Intro Post

Hello one and all!

This is Dale Stones of Sirlesque, and I decided I wanted to do a blog.

Wow. Out of all the topic sentences I've written in my twenty eight years, that one is far from my strongest, but I think I'll just have to move onward and upward. Since I just this month put in for space at both Club Cafe and the Dance Complex to teach and show off new members in the small and no-longer-exclusive male burlesque circle in Boston, I figured I would also want to start writing about my burlesque-y observations to channel that giving back attitude. This seems as good as any a place to dump all of these words, in the hopes that some poor soul might find them and confuse them for 'wisdom.'

I've been going at this trade for nearly five years. If you'd asked me half a decade ago if I thought I'd be performing the art of comedic striptease on the regular by now, I probably would have wet myself in front of you. While I've always loved performing in any capacity people will let me, I've also been overwhelmingly nervous and self-critical for just as long. To say that burlesque is transforming is selling it comically short, as evidenced by how much I credit I give it for my own growth and accomplishment.

Burlesque is my yin to the yang of my professional self. I work a day job in an environment where the tie I choose to wear is a tool with a much different purpose than the tie I wear on my weekend stage. I love the inspiration it gives me that dressing sharply is as important for my confidence and execution as undressing sharply, given a different place and time. It allows me to simultaneously act coyly and smile inwards, as I deflect the questions people ask me about my weekend.

But I realize that secret double-life (ooh, secret agent-y sounding) carries a different weight than that of the women I perform with. That in knowing my striptease is not a stigma, but a gesture of empowerment that won't endanger me professionally in the same way it would for a female-presenting performer is something that troubles me when ruminating on the way society regards our performance discipline.

I realize that I'm privileged. I have the option of telling friends, coworkers, and professional contacts that I strip on the weekends, and that I likely won't lose my job. My sexuality is not up for public consumption in the same way my female co-performers is, and it's not fair that they assume more of the risk for sharing the same hobby. Whereas I am often commended for running around nearly naked in public, I share the stage with people who are often shamed for doing the same exact thing. And that's not okay.

So I guess we just have to keep working to make it normal. Let's just keep putting good shows on, and see how well we can naturalize the discipline for everyone. I figure that everyone who does burlesque has to tell their parents, and just like some performers have supportive families, I figure maybe I'll eventually get my dad to come to a show or two. Maybe not.

So I started a class for guys to learn male striptease, and will be getting my students on stage in a showcase on March 28th at Club Cafe. I'm including different performers and personas in the community, and will hopefully have a fun, all-inclusive show to give you. Let's get people involved, and maybe we'll have more folks coming out to see what we're all about. And someday, maybe it won't be that weird thing your friend does, but a great story about what you did last weekend--and something to be proud of.

Dale's All-Male Yardsale - March 28th

See you all around!

-Dale