Hey Performers,
If you haven't got your copy of your glamshot from Bever Fever, I have it! You can email me at lauranewton@eastlink.ca, and we can work out a way to get it to you.
Also, stay tuned to the in-progress website:
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/halifaxburlesque/index.html
for updates and changes.
For those of you who don't know, Lulu Larude has asked us to do a series of burlesque themed nights at Club Vortex on Sundays! yeah!
Meaghan (Le Noir) is the contact person for this. So if you want to get involved, call her! (if you don't have her number, email me and I will give it to you).
In other news, thought you all might be interested to know that although our show at the Pride Day performance seemed to be very well recieved, I recieved this email:
"Hi Laura,
I'm writing to you with regards to the Burlesque performance at Sackville Landing on Sat., July 17th. On July 8th I met with a few of the burlesque performers who were going to be a part of the lineup and discussed the audience who would be receiving the show. I was clear on the necessity for PG 13/15 content, as there would be children in attendance at the show.
Unfortunately I had to leave the waterfront prior to the performance, but was quickly informed that the content was in fact 18+. It was my hope that there would have been notice taken by your organization to the dozens of children who were lined up in front of the stage to watch the show. I have since learned that many parents chose to pull their children from the stage and many people left as they were not expecting the shock value that you provided.
I've always been a supporter of the Halifax Burlesque Society and will continue to do so. There is a place and time for this type of performance, but certainly not at a waterfront show in front of children. It is my responsibility to answer to the families and individuals who were shaken by the performance, and in tern, need to appologize to them. I am asking to receive words of appology that I can use on your behalf in order to rectify the situation.
Please feel free to give me a call to discuss this further. I can be reached at ____ during the day, or in the evening at ____.
Yours in Pride,
Jay Thordarson
Co-Chair, Halifax Pride 2004"
Our response to this was:
"Jay,
It is unfortunate that people were upset by our performance. We did not intend to offend anyone. However, it is not our responsibility as performers to screen or direct the acts, that is up to the pride committee.
We assumed that Pride Day was an appropriate venue for a bit of sexuality. Pride Day is about sexual preference, and therefore, sex. There were men in leather g-strings, and drag queens in skimpy outfits. In Toronto and Montreal, Pride Day parades often feature full nudity and explicit sexuality.
We were asked to do a burlesque act. People (on the committee) who have seen our shows know that they involve a bit of raunch. We were told to put together a PG 15 act, and we did mention that pasties and strap-ons would be a part of the number at that point. We played our music and talked through the number with one of the Pride committee representatives (you).
In our opinion, our act was appropriate for the afore mentioned age group. Teenagers deal with sexuality on a regular basis, both on TV and in their lives, and we see our fun and gender bending act as a positive thing. However, 15 year olds are not children, and there were children at the performance. This is not something we had not counted on, based on the information we had been given. We were unable to change our act at the last minute, nor would we have wanted to. It is in our nature as burlesquers to challenge. We assumed that parents knew a PG 15 Pride Day show would have elements of sexuality, and we cannot be responsible for where they choose to bring their children. Child care facilities were available, and concerned parents had this as an option. If this kind of thing was a concern for the committee, maybe there should have been an actual rehearsal so the committee could further approve of the acts, or so they could choose to announce a warning before our act.
We were very pleased to be asked to perform at this event, and we hope to be involved with Pride Day in the future. So we are sorry that people left the performance offended, we were just going on the information we had been given, and our own assumptions about the nature of Pride Day.
In the future, it would be best to let us know if you'd like a performance appropriate for children, and specific guidelines would be helpful.
It is possible for us to put on this type of (albiet less entertaining) act if necessary.
Thankfully, those offended appear to be in the minority. We had a very loud, enthusiastic response from the audience, and many people told us it was their favorite act in the show!
Sincerely,
The Performers, representing The Halifax Burlesque Society"
Sorry for the huge entry, just wanted to let you all know what's going on.
xoxo
Laura
aka Pussy Deville
If you haven't got your copy of your glamshot from Bever Fever, I have it! You can email me at lauranewton@eastlink.ca, and we can work out a way to get it to you.
