Carnivalesque brings dark, old-time circus style to Charleston
The Freaks on the Fringeby Elizabeth Pandolfi
Like the speakeasy, burlesque was born and raised in city underbellies, in smoky theaters filled with rowdy working-class men and loose women. And here in Charleston, the saucy art of burlesque is va-va-vooming right under our noses.
Some of the romantic image associated with burlesque is likely mere embellishment, but the underground feel that it evokes is definitely real. It's part of what drew burlesque performer Evelyn DeVere to the artform in the first place.
DeVere, founder of the Charleston fringe artist group Carnivalesque and its predecessor Ménage à Trois Burlesque, graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in theater and a concentration in costume design, which is both a passion and a day job. But she was bitten by that glittery burlesque bug when she was in high school. "I'd always been interested in vintage, especially the 1930s and '40s," she says. "I guess it started with my fascination with clothing and style ... then I became fascinated with that whole world." Her growing interest coincided with the tail end of a burlesque renaissance that began in the 1990s. Remember Dita Von Teese, known for her tiny waist and short marriage to Marilyn Manson? Aside from being the face of many girly vanity products, she's largely responsible for bringing "neo-burlesque" to the masses. read more: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/carnivalesque-brings-dark-old-time-circus-style-to-charleston/Content?oid=3652234
Some of the romantic image associated with burlesque is likely mere embellishment, but the underground feel that it evokes is definitely real. It's part of what drew burlesque performer Evelyn DeVere to the artform in the first place.
DeVere, founder of the Charleston fringe artist group Carnivalesque and its predecessor Ménage à Trois Burlesque, graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in theater and a concentration in costume design, which is both a passion and a day job. But she was bitten by that glittery burlesque bug when she was in high school. "I'd always been interested in vintage, especially the 1930s and '40s," she says. "I guess it started with my fascination with clothing and style ... then I became fascinated with that whole world." Her growing interest coincided with the tail end of a burlesque renaissance that began in the 1990s. Remember Dita Von Teese, known for her tiny waist and short marriage to Marilyn Manson? Aside from being the face of many girly vanity products, she's largely responsible for bringing "neo-burlesque" to the masses. read more: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/carnivalesque-brings-dark-old-time-circus-style-to-charleston/Content?oid=3652234
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