Sequined and Sequestered calls itself the first, only and hopefully last digital burlesque fest.
Six burlesque performers from across the globe are partnering to bring some glittery fun to your quarantine time and to flex their creativity muscle.
“The question is really just, how do we take some really sour lemons and turn them into lemonade?” asks organizer Mx. Pucks A’Plenty from Seattle, Washington.
Savannah Sweet Tease Burleque Revue’s own Rita D’LaVane is one of the organizers, as well as Vixen Valentine from Seattle; Perlita Picante and Solangerie, both from Olympia, Washington; and Freaky Candy from Rimini, Italy.
Between them, they have lots of festival experience, both performing and producing.
The idea came about while all the performers were brainstorming at home.
“Vixen Valentine wanted to work on a project with Perlita Picante, and Mx. Pucks A’Plenty messaged Perlita with a piece of an idea,” shares Rita. “Basically they had the same idea, simultaneously. During this time they agreed to add more folks to the production team, and Pucks reached out and asked if I’d like to be part of the production team.”
The idea for Sequined and Sequestered is to encourage burlesque performers to be as creative as they can during a time that’s very uncertain for entertainers. That means performers can’t submit video of an old routine; they have to create a new routine just for submission. Props and costumes have to be something that was already in their house, and the music must be royalty-free.
“You can also use music done by artists from your area that is royalty-free,” says Rita. “I think this is also a good opportunity to seize the moment of creating that synergy with people musically and working with your friends that inspire you that make music as well.”
“Or people could try to make their own music using what they have at home, so maybe this is an option for you to go over your limits and try something new,” adds Perlita. “I really hope someone would create their own music using the things they have at home.”
Burlesque performers put a lot of time, effort and creativity into their routines, so to see what they can come up with using limited resources should be exciting.
Any performer looking to enter should create, conceive, film and submit their routine by this Sunday, April 5 at midnight. There are no fees to apply, and more information is available on their website. Any burlesque performer can apply to the festival, which should showcase a wide variety of performances from all over.
While there’s a deadline in place for entries, there’s no set date for the festival as of yet. That’s because the organizers don’t know how many submissions they’ll receive and that there are just six of them working remotely to put the show together. However, they’ll give an update on April 19 with more information regarding the festival’s progress.
The organizers are performers first and foremost, and this festival is a way for them to come together and find community in a difficult time.
“I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work with these amazing humans, not only because they have such extraordinary minds but also the group is a system of emotional support while we’re all trying to get through the pandemic,” says Rita. “We’re getting through this together—that’s what the festival is all about. We met through burlesque, burlesque brought us together, and burlesque is what will get us through this difficult time.”
