I was seduced by the newsletter from the Honolulu Museum of Art. A big, feline eye with long lashes was winking at me. "The Hot Lava Hukilau, a Hawaiian-Style Burlesque Celebration." I asked myself, "By golly, what is Hawaiian-style burlesque? I'd like to know!"
Of the two night Hawaii Burlesque Festival, I chose the closing night, hoping to see Volary Aerial Burlesque, an O'ahu group who flies in the sky. No such luck. The show each night was unique. This hometown fest in the middle of the Pacific featured performers from Texas, Switzerland, California, Colorado, China, Maui, Minnesota and New York City.
My disappointment did not last long. Volary will be celebrating their fifth anniversary with Manimal Menagerie, a big show that runs October 15 through 18 at ArtZone in Nuuanu.
Having been schooled in the burlesque of Los Angeles, I know that every region has a flavor. A product of a distinctive city, LA burlesque is big showbiz, old MGM and precision. Less emotive, Los Angeles burlesque hides tears with glitter. Surprisingly, I did find a very unique aesthetic, a Hawai'i-style of burlesque, that I have not seen anywhere else and it is a beautiful thing.
There are many facets and modes of expression to modern burlesque. There are many levels of professionalism. The most paramount is a performance that will take your breath away and this happened twice near the end of the closing night of the fest.
Violetta Berretta, the producer and director of the show, performed to a Michael Jackson medley and all elements converged to the sublime. Her red lips smiled softly. She was fresh and light. The black leather studded strips that knitted her body were several shades of sexy. Her crisp athletic moves were natural and unaffected. Everyone in the audience wanted to share her glow. This is a woman you could build an empire with. The dancer on stage was earnest, sincere and completely present. What a woman!
With a slight turn of the dial, Kitten Deville is a woman you would build an empire for. Deville is legendary, a cat of a classic mold. She dances with a natural grace that took my breath away. What a woman!
Modern burlesque or neo-burlesque is a product of the Kustom Kulture art movement. From the Fifties to the present, the men (and a few women) have been painting like Robert Williams, re-sculpting a motor vehicle, writing like a Beat, making music or challenging speed and height on land, sea and air. Meanwhile, the women of a like mind laughed naughtily and pondered some of their greatest joys and best assets. Burlesque was reborn in the mid-1990's.
Costuming is one element of the medium. Mabsy wore a very clever costume. Hunter Down, the little tough guy MC, explained Mabsy's work was inspired by British sci-fi Dr. Who. The ever-morphing outfit was smart, funny and high-tech clever. Mabsy was so happy to be on the stage. She shined. She was having so much fun!
A majority of the clever costumes gave a nod to history, to the early days of burlesque. The costume design of O'ahu's Cherry Blossom Cabaret evokes a red velvet Honolulu of long ago. Francophile Sassy Stiletto got bubbly on too much champagne and popped her vineyard grape costume made of balloons. The gals from Maui, The Kit Kat Club Cabaret were having a blast in feathers and black silk.
The audience, a majority of it, was very vocal. Hootin' and hollerin'. Catcalls. Yeows. In the dark, I assumed that a bus driver's union was having a convention in town. Quickly, I realized that all of the hooters, holler'ers and feet-stompers were women!
There are many self-expressions in the medium. Burlesque is a sensibility. Given the lengthy creation, costuming and performance effort that burlesque requires, the artist is allowed much freedom, personality and ownership. These performers in Hawai'i found their private passion, a liberating moment and made art. The good feeling shows. I believe the Hawai'i burlesque aesthetic is more mindful than others. The emphasis is on the heart, the soul and the many personalities of our human nature. Most importantly, Hawai'i-style has more fun!
Volary Aerial Burlesque embraces the passion. Jesa Simpkins, a Volary founder, answers, "Volary started with six amazing ladies, from all different walks of life, who shared a passion for aerial arts. Volary began as a little sister to Samadhi Hawaii, the local aerial company and school where we practiced, trained, and spent all of our free time. The six of us had developed beautiful friendships with one another and we wanted an outlet to perform our art, but with the added element of sensuality. We thought it would be amazing to do an entire burlesque show in the air. So we did!"
In celebration of their fifth anniversary, Volary Aerial Burlesque's Manimal Menagerie runs October 15-18 at ArtZone, an exclusive and intimate venue in Nuuanu. The Volary Vixens will be joined by special guest artists Tita Titsling, Kalalea, and Violetta Beretta. Seating is limited, so don't wait!
Aloha says Hello and Goodbye.
Gordy Grundy is an O'ahu based artist, arts writer and libertine. His visual and literary works can be found at www.GordyGrundy.com.
A collection of HULA MOONs can be found here on the Huffington Post or on Facebook.
