Guest blogger Vixen Valentine is a Seattle native burlesque performer, performance artist, and actress who currently resides in Arezzo, Italy where she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Physical Theatre. Visit her at msvixenvalentine.wix.com.
I had the privilege of not only attending but also performing at the Munich Burlesque Festival. It was an exciting opportunity to see burlesque performers from around Europe, Canada, and the US. The four shows of the festival were spread over three days, starting with the newcomer’s showcase on Thursday night. The show featured up and coming burlesque performers from Munich. Friday was a burlesque comedy show that combined seasoned local performers with ensemble acts. Saturday held two showcases full of international performers.
One of my highlights as an audience member was watching the Friday night show because it gave me a sneak peek into what I might find at a burlesque show in Munich. What I saw was inspiring. I’ve compiled a quick list of what I learned at the show:
Routines Were Longer
When was the last time you saw a routine last 7, 8, 9, 10 minutes? These performers got on stage and stayed there for more than one song! I found that it helped me build a better relationship with the performer because they didn’t appear on stage and suddenly vanish after a few minutes never to return again until curtain call! Instead, they took their time teasing out of their clothes!
They Incorporated Other Skills into Their Performance
Whether it was the Charleston or belly dance these performers developed complex routines that combined a variety of skills that they wove together to present their striptease. They each masterfully gave their skills time to breathe before peeling off the layers. They made seamless transitions into the different sections of the routine.
Comic Burlesque Incorporated Basic Comedy Techniques
One performer leaned heavily into the comedic side of burlesque. Not because the emcee introduced her as a
comedic burlesque performer (and let’s face it, if he did, I don’t speak German so I wouldn’t have understood it anyways), but because she incorporated basic comedic techniques into the routine. Throughout the night she built a repartee with the audience. Because she knew the basics, she had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.
Creative Entrances
There was something delightful about seeing a woman come “on-stage” by entering in the back of the house, mic’d and talking her way onto the stage and interacting with the audience before climbing the steps to transition into the next part of her routine. Whatever relationships she built up with the audience, she continued to recognize and come back to throughout the rest of the night. I loved how she turned her entrance into introducing her character to the audience which was fun to watch play out.
Ensemble Acts
After seeing the solo routines, I found it engaging to watch the performers come together on stage to do a group routine. I saw the choreography and intricacies of each performer’s personalities come out. It helped me see each performer clearly.
Every Costume Piece Was Not Encrusted with Rhinestones
I know it’s hard to believe, but these well thought out and masterfully executed routines were not encrusted in rhinestones. I love rhinestones as much as the next person, but the costumes were never about, “Where can I put more rhinestones?”. Sometimes, the costume was just a shiny fabric or fringe and for me, the performer never looked anything less than stage ready- even without the extra glitz.
I’ve learned a lot from watching the shows at the Munich Burlesque Festival. I’ve been energized to continue developing my craft. That’s the key to all of this is: developing my craft. It’s my job to take as many classes as possible, to pursue the things that interest me, to read about different techniques, watch videos, learn what’s been done before in order to open the doors to what can be done in the future. What does sultry mean? To the audience, what does funny mean? Is there an exciting new way for me to take off my gloves? What do I want to say?
Burlesque, for me, is about giving myself permission to be able to (re)discover new things for the first time and have the curiosity and courage to push myself to my own boundaries and then over them.
