Much to my surprise, I got an email in early June 2010 asking if I wanted to do an intro routine for the upcoming Burlesque-a-pades tour. This email came from the Ottobar, where the tours’ Baltimore show was taking place. I got this email a week before I was to perform in Asheville, NC and naturally I was excited, but could not focus since I was obsessed with the new routine I had for Asheville.
Right after Asheville, I was home for a few days, and then went to Lexington, KY for another out-of-town weekend. And again, I was also too tired and busy to think of a new routine. And then the weekend after Lexington, I was still exhausted from my back-to-back long weekend drives.
The first thing for me to think of was: pole or non-pole. It took me about a week to come to the conclusion of not using the stage pole for this show. Ultimately I realized that since this is not my show, and since the venue is small, and since I was opening and I did not want the stage pole to be in anyone’s way on stage for the entire show. So I decided on a non-pole routine.
By the time I settled on the song and finalized what I wanted to sew, it was already July 4th weekend and I was a mess, for I was certain I would never finish the outfit in time. 7 days later, I was pretty much done, much to my surprise. Sure I had some sequins to sew on, and I also needed to practice in my outfit to adjust for faster/timely removal…but I was mostly done.
So I worked on blocking movements and memorizing. That took a week. Then the week of the show, I was able to actually practice and video tape and review. And boy did I ever review and practice! I practiced at home, I practiced at work, I practiced anywhere I could. I wanted to perform as tight as I could, with no wavering as to what move to do next, for I needed to be able to hold my own amongst the pros I who will be going on after me.
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The day of the show, it was hot! We got into 100 degree territory that afternoon. I had to take two showers before the show. A flyer for the show I had seen said that the show would be starting at 8, I figured doors would be around 7 and that I should get to The Ottobar at 5. My I sure was the early birdy! I was the 1st performer to show up, but at least I was in nice air conditioning.
Having time to kill, I ran through my routine on the stage a few times to feel more comfortable. It took a while for everyone else to show, and seems I got the show time wrong and the show was scheduled to start at 10. Time went by fairly quickly talking amongst ourselves backstage and before I knew it, it was 9pm and there were people entering the Ottobar waiting for the show to start. The performance schedule was posted on a wall and I was to be up first, and then there would be a break, and then the show was to start. My time was 10pm. As 10 approached, I got dressed and ready to perform. But they decided to wait a little longer, and I hit the stage at like 10:30pm.
Right before getting up there, I did go through my personal pre-performance-mental-process (as opposed to Asheville) and I think that I made myself more nervous. I stood there waiting to go on, and in my head, the nerves were more so than I had ever felt before.
Now usually for me, the nerves go away when I actually start performing my routine, but this time they didn’t go away until half way though. I was so nervous I almost dropped my fans! But I didn’t drop them. Then I was done. Its such a weird feeling to work so hard on a routine, spend so much time and energy sewing, memorizing, and practicing…and then its over.
And who knows when I will do this routine again. Stage Kitten Deanna Danger gathered my things, Murray Hill asked who sang my song (cause its funny) and I ran backstage. I changed and I ran back down to watch the show with the rest of my crew.
Sure it felt weird that I performed and then there was a 10 minute break and then the show started, but the situation was kind of weird to begin with since The Ottobar asked me to perform and not anyone from Burlesque-a-Pades. A little strange, but it still got me on the stage non-the-less.
Great to see Murray Hill again, he remembered me from the show he hosted that I was in back in Philly in September 2009! That was really cool. It was also cool to see these well-established-and-never-in-Baltimore actually perform in Baltimore. The show went on with out an intermission, and they all had these fabulous outfits that all the pros have, of course. It was also cool to talk to them a little bit after the show.
None of the other performers saw me perform, since I was the opening act and they all were busy getting ready for the show. So all in all it was a good experience for me. It was a little bit of an odd situation, but I did my best to make sure that I was going to do my best!
Photos of me by: Rohrvision Photography