Also, stay tuned to the in-progress website:
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/halifaxburlesque/index.html
for updates and changes.
For those of you who don't know, Lulu Larude has asked us to do a series of burlesque themed nights at Club Vortex on Sundays! yeah!
Meaghan (Le Noir) is the contact person for this. So if you want to get involved, call her! (if you don't have her number, email me and I will give it to you).
In other news, thought you all might be interested to know that although our show at the Pride Day performance seemed to be very well recieved, I recieved this email:
"Hi Laura,
I'm writing to you with regards to the Burlesque performance at Sackville Landing on Sat., July 17th. On July 8th I met with a few of the burlesque performers who were going to be a part of the lineup and discussed the audience who would be receiving the show. I was clear on the necessity for PG 13/15 content, as there would be children in attendance at the show.
Unfortunately I had to leave the waterfront prior to the performance, but was quickly informed that the content was in fact 18+. It was my hope that there would have been notice taken by your organization to the dozens of children who were lined up in front of the stage to watch the show. I have since learned that many parents chose to pull their children from the stage and many people left as they were not expecting the shock value that you provided.
I've always been a supporter of the Halifax Burlesque Society and will continue to do so. There is a place and time for this type of performance, but certainly not at a waterfront show in front of children. It is my responsibility to answer to the families and individuals who were shaken by the performance, and in tern, need to appologize to them. I am asking to receive words of appology that I can use on your behalf in order to rectify the situation.
Please feel free to give me a call to discuss this further. I can be reached at ____ during the day, or in the evening at ____.
Yours in Pride,
Jay Thordarson
Co-Chair, Halifax Pride 2004"
Our response to this was:
"Jay,
It is unfortunate that people were upset by our performance. We did not intend to offend anyone. However, it is not our responsibility as performers to screen or direct the acts, that is up to the pride committee.
We assumed that Pride Day was an appropriate venue for a bit of sexuality. Pride Day is about sexual preference, and therefore, sex. There were men in leather g-strings, and drag queens in skimpy outfits. In Toronto and Montreal, Pride Day parades often feature full nudity and explicit sexuality.
We were asked to do a burlesque act. People (on the committee) who have seen our shows know that they involve a bit of raunch. We were told to put together a PG 15 act, and we did mention that pasties and strap-ons would be a part of the number at that point. We played our music and talked through the number with one of the Pride committee representatives (you).
In our opinion, our act was appropriate for the afore mentioned age group. Teenagers deal with sexuality on a regular basis, both on TV and in their lives, and we see our fun and gender bending act as a positive thing. However, 15 year olds are not children, and there were children at the performance. This is not something we had not counted on, based on the information we had been given. We were unable to change our act at the last minute, nor would we have wanted to. It is in our nature as burlesquers to challenge. We assumed that parents knew a PG 15 Pride Day show would have elements of sexuality, and we cannot be responsible for where they choose to bring their children. Child care facilities were available, and concerned parents had this as an option. If this kind of thing was a concern for the committee, maybe there should have been an actual rehearsal so the committee could further approve of the acts, or so they could choose to announce a warning before our act.
We were very pleased to be asked to perform at this event, and we hope to be involved with Pride Day in the future. So we are sorry that people left the performance offended, we were just going on the information we had been given, and our own assumptions about the nature of Pride Day.
In the future, it would be best to let us know if you'd like a performance appropriate for children, and specific guidelines would be helpful.
It is possible for us to put on this type of (albiet less entertaining) act if necessary.
Thankfully, those offended appear to be in the minority. We had a very loud, enthusiastic response from the audience, and many people told us it was their favorite act in the show!
Sincerely,
The Performers, representing The Halifax Burlesque Society"
Sorry for the huge entry, just wanted to let you all know what's going on.
xoxo
Laura
aka Pussy Deville
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