Sluttish
Corvette le Face on life as a burlesque dancer in New York
I know Corvette from when I was living in New York - we used to work at the same bar and live in the same neighbourhood. I’ve seen her perform many times, and for me she is one of the most authentic, true to herself, and satirical burlesque performers. I was super happy she agreed to this interview, which turned out to be intense and honest, and makes me very very excited for it to be published on Sluttish! Hope you enjoy it as much I did :P
What exactly is burlesque? How is it different from striptease?
Burlesque is striptease, but with a story. Striptease just means a performance where articles of clothing come off. By story I mean a burlesque act has a beginning, middle and end. An emotional arc so to speak. This “story” can be taken quite literally….say in a neo burlesque act where the performer is playing a character, or there can be a more subtle story going on in a “classic” act. I think this the defining difference between burlesque and stripping in a strip club. The other differences are that in traditional burlesque a performer only strips down to pasties and a g string, regardless of gender, whereas in a strip club they may get completely naked, depending on the club. Also in strip clubs dancers zone in on particular clients (lapdance) whereas in burlesque you perform to an audience. The OTHER main difference is the money. There is a joke that goes,
What’s the difference between a burlesque dancer and a stripper? A stripper spends ten dollars on her costume and makes hundreds and a burlesque dancer spends hundreds on her costume and makes ten.
There is A LOT of truth to this. It can be extremely hard to make money in burlesque. I know very few dancers who can make a living off of it without taking other jobs or getting financial support from their partners. All this to say, burlesque dancers perform because they love it, not to get rich. And not to say that all strippers strip JUST for the money, because I know some amazing strippers who love what they do. There are many other more nuanced differences between burlesque and stripping but i think these are the main ones, from my experience.
Would you consider burlesque sex work? And could something that is actually performance art be sex work?
I consider any sexual act in exchange for money to be sex work. But that is a huge net to cast and I think there are different levels of sex work. Burlesque can be tricky because it is this perfect cocktail of dance, comedy, sensuality and social/political commentary and satire. The actual word burlesque comes from the Latin word burlar which means to laugh at/make fun of. So ultimately I think it’s really up to the performer to make the call of whether or not what they do is sex work. The more important thing i think is to get rid of the negativity that is associated with sex work.
Sex work is NECESSARY. We are humans, humans need sex, or a sexual connection in whatever form we choose. Sex workers are important, like school teachers. Or rather, doctors seeing that school teachers in the U.S. at least, aren’t treated very well either. Sex workers should be respected and protected so that they can do their job safely.
A lot of controversy and discussion exists on how does getting naked and sexy in front of an audience is perceived. Some people would say its pretty submissive, and go as far as saying it is somewhat of an exploitation. Others will point out the power one posses over an audience in such case. As a burlesque dancer what is your experience with people coming to your shows? And how does it feel to be on stage, performing and getting naked?
Well, I love performing and I love getting naked (i was a naked kid) and i love getting sexy and also making a full of myself onstage to entertain people. And at the end of the day that’s what burlesque is, ENTERTAINMENT. It’s SHOWBIZ.
I think some newer dancers entering the seen can lose sight of this. That’s why I also can be a bit weary of the term “performance art” when it comes to burlesque. I graduated from NYU with a BFA in experimental theatre so i’m no stranger to performance art. I think burlesque can definitely have elements of performance art but at the end of the day we are here to entertain. It’s our JOB. That doesn’t mean you can’t have an agenda or message to share, you just have to share it in an entertaining way. If a burlesque performer is willingly getting on stage to get naked and entertain then in no way do i consider it exploitation.
Everything about burlesque for me comes from a place of power
I decide where and when I perform, I choose and edit my music, I make my own costumes or I hire costume makers, I choreograph my own numbers. I decide everything and I can also pull out at any time. That power that I feel on stage is what it’s all about and is also infectious. It bleeds into the audience. I love when people come up to me after the show and say “wow, that was fucking amazing, I want to do that!” That’s a great feeling.
You sometimes perform men roles (Jesus from Big Lebowksi, Karl Drogo from GOT). What is the appeal to that, and what does it give you that’s different from performing females?
photo by Bettina May
Well I love playing characters, and some of those characters happen to be male. What I find really interesting is the juxtaposition of my body (which is a publicly accepted feminine body) taking on a very masculine energy. It raises a lot of questions….what does it mean to be “feminine” or “masculine”, what does that look like? It can be very confusing to the audience, which I enjoy. I also find there to be something really sexy about taking on a “masculine” energy and sitting in that masculine power that wasn’t designed for women to occupy. I have a new act as Don Corleone from The Godfather where I play with those dynamics. As for The Jesus, that act is a whole jack in the box because not only is it messing with gender but it’s also messing with Latin stereotypes and machismo and all that.
But at the end of the day i’m never really playing a “man” or a “woman,” It’s just my weird self underneath.
What part does burlesque have in your life - is it just a hobby, a job, a lifestyle? Do you do anything else for living?
Burlesque is a job. But a job I have willingly chosen. I’m also an actor and a Pilates instructor and I work in service, all of which bring in money. It’s an insane life, but it’s the New York way and I love it. I’ve been doing burlesque for about seven years now. The first five of them i really hustled. Which anyone who is serious about getting into burlesque has to hustle. I was saying yes to every gig, trying to make a name for myself and figuring out the rules. In the past two years I’ve become a little more selective as I learn what exactly it is I want from burlesque. I guess I would also say it’s a lifestyle because it never stops.
People who know me know there is no difference between Corvette and Georgia. The difference is glitter and tape stuck on my nipples.
I think about burlesque constantly and how to turn something into an act, when I listen to music or find a weird jumpsuit at the bottom of a thrift store bin or see an interesting person waiting for the 2 train. Honestly, I wish I could turn it off sometimes because its exhausting.
In that sense - does burlesque “bleed” onto your “regular” life? If it does - do you use specific techniques you do while performing in “real” life? Like certain seduction or tease tricks? If so, can you please give us some tips
Well this answer may be played out and not very satisfying, but the sexiest quality a person can have is confidence. Burlesque has helped nurture my confidence, and that has bled into all aspects of my life.
When a person is confident then they really can possess the power of tease, and tease is EVERYTHING. Without tease you’re just taking your clothes off, which can be surprisingly uninteresting.
Tease is the physical manifestation of confidence because you know you have something they want and you’re going to make them wait for it, beg for it. You know what you have is worth waiting for. You’re saying i’m not coming to you...you come to ME, and maybe….if you’re lucky….I’ll show you something. This approach to life has helped me in relationships (romantic and otherwise,) jobs, auditions etc. It’s also helped with my fear and anxiety. The opposite of confidence is ego, and sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference in others and in yourself.
Confidence comes from knowing who you are and loving yourself. Ego comes from a fear of not knowing who you are and not loving yourself. Ego is not very sexy.
photo by Aaron Richter for Refinery29
Could you recommend places / shows to go to in NYC?
YES!! Slipper Room, Duane Park, Nurse Betties, Bizarre Bushwick, Hotel Chantelle, House of Yes and Wasabassco only to name A FEW have regular shows. Also, Apotheke Bar, Employees Only, and Guadalupe Inn have burlesque nights. But there are SO MANY SHOWS so just dig around!
When and where are your next shows?
You can find me mostly at Slipper Room, Nurse Betties and Hotel Chantelle in the next few months but more shows will surely be added. Feel free to follow me on IG @corvetteleface, where I post all my shows and also www.corvetteleface.com!
Lede image by Bettina May