Burlesque

[pamelaneko]

This is a very interesting article by Dan Savage, and it's making the rounds in the burlesque community.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-burlesque-shoah/Content?oid=4399613

"...Because without some negative feedback, without criticism, the local burlesque bubble is destined to burst."

When I started burlesque, I tried very hard to spend time w

Comments

[redhotannie]

Obviously you know what I think on this one.

The problem is there are some really, really, really bad performers who don't know they are bad performers. I did a spittake yesterday when one of the WORST performers in Chicago posted that she would be game for an audience's honest response.

REALLY? Are we *that* clueless? If she's walking around thinking she's good when she's not, how many other people are equally clueless?

We encourage the audience to yell and hollar and "Woo!," and unfortunately, I think we're asking them to do something counter their nature. The audience KNOWS when something is bad, because people have said things to me months after shows about how awkward a certain performer was.

The problem starts when we consider a performing art to be some sort of group therapy or opportunity to pat eachother on the back for doing a "good job." Do we really need that? I think some people think we do because they don't realize the audience - any audience - wants to be entertained. Not forced to "woo" out of discomfort

[redhotannie]

I will add that I think the reason why burlesque dancers are responding so strongly to this is BECAUSE there is a lack of a community standard, and most of us don't know where we fit it - are we good? mediocore? bad?

Many of us would like to improve, but have limited resources and outlets for it because there's so many performers who are complacent.

[aynatonal]

I find your perspective on this issue super interesting in particular, Annie, since to a very real extent, Vaudezilla *is* in a position to enforce your idea of community standards, purely because of how much work you generate for performers. You provide opportunities for performers (particularly independents without home shows) well in excess of any other production team that I can think of, so you *are* taste-makers. Performers you judge good enough to put on your stage are going to be seen far more than ones that you don't, and if you're really considering courting genuine audience reaction, I'd imagine it would be in the best interest of shows, performers and production company that you only put up the best.

[redhotannie]

We absolutely try to set community standards by who we hire, but there are two problems