They delivered on the tease, but Burlesque PH also gave a surprisingly empowering and welcoming show.
Related: My Night At The Rainbow Ball And Gala 2024 Was One I’ll Never Forget
When you think of burlesque, what comes to mind is usually scantily clad women who leave little to the imagination or the underrated movie musical from 2010 starring Christina Aguilera. But while some may see burlesque as dirty or demeaning, it is, in fact, an art form that goes beyond just taking off your clothes. While there’s nothing wrong with having a livelihood in burlesque and other similar fields, the art of the striptease speaks a lot about empowerment. It’s something I learned first-hand when I attended my first burlesque recently. And no, it wasn’t the show you think it is.
A STRIPTEASE THROUGH WONDERLAND
When I was assigned to cover a burlesque happening in Poblacion, my mind went to those typical shows of women dancing and performing while they removed layers of their costumes. I’d never been to a burlesque show before, so all I had to go off from was what I’d seen in the media. But the show I watched proved to be something more than just that.
The show was Wicked Wonderland: A Burlesque Journey Through The Looking Glass. It was a burlesque show organized by Burlesque PH, a local organization dedicated to holding burlesque shows and educating people on the craft, held at The Spirits Library. It was one of the more unique bars in Poblacion with an entire wall filled with all kinds of alcohol to its high ceiling.
It made for a fitting setting for an Alice in Wonderland-themed burlesque show. Admittedly, I never imagined interpreting the classic kids’ story through striptease and performance art, but when creativity strikes, you go for it. The venue was pretty small, but it was filled with an open and welcoming audience who were ready to go down the rabbit hole, myself included.
The event began with The White Rabbit, played by Levity, serving as the night’s host, setting the mood and reminding the audience of a few house rules. Despite how intimate the venue was, it was made clear early on that the event was a safe space of consent and respect from the performers to the audience and vice versa. Once the rules were settled, the first performance of the night was The White Rabbit, who showed Alice his white rabbit through a performance soundtracked to contemporary bops.
Up next was The Cheshire Cat, played by Rajayana. The sultry number ended with the cat taking off her furry onesie to serve body. The third stage was for The Mad Hatter, played by Fable, who gave a performance that was as if Magic Mike was set in Alice in Wonderland. Finally, the last performer was The Queen of Hearts, brought to life by Antoinette Noir. This was my favorite performance of the evening because it combined striptease with lip sync and props for a comical and campy take on the queen’s signature catchphrase. Lowkey it reminded me of a drag queen performance, and that’s a big compliment.
While all this was going down, patrons were free to order four Alice in Wonderland-inspired drinks on the menu. The crowd’s favorite, as was mine, was The Cheshire Cat, a Santa Ana Gin infused with Blackberry, Lemon Dandelion Tea Syrup. All that to say, it tasted as good as it looked and I would have gotten more drinks if I wasn’t walking home that night.
TAKE IT OFF, RESPECTFULLY
Whatever expectations I had going into this show, it was replaced with the idea that burlesque is more than just women taking off their clothes. Burlesque has always had a performance factor to it with a cheeky wink and a nod to whatever the show was referencing, and that was true here. More importantly, I was pleasantly surprised by how empowering and accepting burlesque can be for its performers.
Gone was the stereotypical idea of women with certain body types playfully removing their clothes while a bunch of men cheer them on. Instead, it was a diverse group of performers, men and women with different backgrounds, identities, and body types, doing their craft in front of a crowd of mostly young women and allies to cheers and applause. This acceptance even extended to the audience participation segments that occurred after each performance where audience members would do games like practice signature burlesque moves or try to make their tassels twirl.
Performance art and carefully curated drinks courtesy of The Spirits Library made for a fun show. The audience was there for a performance, and Burlesque PH gave it to them through theatrical and empowering striptease that combined costume, music, dance, and storytelling. While some will say that the end result is still being butt naked at the end of the performance, I saw unique and talented individuals do what they love in a safe and welcoming environment. Who doesn’t want that?
Obviously, the typical kind of burlesque performances will still be there (and there’s nothing wrong with that), but I came away from Wicked Wonderland feeling satisfied with how I spent my Saturday. It was a community reclaiming an art form for what makes it beautiful. The confidence was there and they knew they were giving even if some may say that they aren’t how a burlesque dancer is supposed to look like. This is something I thought I’d never have on my bingo card, but I’m happy I got to experience it.
Aside from burlesque shows, The Spirits Library also has different music nights like Jazz and Blues Night. You can find them at 4963 Guerrero St, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City
Photos taken from The Spirits Library Instagram
Continue Reading: 6 New Spots To Check Out For The Next Barkada Hangout
