A Burlesque

Abstract

I am a performer of burlesque. This PhD submission consists of a creative component and a written thesis on an individual enactment of burlesque. My burlesque practice commenced in early 2002, with the planning of my first performance. I debuted my act in August 2002 and have continued to perform since then. Burlesque, for me is a long-term creative endeavour and the expanse of time committed to the project offers the opportunity to include documentation from many different moments within my performance career. As such the film and photographic material highlights this artistic and philosophical progression. The combination of film and photography is the most effective form of documentation allowing me to include a greater volume of performance material than would have been physically possible within a single live performance. The thesis will discuss the manner in which my particular burlesque practice is brought into being. Major theoretical terrains of the body and its awareness of the mask tradition, desire, ballet and fetish will all be considered in detail for the ways in which they construct and contribute to the development, and thus my understanding of burlesque.