Because this year, with new show opportunities, I've had to continuously scout for burlesque performers, I've noticed how poor performers are at selling themselves, particularly in New Zealand. This may have something to do with Kiwis being so self-deprecating, I'm not sure, but regardless, from a producer's perspective, it makes it incredibly difficult to choose performers, and with doing monthly shows, I need a fresh lineup every time.
I can't always get out to all the burlesque shows in town but I need to see a performer's act before I can decide if they are suitable for a show. Most performers here don't have a website. So I'm reliant on Facebook Like pages. Now, I see a lot of posts on Facebook encouraging/spamming/almost begging to be 'Liked'. It almost seems that performers are using their Like page to gather popularity. I rarely Like these pages because, frankly, they lack any meaningful or engaging content. Worryingly, this is the only medium performers are using to market themselves.
It's fine to gather Likes, but you do need to give people a reason to Like your page, not just to inflate your ego. Venus Starr is an excellent example of how to engage your Likers. She constantly posts new photos of herself and keeps her Likers up to date with her future performances. She also describes her acts in the photos she posts of them, so as a producer, I gain a better idea of what her acts are, what her style of burlesque is.
There's also no point constantly asking people to Like your page (and thus looking a bit desperate and needy) unless you post on it at least twice a week, otherwise your page will drop off people's feeds and you'll become one of the hundreds of pages that people have Liked and never engage with.
So if you're using your Like page as your main marketing material, I have a few tips for you which will help to both grow your fan base, and more crucially, help you book more jobs.
1. As mentioned above, post something interesting on your page at least once a week, if not twice. Engage your Likers. Ask them questions, give them advice, post photos, post links to things that you find interesting or like. Don't just post what you put on your other Like pages or your personal page. Nobody wants to see the same post 4 times in their feed. Also don't post personal status updates on your Like page. You wouldn't use a megaphone to tell everyone you had a ham sandwich for lunch or how much you hate Auckland traffic. You use a megaphone to rally people and inform them. Think of your Like page as a megaphone.
2. Organise your show photos into an album called Show Photos or Burlesque Acts or Performances. Organise them chronologically so your most recent photos appear first. Ensure the photos are labelled with the name of your act and/or a brief description of it, the name and date of the show, and please, please mention the photographer who took the photo. Photographers don't get paid enough for the invaluable work they do at shows, so mentioning them and linking them to their own Like page is the best way you can 'pay' them.
3. Have an album of studio shots. Ensure you don't just have pinup photos or fetish photos. Get some photos of you in your costumes done against a white background. They are the kind of photos that producers want for show poster collages as you can easily be clear cut from them. They also display your costume better under lighting that the photographer can control.
4. Think of a catchy description for the About box that actually says who you are as a performer. 'The Fastest Ass In The West' tells me more about that performer (i.e. she has a sense of humour and is good at shimmying) than 'Classic Burlesque Queen who will tease and titillate'.
5. Film your acts and put links to them on your page! In today's modern world, I'm astounded to hear that this is difficult for people. Even I have a video camera and editing software. Invite me to your show and I'll film and edit your act for $35 (I also accept bottles of whiskey or reciprocal favours. Also, always ask the show's producer for permission to film before inviting me or other videographer). And, sorry, I don't believe in the excuse of, I don't want to film it and put it on YouTube because someone might plagiarise it. I'd understand more if you said, I don't want my act on YouTube because it's a hive of nasty comments and trolling. But you can make your video Not Listed so only people with the link to it can see it. So when a producer or a prospective private client wants to book you, just email them the link to the video. But make it clear on your Like page, perhaps in the About box, that you do have footage of your acts available on request. And if you haven't got any shows coming up soon, film your act in a dance studio. Any footage is better than none. I can make some sort of a judgement about you and your act from photos but I only put people in shows if I've seen the whole act.
6. Talk about and list your acts in the About box. You don't have to have a name for your act. It does help though. But at least write a couple of sentences that say what the act is about. Refer to the Showreel page on my website for inspiration http://www.misslavida.com/#!showreel
7. Ensure you have your correct contact details easily visible. This especially applies to email addresses. On that subject, get yourself an email address that is your performer name. There's no point creating the mystique of a performer name and a 'character', if your marketing material and contact details contains your real name.
This may all sound like a lot of fiddly work, but I guarantee it will pay off. And this advice doesn't just apply for getting booked in my shows. It's the standard around the burlesque world. Those performers who have their videos, photos etc in order and easily accessible, get booked more than those who don't. For a start, it makes you look more professional and serious about getting work.
Friday, 3 May 2013
Friday, 8 March 2013
2013 - Off With A Bang!
Well, this year has already brought a few surprises. Just when I had decided to concentrate on my comedy career, lots of exciting opportunities to perform in and produce burlesque shows have come my way. I first approached a large theatre venue in Auckland three years ago to do regular shows there and have been in talks with them every 6 months or so since, but with little progression. Finally, my vision is actually being discussed with the top brass. So, hopefully, by June, I'll be hosting a regular, Las Vegas style show, in the perfect venue.
I'm now also performing every 4 weeks or so at Auckland's hottest club, 1885. I don't produce the shows myself, which is great to be honest. I didn't get into burlesque to be a producer. I had to become one so there'd be shows for me to perform in. Finally, 5 years after I started, venues are producing the shows, so I can just turn up, do what I do best, get guaranteed pay and not have to worry about breaking even.
