Happy Halloween or whatever seasonal festive flavor you prefer to celebrate at this time of year. I’ve had a very difficult day thus far. The gremlins at work seem to be working overtime in the lab, thwarting my attempts to get out of here at a reasonable hour. Additionally, I’ve received some terrible news that has completely killed the joy that I started my day with. A bunch of people from a few local running clubs travelled down to spend Halloween in New Orleans. There was a national running event happening and it was lining up to be an amazing long weekend. Well, last night a member of the club was struck and killed while running through the Garden District. His wife was also hit and hospitalized with broken bones. The a-hole driver fled the scene.
I can’t imagine. I just can’t wrap my mind and heart around it. All I keep thinking about is his wife. Can you imagine travelling down to New Orleans for a fun holiday weekend and flying back home with a broken leg, broken wrist, and your husband’s ashes in your lap? Can you imagine seeing someone in your group having a great time one second and being run over the next? I’m devastated for everyone involved and can’t seem to get myself out of this loop of sadness. Let this be a terrible reminder to us all, life is way too effing short. Love every moment you’ve got because you never know when it will be your last. And tell everyone how much they mean to you as much as humanly possible. And please, no more running near cars. The time when we could trust drivers to do the right thing is over.
With all of that being said, I’ve been meaning to post about my recent foray into burlesque again and I’m honestly hoping that writing about something so trivial at this point will help to take my mind off of the day’s news. So let’s press on with the trivial for right now because my sanity needs this. And let me say, burlesque is not trivial at all…only my part in it is. In fact, the point of the show that I participated in was to briefly outline the historical impact that burlesque has had on our country’s history. From sideshow acts, to saloon girls, to Playboy bunnies, to nerdlesque, and everything in-between, burlesque has been sometimes political, sometimes humorous, sometimes vilified but no matter what, it’s always creative.
After not having danced or even exercised in about two years, I decided to make myself extremely uncomfortable by signing up to perform in Glamour, Glitz, Grit (lovingly referred to as G3). The Bees Knees Burlesque Academy peaked my interested by offering a panel skirt routine and in the end my curiosity got the best of me. I’ve always loved watching people swish around stage with those flowy yet revealing skirts and I wanted to see what it would be like for me to do it. So with about 15 extra pounds of perimenopause and depression weight on my body since the last time I’d danced, my burlesque alter ego, Velvet Chartreuse, was once again revived. The entire process was a rude awakening for me and I had to have many, many pep talks with myself throughout our practice sessions. I wanted to back out so many times. I wanted to run and hide, but I was already committed.
To say that I’m not a girlie girl, is a vast understatement. I don’t know how to do my own hair and I certainly can’t do my own makeup. Never is this more apparent than when I do burlesque. The day of a show is always the worst too. People are in the dressing rooms getting ready for hours and it usually takes me ten minutes. They’re doing all of these amazing drag-queen style makeup looks and are intricately applying wigs or creating gravity defying up-dos. It’s just a whirlwind of vulnerability and insecurity for me. Yet, like the black mold in your basement, I prevail.
So why do I do this to myself, you ask? Well, inside me there lives a showgirl. Ever since I was a wee one, I’d gather my family around the television to make them watch me dance to Solid Gold. I used to have routines and outfits. I went all out each week. That Solid Gold dancer is still in there and she needs to be seen. So I let her be seen.
Here is the overview of the historical significance of the panel skirt and our homage to it:
The iconic panel skirt. This showgirl staple was inspired by the skirts worn by bellydancers. Lily Christine, or “Cat Girl,” often wore panel skirts during her bellydance-inspired burlesque routines. The Cat Girl got her start in the burly business in the 1940s in New Orleans. She performed her “stalking cat” dance in “Michael Todd’s Peep Show” on Broadway, receiving criticism about the vulgarity. Despite this, she performed the routine nearly 300 times in 1950. After Broadway, she returned to New Orleans and continued performing until her death, at age 41. Lily Christine “I hope the national acceptance of healthy sex expressions won’t be too far off in the future. We live in an over-cultured culture which could benefit from the freedom that is to be found in dance.”
Channeling this sentiment and inspired by the Cat Girl choreographed by @tessatrueheart and performed by @drea_darling_ @emberfaemagic @karessmidown @velvetchartreuse @nina_luxxe_ @ga@g_vanhalenxx
During the show prep process: the rehearsals, the endless bedazzling, the show day jitters…I always tell myself that I NEVER have to do this again. This promise soothes my soul. But I know that it will be a promise broken. This showgirl can’t be locked away for too long. And this time, it wasn’t long at all. I’m only a couple weeks on the other side of G3 and I’m already signing up for new shows to dance in. So, look for Miss Velvet around Christmas time and again near Valentines Day.
In all seriousness, take care of yourselves. Be daring. Have fun. Stay curious. And do the thing. You know, that thing you’ve always wanted to do but have been too afraid to. Life is way too short to not.
Stay safe out there, please!
The Unmaker 