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Finding Female Empowerment through Pop-Culture Infused Burlesque By Heather Wixson It took one play for Leslie Kerrigan to find a home at the New Millennium Theatre Company. After performing in the NMTC’s 2001 run of Getting Away with Murder, Kerrigan realized that she clicked with their philosophy of incorporating pop-culture into the theatre experience and has worked with them ever since. Kerrigan grew up with a background in dance, ever since her potty training days where her mom bribed her to trade in diapers for a leotard (which worked!). She spent a few years teaching various dance classes in the Chicago-area before anyone at NMTC really knew she was a dancer. Right around the time Kerrigan volunteered to choreograph a few of the musical productions, she had gotten inspired with an idea that was pretty radical in the Chicago dance community. “What I really identified with at NMTC is their adherence for pop-culture and I wanted to infuse a dance production the same way,” explained Kerrigan. “I had always loved the idea of burlesque dancing but I didn’t want to do the old-school style of feather boas and cigarette holders. I wanted something fresh, exciting and reflecting the things I really enjoyed.” With this in mind, Kerrigan came up with the idea of the Flaming Dames and putting a new twist into a burlesque act- performing routines to rock songs, specifically 80s hair metal the first time around. The Dames’ first show ran for eight nights in August 2003 and was an immediate success. “I couldn’t even believe the response we got just for our first shows,” said Kerrigan. “There were people lined up and we had to turn a bunch of people away. It was amazing and overwhelming.” In the Fall of 2005, the Dames stepped into the horror realm with their first fright-inspired production called VAMP, which ran as a midnight show and enjoyed an entirely sold out run. In 2007, after spending some time pleasing audiences with more hair metal, the lovely ladies returned to the horror genre with their Fall show BUMP N GRINDHOUSE. And while all the success throughout the years is a feather in the cap of Kerrigan and the Dames, one could say it’s what the Dames represent that is really the reward for those involved. The Flaming Dames isn’t just simply a showcase of gorgeous girls taking off their clothes for audiences; they represent the idea of female empowerment and embracing sexuality while celebrating a supportive female community. “It just seems so odd to me that as women, we’re supposed to hide everything about our sexuality,” stated Kerrigan. “I love the idea that The Flaming Dames allow women to finally ‘own’ their sexuality and celebrate it . It’s such a powerful idea for me to see what comes out of a woman when she’s performing.” For Kristofer Simmons, who performed as one of the emcees in the recent Dames Halloween show HELL’S BELLES and served as the “male” voice for this piece, put things in perspective from a masculine viewpoint. “It’s sad that a lot of people dismiss what the girls’ do as just some chicks taking off their tops,” said Simmons. “What they miss by making that assumption is that there is a healthy dose of irony in the ‘reveal.’ It’s not just completely about the girls being sexy- it’s about them being sexy and strong and sometimes funny too, depending on which performance they are a part of.” Laura Coleman, who has been with the NMTC for several years and performed early on with The Flaming Dames now uses her wit and not her anatomy necessarily to win over audiences- (writer’s note: I think she’s still quite stunning if you ask me- but she argued with me that gravity has gotten the best of her), mentioned that what she’s really proud of is the fact that the Dames stand out above the rest of the burlesque community and breaks many of the stereotypes about women while doing so. “We’ve noticed that there has been a resurgence of burlesque in the last couple of years and I think what keeps people coming back for The Flaming Dames is the fact that we put on an actual show,” said Coleman. “There’s a story, there’s continuity and we just look polished every time we get on stage.” “What’s also so wonderful is that we all look like real women,” added Coleman. “Leslie really kicked the door open that there is no ‘mold’ to being a Dame. They all get out there and have a great time and just enjoy a synergy among all of us that we know no matter what, we’re really there for everyone else too.” “To be part of the Dames is just one of the best things I could ever imagine,” said Kerrigan. “Just working with all of the ladies and being able to celebrate women owning their sexuality is really beyond anything I ever could have thought would be possible. I still can’t believe I get to be a part of something like this.” Check out what The Flaming Dames are stuffing their stockings with this Christmas during their Holiday-themed Cabaret Revue entitled “A Very Sexy Christmas” where the girls will be performing some very sultry torch songs in a non-reveal show. “A Very Sexy Christmas” will run on Friday nights at 8:30 pm December 5th through January 2nd and Friday nights at 10:30 pm December 26 through January 2 at The Spot, 4437 N. Broadway in Chicago. Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.nmtchicago.org or reserved by calling 312-458-9083. Limited tickets are available at the door. |
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