Plans are also afoot to bring over an awesome and very different burlesque show from Australia, which I've wanted to get over to New Zealand for a while. That will be later in the year around September/October time and you're going to love it, especially if you're a fan of a certain cinematic phenomenon from the 1970s.
But the biggest thing I'm doing, which I've been working on for over a year, is my one-woman show, Karl Urban Makes My Lady Parts Tingle, on the 5th and 6th of April at the Musgrove Studio. In a nutshell, it's a comedy show about the incredibly fervent and amorous fans of Karl Urban around the globe and the manifestations of their fandom on the Internet. It has taken a long time to research and put together and has involved me learning the ukelele, getting my singing voice back (I used to have a pretty good singing voice in my teens when I was at stage school, but I let my diaphragmatic control go in my 20s), writing and learning 4000 words of dialogue, and choreographing a routine doing something I've never done in burlesque before.
The show also features, The Nudey Ukes, a group which I put together mid last year so I could learn how to play the ukelele properly and actually play with other people, rather than at home on my own. So I've also been song writing as well as dialogue writing for the show.
It will initially run at The Musgrove on 5th and 6th of April. Then I plan to put it in a larger theatre in winter, and take it to Wellington and Christchurch after that. I'm confident that there's no other shows out there like it (as my bio says, I pride myself on being different) and I'm also confident that you'll find it very funny. So if you're in Auckland first weekend of April, come check it out. Tickets are $25(+booking fee) and can be purchased here www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz
After that will be the Very Vintage Day Out on Saturday 14 April at Alexandra Park. I will be hosting the Miss Pinup NZ competition. If you love anything to do with vintage - clothes, entertainment, cars, history, you should definitely come along. A full event schedule and ticket details can be found at www.veryvintage.co.nz
And I think that's quite enough from me for the moment!
I'm now also performing every 4 weeks or so at Auckland's hottest club, 1885. I don't produce the shows myself, which is great to be honest. I didn't get into burlesque to be a producer. I had to become one so there'd be shows for me to perform in. Finally, 5 years after I started, venues are producing the shows, so I can just turn up, do what I do best, get guaranteed pay and not have to worry about breaking even.
Plans are also afoot to bring over an awesome and very different burlesque show from Australia, which I've wanted to get over to New Zealand for a while. That will be later in the year around September/October time and you're going to love it, especially if you're a fan of a certain cinematic phenomenon from the 1970s.
But the biggest thing I'm doing, which I've been working on for over a year, is my one-woman show, Karl Urban Makes My Lady Parts Tingle, on the 5th and 6th of April at the Musgrove Studio. In a nutshell, it's a comedy show about the incredibly fervent and amorous fans of Karl Urban around the globe and the manifestations of their fandom on the Internet. It has taken a long time to research and put together and has involved me learning the ukelele, getting my singing voice back (I used to have a pretty good singing voice in my teens when I was at stage school, but I let my diaphragmatic control go in my 20s), writing and learning 4000 words of dialogue, and choreographing a routine doing something I've never done in burlesque before.
The show also features, The Nudey Ukes, a group which I put together mid last year so I could learn how to play the ukelele properly and actually play with other people, rather than at home on my own. So I've also been song writing as well as dialogue writing for the show.
It will initially run at The Musgrove on 5th and 6th of April. Then I plan to put it in a larger theatre in winter, and take it to Wellington and Christchurch after that. I'm confident that there's no other shows out there like it (as my bio says, I pride myself on being different) and I'm also confident that you'll find it very funny. So if you're in Auckland first weekend of April, come check it out. Tickets are $25(+booking fee) and can be purchased here www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz
After that will be the Very Vintage Day Out on Saturday 14 April at Alexandra Park. I will be hosting the Miss Pinup NZ competition. If you love anything to do with vintage - clothes, entertainment, cars, history, you should definitely come along. A full event schedule and ticket details can be found at www.veryvintage.co.nz
And I think that's quite enough from me for the moment!
Monday, 22 October 2012
A Look Back At 2012 And A Look Forward To The Future
Yes, I know, 2012 isn't over yet, but I've recently discovered I have an awful memory for my achievements, so this entry is as much for me, as it is for you reading it. But I also want to use my retrospective on 2012 to comment on the state of burlesque in Auckland.
This year has seen me perform in Australia more than in New Zealand. In February I went to Melbourne to perform at Red Bennies and The Burlesque Bar (wasn't able to do my shows at the latter unfortunately, due to some dodgy take-away the day before). I was then back in Australia in May as one of the international headliners for the Perth Burlesque Festival, and performing in Melbourne and Adelaide for the Australian Burlesque Festival in June. I wrote a diary for 21st Century Burlesque Magazine about both festivals, so won't talk about them here. But if you haven't already, go have a read here:PBF Diary and here:ABF Diary
Venus Starr invited me to Wellington in September to headline Carousel Cabaret and in two weeks time, I'll be back down in the capital to perform at The Burlesque Masquerade Ball on November 3rd. My next show after that will be for a private birthday party in Auckland in December.
I have only performed for the public in Auckland ONCE this year. This was for Polly Rae & The Hurly Burly Girlys Show at SKYCITY Theatre on January 21st. And let's just say, I did that as a favour. So that means, I've done no paid public performances in Auckland in 2012! I have also only performed for ONE private party in Auckland this year!
