Cherry Oh!: Burlesque Performer Extraordinaire!!
Photo by Hannah Combs
To someone who doesn't know what burlesque is, how would you describe it?
Burlesque is a form of entertainment that parodies current events using risque humor. It is the root of a lot of current popular entertainment, especially comedy shows and cartoons geared towards adult audiences. Dancing girls performing striptease routines were added to burlesque show lineups in the 1920s to help increase ticket sales. The girls performed between the comedian's acts, occasionally playing a part within the comedy act as well.
How did you first get into burlesque?
In 2008 I expressed my interest in burlesque to people in the Asheville performance community and was invited to join the then newly formed Bootstraps Burlesque troupe.
What do you enjoy most about burlesque?
I enjoy the creative freedom. It is a very malleable art form allowing for a lot of experimentation with different props, costume styles, musical styles and moods. Also, it is easy to garner interest in a burlesque show through the intrigue of scantily clad women. Then once you have warm bodies filling the seats you can throw whatever dark and dangerous stories at them and totally give them what they least expected.
Why should people try burlesque at least once?
I can not say definitively that everyone would benefit from burlesque, but I have taught some unsuspecting students before through different opportunities such as a 24 hour dance festival where groups were chosen through drawing names, or teaching a workshop at a swing dance convention where people probably signed up for my class on a whim. From these experiences I have found that people are able to gain an incredible amount of confidence in a short period of time. Striptease combines the body awareness that you can gain from any sort of dance with the expression and emotion of theater and when you create your own routines you need to think about the development of the character you portray on stage. You can not leave the stage in the same state that you entered. There has to be a transformation.
Who are your burlesque icons?
Sally Rand, Josephine Baker and Zorita to name a few.
What's your favorite type of music to dance to?
I love to dance to music from the 1920s and 30s. I also love to use modern music from film soundtracks. I like music that is moody or that has a lot of energy.
Tell us about your favorite performance.
The Laudanum Express show was the final large production of Boostraps Burlesque, back in 2010 I believe. We did two runs at a venue that was called 828 at the time. The entire show was magical but our final group number was my favorite. It was a beautiful and mysterious piece with kimonos and parasols with Tim Burton style spirals on them. The movements were slow, allowing for this great meditative synergy to form between all of us on stage. Duets and group numbers are usually what I enjoy the most.
What can people expect to learn during your Intro to Burlesque workshop?
I hope to allow people to gain a familiarity with the music and how to convey emotion and mood with their movements. I will go over posture and how to walk in heels. We will be learning dance steps that can serve as building blocks for any burlesque routine. I will talk a little about striptease and the bawdier bump and grind and I will teach a short routine to help people remember what we covered in the class.
Don't miss Cherry Oh!'s Burlesque Workshop, Saturday, Oct. 12, 3- 5 pm at
