Hootchy Kootchy Burlesque
Last night I experienced my very first real Burlesque courtesy of the Hootchy Kootchy Girls at The Playhouse Theatre. For those who have experience real burlesque (not the Christina and Cher version) you'll know it's not like the movie, it's much, much more. With Desirè Mè at my side sharing her expert knowledge, the show began with Hootchy's wonderful MC letting us all know there was to be no photos taken - so sadly there are no pics to go with this post.
Now real burlesque is defined as "a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humour, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus" - tonight's show totalled 18 performances (and an encore), individual and group, by new and experienced performers, including instructor Molly Soleil who showed us how it was done first up with a strip tease that left the audience with no doubt about burlesque. Just to clear it up, in the movie Burlesque, all the acts have a singer - in true burlesque only those that can sing do - it's more about the dancing, lip-syncing is frowned upon. Burlesque can come in many varieties, in Dunedin the girls strip down to their underwear (or a similar alternative) but do not reveal their breasts like other company's can do.
Over the evening there were some very cool, very well thought and sexy performances - I think my favourite act of the night had to be Honey Rider (think 007) and La Bella Noir, who together put on a bull fight, a strength battle, and out stripped each other to leave the audience wanting more. At intermission Molly Soleil invited anyone brave enough to jump on stage to put on a feather boa and learn some moves, one lucky gent even took home some free lessons for his effort.
If you're a woman with body confidence issues I thoroughly recommend heading to a burlesque show, not only will you see all kinds of women in all shapes and sizes, but they all look sexy and powerful at the same time! I may have come home and walked around my bedroom in just my underwear longer than normal... The next classes at the Shut Up and Dance academy - http://www.justshutupanddance.co.nz/ - will begin in June, and at the end of term there will be another amateur evening like this one.
Now real burlesque is defined as "a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humour, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus" - tonight's show totalled 18 performances (and an encore), individual and group, by new and experienced performers, including instructor Molly Soleil who showed us how it was done first up with a strip tease that left the audience with no doubt about burlesque. Just to clear it up, in the movie Burlesque, all the acts have a singer - in true burlesque only those that can sing do - it's more about the dancing, lip-syncing is frowned upon. Burlesque can come in many varieties, in Dunedin the girls strip down to their underwear (or a similar alternative) but do not reveal their breasts like other company's can do.
Over the evening there were some very cool, very well thought and sexy performances - I think my favourite act of the night had to be Honey Rider (think 007) and La Bella Noir, who together put on a bull fight, a strength battle, and out stripped each other to leave the audience wanting more. At intermission Molly Soleil invited anyone brave enough to jump on stage to put on a feather boa and learn some moves, one lucky gent even took home some free lessons for his effort.
If you're a woman with body confidence issues I thoroughly recommend heading to a burlesque show, not only will you see all kinds of women in all shapes and sizes, but they all look sexy and powerful at the same time! I may have come home and walked around my bedroom in just my underwear longer than normal... The next classes at the Shut Up and Dance academy - http://www.justshutupanddance.co.nz/ - will begin in June, and at the end of term there will be another amateur evening like this one.
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