Day 29. Wow. This past week I worked 60 hours at my day job, the week before almost 50. I wasn't sure I'd be able to diligently finish this mini-essay project, but I did. It was really an attempt to force myself to write a little something every day, as that is a habit I've largely let slide over the last five years. Very early on it was apparent to me that my best course of action would be to write about performers I've met and spoken with about their process, then I further narrowed it down to people with whom I was "friends" on Facebook. That still left me with dozens of options and there were ideas I played with that never got written. Maybe one day.
In this
final essay, I'll discuss the idea that came to me again and again as I
considered all the performers I've written about over the past month.
What makes burlesque compelling to the people who love it? What makes a
good performer into a great one? For me, it's authenticity. It's as
simple and as complex as that.
Most performers take on a burlesque name, and also a burlesque identity. They invent a character and become that person, even if it's just an exaggerated version of themselves. They get up in front of an audience and almost always remove a certain amount of clothing, and 4-5 minutes later, they leave the stage. But for those few minutes, they are dancing and moving the way they want to move. They are exploring ideas and telling stories they want to explore and tell. Unlike most other performance art, the performer has complete control of what they are presenting to their audience. Despite the evocative monikers and exaggerated glamor make-up, you are seeing a piece of a person's soul for those few minutes. You are seeing the authentic them: what makes them laugh or cry, what makes them think or feel. And if they manage to connect with you in those few minutes, you will laugh or cry, or think or feel with them. The nakedness is real, but it is also the perfect metaphor for burlesque.
It's just a damn beautiful thing.
And that's all I got. Thank you for reading.
Most performers take on a burlesque name, and also a burlesque identity. They invent a character and become that person, even if it's just an exaggerated version of themselves. They get up in front of an audience and almost always remove a certain amount of clothing, and 4-5 minutes later, they leave the stage. But for those few minutes, they are dancing and moving the way they want to move. They are exploring ideas and telling stories they want to explore and tell. Unlike most other performance art, the performer has complete control of what they are presenting to their audience. Despite the evocative monikers and exaggerated glamor make-up, you are seeing a piece of a person's soul for those few minutes. You are seeing the authentic them: what makes them laugh or cry, what makes them think or feel. And if they manage to connect with you in those few minutes, you will laugh or cry, or think or feel with them. The nakedness is real, but it is also the perfect metaphor for burlesque.
It's just a damn beautiful thing.
And that's all I got. Thank you for reading.
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