Dec 022011
In the summer I went to view a number of showgirl spectacles in Paris. During the shows I made notes. I wrote down descriptions and on the spot analyses of the displays in front of me. I typed up my notes with the hope of using them in my writing, however I have found it hard to make them useful. As I just cut the words from my Chapter 2, I thought I’d recycle them here. This is what I wrote from my not very good seat at the side of the stage, at the end of table I shared with noisy disinterested patrons.
Dance, Dance white caps, disco-dancing. Older showboys. Thong bum. Parle Dance? Long hair through caps, high kicks, glitter. Aujhord’hui 3 singing bun-heads, mics on face, string beads for a top. Pleat skirt with feather trim. Camp dancing. 3 nudes high-kicking. Male dancers, dry ice, uniform-type hats, marching. Female voice – la la. Women with coloured trim dresses. As girlfriends to soldiers. Bead top. Boobs covered for some. Red dancing pom pom. Slim thighs. Amazing costumes with moving parts. Juggler act to techno music. Pirate number, men. Hookers for pirates, hair down. Boobs out and harnesses. Sultry looking faces. Pith helmet – safari suit. Orientalism outfit. Harem with beads and harem women. Strange fan-like headdresses. Cat-like women – leopards, enter wailing – ahhhhh, fight with soldier guards. Body ripples. Medusa. Blonde girl slave enter. Jumps into pool with snakes. Snake dance underwater! Kisses snake. Couple fly in on string in neon and UV light. Orientialism. Pantomime. Real boobs. Featured act – male and female acrobat. East-European looking. Circus type ringmaster. Clowns – men – mini horses walk on x 6. Kossacks!!! Orientalism less successful than using tropes from entertainment – girl clown number. Pointing to own construction – more useful. 2 girls in one dress. Lions – dancers as lions. Wide trousers on clowns. Drum bit featured act. Audience interaction. Mexico – big sceam from crowd “Mexi-co!!” “China” “Ukraine” “Brazil”. Drunk woman – act – dancers clubbing, comedy. Cancan, no men. Men. All cartwheel. All cartwheel and splits – but male extra-flex man! Boogie Woogie number. 3 singing women – English – all other in French – short-hair wigs. Punks/Cher costume – zip t-shirt. ‘New Generation’??? 3 girls and all men. “I will survive!” song. Tom of Finland hat and jacket – strange Eastern European Eurovision moment. Stage lowered with men. Mirror ball man – over the top pink costumes. Hip wiggle move. Wardrobe malfunction – lights not on on one side of pack. Pink boots, thigh high and ankle.