CLOSING out 2019, FilAm Arts’ Burlesque Las FilipinX returns to Genever Lounge in Historic Filipinotown to present a celebration of Filipina Empowerment and the Art of Burlesque on November 17, 2019, Sunday from 8-11 p.m. The event boasts of three FilipinX American Burlesque Artists that are already widely performing in the scene of burlesque and for the first time are performing together for the Filipino American Los Angeles community. All our dancers are coming in from out of town, just to showcase their talent.
Giselle Tongi-Walters, Current Director of Programs for FilAm Arts, who conceptualized bringing together Burlesque dancers of FilipinX origins shares the empowering feeling of bringing together talent from the Burlesque scene to the community at large. “By curating spaces for people to gather to celebrate all kind of talent, including burlesque is essential to misspell the idea of the Maria Clara sense of colonialism. Reclaiming our sexuality as a FilipinX is complicated particularly when it comes with the baggage of the cultural stigma of sex and sexuality, as this is a topic never discussed. As progressive and open minded FilAm’s, we need to pay tribute and celebrate the womanhood of the FilipinX in all shapes, sizes and shades of brownness. Also, the discovering of the exotic world of burlesque as a legitimate art form should be experienced without shame! Love the FilipinX and celebrate our bodies!”
Curated by Di’ Lovely, who headlines the event, she shares,” It was already a huge milestone to have an all-FilipinX cast, which is rare within our burlesque community as we are few and far in between. In its third installment, I’ve pulled my sisters from Chicago and New York to join, each embodying different backgrounds and style of performance. Burlesque is a continuous journey for one to embrace and explore their sensuality, body confidence, and find strength in vulnerability, especially when pushing passed traditional Philippine ideals. I see this as an opportunity to dismantle harsh expectations of the Filipina woman, in hopes to inspire others to push the envelope in their own way.”
Joining Di’ Lovely all the way from the Windy City is Ms. B. La Rose who shares, “As a growing performer, I am excited to join a talented cast of powerful and uplifting artists working together to support FilAm Arts. As an artist, it’s my opportunity to welcome guests and audiences alike into the world of burlesque where they transcend from the everyday and see that women are strong, confident, and capable. It is with this art form, we break those away from stereotypes of women being submissive and complacent. It is with this art form we continue to give Filipina women a voice. From start to finish, this event showcases women to the front. And I am so happy and humbled to be performing for Burlesque Las FilipinX that is going to be giving back to the arts and creating a culture of love, tolerance, respect, and coexistence”.
Representing the East coast, flying in from New York City is Lady Mabuhay. “Being part of Las FilipinX allows me to choose how I display my identities. I can flaunt my Filipina-ness or leave it in the background. I can show my soft, slow side or switch to my aggressive, electrical side. I can exhibit my sexuality or let my funny bone take over. I can mix and match if I feel like it. It’s important to have an all-FilipinX cast because, let’s face it: We’re underrepresented; as a result, it’s easy to be misrepresented. An all-FilipinX cast allows each of us performers to represent ourselves the way we want to be represented – individually and collectively” says Lady Mabuhay.
Hosting is Chicago native, now LA transplant, Performer JP Moraga, as a fundraising benefit to FilAm Arts. Tickets are limited at $40 a ticket with a two drink minimum at Genever in Historic Filipinotown and only on sale on Eventbrite. Ride sharing encouraged and burlesque protocol on site is required. Tickets to the public are extremely limited to only 40 tickets. November 17, Sunday, 8-11 p.m. For more info email [email protected]
