BeatRoute Magazine Alberta print e-edition - October 2016

It’s SHOW TIME!
CALGARY INTERNATIONAL BURLESQUE FESTIVAL
One of the big upgrades this year to the Calgary International
Burlesque Festival is that they will be occupying and enjoying the
extravagance of Flames Central. What a glorious place to have a
burlesques show.
“I know!” says CIBF president, Ruby Demure, squeezing out
bursts of joy. “That’s our big Saturday night show. On Friday we’re at the Chinese
Cultural Center. Under the big dome inside, it’s so lovely.”
In the past Demure says the festival was constrained because there were a
wide range of rules set by the AGLC that put everyone on edge, including venue
owners who could be fined up to $10,000 for certain violations. But this year, a
recent AGLC ruling change, which doesn’t discriminate between exposed breasts
for male and females, allows for full frontal nudity making things far more relaxed
and exciting.
Asked whether they plan to take full advantage of the topless opportunity,
Demure quietly says, “Noooo, we’re going keep those boundaries tucked in a nice
little box for now. But it makes it so much easier. I can’t tell you how many times
a pastie flies off and a venue could get fined ten grand. And we just never knew
about some of these rules because they were so vague and it could vary how each
(AGLC ) officer interpreted things. You never really knew you were safe.”
Demure notes that the pressure relief is not just for the festival, but also for the
burlesque community. There’s a number of venues that feel more comfortable
welcoming shows, such as Flames Central and the Chinese Cultural Centre opening
up their doors and all the splendor inside. Demure adds that with the ruling
change burlesque is getting more exposure in the city because of existing patrons
in the new locations. As a result, there’s a better understanding and appreciation
for burlesque.
“Within the last year there’s been a big growth of people watching, taking it in,
and also the in number of performers. It’s so amazing because you’re now seeing
people come watch the shows that weren’t in the community already. A whole new
audience is opening up, enjoying performances and becoming regulars.”
The relaxation of laws, bigger and more promising venues has allowed burlesque
not only to gain a wider audience, but it has also helped the art form develop to
become more enticing and entertaining.
“When the burlesque revival first started in Calgary, we felt all we needed was a
stage. We just wanted to be on stage. The women who started this movement just
wanted to be able to perform. There was a time you just do what you gotta do.
And now that it’s matured and there’s more community support, and the people
performing have honed their art, they know to ask and expect and demand a little bit
more as well. It’s nice to go to a venue and say, ‘These are our requirements. We need
lights, we need space for this, that and the other thing.’ So it’s become a production.
And I think there’s value in that and obviously Calgary is responding.”
The evolution of the local burlesque community spills over into bringing
respected performers from other parts of the globe and raising the bar for the
CIBF. One of the headliners this year is Perle Noire. Originally from Texas, Noire
gravitated to that showgirl capital, glitzy ole Las Vegas, then was drawn to the
rich, exotic tapestry of New Orleans. There she become fascinated with Josephine
Baker, whose star rose rapidly in the 1920s and ‘30s as one of the world’s most
celebrated silver screen beauty and burlesque dancer, then later on an outspoken
activist who raged against racism. Known as “The Black Pearl,” Baker was the
inspiration for Perle Noire’s stage name.
On Cosmopolitan’s website, Noire spoke at length discussing her love of burlesque
and its importance to her as a performer, artist and black woman under the
gaze of diverse and growing audience. Boldly expressing her sexuality that ranges
from jazzy to tribal, Noire basks in a dazzling display of silk, feathers, grace and
elegance. The Mahogany Queen of Burlesque is unquestionable one of the world’s
most compelling burlesque dancers intent on breaking all kinds of boundaries.
Burlesque as Art
Burlesque, to me, is the epitome of artistry. There’s comedy, there’s people dancing,
there’s opulence. Growing up, I loved ballet, I loved ballroom, I loved opera — and
burlesque was all of that in one.
Burlesque is Bold
Society has always had a negative attitude about women who are free, whether they’re
free with their bodies or free with their minds. Strong, outspoken, unapologetic women
are not celebrated. And burlesque is the epitome of a bold and uninhibited woman.
Perle Noire: The Mahogany Queen of Burlesque
Burlesque as Beautiful Imperfection
My mission is to help women in burlesque who don’t have traditional bodies or
conventional beauty. I want to help heal the audience member who feels like
she’s alone. Burlesque makes me feel powerful instead of powerless, and I want
to make the audience feel that way too. I’m making a choice with my body,
embodying strength and happiness with the beauty of my imperfections, and
sharing that with the world.
12 | OCTOBER 2016 • BEATROUTE CITY