Burlesque 101: What is Burlesque?
Welcome to Burlesque 101, where we talk about Burlesque Basics. If you’ve heard whispers of burlesque that piqued your curiosity, or have been invited to go with some friends to a burlesque show and have no idea what you were getting yourself into, or just want to learn everything, you have found the right place.
Today we are discussing “What is Burlesque?”, because you may have heard some very mixed reviews, along with some other pressing questions.
Defining Burlesque
Burlesque /ˌbərˈlesk/ noun
an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody.
a variety show, typically including striptease.
Ok, so, you definitely could have just Googled that yourself and found the same thing, but let's get into what those two definitions mean. At its very core burlesque is an exaggerated and funny parody. Any comedy show could be described as “burlesque” in this way, if it included imitation at least; for instance this makes SNL the burlesque of late night television. But that’s not really how people use the word and it's certainly not what I think of when I think of burlesque. Number two includes a keyword: striptease. Burlesque is the Art of the Striptease. The tease of what you might see and making you wait for it; and that means you don’t always get to see it all. But, the striptease also uses exaggerated technique and themes, which ties in the first definition as well. For our class purposes, and what I would like you to take away from this is: burlesque is a striptease performance where the performer uses exaggerated and absurd tropes to express themselves and tantalize audiences.
What Can You Expect at a Burlesque Show?
Well, that depends on the show. However, burlesque shows are often cabaret or variety style shows, like mentioned in the definition, meaning they are multiple short acts done one after the other to create a full-length show.
Some burlesque show acts are all connected to each other, some are not. Some are made of choreographed and synchronized group numbers. Some are full-length, well-known shows that happen to involve striptease as part of it (looking at you, Slutcracker). Burlesque is also the time for audience members to get involved in the form of cheering. Whenever the audience see’s something they like they are encouraged to cheer, whistle, yell, otherwise express delight. Performers also accept tips, depending on venue, this could be done by throwing money to the stage, giving them to the performer directly, or dropping money into a collection bin. Please, respect performers, how they receive tips, and remember the importance of paying for art! So there are a great many things to expect. What you can ALWAYS expect is performers embracing the absurd in sexiness, talent, and a very entertaining night out.
WHY Burlesque?
Burlesque is fun, beautiful, empowering, and yes, sexy. Burlesque embraces bodies of all types to express themselves in ways that the performer loves. Performers lay it all out on the stage and create something unique and beautiful. What’s not to love?
Where Can I See Burlesque?
If you’re searching for a way to participate in burlesque you’ve come to the right place!
Rhody Q is passionate about getting people involved in any and every way. If you are local to Rhode Island or Massachusetts (or somewhere else in New England) you can check out our events page to see what burlesque events are coming up in the Providence and Boston areas. Providence and Boston are currently bursting with burlesque shows, and we couldn’t be happier to see all of them. Our friends at Third House Events are currently producing numerous shows and are great resources as well.
You can also check the events page for opportunities to perform! There are multiple amateur level shows to participate in in Providence and Boston as well, and many professional performers got their own starts at these on-going shows! You can also always send us an email to ask specific questions that we will try our best to answer. We can’t wait to hear from you on and off stage!