A huge first did happen in Auckland this year - I got paid to perform in a music video! Music video budgets are always on a shoestring so dancers rarely get paid because the budget is ploughed into production values. So it was nice to be hand picked for the role and to for my time and professionalism to be rewarded. The video was for the very talented Dear Time's Waste and was shot in my favourite Auckland venue, The Las Vegas Strip Club. You can view it here: www.vimeo.com
So why the lack of Auckland performances? Well, there are few producers creating shows in Auckland and I blame this partly on lack of suitable venues. I am also at the point after 4 years of performing, and being chosen for The Burlesque Hall of Fame, where I won't perform unless I get at least x amount of dollars and, lets just say that a few Auckland producers are paying less than 1/4 of the x amount I expect. Again, I feel this is in part to do with lack of suitable venues, so producers are doing shows in small venues that don't have enough audience members to bring enough money in. But it's not like my x amount of dollars is that high. In fact, I've reduced it by $100 since last year to reduce the financial pressure for producers. But I'm not reducing it to less than 1/4.
In contrast, the burlesque scene in Wellington is very much alive and kicking, which is no surprise really seeing as Wellington is an arty city and has more venues with stages and a more 'educated' audience who know what burlesque is and want to watch it. I think it also helps that they have a proper community down there who support each other. Auckland isn't as homogeneous. Producers tend to use the same performers and aren't open to giving 'unknowns' a go. This creates shows that are all the same for the audience and thus audience numbers drop off, and it doesn't inspire performers to better their craft or support each other by going to and promoting shows. All these factors lead to stagnation, resentment and the general feeling that it's all a bit too difficult and not worth it.
With the decline of shows in Auckland has also been a decline in classes and hen parties. Not as many performers are coming to me to do classes because they have no shows to perform in. So I've only taught 1 course this year. As for hen parties, once I was the only person in the city doing them and was therefore booking 3 per weekend. I'm certainly not alone anymore and have lost a lot of bookings to organisers who are undercutting me by more than half and providing an inferior experience. Unfortunately, the state of people's finances mean that, no matter the quality, they will go for what is cheaper. But again, I refuse to lower my prices, especially because they aren't expensive in the first place. Flo Foxworthy posted something very salient about pricing in her blog recently along the lines of, it's not that I'm expensive, it's just that the others are incredibly cheap. And with these undercutters teaching burlesque when they aren't even burlesque performers and charging so little, it cheapens burlesque and damages its reputation.
I feel like I have given up on the Auckland burlesque scene, but this is a result of lack of work as opposed to the catalyst for that lack. Performing in Melbourne in February was glorious. I was given the opportunity to perform in 4 shows in 48 hours and earn at least $200 (AUS) per act. So why not live there you ask? Well, I've been trying to for the past 6 months but it's not quite as easy as buying a one-way ticket. I'd need at least $5000 to move properly and have some security behind me. But I'm finding saving that amount of money without a steady income very difficult.
However, not performing or teaching as much burlesque has given me time to focus on something I decided last year I could be quite good at - stand-up comedy. It's been a really interesting experience and one which I thought I'd be nervous about doing, but I really enjoy it. I've done 4 amateur shows so far and have made people laugh at all of them and most importantly, haven't died out there. So I'm confident of doing well in stand-up and I already have an idea for a one person show. I just need to get it out of my head and onto paper. I've also taken up the ukelele properly, setting up The Nudey Ukes, a group of 5 girls performing songs rolled together into medleys that tell little comedic stories. I hope to get us onto the stage early next year. And I've started teaching 60s Go-Go after discovering I have a knack for it whilst in Australia. It's a great way to keep fit and something that has the potential to take-off here seeing as no one else is doing it...yet...
I've figured that stand-up and ukelele are things I can still be doing in my 40s and 50s (I'm not planning on living past 60). Burlesque, however, even if it does keep going around the world, is not something I want to be doing when my face and boobs go southwards. But I do hope I can move to Melbourne soon so I can at least wear out the lovely and expensive props and costumes I've got gathering dust in my wardrobe.
This year has seen me perform in Australia more than in New Zealand. In February I went to Melbourne to perform at Red Bennies and The Burlesque Bar (wasn't able to do my shows at the latter unfortunately, due to some dodgy take-away the day before). I was then back in Australia in May as one of the international headliners for the Perth Burlesque Festival, and performing in Melbourne and Adelaide for the Australian Burlesque Festival in June. I wrote a diary for 21st Century Burlesque Magazine about both festivals, so won't talk about them here. But if you haven't already, go have a read here:PBF Diary and here:ABF Diary
Venus Starr invited me to Wellington in September to headline Carousel Cabaret and in two weeks time, I'll be back down in the capital to perform at The Burlesque Masquerade Ball on November 3rd. My next show after that will be for a private birthday party in Auckland in December.
I have only performed for the public in Auckland ONCE this year. This was for Polly Rae & The Hurly Burly Girlys Show at SKYCITY Theatre on January 21st. And let's just say, I did that as a favour. So that means, I've done no paid public performances in Auckland in 2012! I have also only performed for ONE private party in Auckland this year!
