Rehearsal w/Blast-Off Burlesque

Blast-Off, “Atlanta’s Illegitimate Burlesque,” is different from traditional burlesque performances. Blast-Off is a collective of performers including Barbalicious, Chinita, Dickie Van Dyke, Disastrid, Ferris Hilton, Melanie Magnifique, and Sadie Hawkins. They are Atlanta staples who have worked along side of Vagina “Queen of Queer Burlesque” Jenkins and other performers alike.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a rehearsal for Blast-Off Burlesque’s upcoming show, “The Future of Tomorrow,” showing June 17 and 19, at 7 Stages in Little Five Points. What I witnessed of the eclectic crew left me inspired to go home and try out a few new moves in my full-length mirror. It was a homo-erotic and satirical feast – and it was only the practice.

I arrive to find Barbalicious, Sadie Hawkins, and Dickie Van Dyke out of costume out of persona, practicing a number. I let myself in and take a seat, but not before they welcomed me with a bottle of Yuengling.

The three laugh and are comfortably bantering back and forth about the upcoming performance and dance counts of eight. As I watch them, I feel tragically uncool in comparison. I find myself enamored, awe-struck and feeling a bit like a groupie.

Outside we smoke cigarettes and wait for the other members to arrive. They talk about the history of Blast-Off, their infamous annual summer solstice party, poison oak, bits of debauchery and their self-proclaimed nerdiness.

The others arrive mid-smoke with cases of beer in hand.

I am left in the maelstrom of their camaraderie while they suit up in preparation for their first act that ought to be called “Monkey Love.” They pull out identical hairy gorilla suits, complete with plastic feet, 5-fingered gloves and masks. A Queen song cues up and beautiful, grown adults crouch in Neanderthal stance – knuckle-walking and writhing. They sync together in a monkey mass and perform a choreographed dance.

The monkey striptease excited me. The slow shedding of gorilla attire while ape fuzz is flying. I catch a tuft of gorilla hair in my mouth. It is awkward and a little hot, giving new meaning to “Jungle Love.”

The rehearsal is casual. Their acts are a turn-on, but not in the way watching a stripper shed her sparkle, triangle top to reveal pasties and a landing strip would do. (Do strippers even have landing strips anymore?) Unlike even the classiest strip club performance, Blast-Off is more visceral and sensual, artistic and shrewdly savvy. They are a clever treat of smartly choreographed simulation of sex, sensuality and striptease. And who can say no to that?

Photo Credit: Tim Song