Backstage

What happens backstage in a burlesque dressing room? I almost feel like I shouldn't tell, but I am :) It never seems to matter the size of the dressing room, it is never big enough! The lovely ladies fill the room with chit chat, feathers, sequins, shoes, fans, chairs, lace, hairspray, make up, costumes,fishnets and glitter. There isn't room to think.

What goes on backstage is quite a bit of organized chaos. Girls are in various stages of dress. Some are getting into elaborate costumes with layer upon layer. Others have just performed and are in pasties and a G-string. And still others are in between these stages. There is endless chatter, any thing from joking around to discussing if you can die from inhaling glitter to discussing an act and walking through steps. Glitter and hairspray fill the air with a floral scented glittery cloud.

Almost all backstage dressing rooms are too dark, sometimes way too dark. And strangely for a dressing room there are not enough mirrors. What does this mean? It means lady's overlap each other to put their face in a small square of it, or they are darting back and forth in front of it all trying to catch a quick glance of themselves. These faces all painted and sparkly transform the lady's into exciting burlesque dancers.

There is a set list. This is a list that tells you when it's your turn, who you are after and when you need to be ready by. As the show goes on it is critical to watch this list and pay attention to what is going on. You don't want to be half dressed when you're up next!

A few weeks ago a freak heat wave hit San Francisco and the dressing room. Just imagine a room crammed in with all of this and adding super hot temperature. Now, glitter sweat is dripping off all the pretty faces as they lace up into corsets and garters..... Not quite the picture of glamor! What a night, we ALL needed a cold drink that night.

The strangest "dressing" room I've ever been in was a small office space just off large kitchen of a bar and grill. The kitchen was empty of cooks, so it worked. We make do with what is available. And the smallest, wasn't really a room at all but a bend in a dark hallway that served as the coat check.

Back stage for me is great, it is the time for me to connect with my burlesque friends. It is when we share glitter and carpet tape. We help lace up corsets, get a drink, have mini freak outs, calm eachother down again and have a great show. I need this to transform myself into Dangerous Delilah.

I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into our private world.

xo
Dangerous Delilah