A huge first did happen in Auckland this year - I got paid to perform in a music video! Music video budgets are always on a shoestring so dancers rarely get paid because the budget is ploughed into production values. So it was nice to be hand picked for the role and to for my time and professionalism to be rewarded. The video was for the very talented Dear Time's Waste and was shot in my favourite Auckland venue, The Las Vegas Strip Club. You can view it here: www.vimeo.com
So why the lack of Auckland performances? Well, there are few producers creating shows in Auckland and I blame this partly on lack of suitable venues. I am also at the point after 4 years of performing, and being chosen for The Burlesque Hall of Fame, where I won't perform unless I get at least x amount of dollars and, lets just say that a few Auckland producers are paying less than 1/4 of the x amount I expect. Again, I feel this is in part to do with lack of suitable venues, so producers are doing shows in small venues that don't have enough audience members to bring enough money in. But it's not like my x amount of dollars is that high. In fact, I've reduced it by $100 since last year to reduce the financial pressure for producers. But I'm not reducing it to less than 1/4.
In contrast, the burlesque scene in Wellington is very much alive and kicking, which is no surprise really seeing as Wellington is an arty city and has more venues with stages and a more 'educated' audience who know what burlesque is and want to watch it. I think it also helps that they have a proper community down there who support each other. Auckland isn't as homogeneous. Producers tend to use the same performers and aren't open to giving 'unknowns' a go. This creates shows that are all the same for the audience and thus audience numbers drop off, and it doesn't inspire performers to better their craft or support each other by going to and promoting shows. All these factors lead to stagnation, resentment and the general feeling that it's all a bit too difficult and not worth it.
With the decline of shows in Auckland has also been a decline in classes and hen parties. Not as many performers are coming to me to do classes because they have no shows to perform in. So I've only taught 1 course this year. As for hen parties, once I was the only person in the city doing them and was therefore booking 3 per weekend. I'm certainly not alone anymore and have lost a lot of bookings to organisers who are undercutting me by more than half and providing an inferior experience. Unfortunately, the state of people's finances mean that, no matter the quality, they will go for what is cheaper. But again, I refuse to lower my prices, especially because they aren't expensive in the first place. Flo Foxworthy posted something very salient about pricing in her blog recently along the lines of, it's not that I'm expensive, it's just that the others are incredibly cheap. And with these undercutters teaching burlesque when they aren't even burlesque performers and charging so little, it cheapens burlesque and damages its reputation.
I feel like I have given up on the Auckland burlesque scene, but this is a result of lack of work as opposed to the catalyst for that lack. Performing in Melbourne in February was glorious. I was given the opportunity to perform in 4 shows in 48 hours and earn at least $200 (AUS) per act. So why not live there you ask? Well, I've been trying to for the past 6 months but it's not quite as easy as buying a one-way ticket. I'd need at least $5000 to move properly and have some security behind me. But I'm finding saving that amount of money without a steady income very difficult.
However, not performing or teaching as much burlesque has given me time to focus on something I decided last year I could be quite good at - stand-up comedy. It's been a really interesting experience and one which I thought I'd be nervous about doing, but I really enjoy it. I've done 4 amateur shows so far and have made people laugh at all of them and most importantly, haven't died out there. So I'm confident of doing well in stand-up and I already have an idea for a one person show. I just need to get it out of my head and onto paper. I've also taken up the ukelele properly, setting up The Nudey Ukes, a group of 5 girls performing songs rolled together into medleys that tell little comedic stories. I hope to get us onto the stage early next year. And I've started teaching 60s Go-Go after discovering I have a knack for it whilst in Australia. It's a great way to keep fit and something that has the potential to take-off here seeing as no one else is doing it...yet...
I've figured that stand-up and ukelele are things I can still be doing in my 40s and 50s (I'm not planning on living past 60). Burlesque, however, even if it does keep going around the world, is not something I want to be doing when my face and boobs go southwards. But I do hope I can move to Melbourne soon so I can at least wear out the lovely and expensive props and costumes I've got gathering dust in my wardrobe.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Attitudes Towards
Burlesque & Stripping in New Zealand.
For the past year I have
been asked a number of times to perform burlesque at private parties
or corporate events. It's a request which I completely dread and I
groan loudly whenever one lands in my inbox, which may sound strange
coming from someone who loves burlesque and needs the money. But
basically, I hate that the person making the request doesn't know
that burlesque involves stripping, is usually performed solo and an
act doesn't usually last more than 6 minutes. I'd forgive their
ignorance if it wasn't for the fact that I have photos and footage of
my acts on my website from which they have got my contact details.
So once we've got over the
fact that it's not a group performance lasting 15 minutes involving
costuming and dance “like the Moulin Rouge” or what they do in
the movie “Burlesque”, there comes the sticky conversation about
how much I am to reveal. From here the micro-managing begins where
they decide what they deem to be 'decent' and thus me having to
change my act to suit their 'requests'.
Now, I do charge more for
these 'requests', and so I should because I have to re-choreograph
and play around with costuming, but why I should have to begs the
question, why request a burlesque performance at your event? Is it
because it's 'cool', the latest buzz word? 'Cool' it may be but if a
semi-naked performer is not appropriate for your event, don't book
one!
