Title : A Stripper Drops Science: My Interview With a Premier Local Exotic Dancer and Burlesque Performer
link : A Stripper Drops Science: My Interview With a Premier Local Exotic Dancer and Burlesque Performer
A Stripper Drops Science: My Interview With a Premier Local Exotic Dancer and Burlesque Performer
Last year, I wrote a blog post making fun of a stripper pole for sale on Juneau buy-sell-trade. Afterwards, the stripper and exotic dancing community quickly schooled me on a few things, for which I expressed my gratitude here.Ever since, I've wanted to do a profile on the local exotic dancing scene in Juneau. It's a profession that's misunderstood, and one that folks have a lot of preconceived notions about. So I sat down (electronically) with my pal Gertrude Edith D'Pall Mall, a stripper and burlesque dancer here in Juneau, to get down to some stripper science.
Here's her interview, in her own words, lightly edited by me for style.
O.H.M.: Okay, so let's start at the beginning. How, when, and why did you decide to become an exotic dancer--a stripper?
Gertrude: I started in 2013, in Anchorage, Alaska at the Great Alaskan Bush Company. At nearly age 30, I decided to become an exotic dancer, basically for the sake of adventure.
O.H.M.: Tell me more about the club where you got your start--the Great Alaskan Bush Company (GABC).
Gertrude: The GABC opened in 1979 [during Alaska's pipeline construction/oil boom]. The club was always popular with North Slope oil field workers. It always had a flair for theater production beyond the more popular striptease performances of the late 70's, 80's, and 90's. Over time, the club became nearly as famous for its high production value performances as it was for being one of the oldest, biggest (and sometimes only) dance clubs in the Anchorage area.
As all things do, the trappings of high quality theater faded out but the GABC still remained a more theatrical type strip venue, not many even exist like this around the country as I’ve seen in my travels. It’s a diamond in the rough ...kinda... because ornate strip productions have turned greater crowds away because of (I believe) drastic economic shifts and changes overall to American consumer confidence.
After four years of getting the chance to become increasingly involved in backstage productions/performance at the GABC, I began to visit the local burlesque shows. Note: the GABC did not tout itself as anything related to ‘burlesque’ which may be still lost on the today in a sense. Instead, it relied on the strip culture of the 1980s to define itself as more ‘Showgirl style’ as opposed to burlesque which now seems redundant (to me) and not as inclusive as embracing the burlesque culture behind the name showgirl.
As a result of seeing the industry seem to turn on its own history a little bit (feeling it sort of denied itself burlesque’s classic theater background-when it was unabashedly connected to it through weekly themed acts/performances-, relying more heavily on attempting to entice the public with the ‘once-was’ type of popularity that the more common American strip club flourished with in the 80s/90s). Perhaps many places like this had a similar identity crisis as striptease theater changed over time.
Seeing this connection, i reached out to the burlesque scene in Anchorage which seemed to be doing quite well...visiting every show that VivaVoom Brrlesque or Sweet Cheeks Cabaret had to offer. Learning more through performance exposure and friendship, I played a vital role in introducing GABC into the ever-popular and quickly growing burlesque scene in Anchorage. After all, I had already began to produce my own shows at GABC and additionally ran the social media accounts for GABC. At this time, in 2016, with connections I’d made in the community, the GABC became the notorious party spot, and off-record social media sponsor of The Freezing Tassle Burlesque Festival - Alaska’s ONLY burlesque festival.
It was here I was introduced to the (what seemed like a hundred) different type/styles/themes that encased what Id been introduced to as....burlesque. This festival was created and sponsored by VivaVoom Brrlesque, the oldest burlesque troupe in the whole state.
Classical, Modern, Neo, and the ever seductive, highly charged, and quite a new concept for me ...boylesque.
Historically, American burlesque has been defined as a more seductive (in the striptease sense) version of the original Victorian style, which focused on lots of parody and humor, song and comedy. 1900-1940 burlesque in America (over 150 clubs by 1930s nationwide) was extremely popular until NYC mayor La Guardia shut it down (Prohibition) for being too risqué/alcoholic.
burlesque immediately appealed to me and I began to see that some of the most talented exotic dancers I knew were the most talented in stage presence, character development, and behavioral comedy that I’d ever seen. Everything was starting to makes sense and come together that burlesque was deeply rooted in the American striptopia...and it was somehow very comforting.
