Beautiful, extravagantly dressed (and undressed), unusually coiffed, sexy, witty, charming — and that was just the crowd. The Colorado Burlesque Festival, put on for the second year in a row by the top burlesque producers and performers in the area, is a real feast for the eyes and treat for the soul. This four day event, consisting of workshops, late nights, and main event performances in and around Denver, brought artists from all over Colorado and across the country and from our neighbors to the north as well. The emcees for Saturday night’s grand gala, held at the in Englewood, were two big stars in the industry.
World Famous *Bob*, hailing from New York City, is a buxom blonde whose large assets are only outmatched by her larger personality, her heart of gold, and her mouth of … let’s just say her words aren’t for those with virgin ears. The second half of the show was led by Naughty Pierre, a local mainstay who clearly lives up to his name. Performers had names such as Honey Touche, Fannie Spankings, Orchid Mei, Vivienne Vavoom and Lola Spitfire, just to name a few of the 40 acts, and their acts ranged from burlesque to comedy and even belly dancing and trapeze works. This art form is not just about taking your clothes off, although there was plenty of that, by both men and women. It is about sharing a part of yourself and being proud of who you are. *Bob* joked that the difference between strippers and burlesque dancers is that strippers get paid. I think the artists Saturday night proved that their is more to it than that. There is equal parts vaudeville and showroom, athleticism and versatlility, with a lot of chutzpah thrown in for good measure. Check it out next year, you won’t be disappointed. and be careful, don’t get hit by the Evil Hate Monkey’s Banana!
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Joshua Elioseff is a Boulder based photographer of everything, a self-professed music junkie and regular contributor to Reverb. Check his photos out on Facebook or his .
