New QC burlesque troupes shake it off
The Quad Cities burlesque scene is booming again.
There are two new troupes — Dark Desires Burlesque and Illuminaughties Burlesque; the former Bottoms Up has rebranded as Outcast Burlesque, and Mary Quite Contrary House of Burlesque has a sold-out Valentine’s-themed show Saturday night, Feb. 17, at Skylark in Rock Island.
Dark Desires formed last spring and the 10-member group did their first show in October. Their next one is “Nu Metal” themed, on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Newman’s Nightclub, 822 W. 2nd St., Davenport. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $4 cash at the door.
“We have both newer performers, as well as seasoned ones,” Dark Desires co-founder Belle Derriere (stage name) said by email recently. “I think we are different from other troupes because we have comedians, musicians, and even a performer who works with fire (although in indoor venues she just uses light up poi).
“We also have performers of all body types, and are the only troupe with several people of color,” she noted. “We’ve also done themes that have not been seen in the Quad Cities. Our first show had a western theme. This show in February will be Nu metal (heavier music of the late ‘90s and early 2000s.”
In real life, Belle works at the Arconic Riverdale plant.
“I love having a creative outlet and being part of a community,” she said of burlesque. “Doing something for myself instead of anyone else. It’s completely changed my view of my body and given me confidence in myself and my life in general.”
Gypsy Le’Moan is the only member of Outcast Burlesque.
“I really wanted to provide a space for solo performers to share their art with the community,” she said Thursday. “This upcoming show is full of some Quad City favorites that haven’t been seen locally for a while, as well as an amazing out of town performer that is sure to make the fans happy.”
The first production of Outcast Burlesque will be on April 6th at the Circa ‘21 Speakeasy, Rock Island, and it’s an Outcast Breakout Show.
“This production is an art imitating life show with beautiful people creating beautiful art,” Gypsy (a 12-year Bottoms Up veteran) said. “I’m very excited to be producing my first show, and hope to do more in the future.”
Outcast will not be a membership group like Bottoms Up was, but will contract performers for each show, she said.
Moving on from Bottoms Up
Illuminaughties Burlesque formed recently after the former Bottoms Up Quad City Burlesque disbanded last fall, after performing 12 years at Rock Island’s Speakeasy.
Willow Wonderlust (who works full-time as a waitress at Miss Mamie’s) is one of the new troupe leaders, and in her eighth year of doing burlesque, including Bottoms Up.
Other burlesque troupes (Mary Quite Contrary and Taboo) were also started by former Bottoms Up members.
“We really have a thriving community; it’s so wonderful and I love to see it,” Willow (who is a 32-year-old recovered anorexic) said this week. The 10 members of Illuminaughties all came from Bottoms Up.
“When we had to disband, it became a really heartbreaking thing, so a bunch of us said, let’s just keep going,” she said. “I’m going to do my own thing and not worry about what other people are doing.”
Illuminaughties will do their first show on May 4, 2024, at the University Club in downtown Moline (1518 5th Ave.), where Mary Quite Contrary is planning a British-style high tea show the week before, April 27.
“It’s a beautiful space — it’s so big, all renovated, it’s gorgeous,” Willow said. “Our troupe will be performing at their show, doing a few numbers. What was really important to me, I wanted to show the community, in our show — we invited someone from Mary, from Taboo, and from Dark Desires to perform in our show and all of them said yes. It was important for us to be community-driven.”
“There’s just so much drama and we just want to be happy and supportive,” she said. “Our dream is a supportive burlesque community. We go to their shows all the time. We’re all going to go to the Dark Desires show.”
Every troupe is a little different in their style, look, and the costumes, Willow said. Taboo – which will perform March 1-2 at Village Theatre (Village of East Davenport) is more classic, glamorous burlesque, for example. Mary Quite Contrary features more plus-size women, emphasizing body positivity (as all troupes do).
Illuminaughties does more neo, nerdy burlesque, Willow said. “A lot of our members have done comic cons; I’m a big nerd myself,” she said. “I have an act where I’m Abraham Lincoln…One big thing for us is, we focus on incredible costumes, the detail — all stylized and beautiful.”
Willow commissioned a floor-length fringed hat in the act. “Just to do something fun and different,” she said, noting she’s done a Venus fly trap head.
Traveling with her act
Willow has performed in Dallas, Texas; Des Moines, Ohio and she hopes to perform in Greece during her upcoming honeymoon. She was born and raised in France. “Traveling is just in my blood; I’ve been to 17 countries. There’s nothing I love more than traveling,” she said.
