A temporary exhibit is in D.C. for a final weekend celebrating the contributions of Black performers within the art of burlesque.
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‘Black burlesque’ exhibit opens in Dupont Underground
Housed in D.C.’s Dupont Underground, a new exhibit offers the chance to see the history of burlesque through the outfits and performances of dozens of Black dancers.
Professional traveling burlesque performer Aquarius Moon said she wanted to create the “Every(body) Wants to Be a Showgirl” exhibit after the recent closing of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Especially after Taylor Swift and so many commercial artists using the burlesque aesthetic, we thought this would be a great time,” Moon told WTOP.
She also saw this as an opportunity to highlight the contributions of Black performers that she said the Burlesque Hall of Fame failed to recognize.
“Every(body) Wants to Be a Showgirl” highlights over 120 burlesque performers from around the world, including the pioneering 1920s French American dancer Josephine Baker, current Miss Exotic World Jessabelle Thunder, Broadway performer Samson Night, Maki Roll and Moon herself.
“There are people that have really cemented in their community, through activism, through organization, through keeping arts alive,” Moon said. “You can find all different gender identities in this exhibit and so when we’re saying ‘showgirl,’ we’re using it as a gender neutral term, and it’s really just encompassing a show person that is embodying the art of burlesque or striptease.”
As soon as you walk down into Dupont Underground, you’ll encounter the exhibit library and photography, said installation designer Camila Obscura, “As well as information on brown-skinned showgirls that allows you to contextualize the exhibition.”
You can also see dozens of elaborate costumes, including one inspired by the dragon Shenron from the anime Dragon Ball Z.
Maki Roll, a D.C.-based performer, wore the elaborate dragon mask on the runway during the New York Fashion Week.
She said the piece took 10 hours to make by hand.
“So every rhinestone is handset by me, and all of it was kind of a love letter to not only my mother, but all of the people who inspired me in burlesque,” said Roll.
Roll often performs what is called “Nerdlesque,” a mixture of pop culture, cosplay and the traditional strip tease.
“I started everything in the cosplay realm, so building big costumes for conventions and for giant festivals,” she said, speaking about her place in the exhibit. “So, to see an amalgamation of cosplay, burlesque, performance art and a bit of fan fiction and storytelling as well on display here is huge for me and really huge for little nerdy Black girls as well.”
Moon also dips her toe into Nerdlesque. She will perform in a Star Wars-themed burlesque show in Europe, and even has her Bridgerton-themed burlesque costume on display at the exhibit.
“A lot of actresses got their start with burlesque, especially in American Hollywood and cinema. And then obviously, as the internet happened, as television became more mainstream, as we started to get strip clubs … then we started to veer away from watching to see the elegant art form of the striptease. But it has had these neo-revolutions, and it just never dies,” Moon said.
She said folks can find burlesque shows monthly in the D.C. area. Moon’s own company, Metro Cabaret Club, often produces shows in the city.
“Every(body) Wants to Be a Showgirl” is happening at Dupont Underground through Mar. 1.
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