Body Art

In New Orleans' thriving burlesque scene, nudity is just a detail

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Some people might snicker or clutch their pearls at the idea of burlesque, but they’re the ones missing the joke: this debaucherous art form has a sly touch, and in its current incarnation, women’s cups runneth over with creative control and body positivity. Trixie Minx, a prominent producer and performer in New Orleans, knows the two aren’t mutually exclusive: “I feel like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl; I’ve got a head for business and a bod for sin.”

Though the female figure might be at the forefront of the art form, it has always been synonymous with comedy: the term “burlesque” is derived from the Italian word “burla,” a joke, prank, or trick. With origins in Victorian England, the first burlesque shows were comedic, often risqué parody performances. Over the years, they became large-scale variety shows that included everything from sketch comedy to boxing. The art form flourished in the United States, and by the 1930s the focus had transitioned to female nudity, with the stateside burlesque shows consisting predominantly of striptease acts with one or two comedians performing, including the likes of Mae West, Abbott and Costello, and Jackie Gleason. Though burlesque shows today rarely include full sketch comedy, the tradition of humor mixed with sensuality is still evident at nearly every show in today’s thriving New Orleans burlesque scene. 

Minx produces burlesque shows (at present, Fleur de Tease, Burlesque Ballroom, and Creole Sweet Tease) accompanied by live jazz bands in lavish hotels such as the Saint and Royal Sonesta in New Orleans. Though her extravagant costumes and feather fans, displayed underneath a grand chandelier, might catch the eye first, her sense of humor is what keep crowds entertained. “The idea of doing a striptease in public is hilarious; it’s ludicrous,” said Minx. “I always want to play more on that than the sensuality aspect.”

And play she does. After twelve years of performing and producing burlesque, Minx certainly has her act down. Her stage name describes her in a nutshell: fun, flirtatious, and full of tricks. But there’s serious acumen behind the onstage personality; she has headlined at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and is flown to Atlantic City on a weekly basis to perform at the Borgata Casino.

Roxie Le Rouge, creator of New Orleans’ first touring show BIG DEAL BURLESQUE, might not play the prankster onstage, but she still knows the importance of making an audience laugh. “I like people to know it’s not so serious,” said Le Rouge. “The nudity is just a detail. I’m there to have a good time and to dance and to tell a story with my body.” Her body tells quite the story. Le Rouge is oft-billed as “Best Booty in the Big Easy,” and you can see why. Watching her dance is more akin to looking at an Olympic athlete posing nude in Sports Illustrated than watching a stripper; a spectator spends most of the act marveling at her muscles and technique.

“The idea of doing a striptease in public is hilarious; it’s ludicrous,” said Minx. “I always want to play more on that than the sensuality aspect.”

Both Le Rouge and Minx were classically trained dancers who happened onto burlesque. While it’s said a dancer’s career ends at 30, these women—both past that harrowing milestone—tour nationally and have achieved local celebrity status. Le Rouge and Minx wear their experience well; when these women walk into a room, heads turn. For Le Rouge, it’s her angular red Vidal Sassoon bob that strikes first—a hairstyle she wears with ease but looks so polished that she seems more likely to be walking off a sci-fi movie set than into a coffee shop. For Minx, it’s her bubbly smile and deceivingly innocent eyes that pop. Throw in her tall hourglass frame and she’s like a blonde Japanese anime character come to life.

Watching her dance is more akin to looking at an Olympic athlete posing nude in Sports Illustrated than watching a stripper; a spectator spends most of the act marveling at her muscles and technique.

But it’s not just their beauty that draws gazes to these women. Both Le Rouge and Minx exude a presence that commands attention. When they speak, they do so with grace, wit, and a confidence that can only come from an artist who is completely in control of her work. “The reason I do burlesque is because you, as the performer, have full control over everything,” said Minx. “In almost every other art form the dancer is a tool for someone else’s vision. You’re literally repeating what someone else has taught you.”

As a producer and performer, Le Rouge also appreciates being in control of creating her vision for an audience: “I feel independent. I work for myself.” And that independence has been earned. In the 1940s, burlesque and vaudeville stars on Bourbon Street were treated like Hollywood royalty. Though burlesque performers today don’t enjoy the same celebrity, the performers now have the ability to do something those women couldn’t. “Now, a burlesque performer can produce her own show,” said Minx. “In those days, that wasn’t necessarily the norm. They were hired.”

But it isn’t all business for these women. Burlesque is the best opportunity they have found to express themselves creatively. “Burlesque is a collaborative art form that requires not just a dancer, but a makeup artist, a hairstylist, a costume designer and a choreographer,” said Minx.  “There’s all these elements that go together to create one burlesque piece. It’s really a Crock-Pot of creativity.”

“Burlesque is a collaborative art form that requires not just a dancer, but a makeup artist, a hairstylist, a costume designer and a choreographer,” said Minx.  “There’s all these elements that go together to create one burlesque piece. It’s really a Crock-Pot of creativity.”

Though stripping is sometimes joked about in popular culture as having negative psychological effects for the performers, burlesque can have the opposite effect. “Burlesque is extremely body positive,” Minx said. “From the glove reveal, where you are revealing just your hand, the audience celebrates it by clapping and cheering. For people who haven’t been to a burlesque show it’s easy to assume it’s just about ‘T and A,’ but when you go and you actually experience it, it really is about celebrating the human form in all its many shapes and sizes.”

Le Rouge expressed a similar sentiment: “Burlesque is so inclusive. I really feel more at home, and I can be more accepting of myself. It really is about celebrating individuality and empowering women to say: ‘Hey, we’re all beautiful’… Burlesque has been very healing for me. Ballet really tore me down and made me feel very insecure and self-conscious. I was trying for this level of perfection that is not really healthy.” 

Burlesque shows are a huge attraction in New Orleans, particularly for bachelorette parties. And the audience at a burlesque show, more so than with a traditional comedy show, is a huge part of the act. “Connecting with the audience is required in burlesque. It’s an interactive art form. It’s flirting through movement,” said Minx. 

Minx encourages those unfamiliar with burlesque to go to a show and see for themselves. She also reminds audiences that burlesque, like any art form, is varied and has many renditions: “For anyone going to see a burlesque show, know that one show you saw is not the definition of burlesque. Burlesque is as varied as music. Just because you hear one country song does not mean all music is country music. The only way to understand burlesque is to experience it. It is a visceral, interactive experience. It’s human. So you should go out and enjoy it. Go see a show!” 

Catch Trixie Minx on Fridays in New Orleans at Burgundy Burlesque at the Saint Hotel (9 pm) and at the Burlesque Ballroom at the Jazz Playhouse (11 pm). Her season premiere with Fleur de Tease is September 23 at One Eyed Jacks. Find her full schedule at trixieminx.com.

See Roxie Le Rouge and BIG DEAL BURLESQUE September 2 at the Merry Widow in Mobile, AL, or September 24 at the Valiant Theatre in New Orleans. Follow her at facebook.com/roxie.lerouge.3.