Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Interview with Iskra Valentine: Founder of Varietease

Every so often in life you are lucky enough to cross paths with someone that inspires you, someone that you click with in a way that doesn't frequently happen. You realise that you have similar ideas and ideals, and you can bounce these back and forth between each other. I guess you could say it is a meeting of the minds. For me, Iskra Valentine is one of those people. Based in Perth, Western Australia, Iskra organises and runs the series of Varietease shows. These events showcase live performances of many different kinds, as well as a variety of stalls. In this interview she discusses the shows as well as the concept of neo burlesque.

To start off with, I asked Iskra what her favourite musicians / bands are. In regards to burlesque performances she responded: "The Dresden Dolls, Ruth Brown, Patti Smith, Blondie, and Peaches." Generally?: "Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, The Clash, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds." Locally?: "Tomas Ford, Zx Specky, Hayley Beth, Strychnine Cowboys and Aaagh! Bats!"


What does it mean to you to be a subcultural girl?:


"It's who I am and in saying that, it just is. It's pretty hard to describe something accurately when you don’t even know you’re a part of it. Being a subcultural girl has it's amazing moments like being able to connect with others like yourself almost instantly over small things like new issues of a webzine, film festivals, obscure bands, strange crafts etc. Then there are moments where you feel completely out of place, alone and uncomfortable in your own skin wishing you didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Like everything else in life, it has it's ups and downs."


Tell me about why you decided to start the Varietease shows?:

"I was sick to death of people complaining about how Perth was dead and uncultured and how everyone with a slight interest in the arts should just up and leave for Melbourne. Gandhi once said that we should be the change we wanted to see and I didn't see why this little mantra couldn't apply to everything around us. In October 2008, my friend Bridget Moore and I decided to put together our first show. Bridget and I had met a few years ago at a Dresden Dolls gig and the marriage of music and performance art had left quite an impact on both of us. With help from our friends on the Perth band scene like Fanny Adams, Red Music, Strychnine Cowboys, and The Brow, we began to morph our concept into reality. We had always been interested in burlesque and so we decided to add a couple of our original routines into the mix as well. The result was quite amazing and unexpected with about a hundred people turning up to our first show. It was then I knew we had our fingers on the pulse of something big!"

"I come from a country where women shouldn't be seen or heard so I guess something like Varietease was bound to manifest itself in my life sooner or later. The idea behind Varietease has always been to provide a platform for performers from all artistic walks to come together for one night and show people that Perth is not devoid of talent. I find it insulting when people say Perth is dead because they have obviously not met all the awesome people I have met while organizing these show. Apathy is something I am terrified of and Varietease gives me an escape from it. At the risk of sounding like a sap, the show has helped me grow and survive through some pretty terrible things that have come my way over the last year. I can only hope that it does something similar for anyone else who decides to get involved."



© Carla Adams 2008

What do you wish to accomplish with the shows?:

"I want Varietease to create a sense of community amongst performers on the Perth scene, be it Burlesquers, clowns, mimes, performance artists, musicians, designers, or poets. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the show. There’s nothing more I want than providing someone with their lucky break, a chance to show themselves and others their true potential."

"When I first started performing as a neo burlesque artist I remember wanting somewhere to perform but never knowing whom to approach. I hope that someone in the same position today would use Varietease as that launch pad that was never there for me. For art to be put on hold because there isn’t anywhere for an artist to go is simply not good enough. I hope Varietease will be the antithesis to apathy that is so prevalent amongst people these days and that it helps make things a little easier for talented people who are just getting started."

"I’d also like to see more women and men (yes, MEN) hit the stage with their own take on burlesque. Contrary to popular belief, there are no gender, size, or race restrictions to burlesque. With neo burlesque, the horizons are broadened even further to incorporate different subcultures and modern music. I really want to see how far performers can take things using their background, experiences and imagination."



© Matt Hanson 2009

How does your concept of neo burlesque differ from burlesque in general?:

"My take on neo-burlesque might not be the general consensus on the matter. To me, neo-burlesque is not necessarily a departure from classical burlesque. Rather, it incorporates elements of modern culture with classic theory and practice to create something new altogether."

"I remember the comments made by a member of the audience at my first performance two years ago. I performed a routine to "Mandy Goes to Med School" by the Dresden Dolls- not exactly a very traditional burlesque number. As I joined my friends at the bar, the punter took a moment to explain that while she found my performance enjoyable, she also felt a bit ripped off because she was expecting feather fans, boas, glitter, tassels and crazy props not some chick dressed up as a nurse doing a routine about abortion and the right to choose. I guess that to me summed up the difference between what I was doing and what people considered burlesque to be and it's a shame that the two are not seen as complementary by the mainstream audience."

"There is a misconception that in order to be considered a burlesque artist you have to be a Dita Von Teese clone, and I mean no disrespect to Miss Von Teese when I say this. I have seen over the last few years what I like to call “The McBurlesque”. Suddenly, burlesque is all about buying seamed stockings, feather fans, corsetry and doing balloon pop/fan dances/ chair dances to old jazz/R&B, swing, and rockabilly tunes. I have nothing but appreciation for those who conserve and practice the classical form of burlesque but I do not think that being a retro hobbyist needs to be a prerequisite to being a burlesque artist. To me, Neo burlesque has no boundaries. There are no requirements as to gender, sexuality, race, culture, style or genre of music. It is the free expression of ones self set to whatever music tickles your fancy in whatever costume serves it's purpose. One of my favourite performers from Brisbane, Tiara Merchgirl, performs burlesque routines in traditional Malaysian garments and regularly features cultural identity as the subject of her burlesque performances. Likewise my other favourite burlesque artist, Beatrix von Bourbon, a regular on the international burlesque circuit performs her take on Sally Rand’s fan dance to Tori Amos' "Winter"."

"The word burlesque means "to turn things on its head". Neo burlesque simply finds new ideas and ways to accomplish this."



© Matt Hanson 2009


What can an audience expect at one of the Varietease shows?:


"The name says it all. Varietease -a sexy variety of art forms from every angle. There is so much Perth has to offer by way of music, performers and art it would be impossible to run out of options. Expect homegrown brilliance from quirky performance artists, energetic bands, talented designers and a whole lot more."


What would you like to see more subcultural girls out there doing?:


"Taking risks and incentive when it comes to something you're passionate about. That and being supportive of themselves and other girls. It is only too often that women fall into the trap of competing with themselves and other women to "be the best" when frankly there never was a competition. The sooner we get over that mentality, the sooner we can channel the wasted energy into something productive, wholesome and useful."


So there you have it! I was lucky enough to attend Iskra's second installment of her Varietease shows, and it was very entertaining as well as being a lot of fun. So if you live in Perth, be sure to keep an eye out for when the next one is being held so you can have an awesome night out!

At this point in time the next Varietease will be held on Friday the 26th of February at The Castle (111 Newcastle Street, Northbridge). This time it's titled: Varietease III: Fuck Forever- The anti Valentine's Day show cupid was warned about.


Photo © Zeb Idris 2010
Also, please note that W.A. Roller Derby will be having a stall instead of Perth Roller Derby.

Check out the Varietease myspace: http://www.myspace.com/varieteaseproductions

As well as Iskra's fan page on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iskra-Valentine/93509145172

Interview conducted by Sally Kingsley

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