Busboys and Poets' gender and sexuality series ZAMI and Chocolate City Burlesque and Cabaret (CCBC) present live burlesque performance and a discussion on the queer history of burlesque.
The evening features a queer burlesque history lesson from CCBC's historian Dainty Dandridge as well as discussion and performance by Secquerity, Fox Martin, Dainty Dandridge and more. The night will explore themes of gender identity, gender performance, the intersection of race and gender and feature stirring burlesque, boilesque and queerlesque performances.
Dainty Dandridge is historian, chanteuse and showgirl extraordinaire! Walking the tightrope of producer and performer, she is co-producer of Chocolate City Burlesque & Cabaret, as well as a regular with L'Enfant Café's La Boum & the nation's longest running queer burlesque showcase, The DC Gurly Show. Hoping to complete her PhD some time this century, she can be found pouring over case studies, rhinestones, and the history of burlesque and ecdysiasm.
Performing since 2011, Fox Martin is a burlesque performer, pole dancer, and traveling model based in Washington, DC. Known as a "lady by trade, but an animal on the stage," sie approaches burlesque as a caricature of sexuality, blending elements of both classic and neo-burlesque.
Secquerity is our person behind the scenes. One third of the CCBC production team they are the heart of our troupe. Secquerity is a talented local photographer and drag king. Secquertiy enjoys toying with gender and the audience's heart in their peformances.
GiGi Holliday is Washington D.C.'s resurgence of glitz, glamour and allure. Armed with eyelashes and and arsenal of glitter, she entices audiences with her clever blend of sass and wit. When she is not melting her milk chocolate beauty all over the audience she uses her business attitude along with hard work to run G² Productions. She is the founder and producer of Zou Zou Burlesque Revue, Chocolate Lounge: Performers of Color Burlesque/Variety show, and La Burlesque Follies with Palace Productions. GiGi is proprietress and headmistress of Studio Holliday movement studio and creative arts as well as premier dancer for L'Enfant Café's La Boum Brunch and it's pansexual paradise La Boum Boum Room.
Chocolate City Burlesque and Cabaret is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the art of Black Burlesque as well as create safe and accessible spaces for Black performers and audiences.
Busboys and Poets' gender and sexuality series ZAMI seeks to energize community discourse regarding the intersections of sexuality, gender, race and human rights by bringing together artists, scholars, and community members to talk about their work as people committed to LGBTQ and feminist values and action
