We were so excited to dish with the current reigning King of Boylesque Matt Finish about everything from the necessity of swarovskis to whether or not men should compete in the Best Debut category at the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Read on for all the juicy details!
Photo by Jones Photo Lab |
Do you think burlesque and boylesque are inherently different? Should BHOF consider allowing male identifying performers to compete in Best Debut?
Oy, what a question! I think of boylesque as a category of burlesque. When I’m asked what I do, I am a burlesque performer doing boylesque. For me they’re synonymous. I’ve have heard a lot of discussion about the differences between burlesque and boylesque having to do with gender presentation and so on but they aren’t mutually exclusive.
Photo by Jones Photo Lab |
What has been your favourite experience as the King of Boylesque so far?
By far the best moment for me was seeing my parents right after the competition. They came to BHOF for one night just to see me perform. I know that a lot of performers have complicated relationships with their families so I feel very fortunate that mine have been supportive since day 1.
Matt onstage with his parents at Red Hots Burlesque in San Francisco |
Any projects you can’t wait to work on?
You’re asking for all of my secrets! That’s okay, I can share. My favorite ballet has always been ‘The Afternoon of A Faun’ and I’m developing a new act based on Nijinski’s choreography. If you haven’t ever watched it I really recommend it.It gets pretty dirty at the end.
I don’t. I’m very, very lucky that my day job keeps me in a dance studio so I have plenty of time to work on performing as well. I giggled when I saw Bazuka Joe’s ‘Nose the Rhinestone’ challenge because I thought about how much I’d have to cut back to do 30 minutes of work a day. I think that a lot of burlesque performers can relate.
I do have one day off a week where I’m not teaching and usually not performing and I like to spend it out vintage shopping or going out to eat. Sometimes I even clean my house!
Do you have any advice you would give to up and coming boylesquers who dream of one day wearing the crown?
Photo by Bob Debris |
I don’t just mean have a pretty costume. You need to hone every skill you have and possibly learn some new ones. Better dancing, costuming, acting, editing, and visibility as a performer can only help you on your way. If you really want to win, you need to invest in yourself more.
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Fresh Meat Publishing Website
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Fresh Meat Publishing Website