The Art of the Female Form
For those who appreciate the female form, the art of burlesque dancing is making a comeback in DC. Just recently, three burlesque shows now have permanent homes in town. For those of you that are unfamiliar with burlesque, it is not stripping, but stripteasing. The dancers are performance artists and perform either solo or with other performers, such as drag queens, sword swallowers and other interesting acts.
Here are the three main places where you can get a sample of burlesque:
1) Dutch Oven Burlesque show: You can catch this show once a month at the Palace of Wonders, 1210 H Street, NE. The price of admission is $10. For more info, go to: www.palaceofwonders.com.
2) Golden Triangle Cabaret: The performances take place at Ozio, an upscale cigar bar. Golden Triangle takes you back in time to the 20s, 40s or 50s, depending on the night. The resident dancer, Kitty Victorian, is also a professor at the Burlesque University, where you can take classes to learn the art of burlesque dancing. Kitty's perforomances are rated PG-13 on a scale of naughtiness. Kitty has even danced with pythons. The Cabaret features jazz musicans and an illusionist to name a few. For more info, please visit: www.oziodc.com, $20 admission, 1813 M Street, NW.
3) DC Gurly Show: The main performer in this venue is CoCo Monroe, who studied ballet in Latvia. Coco is a student of Kitty Victorian, who got her into burlesque. The Gurly Show has 15 regular dancers, including CoCo, and perform once a week at Be Bar. For more info, go ao www.dc-gurly-show.com or www.bebardc.com, 1318 Ninth Street, NW.