Burlesque is not just about half-naked people.\u00a0 Well, that’s part of the fun, but it’s not all you can expect when you go see a Rebel Riot Revue show. Rebel Riot Revue is a Lexington burlesque troupe incorporating pole acrobatics, hoop dancing, comedy and strip-tease. Most people associate it with the methodical act of undressing, but founder and member Siobhan Atomica says, “It was about satire long before it was about stripping.”\u00a0 Burlesque goes back to the ancient Greeks and the plays of Aristophanes and has been a form of theatre for the common folk that offered eroticism and escapism reincarnated throughout time.\u00a0 It has been inching its way back into mainstream culture since the 90s, sensationalized by artists like Dita Von Teese, The Pussycat Dolls, and most recently a film starring diva-icons: Cher and (Christina Aguilera).\u00a0 “This is all burlesque, but at its roots, it should have a variety show feel to it.”<\/p>\n
Frequent headlining guests, magic and comedy set Rebel Riot Revue apart from other Lexington groups, but what’s really amazing is the troupe’s inclusion of queer performers and their inspiring body, gender and LGBT affirmation.<\/p>\n
Among the acrobats and fire eaters you’ll find two cast members who bring queer performance to the stage with acts that can be described as “draglesque” and “boilesque.”<\/p>\n
“Boilesque” can be any male performance, though it is the artist’s choice to call it that; some men prefer “burlesque.”\u00a0 Exstacy Malone, one of Rebel Riot Revue’s newest additions, does both.<\/p>\n
“Draglesque,” for Malone, is the illusion of appearing on stage female, and through the strip-tease, reveals- it’s a guy!\u00a0 “I’m not doing female impersonation or lip-singing, for me it’s about dance and the transformation that can happen on stage.\u00a0 It’s also just one of my acts” Malone says.\u00a0 Siobhan Atomica also performs “draglesque,\u201d but says, “It\u2019s different for the men and women.\u00a0 When a female does it, she has<\/i> to lip-sing… we already look like drag queens with our ten pounds of make-up and (expensive) gowns.”<\/p>\n
Oliver Switch brings “boilesque” to life with an act about a boy discovering his sexuality… and glitter.\u00a0 Switch is the group’s sole female-to-male trans member and burlesque has been a way for him to explore his male sex appeal and to grow confident.\u00a0 When Switch first came on board with Rebel Riot Revue, he noticed that most of the dancers were female and men were emcees or comedians.\u00a0 There was a box that needed to be filled.<\/p>\n
“I could see my body as beautiful and sexy and masculine, and I could put that out there.\u00a0 It may not be what you expect<\/i>, but it is<\/i> a male body,” Switch says.<\/p>\n
Oliver Switch has been fundraising for quite some time now for his top surgery. “For those who may not know, this is a double mastectomy.\u00a0 It’s called a ‘gender-affirming’ surgery.\u00a0 ‘Sex-change’ is outdated and inaccurate.”\u00a0 Following online fundraising to help cover the costs that most insurances will not cover, Siobhan Atomica, Rebel Riot Revue, and an expansive burlesque community offered their talents and time for a fundraiser called “Vagabond Variete’.”<\/p>\n
“This is bigger than a body-issue, this is about someone’s identity,” Atomica said and she set off to plan one RRR’s largest and most successful shows.\u00a0 Over $2400 was made for Switch’s surgery.\u00a0 “This really shows how quickly Rebel Riot Revue embraced me and became a family,” a grateful Switch says.\u00a0 International title holders from Lexington, Louisville and St. Louis volunteered for the show.<\/p>\n
Lola Van Ella, Sammich the Tramp, and Adriana Fuentes were among the two dozen acts.\u00a0 The show lasted four hours and included more than $2000 worth of raffles, food, and a photo booth by Shooting Frenzy.<\/p>\n
Both Oliver Switch and Exstacy Malone were a part of the show.\u00a0 When asked how people responded to their ‘different’ performance styles, both responded positively. Switch explained that there are very few FTM strip-tease artists that he knows of and was nervous about people’s response.\u00a0 He was overwhelmed with support and cheers at the fundraiser.\u00a0 Malone says that when looking in the audience he could see a few jeers, but for every one of those jerks, there were five more snapping pictures with their phone.\u00a0 Comedian and writer for Rebel Riot Revue, Vincent St. James says, “I’m glad dudes could enjoy (Exstacy) dancing and enjoy it as part of the show.\u00a0 All of our dancers come up with their stuff, it’s their art; I’m glad people like it.”<\/p>\n
“These shows are about empowerment.\u00a0 When I first saw the Burlesque performer ‘Dirty Martini’ and saw how she owned the stage, I was moved and immediately felt better about my body and my sexuality as a woman,” Atomica says.\u00a0 Burlesque addresses fetish, sex and sexuality in a way that people can laugh at in a good way.<\/p>\n
Siobhan Atomica sums it up best, “We need healthier conversations about sexuality.\u00a0 Too often there’s still shame associated with it.\u00a0 Humor helps take break the ice.\u00a0 Come see a show, maybe you’ll see something you didn’t know turned you on.\u00a0 You can go home and explore that with your partner, or a friend, or just… with yourself.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Burlesque is not just about half-naked people.\u00a0 Well, that’s part of the fun, but it’s not all you can expect when you go see a Rebel Riot Revue show. Rebel Riot Revue is a Lexington burlesque troupe incorporating pole acrobatics,…<\/p>\n