A long-running showcase of Australia’s most glamorous and seductive burlesque performers has changed its name to reflect the diversity of the performers drawn to the art of teasing.
The Australian burlesque competition, previously split under the two titles of Miss Burlesque and Mr Boylesque, has been merged into one and renamed Mx Burlesque.
Executive producer Melanie Piantoni, who performs as A’dora Derriere, said the change was necessary because many non-binary artists did not identify with the titles Miss or Mr.
“They were a non-binary person and they wanted to do this competition for many years, they just weren’t sure which competition to enter.”
The competition to crown the best in burlesque started around 2009 as Miss Burlesque.
Breaking Barriers
Mr Boylesque followed shortly afterwards and the two matches have taken place in multiple states in Australia.
While the competition has always been open to non-binary people, Ms. Piantoni said the titles may be a barrier for some artists.
Circus performer and burlesque performer Matthew Pope said he would be among the state of Perth finalists on Saturday at the Astor Theater in Mt Lawley.
He said the new name offered the freedom to perform without restrictions.
“I always played with gender a little bit anyway… so when I looked at Mr. Boylesque, I was kind of like, ‘Oh, am I wearing a dress, aren’t I?’ and a little confused,” said Mr. Pope.
“Now that it’s open, there’s a lot more free range for everyone to do what they want and express themselves.”
The new competition allows the winner to choose their title of Miss, Mr or Mx Burlesque.
Revival and Evolution
Ms. Piantoni said the nature of burlesque has evolved in recent years.
Burlesque, typically a style of provocative dance dating back to the late 1800s, lost its mainstream prominence as full nudity became more common in the 1970s.
Ms. Piantoni said a revival of the art of burlesque began in America in the 1990s and spread to Australia in the early 2000s.
She said vintage-inspired performances were often modeled after pin-ups from the 1940s and 50s.
“Drag artists, we have circus artists, we have performance artists, we have dancers. Really different styles.”
She said more acts were now using modern music or styles, making the current incarnations of burlesque sharp and exciting.
Mr Pope described his performances as dark and non-traditional.
“I’m definitely not a classic burlesque performer…and I’ve got some pretty exciting stuff planned,” he said.
“Lots of high avant-garde fashion. Some really intense music soundtracks.”
Excitement builds
Mr Pope will compete for the Western Australian Mx Burlesque crown against eight other performers: Amelia Kisses, Autumn Daze, Chloe The Cocaine, Coco Fatale, Delza Skye, Foxxxy Curves, Lolly Moon and Miss Lady Lace.
Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT will hold their own Mx Burlesque events.
Mr Pope said he was excited that his first attempt at winning the WA crown would be alongside a wider range of non-gender performers.
“With the name change it is” [allows] more people of all different gender expressions and identities, to maybe feel a little more confident and comfortable competing and taking their art to a large community,” he said.
“I’m just excited to see where it goes from here.”