These types of bookings have
got me thinking a lot about attitudes towards stripping, specifically
in New Zealand. I do find it laughable that revealing pasties and
g-string is considered too risque or too sexual. There's more flesh
and sex on the television from 8pm than you'll find in most burlesque
acts here. And in my opinion, there are examples out there of women
dancing suggestively and wearing revealing costumes that have simply
been accepted. Most music videos, cheerleaders for rugby games,
promo girls at car shows. So I remain puzzled as to why burlesque is
deemed too risque.
Upon reflection, all the
people who have booked me for events have been women, except one, and
guess what, he was more than happy for me to do my thing and not tell
me what I could and couldn't take off. Now, I moved to New Zealand
in 2004 and I remember my first trip to the beach like it was
yesterday. I took my bikini top off, like many women do in Europe
when sunbathing at the beach, and I could sense eyes were upon me,
and I don't mean they were admiring my chest, they were eyes of
condemnation and disbelief. I learned pretty quickly that day that
Kiwi women are a bit prudish.
Not only that, but being
sexy and feminine isn't as prevalent in Kiwi culture as it is in
Europe. It didn't take long to figure that out either. I just looked
at what women were wearing when they went out on the weekend or to
restaurants or the theatre. I think Kiwi women feel that their male
counterparts won't take them seriously or respect them for being
'girly.' Not that it matters why Kiwi women present themselves the
way they do. My point is that being sexy and feminine in New
Zealand's culture is deemed to be wrong almost or a bad thing or
simply, not the thing to do.
I see the effects of this
thinking in the burlesque acts by Kiwi performers. In my first
couple of shows in Auckland back in 2007, I was the only performer
stripping down to pasties. It wasn't until I got Eva Strangelove up
from Wellington that I was no longer alone in revealing pasties. And
that was one of the primary reasons I got her up to Auckland, because
she did go all the way, so to speak, pasties and g-string.
But even after 5 years of
the scene growing, the majority of burlesque acts are 'cutesy' and
performers have hang ups about revealing their bodies. I'd say the
majority of performers don't strip down to g-strings, they end up in
frilly pants or granny nickers. I only know of 1 performer in this
country who has stripped down to a c-string. Now, I'm not saying
that in burlesque you have to strip down to pasties and g-strings,
I'm saying that performers here don't seem to be as comfortable about
their bodies and displaying them in public as performers do abroad
because, undoubtedly, performers abroad reveal more.
Performers abroad are also
far more confident, direct and unapologetic about being hot. Acts
are less cutesy and more raunchy, sexy, suggestive and, well, HOT.
And yes, you can still tease the audience by being direct and sexy.
It seems that tease here in New Zealand means being cute and
coquettish. And to be clear, I know not all burlesque acts require
you to be a sexy siren, but even if you're doing comedy or playing a
character, exuding sexiness and confidence is required. Venus Starr
is a perfect example of this. Her character is cute when she's
hooping but, at the same time, she gives off that vibe of sexiness
and just generally being shit hot.
I remember seeing a show in
Auckland in January this year where the acts were quite tame and on
the cute theme, until a performer took it up a level by pouring
chocolate sauce and whip cream over herself and having a good roll
around. And I thought – good for you for being unashamedly sexy
and suggestive. I also remember when her music started, an audience
member blurting out, “Isn't this a stripper's song?”, which I
thought was an interesting comment, especially since that person does
burlesque too.
Now, I've been hearing a few
derogatory comments lately coming from burlesque performers about
strippers. I assume performers who say such things are in fact
intelligent enough to understand the irony and hypocrisy in dissing
stripping and strippers. Although, I have heard from a number of
self-professed Dita lovers that they didn't know she was a stripper
until I told them, right after their diatribe on strippers and how
Dita is the perfect example of class and elegance.
So I can only assume that
burlesque performers are negative about strippers because they've
been to strip clubs and had a bad experience. And fair enough, I've
been to my fair share of clubs in this country and some of the
strippers were terrible. But others were very good – skillful pole
dancers who looked after themselves so had great bodies, had put
thought into what they were wearing and their appearance, and knew
how to be entertaining in order to'work' their customers. I've also
been to burlesque shows with terrible performers, just saying.
I think criticism of
strippers comes from people's perception of the 'sleaze' of strip
clubs. And again, fair enough because some clubs are pretty sleazy.
But the sleaze element isn't actually in the stripper's control. And
I think this is best illustrated by the White House's “No Pussy
Touching” policy. It's the men introducing the sleaze by their
behaviour. Most strip clubs have a policy of girls not bending over
when they're naked, so it's not like the strippers are legs akimbo,
inviting their customers to give their pink bits a finger poke.
I remember taking Angie
Pontani to the White House and she was horrified about the No Pussy
Touching policy because in America, nobody dares touch strippers
without permission or they'll get pummeled by the door men, so the
idea that Kiwi punters would even think to do it shocked her. So
yes, Kiwi strip clubs can be pretty sleazy.
Also I believe the
succession of strippers doing and wearing the 'same thing', adds to
the sleaze element in people's minds. Unlike in America where there
are featured dancers in the club who can perform acts that are more
burlesque in style, strippers in Kiwi clubs are restricted to what
they can do. Crucially, they aren't in control of their music, they
just have to dance to whatever is on. One stripper who also does
burlesque told me she did wear her burlesque costumes on stage at
work once and noticed that she couldn't land any lap dances. She
guessed this was because she looked too 'expensive'. They have to
dress a certain way in order to get the customer to spend. So again,
the strippers aren't really in control of what goes on in the club.
