unsustainable.  Burlesque particularly is a very expensive art form, costumes, make up, grooming all take time and money.  There are several arguments that clients might use when asking artist to work for free.

 

 'We have a limited budget', often means 'We would like you to work for free or for 'in kind' payment. 'In kind' covers things like; food and drink or additional complementary tickets to the event. 

 

Food and drink as 'in kind' is a lovely idea but performers often do not have time to eat or drink at a performance.  The other thing that this does not take into account is that eating and drinking are not the costs a performer incurs at a performance, you need transportation to the gig, time spent rehearsing and preparing an act.  Unless you are performing at Rockpool or The Fat Duck the cost of a meal is likely to be much less than your regular fee.

 

Complementary tickets to the event is a cheeky way of making you feel like your in kind payment is of a higher value.  Whatever the event ticket price is for a 'for profit' event there will be a margin.  It is far cheaper for the producer to offer you some free tickets especially if it is an event that is unlikely to sell out than it would be for them to pay you the retail value of those tickets.  Unless it is an event you would have paid to attend anyway you are coming out worse off in this arrangement.

Additionally often paid gigs will offer 1 or 2 complementary tickets to performers and even if they don't your fee should be enough to cover a small personal cheer squad, obviously dependent on the ticket price.

 

The offer to include you on our press releases and media materials may sound generous but  in my experience I have received more media coverage for shows that I have been paid to perform in.  If a producer is paying the performers a fee they have a much more vested interest in ensuring that you're promoted in order to sell tickets.

Charity events are a slightly different affair; the call to donate an act or two is something that is up to the individual performer.  I used to produce Mondayitis Cabaret which was a fundraising night for the ACT domestic violence crises service for which I asked performers to donate their time and talents. I would never ask performers I didn't know well and I certainly never put pressure on anyone to perform.  If you aren't able to perform for free don't allow a producer to pressure you into it. 

I suppose in the end I agree with the final statement, if those creating the art aren't prepared to put a value on it even if it is only a nominal amount how can we expect others to value it? 

*This post does not cover TFP arrangements where artist collaborate in order to produce images or film that can be used by both parties.  This kind of work is a fantastic way for artists to build their portfolio.

Gal Friday - Sugar Starr

Sugar Starr.
Photograph by Annebelle

This week’s Gal Friday is arguably the blondest bombshell in Canberra’s burlesque scene. Performing burlesque in Canberra since 2010, she took out Kitten of the Year 2012 with her Bearded Lady routine. As gracious off stage as she is on.  The sweet and sparkling; Sugar Starr!

What got you started in Burlesque?

 I have always loved to dance, although have never had any formal training. I danced in ...high school Rock Eisteddfods. After uni I got the urge to get back into dance. I tried a few different classes, belly dancing, tribal dance etc, although I missed the performance part of it. Someone told me about Burlesque, and having always had a fascination with vintage glamour, I signed up. The thing I loved about it most was the opportunity to perform and get creative.

Who is your Burlesque Idol?

 Dixie Evans, the 'Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque' is my number one idol, rest in peace sweet Dixie. However, I also have a really quirky reason for loving Lili St Cyr. There is this story that I like to believe is true: Lili St Cyr taught Marilyn Monroe how to bleach her hair. I read about this in the book 'Norma Jean', by Ted Jordan. Ted was Norma Jean's boyfriend at the time, and he tells the story of Norma Jean going to one of Lili St Cyr's burlesque shows. Apparently Norma Jean became so obsessed with the show and so obsessed with Lili that she made him take her to every show, matinée AND evening while it was on. Ted says this drove him crazy, but Norma Jean was determined. She was also determined to talk to Lili and made her way back stage. It was apparently here that Lili and Norma Jean became friends and Lili said she would show Marilyn how to dye her hair the same as hers. As for Ted, he went on to marry Lili St Cyr!

What is your favourite act to perform?

 'The Bearded Woman'. This act to me speaks of pure vulnerability and letting that be seen. I still find it emotional to perform.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you at a show?

 Someone asking Carlotta to move her case over in the backstage area. I'll never forget the look on Carlotta's face.
 
What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

That its growing! What I love about burlesque in Canberra is that we are helping women express themselves exactly as they are. We are helping them embrace their curves or their straight lines. The more women that can experience the power in accepting themselves exactly as they are and then getting on stage and showing that!...the better this world will be.

That's Not Burlesque

Burlesque – pronunciation: bəːˈlɛsk

NOUN
1 an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody: a novel which is a burlesque of the literary life [mass noun]: the argument descends into music-hall burlesque
2 a variety show, typically including striptease: [as modifier]: burlesque clubs

VERB

parody or imitate in an absurd or comically exaggerated way:
‘a mock-heroic farce that burlesques the affectations of Restoration heroic drama’*

 

This post has been tumbling around in my head (and some peoples ears I know) for a long time.  One of my personal bugbears is when I hear anyone within the burlesque community opine ‘That’s not burlesque’.  Burlesque is a broad and evolving art form and I personally feel that it is presumptive and precious to try and pin it down to any kind of narrow definition. 

The other huge problem I have is that it is so often used to denigrate the hard work of others who might otherwise prove to be lively and interesting members of the burlesque community.  Most Frequently I hear it about the following forms:

1/. Jazz/Cabaret Burlesque

The majority of people outside our community picture one of two things when they hear ‘Burlesque’; Dita Von Teese or this:

Show Me How YOU Burlesque

Whatever you want to call it; Pussycat Dolls Burlesque, Cabaret Burlesque, Xtina Burlesque.  What it is, is recognisable.  It’s big, it’s sparkly, it’s escapist; something it shares with the burlesque theatres of the great depression.  Really if the majority of the population recognise it as ‘burlesque’ who are we to bemoan that it isn’t (I mean not really, right?).  We know better than the 1 million plus people who bought the DVD**.