Starting a strip career in your third decade of life has its pros and cons, though I never really paid much attention to the negative feedback loops provided to me from my employers at the GABC, the few customers/club visitors, the media, or coworkers that exalted the negative imagery behind the art of seduction and theater. Once I began to associate further in the burlesque community, it became immediately apparent that burlesque striptease performers were often more supportive of the strip industry (certainly intellectually so) than my own bosses/peers. I felt so much at home with this, it felt suddenly a strong, happy group of peers awaited this revelation from folks like me in the strip club scene. Keep in mind and note, however, not all burlesque performers are this open to strippers vs stripteasers. However, on the grand scale, my experience has shown it to be more true than not.
Most burlesque striptease artists (because not all of us performers are into the art of the striptease, some are singers and comedians and have other equally amazing talents that are not striptease) have great respect and support for the exotic dancer and often they do not bother to attempt to verify the difference between the two.
That being said, in my own experiences when watching burlesque, I do not attempt to qualify the range of talent I’m watching based on whether there is striptease involved or not. It’s a fantastically beautiful and amazing range of theater and performance that includes too much talent to enclose within a specific genre. It’s being all the You that in definable possibly within your capacity for imagination.
But of course, as with all things, there are important parameters:
- You don’t copy someone else’s act and say it’s your own.
- You should include a wide variety of performers because we all live in the same whirling shitbox and life is too short to judge/exclude the LGBTQ/POC talents that exist out there in the world. Burlesque, for many, is a network of support, show that.
- Burlesque is an art of self expression and passion, don’t use it to caricature negative judgments/stereotypes, racial or otherwise.
- There are certainly more and this would require a longer interview
The last part about self expression...I should add that there is a form of caricature that had been a staple of burlesque and that is social/political...which I view as positive in terms of social evolution
I think my closer would be something like: Go find a creative outlet in this life, appreciate the outlet others have chosen, be a nice person, question the world around you, treat others with respect. Glitter on!
I secretly love the fact that strip club owners are so out of touch with reality (most likely because of money and...) social standards yore.
It’s kind a fantastic and oddly captivating that burlesque artists/producers/communities, who make very little money doing their craft, have more personal value for those in the exotic strip community then the bosses, coworkers, and peers of those in the exotic strip community.
I was greatly disappointed to find that a theatrical strip club that opened in 1979 was actually fairly regularly feeding into the negative feedback loop of the ‘emotionally downtrodden’ exotic dancer that they hire.
Quality of life, emotional state of being, interest in exotic art...
I have yet to meet a strip club owner, manager, or anyone supervisor position that believes in any of the aforementioned Interest as in artistic interest
Female sexuality has always been enticing. I have always been a D student in theater class, but for some reason I do not have stage fright well completely nude.
Jacq The Stripper is s famous blogger, comedian, and comic strip artistHer stripper ideology is fascinating and I enjoy reading her comments to get a sense of how I feel about these preconceived notion‘s to which you are speaking
I’m more in the bisexual/pansexual rainbow Women partners are often more understanding by miles and yards.... FOR ME
Because I tend to date/see lady dancers Industry babes understand And I avoid jealousy like the plague Bc I truly find it a human sickness and toxicity
How do i deal w partners that aren’t ok with my burlesque or dancing? I leave them It’s like people who refuse to fly Not gonna invite them on the airplaneIf they’re feeling adventurous, good If they need to get off...see ya around
1. What is burlesque, exactly?
2. How does it differ from other types of exotic dancing?
3. How does burlesque compare to “stripping?” Or “exotic dancing?” What is the difference between these?
4. Explain the Juneau burlesque scene in Juneau: how many dancers do it, how often do they perform? Where do they perform, etc.?
5. How and when did you get into burlesque?
6. Why are you passionate about it?
7. What are some common misconceptions about burlesque?
8. What are some of the common “criticisms” you get from friends or family (or strangers) about burlesque?
9. What is your favorite thing about dancing burlesque?
10. What’s one thing you want people to understand about burlesque?
You can catch Gertrude and the Capital City Kitty Burlesque troupe tomorrow night, August 18, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Alaskan Bar in downtown Juneau in their show "Summer of Love: The Deflowering," produced by the Byrdcage Performance Arts. $15 cover.
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