Willow had family in Bettendorf and moved here for high school, returning to France for college.
She did a lot of theater at Bettendorf High (class of 2010).
“I’m so grateful — to be surrounded by so many talented artists is truly a blessing,” Willow said. “We’re really excited for our first show. We’re going for big, beautiful acts, with big, beautiful costumes. We’re hard at work in making that happen.”
Later on, the troupe will do more themed shows (as Bottoms Up had done).
In college, Willow had seen a video of a burlesque performer doing a “Black Dahlia” act, and recalled, “This is what I want to do.” She’d done theater since she was 5 and she’s always loved performing (including with Prenzie Players, Playcrafters and Black Box).
Burlesque is a combination of theater and stripping, with beautiful costumes, Willow said. “It’s a mash-up of high-class, gorgeous people doing beautiful things, and also taking your clothes off. It was very empowering.
“I feel like society tells women, you have to be modest but not too modest,” she said. “Our parameters are dictated, mostly by men and society, that tells us how we have to behave. Burlesque is a way where can take that back. We’re in control.”
Not just for women
Burlesque is not limited to women — Illuminaughties has two non-binary performers, and it’s open to all genders, sexual orientations, body sizes, and races, Willow said. “Every body is a burlesque body.”
“We definitely want it to be a safe space,” she said, noting she was hooked from her first show.
“I’m still taking classes,” Willow said of RAQ Star Dance Studio at NorthPark Mall. “It’s sexy dancing, without the reveal. It’s increasing my arsenal — learning new tricks, new moves, moving my body.”
She wants to continue to learn and grow, and likes teaching other burlesque dancers.
“I want to see people grow and be inspired,” Willow said. “It’s so inspiring to see someone you taught go beyond the things that you taught them, and be so amazing. And then I can learn from you.”
Burlesque helps build self-confidence, but their troupe includes women who are very shy in real life. They become a different personality on stage, Willow said.
“When you are surrounded by people who love and support you, surrounded by audiences who love and support you — let me tell you, there’s nothing better for your confidence than walking on a stage with 150 people, who paid to be there, screaming for you to take your clothes off,” she said. “You will never feel bad about yourself again.”
“We’re told you have to look a certain way by society to be desirable, which isn’t true,” Willow said. “At the end of the day, there are flavors for everybody.”
She remembered one day she was having a terrible day, but when she got on stage, she became a new person and was lifted up, and had an incredible performance.
Building confidence
“Burlesque has given me so much confidence — in myself, in my body. I beat my anorexia with burlesque being part of my life,” Willow (who also is autistic) said. “I gained 50 pounds back, over five years.”
“It helps people to be better and it shows them they’re not alone,” she said. “I’ve definitely felt alone, when you’re weird and you’re different, people are unkind. Burlesque has definitely given me confidence and taught me that, you don’t have to please everybody. Not everybody’s gonna like you and that’s OK.”
Willow loves to dress up and wear crazy things in real life, too, and she doesn’t care if people stare. She’ll likely never see them again, and it doesn’t affect her. “I’m living my life and I’m having a good time,” she said. Willow gets priceless reactions from children, she noted.
One of her acts is as Gandalf from “Lord of the Rings,” with beards and wigs. “For some reason, I enjoy dressing up as old men,” Willow said.
Burlesque dancers are required to cover private parts, so they’re not fully naked.
“There is nothing wrong with that,” Willow said of stripping. “All of us are queer, and we all do it for the art. We like to see each other. We love each other, we’re all attractive people. We’re very lucky people.”
For the most part, audiences are female (and many gay men), she said. “Our audiences are like us — they come to see burlesque to celebrate the human form.”
“In this safe space we have created, it’s OK,” she added. “We’re all doing it willingly, enthusiastically. Consent is so important. We decide — and no one is forced to do anything.”
“It’s a big part of reclaiming your power, reclaiming your body,” Willow said. “For us, for the audience members, I’m giving you permission to look at me. And I’m also giving you permission — if you look like me, to feel empowered and feel sexy.”
Burlesque often gets bachelorette parties, but never bachelor parties, she noted. They attract a lot of audiences from the queer community.
Illuminaughties is open to performing at a variety of venues in the area, Willow said.
“For now, we’re happy with the University Club. We’ll see how the first show goes,” she said. “You never know until you’re in it.”
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