Burlesque, ‘boylesque’ raise money for Fan Free Clinic

Samantha Foster

Assistant Spectrum Editor

The second annual gender-bending burlesque, boylesque and drag show, Androgenesque, entertained a standing room only crowd this past Saturday at Gallery5.

Androgenesque was produced by the owner and instructor of Boom Boom Basics Burlesque Studio, Deanna Danger. Danger, a model and Richmond’s only full time burlesquer, is also the owner of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School.

Androgenesque benefited the Fan Free Clinic. The Fan Free Clinic was founded in 1968 and works to provide medical treatment, health education and social services to Richmond.

GayRVA, Richmond’s news source specifically for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, sponsored Androgenesque.

Androgenesque is a part of Fun for a Cause Week. Fun for a Cause is Richmond’s biggest drag show fundraiser.  On March 27, Fun for a Cause will have its fourth annual show at the Renaissance Conference Center. Fun for a Cause benefits local LGBT non-profits including the Fan Free Clinic and the Gay Community Center of Richmond.

All raffle proceeds from Androgenesque benefitted the Fan Free Clinic. Prizes included tickets to Fun for a Cause, gift certificates to Boom Boom Basics Burlesque Studio, and a set of pasties.

Host of Androgenesque and Fun for a Cause and local drag star Natasha Carrington prepared the audience for the show by warning them that it was “an evening of pure confusion.”  She also proceeded to call out members of the audience and encourage lap dances from the performers.

“I am a boy in a dress,” Carrington said, addressing a heckler in the audience. “My (breasts) weigh more than both of yours, mostly because they’re all silicon.”

Androgenesque consisted of various types of performance art, including lip syncing, burlesque and boylesque.  (Whereas burlesque is the art of women dressed as men shedding their clothes until they were down just to pasties and a thong, “boylesque” refers to men shedding their normal, male clothes until they are also down to pasties and a thong.)

“Burlesque lets you explore those gender and sex roles,” Danger said.

Danger performed several burlesque acts, including one Aladdin-themed performance with fellow burlesque star, The Muse. For her second act, Danger had covered her chest in a carpet of dark hair.

Drag performer Michelle Livigne had the audience screaming during her lip syncing of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” as did variety show performer Buster Britches during his lip sync and boylesque performance of “Money” from Cabaret.

Performer Jebediah Stone performed a boylesque routine, which took him from a three piece suit and tie to an orange and white dress, while still break dancing the whole time.

From Raleigh, N.C., burlesque dancer Meka La Creme ended the night with a moment of pure confusion.  Her man to woman burlesque performance ended with another actor dressed as Jesus pouring chocolate syrup down her front and carrying her off stage.

“Our aim is to push all the boundaries,” Danger said. “It’s celebrating the fact that it’s okay to dress differently.  It’s all beautiful and it should all be celebrated.”  CT