IT WAS IN 2002 that Bella Barecat and a group of friends saw a travelling burlesque troupe’s show and decided to start their own troupe in Ottawa.
“It just looked like they were having such a great time. It was a beautiful expression, and it was something that we’d never really seen before, so we created the Devil Dolls and we performed mostly with Johnny Vegas and the Johnny Vegas Orchestra,” says Barecat in an interview with the Fulcrum.
While the troupe was initially successful, the members eventually left for other projects and the Devil Dolls dissolved. Still interested in burlesque performing, Barecat got back into the scene when she joined Browncoats Burlesque in 2010. Over the last few years, she has witnessed the Ottawa burlesque scene grow tremendously.
“I think with Ottawa, it’s becoming so successful, because we tend to work in a corporate and government city, and we need to have outlets for creative expression after hours of work,” says Barecat.
The recent boom in Ottawa burlesque led Barecat to organize Ottawa’s first-ever Burlesque Collective show. Maxwell’s Bistro and Club will host five city burlesque troupes and a vaudeville act for an exciting night of performances on Feb. 2.
“Getting the troupes together—working together—is kind of history in the making; this has never been done in Ottawa yet,” explains Barecat. “We’ll see how it goes and hopefully Maxwell’s will become the stomping ground for Ottawa burlesque troupes to hang their hats.”
The night will showcase acts by many well-known Ottawa performers, such as Barecat, Audrey Hipturn, Headmisstress Holly Sin, Helvetica Bold, Kerosene Misfortune, and Shade Nyx, among others.
“Everybody was open to it,” says Barecat about organizing the show. “It was very welcomed when I approached each of the troupes. It was funny because each one of them had stated that they were looking to do something like this, but that they hadn’t gotten around to it, or were looking at different venues and it just hadn’t happened.”
Barecat notes one of the defining features of the show is the diversity of the acts, with over 30 different performances planned.
“You’re going to get burlesque that you might not have seen before, going to just one of the troupe’s shows,” she says. “It’s not just about stripping. There’s hoola hoops and fire, and it’s going to be a magical evening from top to bottom.”
While the Ottawa Burlesque Collective show will be exciting in itself, Barecat hopes the city’s burlesque scene will continue to grow into something even bigger than it is today.
“I see Ottawa becoming a real player in the burlesque game,” says Barecat. “I see us holding a burlesque festival, which would be a weekend or a week-long series of events with workshops and classes to offer to people. It’s just going to get bigger and better.”
—Keeton Wilcock