Call it Jazz Burlesque, Xtina Burlesque, Pop-Burlesque or whatever you like but don’t try and denigrate it.  When you say it’s ‘not burlesque’ and heap scorn on the people who enjoy it you turn them right off.  That’s a huge potential audience you’re excluding.  If they’re looking for bowler hats and jazz hands that’s fine, just because it doesn’t fit our aesthetic doesn’t make it wrong, just different.

There are jazz burlesque classes in nearly every dance studio in Canberra now and you know what?  They’re fun, they’re silly and they are great for improving your choreography if, like me, you aren’t from a dance background. Sure you don’t remove much more than a hat and glove but burlesque is a world of less is more and if even one or two of their students comes to a show, signs up to a workshop or books classes to try another style, that’s one more person we didn’t have before.  Our community is not so large that we can ostracise these people for starting with something that’s ‘not burlesque’.

Welcome them, be excited about their experiences, their viewpoint and share yours with them, who knows you might learn something too.

2/. When clothes stay on

Some of the best burlesque I have seen has involved the removal of absolutely zero clothing.  Before you decry ‘Burlesque is striptease, if you don’t remove clothes (you guessed it) it’s not burlesque!’ I refer you to definition two above, the Follies Begere and Minsky’s!  Performers come to burlesque down all kinds of paths and like life there is no one right way.  As a performer I have learnt so much from performers who come to burlesque via butoh, clowning, absurdism, drag and even power-lifting.  I have learnt about controlling my body, about physical theatre and especially comedy, humour, make up and many other things from these performers, tips and tricks I carry with me and happily share with others.

These performers are an integral part to our community, back in the day these performers may have been called ‘specialty acts’ but they were an integral part of the burlesque theatres in the golden age of burlesque along with the comics who were the original main feature of the burlesque theatres.  Who are we to exclude them now because they don’t take off their clothes?  Sounds a bit silly doesn’t it?

3/. When you don’t like someone’s act.

This is the worst kind of denigration, it is hurtful and dismissive of other people’s efforts.  I have heard it more times than I would like to count and I have to bite my tongue whenever I hear it.  Just because you don’t like something doesn’t make it ‘not burlesque’.  Be honest about why you don’t like it, or the performer, that’s okay, you don’t have to like everyone but to dismiss their efforts out of hand because you don’t like it?  That’s revolting and it says more about you than the performer or performance you are denigrating.

Don’t do it, period.

I suppose what I’m saying is this, burlesque is a lot of things to a lot of people.  To me what appeals is the subversive element of burlesque, watching you, watching me, knowing I know you know etc, playing with archetypes, subverting tropes and challenging perception but if I were to decry everything else as ‘not burlesque’ I would be missing out on a startling array of performances and performers.  I would be poorer for it.  Our community is the same, the more we exclude the poorer we get.  So next time you feel those words fighting for space on your tongue, swallow them, HARD. Replace them with something constructive and share your passion instead of denigrating someone else’s.

*This definition was taken from the Oxford English Dictionary Online.

**Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque_(film)

Gal Friday - Miss Kitka

As you may or may not know I am one of the administrators of  Canberra Burlesque Diary (CBD) on Facebook.  Recently I started a new project for CBD featuring and profiling local burlesque performers and personalities in a 'Gal Friday' spot. My first Gal Friday for Canberra Burlesque Diary is the woman whose classes taught most of Canberra’s Burly Girly’s to Strut, Shimmy and Sway.  Principal of Miss Kitka’s House of Burlesque, Producer of the Canberra branch of Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School and balloon popping front page sensation! (Seriously who doesn’t remember that!).

Miss Kitka scandlises the front page of The Age.
Photograph by Maria Ramsden.

The indomitable, the indefatigable, the institute of burlesque herself; Miss Kitka.

I caught up with Miss Kitka for the very first Gal Friday Hot 5

What is your favourite thing about burlesque in Canberra?

We were one of the first to reintroduce burlesque in Australia many moons ago.

Who is your Burlesque Idol?

I would not say I have an idol, but I do have a lot of respect for Dixie Evans and the work she did in preserving the history of Burlesque

What is your No 1 piece of backstage advice?

Keep the ego for the stage

What got you started in Burlesque?

Running the Museum of Erotica*

You wake up after the 'glitter-high' behind bars, what do you do?

Think to myself 'Oh crap'

Don’t forget to nominate your favourite Canberra Burlesque Performer or personality!

 

*For those who weren't in Canberra at the time the Museum of Erotica was opened in March 2001, the collection was on public display for a year before being packed up and returned to storage, enquires about the Museum's many object can be directed to robbie@bodypolitics.com.au.

New Year, More Sparkle

So thus begins a new year.

2013 was a fantastic year, I joined a wonderful group with the Sass & Tease Collective.  Produced four shows with Mondayitis Cabaret; Roses and Romance, Pin-Ups on Parade, Before the Tempest and Theatre of Darkness,  and co-produced two shows with the Sass & Tease Collective; Jay Gatsby Requests... and SMASH HITS 80's Burlesque. I performed in a number of shows, the highlight being a multiple night run of Short + Sweet Cabaret produced by newly local artistic impresario Sarina del Fuego.

This year promises to be fantastic!  I am already resolved to take better care of myself and to focus more on my individual creative endeavours.  I am currently working on a couple of pieces I hope to debut at DIE FRINGE BURLESK! A show which I have been asked to co-produce.

I also have resolved to revitalise this blog so if you have any ideas of what you would like to see/read about on here.

Love and Sparkles, Ivy