That's all dictated by what the punter wants. Now, if burlesque
performers who bitch about strippers could think about these points
before opening their mouths, they'll sound less ignorant, bigoted and
hypocritical.
I think the fact that
burlesque performers feel they have to distance themselves from the
'sleaze' by being negative towards strippers, shows how worried they
are of public perception. One thing I did note when asking for
burlesque performers who work as strippers to get in contact with
their stories, were the amount of people who had stripped once upon a
time on the other side of the world, asking me not to tell anybody in
fear of people's reactions here. And fair enough, as I described at
the beginning of this piece, there are quite a few hurdles in the
Kiwi public's attitude towards sex, femininity and body image that
burlesque performers have to get over. But there's no need to pass
the judgement baton on (hurdles, batons – must be the Olympic Games
soon).
And no, I don't have an
answer to changing public attitudes so that, for instance, corporate
bookers don't micro-manage out the stripping in your burlesque
routine. But perhaps recognising and then trying to challenge these
perceptions will help. So next time you're at the beach and don't
want to have bikini top tan lines, take your top off! If enough
people do it, it'll just become accepted.
Thank you to those who
shared their stories and ideas with me. Names of people who said or
did certain things have been omitted deliberately. Only I know who
you are and it shall stay that way.
So don't go asking who
said this and who did that.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Has the burlesque bubble officially burst?
Hello Blog Land
My apologies. It's been a while. I've been attempting to go through a few life changes since I got back from the Burlesque Hall of Fame, namely going from full time Producer, Performer and Teacher to just Performer. I've decided to put MissChief Events into hiatus as I'm well in need of a break from the ups and downs of being a producer of burlesque shows. Unfortunately, that decision took away my main source of income, so I've been trying to find a day job, preferably in event management or theatre production to help pay the bills.
Of course, this decision means that I'll have less time to work on being Miss La Vida, so I'm being very careful about which jobs I apply for. It's a catch 22 being a performer. You need money to invest in costumes, marketing, travelling, but a full time job doesn't give you enough time to develop acts and keep yourself in the spotlight.
I have been thinking long and hard about the future (perhaps a symptom of the fact I'm having a milestone birthday in 11 days) and the future, quite frankly, seems a bit murky. I've been taken aback by the amount of burlesque classes and shows I've seen struggle to get enough of an audience/subscriptions to break even. I expect this in Auckland because the city is a bit of a cultural backwater. It's really hard to get bums on seats here or get students to commit to doing a class. But I'm now seeing this trend overseas which is making me think, has the burlesque bubble finally burst?
I've found this year particularly challenging from the perspective of booking corporate gigs. I blame this utterly on the film "Burlesque". All the corporates who have emailed requests for a performance have asked for groups of dancers performing for 15 minutes. They're stunned to hear that burlesque is performed mainly by soloists and involves stripping. I have had no corporate work this year, either as a soloist or producing shows. And my laptop has on a few occasions nearly been thrown out of the window out of sheer frustration at receiving emails such as "Do you dance in a group?" or "Can you not take your bra off?".
Last week I began writing a play, "Encore-Finale" which is set during the last show in a fictional burlesque club that is about to close and be converted into a nightclub. The inspiration for this came from Kalani Kokonuts telling me at Burlesque Hall of Fame this year how there are only 2 showrooms left in the whole of Vegas because the rest have been converted into nightclubs. Even the home of live entertainment is dying a death it seems.
I'm finding writing the play quite cathartic and hoping it will go into production, not just in NZ, but in all countries that do burlesque, so that audiences can share in my insights, hopes and fears for burlesque and for live entertainment in general. But as cathartic as writing the play has been, I still fear that the popularity of burlesque is in jeopardy.
Perhaps the economy is to blame. In New Zealand the only thing happening in the world for the next 6 weeks is rugby, so that really isn't helping. Perhaps the media are to blame for labelling us 'the latest thing', i.e. implying burlesque is a trend which will die out. Perhaps we are a victim of our own success where too many cooks are spoiling the broth. Perhaps what they say is true, all good things must come to an end.
Who knows. My only hope is that all the hard work that has been put into the revival isn't in vain, otherwise I really will have to find myself a real job.
MLV
My apologies. It's been a while. I've been attempting to go through a few life changes since I got back from the Burlesque Hall of Fame, namely going from full time Producer, Performer and Teacher to just Performer. I've decided to put MissChief Events into hiatus as I'm well in need of a break from the ups and downs of being a producer of burlesque shows. Unfortunately, that decision took away my main source of income, so I've been trying to find a day job, preferably in event management or theatre production to help pay the bills.
Of course, this decision means that I'll have less time to work on being Miss La Vida, so I'm being very careful about which jobs I apply for. It's a catch 22 being a performer. You need money to invest in costumes, marketing, travelling, but a full time job doesn't give you enough time to develop acts and keep yourself in the spotlight.
I have been thinking long and hard about the future (perhaps a symptom of the fact I'm having a milestone birthday in 11 days) and the future, quite frankly, seems a bit murky. I've been taken aback by the amount of burlesque classes and shows I've seen struggle to get enough of an audience/subscriptions to break even. I expect this in Auckland because the city is a bit of a cultural backwater. It's really hard to get bums on seats here or get students to commit to doing a class. But I'm now seeing this trend overseas which is making me think, has the burlesque bubble finally burst?
