Winners of the finals go on to compete for Miss Burlesque Australia which is a title The Strawberry Siren, who has been performing for eight years now, has also held. This year, the National Title finals will be held in Darwin in October. What do the judges look for when judging a burlesque show? “There’s a panel of judges, six entertainment industry professionals, who look for certain criteria in each category,” The Strawberry Siren clarifies. “There’s a classic routine which harks back to burlesque’s golden age of the ‘40s and ‘50s. We have a ‘neo’ routine which is like a modern revival with a story or a parody, then we look at a unique routine where a piece can be old or new, based on anything the participant chooses – her own interpretation – where she brings a special skill to the routine. We have a gown section, which is a parade where they’re judged on that ‘wow’ factor. We’re looking for creativity, for girls who bring something different to their routine, a fresh new idea; come up with new ways to do the striptease. I want to be able to say ‘I haven’t seen that before.’”
Burlesque has come a long way from girls in a line wearing army uniforms singing Chattanooga Choo Choo. Australia’s burlesque scene is unique in that it’s relatively new compared to the scene in the US, which came from performers entertaining marines in WWII. Here, practitioners like Moira Finucane, Maude Davey and Imogen Kelly made it their own very quickly. The Strawberry Siren recalls one recent performance in the New South Wales finals that clearly met the judges demands for originality. “This year a performer did an ice queen routine,” she says. “Instead of presenting a glamorous and sexy ice queen, she painted herself in dark blue paint and went bat-shit crazy. It was nice to see a unique take on a character so many people have played; half her routine was her screaming at the top of her lungs. It was definitely scary.”
Considering their differences, does The Strawberry Siren see a difference between Australian performers and their American counterparts? “Absolutely,” she says. “Because we don’t have that same history. Australian burlesque comes from a neo background. We don’t have that classic burlesque history from the ‘40s and ‘50s and we are very creative.” She believes burlesque audiences are different here, too. In the Siren’s opinion, American crowds are happy just to see a pretty girl get her kit off. “The audiences here are more wholesome,” she notes. “They’re very demanding, they want to see creativity, and they want to see a show with a bit of a story. They have high expectations. They don’t want to see a girl just being lazy and taking off her clothes; audiences here expect a show.”
In some respects, the burlesque tradition is facing harder times than ever before. As times have changed, so too have audiences’ interests. “It’s been a weird couple of years,” notes The Siren. “Back about three or four years ago, after that terrible movie called Burlesque came out, there was a surge of interest. It became a fad. There were three burlesque venues in Melbourne, but they’ve all closed down now.”
However, as the completely Victorian semi-final proves, the art form is still very much alive and kicking up its crystal encrusted heels. As the Siren notes, it’s gone indoors somewhat as increasing amounts of people are wanting to do it for themselves. “The interest has been pushed up again by girls wanting to dance at quirky parties and hens’ nights,” she states. “It’s the new party game. New audiences have really taken to it.”
This is the sixth year of the Australia-wide burlesque competition, Miss Burlesque Australia. The Miss Burlesque Victoria state final will be judged by last year’s national winner, Zelia Rose and the night will include a performance from the reigning Mr Boylesque Australia, Charlie D Barkle. This year, as part of the competition, competitors have also had to devote their time and energy towards raising funds and awareness for the MBA Chosen Charity – Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal. So far, the competitors have raised over $5,000 and have helped to raise nation-wide awareness of the charity.
When talking things burlesque, inevitably the name of Dita Von Teese comes up. The Strawberry Siren met the world’s most glamorous and revered darling of burlesque in the States several years ago, backstage after a performance. “There will never be another Dita Von Teese; she’s trying to retire from the stage, and no-one will ever get to wear that mantle after her,” she says. “It’s great to meet one of your idols. She was very lovely and down to earth, happy to stay and have a chat for half an hour. I wanted to say thank you to her for leading the charge.”
BY COLETTE DALLIMORE