I've found this year particularly challenging from the perspective of booking corporate gigs. I blame this utterly on the film "Burlesque". All the corporates who have emailed requests for a performance have asked for groups of dancers performing for 15 minutes. They're stunned to hear that burlesque is performed mainly by soloists and involves stripping. I have had no corporate work this year, either as a soloist or producing shows. And my laptop has on a few occasions nearly been thrown out of the window out of sheer frustration at receiving emails such as "Do you dance in a group?" or "Can you not take your bra off?".
Last week I began writing a play, "Encore-Finale" which is set during the last show in a fictional burlesque club that is about to close and be converted into a nightclub. The inspiration for this came from Kalani Kokonuts telling me at Burlesque Hall of Fame this year how there are only 2 showrooms left in the whole of Vegas because the rest have been converted into nightclubs. Even the home of live entertainment is dying a death it seems.
I'm finding writing the play quite cathartic and hoping it will go into production, not just in NZ, but in all countries that do burlesque, so that audiences can share in my insights, hopes and fears for burlesque and for live entertainment in general. But as cathartic as writing the play has been, I still fear that the popularity of burlesque is in jeopardy.
Perhaps the economy is to blame. In New Zealand the only thing happening in the world for the next 6 weeks is rugby, so that really isn't helping. Perhaps the media are to blame for labelling us 'the latest thing', i.e. implying burlesque is a trend which will die out. Perhaps we are a victim of our own success where too many cooks are spoiling the broth. Perhaps what they say is true, all good things must come to an end.
Who knows. My only hope is that all the hard work that has been put into the revival isn't in vain, otherwise I really will have to find myself a real job.
MLV
Thursday, 9 June 2011
A round up of the 2011 Burlesque Hall of Fame
So I'm back from the biggest weekend of my life and it certainly didn't disappoint, really, even though I didn't win. I'm just incredibly pleased with how my performance went and I am a very harsh critic, especially when appraising myself, but I came off stage with a huge smile, knowing I had nailed it.
Remember my first blog post expressing how I feared the nerves of doom? Well, I wasn't nervous at all. I think it's because everything was so well organised backstage and everyone was so supportive of each other. It really didn't feel like a competition. Just a performance in a show with awesome people.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see everyone in my category so I'm really hoping that the footage taken that night will end up on Youtube. I did get to see the rest of the show and it truly was the best burlesque in the world. What I loved about this year's lineup in comparison to last year's was more comedy acts, not so much 'straight' classic burlesque and only 1 giant prop out of the 35 acts performed.
The performers just brought it and brought it GOOD. The boys did incredibly well, taking away 4 out of the 9 trophies up for grabs. They were phenomenal in their moves, concepts, stage presence, makeup and costuming. I am a little jealous of the boys though as I feel they are 'allowed' to be comedic and leftfield and they don't have a vintage mould that they're expected to follow. So whilst there was far more variety and less traditional burlesque this year, the other 5 prizes went to the traditional acts.
The stand out acts for me in the Queen category were Kristina Nekyia's contortion act, Ms Tickle's blowup doll act (which I saw her do in New York - that woman blows me away and guess what, she was born in Wellington!). Ophelia Flame's secretary act was just hilarious and she really surprised me coz I didn't know she did comedy. And Coco Lectric was just beautiful.
Of course, Anna Fur Laxis with her magic act had me screaming my head off. I have no idea how she does it and don't want to. I LOVE magic. And I knew Indigo Blue would be crowned Queen as I saw her act in New York. Infact, I was telling her after the show that her costume inspired my Big Butts costume.
And now back to deciding what to do with the rest of my life now that I have met with destiny.
Until next time
x
Remember my first blog post expressing how I feared the nerves of doom? Well, I wasn't nervous at all. I think it's because everything was so well organised backstage and everyone was so supportive of each other. It really didn't feel like a competition. Just a performance in a show with awesome people.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see everyone in my category so I'm really hoping that the footage taken that night will end up on Youtube. I did get to see the rest of the show and it truly was the best burlesque in the world. What I loved about this year's lineup in comparison to last year's was more comedy acts, not so much 'straight' classic burlesque and only 1 giant prop out of the 35 acts performed.
The performers just brought it and brought it GOOD. The boys did incredibly well, taking away 4 out of the 9 trophies up for grabs. They were phenomenal in their moves, concepts, stage presence, makeup and costuming. I am a little jealous of the boys though as I feel they are 'allowed' to be comedic and leftfield and they don't have a vintage mould that they're expected to follow. So whilst there was far more variety and less traditional burlesque this year, the other 5 prizes went to the traditional acts.
The stand out acts for me in the Queen category were Kristina Nekyia's contortion act, Ms Tickle's blowup doll act (which I saw her do in New York - that woman blows me away and guess what, she was born in Wellington!). Ophelia Flame's secretary act was just hilarious and she really surprised me coz I didn't know she did comedy. And Coco Lectric was just beautiful.
Of course, Anna Fur Laxis with her magic act had me screaming my head off. I have no idea how she does it and don't want to. I LOVE magic. And I knew Indigo Blue would be crowned Queen as I saw her act in New York. Infact, I was telling her after the show that her costume inspired my Big Butts costume.
Long live the Queen - me and Indigo Blue, Queen of Burlesque 2011.
Other highlights of the weekend were, of course, the legends show on Friday night. It was great that so many new legends performed for the first time since the 60s or 70s. I'll be a very happy woman if I grow up to be like them and can still rock it on stage at their age.
The other highlight was seeing "Exotic World And The Burlesque Revival". If you don't know, it's basically a documentary about the Exotic World museum and BHOF (formerly known as the Miss Exotic World pageant). They've been filming it for 8 years so there's interviews in it with legends who have since died (my favorite being the one where Tura Santana talks about teaching Elvis how to bump 'n' grind).
It also clearly evokes the struggles Dixie Evans has gone through over the years to try and get the museum open (which it still isn't, at least not with all the memorabilia in it). That woman has worked so incredibly hard for the preservation of burlesque, and without her, none of us, not Dita not Dirty, nobody would be doing burlesque today.
I learned so much from watching the film and it's amazing to see how far the competition has come in such a short space of time. When Dirty Martini won it 6 years ago, she performed on a makeshift stage infront of a swimming pool on an old goat farm in the middle of the desert. On Saturday I was on a 65ft stage in a 850 capacity theatre in a casino in Vegas. Go figure.
Unfortunately, you aren't going to get to see the film unless the producers can come up with $40,000 in the next couple of months. Everyone needs to see this film, so please, donate a couple of $ to the fundraiser. It'll be such a shame if this film is shelved. If it gets released, it could help find a financial backer for the museum and then Dixie's 21 years of hard work will have paid off.
Here's a link with details on how you can donate funds for the film via Kickstarter:
And now back to deciding what to do with the rest of my life now that I have met with destiny.
Until next time
x
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Less than 3 weeks to go.
Hello Blog Land
Well, wasn't last weekend rather eventful? I think the best Facebook status I saw that summed up the happenings in the world was along the lines - this weekend is something straight out of a Disney movie, the prince married the girl and the bad guy died. Not to mention that very random tornado in Auckland. 2011 really has been a crazy year.
Of course last weekend was also my fundraiser show for my Vegas trip. It was a great show and a lot of fun backstage. Have to once again say a huge thanks to the performers and helpers on the night for being awesome. Even Busty La Belle came up from Wellington to support which made me really happy. I was a little short of my target but at least now I have my flights and hotel paid for (mental note - in future, don't organise a show the same night as a Royal wedding if you need it to selll out).
But I'm left with the gluing. I spent 3 days last week hot gluing about 800 sequins onto my boots. It was so painful. I thought it'd never end. They do look very sparkly now though. I've learned a lot about what glues work well with different fabrics, and when I get back from Vegas, I'll blog about it so you can avoid the mistakes I made.
So yesterday marked 3 weeks until I get on the plane to Vegas - squeal! So the countdown is on and it's time for me to really get practising and finish making myself look as sparkly as possible.
On that note, I'll sign off.
x
Well, wasn't last weekend rather eventful? I think the best Facebook status I saw that summed up the happenings in the world was along the lines - this weekend is something straight out of a Disney movie, the prince married the girl and the bad guy died. Not to mention that very random tornado in Auckland. 2011 really has been a crazy year.
Of course last weekend was also my fundraiser show for my Vegas trip. It was a great show and a lot of fun backstage. Have to once again say a huge thanks to the performers and helpers on the night for being awesome. Even Busty La Belle came up from Wellington to support which made me really happy. I was a little short of my target but at least now I have my flights and hotel paid for (mental note - in future, don't organise a show the same night as a Royal wedding if you need it to selll out).
Top left to right: Bettsy Rose Lee, Rosina Lee, Leggy Luna Lucy, myself, Misschiff Minx, Patti Cakes, Delisha Devine.
Bottom left to right: Busty La Belle, Coney Bow, Cherry Lashes, Sarah Summer, Miss V, Ms Tittle Tattle, Brigette Boop, Foxie French
Missing from photo are the stage kittens - Jody (Ginger Snap) and Jacinta (Ms Deluxe)
Rachel Rouge was the lucky recipient of the burlesque raffle prize. The wicked irony is that she was the first person to buy a raffle ticket! She's now in possession of some super duper prizes, all thanks to my fabulous sponsors: Debonaire Doos, Masque La Fey, Flo Foxworthy, Carousel Cabaret, Brigette Boop and Miss La Belle.
So now I'm working on blinging my costume, which involves a lot of sequin gluing and sewing. My man is much better at sewing than I am so I get him to do a lot of it. Here's a shout out to all the burlesque boyfriends out there who go beyond the call of duty to get us on stage.
My man sewing silver trim onto my sequin hot pants.
But I'm left with the gluing. I spent 3 days last week hot gluing about 800 sequins onto my boots. It was so painful. I thought it'd never end. They do look very sparkly now though. I've learned a lot about what glues work well with different fabrics, and when I get back from Vegas, I'll blog about it so you can avoid the mistakes I made.
So yesterday marked 3 weeks until I get on the plane to Vegas - squeal! So the countdown is on and it's time for me to really get practising and finish making myself look as sparkly as possible.
On that note, I'll sign off.
x
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